.....

Shinhye was a famous supermodel.

Even though she was married, her style and status was better than ever. She was internationally famous and had taken home many number one titles in Asia.

After all, Crown Empire’s PR manager turned Vice President, Chanyeol, was her husband. So, he naturally planned out Shinhye’s career path neatly and with purpose.

So, knowing today was Shinhye’s birthday, Chanyeol decked out the garden in the hotel for his beloved wife’s birthday to make her happy. As a result, there were decorations and surprises everywhere.

Not many people had been invited to Shinhye’s birthday celebration. Most of the guests were famous models from the fashion industry and friends from Crown Empire. As everyone arrived, they began chatting amongst themselves.

“I heard Tiffany will be coming tonight.”

“If Tiffany hadn’t decided to go act, her status would be so much higher than Shinhye’s right now. If you guys think Shinhye is amazing, you mustn’t have seen Tiffany on the runway before.”

A few young models gathered together to chat and drink wine.

Although they had gained a bit of fame, if they wanted to be notable within Crown Empire and rival Shinhye, they still had a long way to go.

These girls had attended the celebration tonight as plus-ones. But, in reality, this was the work of a few managers from Crown Empire who wanted to use this opportunity to help their artists advance in status. In other words, they were trying to ride Shinhye’s coattail.

As they were from Crown Empire, Chanyeol naturally turned a blind eye. After all, this was a trick that he had also used in the past.

“I’ve also seen Tiffany act. I must say, it is a gift from God.”

“But lately, President Kim’s situation with his family hasn’t been very good. Plus, Tiffany’s relationship with her mother-in-law has been filled with arguments. Could it be that Tiffany’s child is actually unwell. Plus, in her current state, will she ever return to the runway?”

“She is 27-years-old after all.”

Overhearing their conversation from behind, Shinhye immediately approached the girls. Her smile was friendly, but her ruthlessness was hidden beneath her soft appearance,

“It seems you girls haven’t understood the rules at Crown Empire yet. Especially since you’re talking about Tiffany. Are you giving up on your future?”

The girls immediately shut their mouths timidly after hearing Shinhye’s warning.

But, no matter how much time passed, Shinhye couldn’t get used to people gossiping about Tiffany.

“If I hadn’t witnessed it, would you have protected me for nothing?” Tiffany suddenly laughed from behind.

Shinhye turned around to see her pregnant friend; as energetic and beautiful as ever.

“These small-time models are unaware of the rules.”

Tiffany glanced at Shinhye. She then walked around her and said to the models,

“If you think you’ve reached a position where you can gossip about me as you please, then say it to my face.”

The girls’ faces turned white as they looked at each other nervously.

“Remember, within this industry, disaster comes from careless talk. No matter how much you can’t resist gossiping, you should hold your tongue. Otherwise…”

Tiffany’s​ voice was gentle, like she was giving the young models a kind warning. But, the girls could sense the danger emanating from her words.

So, before Tiffany continued to say anything else, the girls quickly ran away in fear.

“You’re still the same. You never allow yourself to suffer any loss,” Shinhye laughed.

“Why should I?”

“Where’s President Kim?” Shinhye looked around after realizing Tiffany was on her own.

“He will come later. He has something to attend to.”

The two women hadn’t seen each other for a while, so they obviously had endless topics to discuss.

At this time, Suho entered the hotel carrying a birthday present and approached the two, “I hope this beauty doesn’t mind that I came uninvited.”

Because of his relationship with Tiffany and recent close contact with Chanyeol at work, it wasn’t unusual for Suho to attend Shinhye’s birthday.

“Chanyeol’s over there,” Shinhye hinted for Suho not to disturb her conversation with Tiffany.

After putting down his present, Suho shrugged his shoulders and wandered into the crowd.

He was more focused on waiting; waiting for Irene’s answer. He had come to the celebration with much anticipation.

Not long after, Taeyeon’s tall and built figure entered the hotel. With his arrival, the entire venue was filled with excitement as everyone erupted in an applause.

Taeyeon’s expression was indifferent. This was his empire, even if he didn’t say a word, no one would say he was arrogant.

After all, everyone knew, the only reason for his appearance was because of one person.

It was because of Tiffany. Or perhaps, including the child in Tiffany’s stomach, he was here for two people.

Taeyeon walked straight over to Tiffany and pulled her into his arms.

Seeing this, Shinhye could only look at Tiffany helplessly. And of course, Tiffany could only return her helpless gaze.

…

It didn’t take long before the birthday celebrations officially began. Music and dancing filled the venue; it was a lively scene.

However, Suho was the only one that remained seated in the corner staring at the entrance. Every now and then, he would glance down at his watch to check the time. It seemed, Irene wasn’t going to make an appearance…

But, just as Suho decided he had no reason to stay, he suddenly heard some struggling sounds coming from the entrance. He was getting ready to leave, but was held back by a familiar voice, “Suho, I don’t have an invite, I can’t come in.”

