"Are you OK?" Taeyeon asked Tiffany after they entered the television station.
Tiffany nodded her head with a slight smile, trying her best to rea.s.sure Taeyeon.
"In future, deal with these problems immediately. Don't let it drag on," Taeyeon's tone was a little cold. When it came to Tiffany's safety, he never allowed anything to go wrong. So, today's scene was a good lesson for him.
"It won't happen ever again," Tiffany replied in seriousness.
Because of Tiffany's status and the fact that Taeyeon was her manager, the staff in the television station greeted them with a warm smile.
After entering the recording studio, Tiffany sat down in the guest's seat. Sitting opposite her was the long-haired female host. Meanwhile, Taeyeon stood behind-the-scenes observing the entire broadcast.
Below the stage sat Tiffany's fans, holding handmade signs with Tiffany's name on them. Looking around, the fan-shaped audience area was densely seated.
Apart from showing admiration towards Tiffany, Taeyeon's presence made everyone view Tiffany with an extra layer of awe. After all, the existence of this king-like man was like the best guardian angel for Tiffany.
Not long after, the director gave the host an 'OK' hand signal. The host immediately sat up straight as a dazzling smile appeared on her face.
As 'Superstar Talk' aired during prime time and had a longstanding popularity, the programme received a lot of attention from film fans. With the addition of Tiffany, the viewers.h.i.+p ratings surpa.s.sed all other programmes of the same time slot...
_"August last year, a model announced her comeback and made a succession of miracles with her own efforts. The Oriental Trend was one of the miracles that became a hit in the US. As a result, she received The Special Contribution Award at the Annual Model Awards Ceremony."
_"Her every step after that was difficult but steady. However, just as she was one step away from becoming an international supermodel, she made a shocking move. She suddenly changed from being a model to an actress."
_"I must say that hard work pays off because G.o.d always rewards hard workers. So, as an actress, she was also very successful..."
_"The person I am speaking about, is also our guest for today, Tiffany!"
The hosts words appeared extra sincere. It was obvious that she had done her homework.
Afterwards, she placed her focus on Tiffany and asked gently,
_"How does it feel to be an actress? Do you think it's better to be a model or an actress?"
"Actually, these two professions cannot be completely compared, yet they also have their similarities; both professions aim to create a comfortable viewing experience. As for how I feel about being an actress...all I can say is, I enjoy a challenge and making breakthroughs," Tiffany replied seriously.
_"Everyone is aware that you've filmed three films in succession this year. In fact, the last two are the main highlights. So, which character was your favorite?"
"My favorite was the actress in 'Stupid' because I'm a huge fan of the screenwriter."
_"But, the screenwriter for 'Stupid' is anonymous. Does that mean you know who it is?" the host latched onto the main point and asked.
_"If it's convenient, could you reveal a little about the screenwriter's ident.i.ty?"
Tiffany glanced at Taeyeon, gesturing that she may not be able to hold onto the secret for much longer, and Taeyeon looked back at her nonchalantly; she could do whatever she pleased.
Hence, Tiffany smiled and said, "His name will appear at the end of future films."
"Or, you guys can give it a guess..."
The fans below the stage became consumed in discussions. Even the host fell into deep thought... At present, it was hard to find a screenwriter in Korea that could create something of this quality. As for the best known ones, they each had their own unique style, and 'Stupid' was definitely not consistent with any of them.
In the end, the host gave up guessing and pleaded,
_"Tiffany, can you just tell us and satisfy our curiosity?"
"It's actually quite easy to guess..." Tiffany smiled with a deeper meaning. At this time, the fans below the stage finally came to a realization and yelled at the stage,
_"It's President Kim...Tiffany, it's President Kim isn't it?"
As soon as the host heard this, she covered her mouth in shock. After taking it in for a second, she asked,
_"Really? Is it really President Kim?"
Tiffany looked at the host, then looked at the fans. Eventually, she nodded her head.
_"Oh my G.o.d..." the host gasped. "This is big news. President Kim is actually the screenwriter of 'Stupid'? He wrote it much too well!"
"Uh huh, that's why I am a huge fan of his," Tiffany was on a husband-bragging spree. It was almost like she wanted the whole world to know that her husband was capable of anything. Even though, everyone was already aware...
