"Who is it?" he asked, watching me closely.
"No one," I lied, forcing a faint smile. "I need to leave now, Mr. Joonseo."
"Wait, Minji," he said, reaching out and gently grabbing my right hand.
What did he want now?
Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. Another message from the same unknown number lit up the screen:
Minji, come to Fritz Café and meet me… if you want your secret to remain a secret.
My hands began to tremble as my breath caught in my throat. Joonseo held onto me tighter, noticing the shift in my demeanor.
"Minji… what's wrong?" he asked, his voice softer now, more concerned.
"I have to go," I said quickly. "We'll talk later."
I pulled away from his grasp and rushed out before he could follow me.
Within fifteen minutes, I arrived at Fritz Café in a taxi. It was a luxurious place — elegant, high-end, and crawling with people dressed in designer brands. Just standing at the entrance made me feel out of place.
I walked in, unsure of who to look for. My eyes scanned the room.
"Welcome to Fritz Café, miss. Do you have an appointment?" the host asked politely.
"Yeah," I said, trying to sound confident.
He waited a moment. "May I have the name of the person you're meeting?"
"I… I don't know," I admitted, awkwardly.
"Then I'm sorry, but you can't be here." His tone shifted.
Before I could respond, a female staff member approached with irritation in her voice.
"What is she even doing here without an appointment? Do you know how long people wait to get into this place?" she scoffed, looking me up and down.
"She clearly doesn't belong here," another muttered behind me.
I turned around to see a long line of people behind me, all glaring with frustration.
"Look around," the woman continued. "This place is fully booked. Most of these people reserved their spots months ago."
The girl in front added with a smirk, "Also, most scammers try the same thing. You're not the first one to fake your way in."
Scammer?
I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm. What was so special about this place?
"Can I just ask one thing?" I said, ignoring the growing stares.
"Fine," the male host replied stiffly.
"Who owns this café?"
He looked at me like I asked the most obvious question in the world. "This is a high-standard place… who else but the Kim family?"
My lips curled into a bitter smile.
If only she knew I was Mrs. Kim… they'd be crawling on their knees right now.
Just then, the phone at the reception desk rang. The male host picked it up, and as he spoke, his expression changed dramatically. His hands began to tremble.
"What happened?" the rude waitress asked, now sensing something was off.
He ignored her and looked directly at me. "Miss, may I know your full name again?"
"Park Minji."
His eyes widened. In seconds, both the host and the female waitress bowed low.
"We're so sorry, Ms. Park," the host stammered.
The waitress leaned closer and whispered to the host, "Who is she?"
"Park family," he whispered back. "Top six wealth families from South City."
The girl gasped. "Oh no… she'll ruin my life… my whole family."
I hadn't even said a word yet, but the weight of my real name alone had flipped the power dynamic.
"Please forgive me, Miss Park. I didn't know… I didn't mean to offend you," the waitress begged, suddenly on her knees.
"Just don't do it again," I replied coldly.
The host straightened up. "Please, Miss Park, follow me."
He led me through a back hallway into a quiet, private lounge. Seated there was a woman in a sleek black outfit, surrounded by silent bodyguards. She wore a mask that covered the lower half of her face, making her unreadable.
The host gave a slight bow and left without saying another word.
"Sit, Minji," the masked woman said, her tone eerily calm.
I obeyed, lowering myself slowly onto the leather seat across from her. My heart thudded against my chest as I studied her.
If she knew I was Ms.Park she wouldn't be sitting there so boldly. She'd be too afraid to threaten me.
But right now, the mask between us wasn't the only mystery.
Who was she?
And what did she know?
"What do you need from me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
The masked woman didn't flinch. "Leave Joonseo alone."
I stared at her in disbelief. "I can't."
Her eyes narrowed. "Why?"
"Because it's an arranged marriage," I said, each word laced with quiet defiance. "If I break it first, the Kim family will destroy us. You think it's easy to walk away from a deal like that?"
She smiled—cold, mocking. Like she knew something I didn't. Like she was silently asking: Are you even really the legitimate daughter of the Park family?
Her lips curved, and her next words came sharp and unforgiving.
"Then make him hate you."
I leaned forward, fire rushing through my veins. "Take off that mask first," I demanded.
"No," she said simply, like she held the power, like she had nothing to lose.
"Then I won't do what you say," I snapped. "Go ahead and tell the world my secret. I dare you. If you do, you'll actually help me. The moment people find out, I'll finally get my position and power in the Kim family."
I smiled back—fierce, proud, unshaken.
Her fists clenched, her shoulders tightened. She was mad now. Furious. But she didn't speak.
Instead, slowly… deliberately… she reached up and peeled the mask off her face.
My heart dropped.
It was her.
I gasped. "Yuna…"
She smirked, eyes glittering with bitter satisfaction. "Surprised?"
My stomach twisted. The silence between us was loud—deafening. My mind raced.
Why her?
Why now?
"You—You did all this?" I stuttered.
She leaned back, crossing her arms. "You think you can keep him just because of a forced marriage? Please. I've been by his side for years. You're just a placeholder, Minji."
"You don't know anything about us," I said, jaw clenched.
"Oh, but I do. You think you're winning, but the moment he finds out everything—your lies, your real identity, the deal behind the marriage—he'll never forgive you."
"I didn't lie," I whispered. "I just… kept quiet."
"Same thing," she shot back.
I stood up, refusing to let her see the fear crawling under my skin.
"I'm not leaving him," I said. "And if you really want to go to war with me… bring it on."
She stood too, her eyes burning with fury.
"This is only the beginning, Minji," she said. "And trust me—by the end of it, you'll wish you never became a Joonseo's wife."
She stormed off, bodyguards following like shadows.
I stood frozen in place, breath shaky.
This wasn't just a threat anymore.
This was war.