Tak-hyeon's expression had turned ice cold.

"I've heard that you met with Vice President Yeong-bae Song."

Jeong-eun, whose face had been draining of color, shook her head quickly and looked her father straight in the eye.

"Yes. I met him. What of it?"

"Did you just say what of it?"

Tak-hyeon, who hadn't expected her to come out swinging, wore an expression of pure disbelief.

Not content to stop there, Jeong-eun looked around at her siblings.

"Is it some great crime for me to meet the vice president of Ilhyeon Heavy Industries? If I'd met the vice president of your company, would you call that wrong?"

Sang-jong, addressed without warning, looked around in bewilderment, unable to work out what was happening.

"Answer me. Am I forbidden from meeting your company's vice president?"

Unable to withstand her badgering any longer, Sang-jong spoke.

"Well… what's there to say about simply meeting someone? But what is this about?"

Jeong-eun turned away without waiting for the rest.

"There, you see. I haven't done anything so terribly wrong, have I? Why speak to me as though I have—"

"Why did you meet him?"

"Sorry?"

"I asked you the reason you met him."

At the repeated question, Jeong-eun's stiffly raised head began to sink, her gaze dropping toward the floor.

Tak-hyeon watched her and let out a snort.

"What's wrong with meeting someone, you say? Fine. There's nothing wrong with meeting someone. But you didn't meet him with pure intentions, did you?"

"Not pure intentions? What does that—?"

Sang-jong, puzzled, turned to Mun-jong.

His look asked whether Mun-jong knew something.

But Mun-jong gave no reaction at all, only watching Tak-hyeon and Jeong-eun in silence.

"Brother, do you know something?"

Mun-jong frowned and spoke quietly.

"Just stay still. This is not a place for us to insert ourselves."

Told not to interfere, Sang-jong closed his mouth and turned away.

Silence hung over the living room, until at last Yeong-su Cha, sensing the danger in it, spoke first.

"Chairman. I think there's been some misunderstanding. We simply—"

"Do not interrupt."

Tak-hyeon's roar came down on him like fire.