With the revelation of 'Stupid's' screenwriter, the atmosphere in the recording studio was filled with excitement. However, at this time...
...so called 'evidence' of Tiffany being two-faced was revealed online. It was a photo of her meeting with the American director. And there weren't many people that weren't familiar with this American director.
The photo seemed to have come from the hotel's surveillance, but the photo did indeed make it appear like Tiffany was enjoying her chat with the director...
_"There is no limit to her hype-creating methods. She is shameless and has no bottom line. Didn't she say that she doesn't look highly on foreign directors?"
_"Is this the morally intact Tiffany that you all speak of? It turns out, her morals crumble at the feet of US Dollars."
_"She did everything to create hype and to help promote her new film. But, her methods were too hypocritical and shameful."
_"This Tiffany, who appears to be aloof from the world, is she about to fall apart?"
_"Just wait and see. It's not going to be long before the Americans announce that they will be working with Tiffany."
_"If that's the case, then there's no point watching any of Tiffany's future films. I hate people like that!"
_"Let's make a bet: if the Americans don't announce that they will be working with Tiffany, I'll strip naked and streak across the streets."
The discussion that sounded like something typical of fans was actually a discussion amongst relatively famous celebrities. As they were quite charismatic, they naturally attracted attention.
The related keywords included, 'hype', 'hypocrite' and 'dirty wh*re'. As a result, a few of the celebrities involved in the discussions, waited to see Tiffany receive a faceslap.
Was Tiffany really going to take on an American film after what she said?
This was not a small matter. In an industry where even bearing another country's flag would cause controversy, if Tiffany actually did what they said, she would definitely be thrown into the depths of the abyss...
Inside the recording studio, Tiffany was still in the middle of her interview. However, a few of the staff were notified about the incident online.
A large number of celebrities claimed that Tiffany was a hypocrite and her actions were questionable.
To increase hype for the talk show, the host discussed with the director during one of the breaks to ask Tiffany about her next film. She wanted to see what information they could get out of her.
So, in the next section of the show, the host's smile was no longer as sincere as before. In fact, she looked a little awkward, _"To be honest Tiffany, a lot of your fans want to know what you are planning for your next project."
Tiffany could sense the host's probing, so she could tell that something must have happened in the outside world.
"I've already planned something," Tiffany replied in seriousness.
_"In that case, can you reveal a little bit of your plan to your fans? For example, what type of role are you planning to take?"
"To be honest, you don't need to go around in circles. I know that you actually want to know if I've signed a contract with an American director," Tiffany directly exposed the host's true motive as she looked at her seriously.
_"Ermm..." the host was a little awkward.
"So, do you think I've already signed a contract?" Tiffany's question carried a trace of provocation.
_"The public's reaction is very big..." the host's face turned red.
"Don't worry, since I've decided to appear here as a guest, you can feel free to ask whatever questions you want. Don't forget, I've already revealed that my husband is the screenwriter for 'Stupid'. I think you are more afraid of asking than I am afraid of answering."
After seeing that Tiffany wasn't joking, the host finally pulled herself together. She took one glance at the director and gathered her courage.
Tiffany's words pushed the viewers.h.i.+p ratings further up. It seemed, this was what the viewers wanted to see.
So, the director specifically prepared a tablet for the host to stay up to date with online discussions and the host finally relaxed. However, this was the first time she treated a guest in such a ruthless way...
_"According to statistics, there are over 30 celebrities online that are claiming that you lied to create hype. What are your thoughts regarding this?"
"I just have one question. What are they basing this claim on?" Tiffany asked in ridicule. "Is it simply because I met with a director?"
_"I'm just thinking, now that the internet is in an uproar and the situation has gotten slightly out of hand, what do you plan to do next?" the host asked bravely.
Although she could feel Taeyeon's icy cold glare on her back, she still gathered all her courage and said, "Why don't we contact one of the celebrities and see what triggered their outburst. If there is a misunderstanding, we can clarify it on the spot."
"Go ahead!" Tiffany said without any fear.
The director immediately used his contacts to get a hold of one of the celebrity's phone numbers and made a phone call live in studio.
In reality, the only reason why the staff were brave enough to suggest something like this was because Tiffany was full of confidence.
It seemed, she must have taken precautions for her to agree so easily.
After a few rings, someone picked up the phone. The host immediately notified the other party that she was in the middle of a live broadcast with Tiffany before she presented him with her question. However, the person on the other end did not say a word and directly hung up the phone.
Anyone with brains would not express their standpoint directly to the public.
There were over 30 celebrities involved. If he was the only one being contacted and he told them everything, then he would become a target for criticism.
He wasn't stupid.
The television station was quickly surrounded by fans. Some were here to protect Tiffany, whilst others were here to show their dislike...
Was it necessary to cause such a commotion?
Tiffany looked helplessly around the studio. Finally, she placed her gaze on the host, sat up straight and said, "Actually, today on 'Superstar Talk', I wanted take the opportunity to announce an important decision I have made. I'm sure this announcement won't disappoint."
As the programme was being broadcasted live, plenty of people started to insult her online.
_"It looks like Tiffany is about to announce that she has accepted an American film!"
_"Does she need to tell us? It's already obvious."
_"Although I feel disappointed by her, I'm still hoping that we will hear something different from her lips."
_"Her reputation has already been ruined, how does she plan to remain in the industry?"
Just as everyone thought they knew what she was to announce, Tiffany stood up elegantly and bowed to the audience and cameras,
"I know making this decision will mean giving up on a big family."
"I'm also aware that there are a bunch of people waiting for me to be abused and faceslapped. But, I regret to tell you that I wanted to use 'Superstar Talk' to announce a decision that I have made."
"I would like to announce that..."
"...I, Tiffany, have decided to retreat from filming indefinitely!"
Wait, retreat from filming?
It turned out that Tiffany wasn't announcing anything to do with the American film; She was announcing her retreat!
Retreat!?
This simple word seemed to contain an incomparable power that slapped the 30+ celebrities across the face.
They said she was creating hype; they said she was shameless. But, at this time, her method of attack, was to announce that she was retreating! She did not fight back with any resources or Taeyeon. Nor did she try to find an excuse...
She simply retreated...
_"Tiffany, is it because you are disappointed by the industry? Or..."
"I'm already satisfied with filming three films in succession, so it's time to take on a different role," Tiffany smiled. "I simply hope that those that hated me, tried to deceive me and claimed that I was creating hype, would receive a huge slap across the face."
"My decision is to stop filming and retreat now that everything has been completed."
As soon as news spread of Tiffany's counterattack, everyone was shocked. They expected all forms of excuses from her, but they never expected her to retreat from filming.
They said she signed a contract with an American actor, so she directly told them that she was stepping back from the entire industry altogether...
Plenty of people felt that Tiffany was at the pinnacle of her career, so there was no way she'd do something to harm it...
But...she always took the road less traveled.
_"Oh G.o.d, did Tiffany just announce that she is retreating from filming?"
"That's right, I won't be filming for a while!" Tiffany confirmed.
The host covered her mouth in shock as she looked at Tiffany. She never expected that Tiffany would go to this extreme just to prove her innocence...
_"Actually Tiffany, you don't have to..."
"The American director isn't making any announcements and I did not sign any contracts. The only reason I met with him was so I could reject him, not so I could sign with him," Tiffany explained to the camera.
"From today onwards, Tiffany will temporarily disappear from the entertainment industry. Thank you everyone for your continued support and acceptance. I hereby show my grat.i.tude with a bow."
After speaking, Tiffany sincerely bowed to the camera once again.
[Tiffany counterattacks rumors: "I've decided to retreat from filming!"]
[What is the cause behind Tiffany's retreat?]
[Behind Tiffany's retreat are a bunch of jealous monsters!]
It didn't take long before news of Tiffany's retreat appeared on the headlines of every news website. Her announcement caught everyone completely by surprise.
It was especially a surprise for those that claimed Tiffany was creating hype. These ambitious people were in disbelief after seeing the news. They realized they had once again misjudged her.
As Tiffany left the recording studio, Taeyeon was on the phone with Sooyoung, "Do an investigation and see who manipulated the celebrities to go against Tiffany. I'll give you three days."
Sooyoung knew that Taeyeon wasn't going to let the matter go, so he was already a step ahead. Whoever dared to target Tiffany to this extent was not far from their impending doom.
Afterwards, Taeyeon escorted Tiffany out of the television studio. The fans outside were no longer in an uproar. In fact, some of them felt guilty for misunderstanding her.
As they watched Tiffany walk out of the television station, the fans quickly gathered around and pleaded,
+"Tiffany, don't retreat from the entertainment industry, keep filming. Just ignore those no-name celebrities."
+"That's right Fany Unnie, we will miss you. Can you reconsider?"
+"Fany Unnie...I support your decision. This industry is too disgusting. I can't believe a whole bunch of people teamed up to slander one of our favorite people - how shameless."
Faced with the opinions of the fans, Tiffany turned around just before she stepped into her car and smiled, "Thank you everyone. If fate is on our side, we will definitely meet again."
+"Tiffany..."
+"Fany Unnie..."
+"F*cking h.e.l.l, let's kick those no-name celebrities out of the industry. I hope President Kim will put in some effort to avenge our Tiffany."
+"That's right! As soon as I get home, I'm going to get the names of all the celebrities that went against Tiffany and broadcast it to the world. Let's see how they team up against others when they themselves aren't that great."
Tiffany couldn't bear to see her fans upset, so she eventually did a hush gesture and told them,
"I have two films that are waiting to be released and I'm confident that they won't disappoint. You are my fans, so no matter where I am in the world, I will always wish the best for all of you."
"I decided to retreat today, not because I admit defeat, but because I need some time to rest. Trust me, I won't be gone forever."
After speaking, Tiffany finally boarded her car. As it drove away, her fans followed behind for a little while...
"Tae...we need to continue protecting my fans. I hope those that have supported me in the past will lead happy lives because of me."
Taeyeon ran his hand through Tiffany's hair and nodded, "Chanyeol will organize it."
Tiffany relaxed; she had fulfilled her responsibilty. So, she leaned onto Taeyeon's lap and closed her eyes, "From now on, I will have time to take care of you and our child."
Taeyeon gently curved his lips and placed a kiss on Tiffany's ear...
Tiffany's fans did as promised. That very night, they compiled a list of all the celebrities involved and posted it online.
Since Tiffany had already responded by announcing her retreat, she had indirectly proved that there was no contract-signing incident with the American director.
So, Crown Empire's staff immediately stepped out and spoke on behalf of Tiffany.
(+)"All I can say is, Tiffany must be too capable, that's why she attracted a pack of hungry wolves."
(+)"As Tiffany's senior colleague, I want to express my thoughts. Everyone at Crown Empire has used their own abilities to get to where they are. No one has ever played any dirty tricks. I bet the people that teamed up against Tiffany must be regretting it now, because they have now revealed their true colors to the world."
(+)"As a part of the Crown Empire family, as long as President Kim or Tiffany needs us, we will support them without hesitation. How dare they bully Tiffany? Are they qualified to do so?"
(+)"I believe that President Kim will handle the matter professionally."
So, Tiffany's retreat triggered a mighty counterattack. Apart from Crown Empire's artists, artists that had previously experienced suppression also stood out to express their thoughts.
(+)"I feel bad for Tiffany. The people that should be retreating should be the bunch of self-righteous garbage."
(+)"Amongst the list of names, aren't there a few that are repeat offenders? It's already no surprise..."
(+)"It only takes a small incident to see a person's true character. From this moment onwards, this list should be used as an agency blacklist. I wish them the best of luck."
(+)"Let's wait and see their fate..."
Although a lot of celebrities were involved in the incident, the anger online had an earth-shattering power.
A few of the involved celebrities quickly deleted their previous posts. In fact, a few of them completely cleared their entire social media profile. But, Tiffany's fans weren't going to forget what they had done; no one on the list should dream of escaping.
A few of the artists from smaller agencies also offered an apology to Tiffany and claimed that they were manipulated because they were too young...
They wanted to apologize?
_"Tiffany doesn't care about your apology. All you have to do is leave the industry and everything will be fine. Even an lister like Tiffany is brave enough to retreat from the industry, don't tell me a no-name like yourself doesn't have the guts."
_"For someone to gather so many people, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a bigger conspiracy in the works..."
_"I hope the people on the list stay out of our sights. Whenever I see any of you, I feel like vomiting. You are the perfect example of fake."
Of course, Crown Empire always lived up to expectations. Because the next morning, they released a statement that Tiffany had paid for the hospital fees of her injured fans, allowing the truth to be finally revealed.
Tiffany had cared so much for her fans, yet they stabbed her in the back. Plenty of people were shocked and felt bad for her.
Afterwards, Crown Empire released a second statement. But, the thing that was extra surprising was that the statement was released by Taeyeon personally.
The main point of his statement was, whenever someone from Crown Empire was bullied, Crown Empire would do all they could to avenge them. So what if they had 30 celebrities?
Even if it was 300, Crown Empire would still find the truth and make all those involved pay for what they had done.
As the statement was released by Taeyeon, it caused quite a commotion. The statement was like a direct representation of the amount of concern that Crown Empire had towards the incident.
It was also satisfying to witness beause everyone knew that Taeyeon was definitely going to make all those involved pay.
Definitely!
Even though Tiffany's announcement was quite shocking, Elder Hwang remained calm. He was well aware of the real reason behind Tiffany's decision.
Retreating was a good idea. It's what he felt she should do.
"Grandfather, don't you think that Sister Three's decision is quite a pity?" Minho asked as he looked at the entertainment news. "Sister Three has never been this fragile. Why did she suddenly make this decision?"
"Your brother-in-law will protect your Sister Three. You should just focus on yourself. Have you found yourself a girlfriend recently?" Elder Hwang asked.
Minho smiled; silently admitting.
"When will you bring her home to meet me?" Elder Hwang continued to ask.
"Hey, grandfather, now that Sister Three isn't a celebrity, does that mean she can come to Hwang Corps. and take on the role of CEO? What do you think?" Minho deliberately changed the subject.
Elder Hwang knew his intent and chuckled, "Since you're in the entertainment industry now, you don't need to worry about the family business. I have my plans."
The two men sat in the living room chatting and watching television. However, they did not notice that not too far away Hwang Na-ri was watching them from behind a column with a dark expression...
She wanted to destroy Tiffany. But, she never expected that Tiffany would rather retreat from the entertainment industry than be slandered by others.
If Tiffany really took on the role of CEO then all the endurance she put up with so far, would go to waste.
She could not let this happen.
So, Hwang Na-ri returned to her bedroom and made a phone call after locking her door, "Send Boah's schedule to me. If we don't make a move soon, Tiffany will end up returning. I need to grab onto the right timing to seize control of the company."
The person on the other end agreed respectfully before hanging up the phone.
Of course, the only reason why Hwang Na-ri was willing to put up with being an insignificant member of staff for so long, was because she had a plan brewing.
Firstly, she blamed Boah's secretary for almost causing her to have a miscarriage and used it as an excuse to remove her from Boah's side. Afterwards, she cooerced the new secretary to side with her. All the while, Boah appeared oblivious to her scheming.
This time, Hwang Na-ri was quite desperate. She hated Tiffany too much.
10 minutes later, Hwang Na-ri received an email. The email indicated that Boah would be going to Switzerland in a few days.
Switzerland...
"Since she's going away, then she shouldn't come back," Hwang Na-ri thought.
Boah was indeed heading to Switzerland, but it didn't mean that her and Elder Hwang were oblivious to Hwang Na-ri's every move. They even knew that Boah's current secretary was betraying them...
It didn't take long before Boah was notified by one of her company confidants that her secretary and Hwang Na-ri may be up to something and that she should be careful.
Boah immediately thought about her trip to Switzerland. Even though she wasn't 100 percent certain that something would go wrong, she still decided to be cautious.
Initially, she was supposed to travel on her own. But, since her secretary loved sharing her every move, she decided to bring her along...
After Boah settled on a plan, she gave Tiffany a phone call, "Hwang Na-ri seems to be making a move. For her to make a move after enduring for so long, it must be because you announced your retreat from filming. She is worried that her position is at risk."
"I guess she's right," Tiffany smirked. "Mom, make good use of this opportunity to destroy her once and for all."
"In that case, we need to put on a dazzling show," Boah replied after careful thought.
"I'll come back to Hwang Corps.," Tiffany suggested straightforwardly. "Since she keeps antic.i.p.ating it, let's not disappoint her."
"What about your child?"
"Don't worry, I have my ways," Tiffany rea.s.sured. Her grandfather had already given up on forcing her to take over the family business. But, if she allowed Hwang Na-ri to continue causing trouble and her mother couldn't do anything about it, then she had no choice but to personally deal with it herself.
Taeyeon watched as Tiffany finished talking on the phone and placed a blanket on her body. He then wrapped her in a warm hug, "The weather is getting cold. You better stay in bed at all times and rest."
"But, you heard what I just said..."
"Didn't you say you'd take good care of our child?"
"I'm not going to work full time, there are just a few occa.s.sions where my attendance is necessary. It won't have too much of an effect on me. I'm simply afraid that if Hwang Na-ri continues to act recklessly, mom and grandfather might get hurt."
Taeyeon was a little dumbfounded. After a little while, he replied, "You must have heard my conversation with Sooyoung. The person that paid people to slander you was Hwang Na-ri. She must have been secretly gathering people and developing relations.h.i.+ps for quite some time."
"It's because I know that she is starting to act ruthlessly that I need to destroy her before she gets any worse."
"I didn't have enough time before, but I can now take care of you and our child as well as help mom."
"Don't tire yourself," Taeyeon had one simple request because he was well aware that Tiffany's decision was right.
Although Boah could suppress Hwang Na-ri, she couldn't stop her mind from endlessly scheming.
"Don't worry. When have I ever disappointed you?" Tiffany hooked her arm around Taeyeon's neck and placed a kiss on his mesmerizing lips.
Meanwhile, after returning to Crown Empire, Minho originally wanted to tell Jimin that that his grandfather wanted to meet her, but...
...just as he pushed open the door, he heard Jimin talking to a man.
"Why are you here?"
"Are you afraid that your little lover will hear us?" the man naturally revealed a sly smile. "Did you really think you could marry into a rich family? Don't forget you are still my woman. You once used every method you could to pursue me. Now you want to give up on our years of love because of your rich lover?"
"Don't make things up," Jimin immediately responded.
"Fine. I'll be serious. I can't wait to see the expression on your little lover's face after he sees the real you." After speaking, the man turned to leave. Minho quickly took a few steps back and pretended that he hadn't heard a thing and had just arrived.
After bidding the man farewell, Jimin looked at Minho awkwardly and explained, "That was my cla.s.smate. He dropped by to catch up."
Minho nodded and watched as the man disappeared into the distance. The dangerous looking man also possessed an attractive face. How could he possibly be just a cla.s.smate?
Minho did not believe her, but he had no evidence, so he had no choice but to endure for now. Of course, the good news he was originally going to share, had now been swallowed into depths of his stomach…
"Didn't you say on the phone earlier that you had good news to tell me?" Jimin asked as she drew his attention back to her.
"I am releasing a new alb.u.m," Minho replied with a smile.
"I knew our Yun-ho would become more and more famous."
Minho tried his best to maintain his smile, but as time pa.s.sed, he found it harder and harder to conceal his true feelings.
Just as he almost buckled, Se-ra suddenly appeared behind them and said in a professional manner, "Yun-ho, Vice President Chanyeol wants to see us in his office."
Minho suddenly felt like he had been saved as he said to Jimin, "I'm going to go to a meeting first. I'll talk to you later."
"OK!" Jimin nodded her head understandingly.
Afterwards, Minho turned and left. As he left, he thought to himself, he never imagined that the kind and pure Jimin would have another side to her.
Se-ra took one quick glance at Jimin and turned to follow Minho. Only after they entered the elevator, did she ask, "If you're unhappy, why are you hiding it?"
"Because I don't want to be blinded by jealousy and doubt. I need to find evidence first."
"Vice President Chanyeol didn't ask for you. I simply felt like you couldn't hold on much longer. This is the difference between you and your sister. Fany Unnie never shows mercy to those that hurt her, nor does she ever fear them," Se-ra said as she looked at Minho's back,
"Her sensitivity to human emotions may be at a level that you can never catch up to. Perhaps you haven't noticed and perhaps as your manager I shouldn't be saying this to you, but this Jimin really doesn't suit you."
Minho sighed.
"If you need any help, just let me know. I will think of a way to help you."
"Thank you," Minho nodded his head and left Crown Empire with complex emotions. On the way home, he was in such a daze that he almost got into a car accident a few times. He really wanted to know, if Tiffany came across the same situation, what would she do?
In the end, Minho turned his car around and headed for Hyatt Regency...
As he arrived, Taeyeon opened the door for him. After seeing it was Minho, Taeyeon raised his eyebrows questioningly, but he did not stop him from entering.
Tiffany's stomach had now developed a slight b.u.mp. So...as soon as Minho saw it, he pointed to Tiffany's stomach and gasped, "Noona, you're..."
"I'm pregnant," Tiffany replied from the sofa.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Minho immediately went to sit down beside her. "When did this happen?"
Thinking back on what Hwang Na-ri did, Tiffany's expression turned cold, but she still ended up telling Minho the entire story, including the reason behind her retreat.
After hearing the story, Minho punched the gla.s.s table in front of him in anger,
"I never imagined that you'd experience so much in this time. Big Sister...no, she's not my sister! 'That woman' has done so many evil deeds in secret. Does grandfather and mom know about it? If not, I'm going to go home and tell them about it right now..."
"Apart from you and Bora, everyone else in the family already knows," Tiffany immediately held him back. "Plus, I may return to the household to do some cleaning up. You need to forget everything I've told you today and pretend nothing happened."
"But..."
"I have my plans. Everyone knows how she truly is. She is the only one that thinks she's putting on a convincing act," Tiffany said with a wise expression.
"OK then..." Minho nodded his head and calmed down. That's when he remembered the real reason why he had come.
However, thinking about Tiffany's current situation, he didn't know how to bring up the topic.
But how was it possible to hide his feelings in front of Tiffany?
"You mustn't have come here for nothing. Tell me...what is it?"
Minho hesitated for a moment before he finally looked into Tiffany's eyes and asked, "Noona, what are your thoughts on Jimin?"
"I don't know her very well," Tiffany replied straightforwardly. "Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"
"If...I told you I was dating her, what would you say?"
Hearing this, Tiffany's expression changed...
"If you felt like nothing's wrong, then you wouldn't have come to see me," Tiffany pointed out the problem.
"Back when you were slandered for taking drugs, I already told you that the industry is not as simple as you think. If you've noticed something isn't right, then is there any point in asking for my opinion?"
Minho fell silent; he had nothing else to say.
Tiffany understood that Minho was still young, so it was easy to develop feelings after spending a long period of time with someone.
If they were both honest with their feelings, then she would be happy for them. But, if someone was using Minho or hurting him, she would teach them a painful lesson.
"Noona...you know it's rare for me to develop feelings for someone."
"If the truth is what you think it is, then it doesn't change the fact that you've met sc.u.m. You are a member of the Hwang Family..." Tiffany said straightforwardly.
"...go prove it. Regardless of whether it is a misunderstanding or the truth, you need to clarify it first."
Minho nodded his head. He originally wanted to continue chatting to Tiffany, but Taeyeon directly approached them to send him away, "Your noona needs to rest."
Remembering that Tiffany was pregnant, Minho immediately nodded his head without refuting, "OK, I'll leave then."
Tiffany wanted to laugh, but felt bad. So, after Minho left, she asked, "Can't you be a little gentler on him?"
"He came to steal my wife's time, why would I be gentle with him?" Taeyeon asked back.
Tiffany couldn't help but let out a laugh, "I really don't know what to do about you..."
After leaving Hyatt Regency, Minho directly drove over to Jimin's apartment. Just as he entered her front door, he noticed her bedroom door slightly ajar and heard screams of help coming from inside. He immediately pushed open the door and found her so-called 'cla.s.smate' trying to steal her handbag.
"Yun-ho, you came right on time. Quick, restrain him."
As soon as the man saw Minho stretch out his arms, he threw away the handbag and escaped.
Jimin had received such a fright that she collapsed on the floor in tears.
"What exactly happened?"
"He's really just a cla.s.smate. He simply dropped by the agency to visit me today. But he ended up stalking me all the way home and tried to steal my stuff," Jimin explained.
Minho helped Jimin off the floor and led her to the sofa...
However, he did not try to comfort her. He simply kept her company until she fell asleep. Afterwards, he had a quick scan of the apartment and left.
She was being stalked, yet she still had the time to brew tea? When her apartment was broken into, wasn't her first response to retaliate?
Plus, he was well aware that she had returned home for quite some time. Why did he wait so long to steal her stuff?
Of course, there was still a possibility that the man had waited...
But…
**********
(Poor Minho)
(I don't know why does she always so cute?💕)