Suho froze for a moment as he saw Irene poke her head into the venue, wearing a leather jacket and waving at him.

Everyone looked over, including Tiffany. This made Suho slightly awkward as he ran over to the entrance, “This is my artist.”

“Sorry, Mr. Suho,” the doorman apologized before leaving. Afterwards, Suho looked down at Irene and asked, “Why did you come here dressed like this?”

“What? I didn’t steal nor snatch anything. Am I an embarrassment to you?” Irene squinted provokingly.

“You could have at least worn a dress. If you did, the doorman wouldn’t have stopped you at the entrance. Plus, don’t you know what type of event this is? Crown Empire’s President Kim and Tiffany are also present.”

Irene analyzed the scene and spotted plenty of big celebrities. However, she was strangely unaffected by the fact that she was wearing inappropriate clothing. Irene remained natural and calm, because deep down, she had never looked down upon herself.

Suho was pleased to see this.

“So, does this mean you agree to signing with me?”

“Wait a moment. My mom wants to ask you a few questions,” Irene replied.

After speaking, Irene looked towards the spot where the old woman was hiding to find that she was currently peeking at Taeyeon through one of the screens.

“Even the old madam knows how to admire handsome men…”

But, it may have been because the old woman was too excited, a loud bang suddenly echoed through the venue…

The screen suddenly toppled over and she was revealed in front of everyone…

“What’s this? Who is this person?”

“Did a fan sneak in?”

Everyone looked at the old woman questioningly. Even Taeyeon seemed to have glanced over slightly.

The old woman was both excited yet frightened as she held onto her face mask and turned to apologize, “I’m so sorry.”

Shinhye didn’t like to cause trouble, so she did not hold the old woman accountable. She simply asked the hotel staff to tidy up the mess.

However, as the hotel staff approached, they realized that the delicately designed screen was torn beyond repair.

The hotel staff did not know how to handle the matter since it now involved compensation, so they called the manager over.

As soon as the manager approached, his expression did not look pleased.

“Madam, do you know how much the screen you’ve damaged costs?!”

The old woman didn’t want to cause a commotion, so she subconsciously took a few steps back. But, the hotel manager thought she wanted to run away.

As a result, he quickly grabbed onto her arm and stopped her, “Don’t try to run away!.”

Seeing this, Irene immediately walked over and pushed the manager away, “What are you doing? Don’t you dare touch my mother!”

As soon as the manager saw the clothes on Irene’s body, he was sure that she wasn’t an artist, but a fan that had snuck in. Hence, his attitude turned much colder,

“I’m not sure how you managed to sneak into the hotel. But, since you’ve damaged the hotel’s property, you should compensate us in full. If this madam has a bit more self control, this screen may not have torn.”

“What nonsense are you speaking?” Irene was obviously angered. “If you have a problem, speak to me. Don’t insult my mother.”

Hearing these words, Tiffany approached the entrance with Shinhye and Taeyeon.

Seeing the sight before her, she couldn’t help but say to the manager, “Don’t judge a book by its cover. Your actions are of no benefit to your hotel.”

Realizing these words had come from Tiffany, the manager quickly lowered his head and gave an embarrassed smile.

With Taeyeon and Tiffany so close, the old woman became even more nervous as she tightened the clothes around her body. To quickly resolve the problem and prevent herself from being discovered, she decided to speak up, “I will pay you back.”

“But, do you know how much this screen costs?”

Originally, Shinhye wanted to say something, but the old woman suddenly replied, “This screen is made by a brand that designs for the British royal family. There are no more than 50 hotels in the world that has the right to purchase from them.”

The manager froze as he stared at the old woman in surprise. He then added in a much more polite tone, “What about the price…”

“Irene, give them our contact details. Let’s leave,” the old woman suddenly instructed hastily.

Actually, even Irene couldn’t understand how her mother knew about something so fancy. All of a sudden, she didn’t know how to react. At this time, Suho stepped out and said to the manager, “I’ll pay for it.”

“OK, Mr. Suho,” the hotel manager was more than happy to accept his offer.

Afterwards, Suho casually turned to leave with the two women. However, Tiffany called him back, “Suho, you have something that you haven’t given me.”

“I’ll deliver it to you later.”

The old woman quickly glanced at Taeyeon before she lowered her head. However, her every move could not possibly escape Taeyeon’s observant eyes.

Not long after, Suho escorted the two women out of the hotel. After they boarded his car, Suho finally said, “Auntie, I’ll take you home first.”

The old woman was trembling in extreme nervousness.

And of course, Suho’s curiosity towards the old woman’s identity had been piqued.

“Mom, how did you know about the screen?”

“I saw it in the past,” the old woman said with slight nostalgia.

The brand of the screen was owned by an Asian, after all, how else would someone get a screen like this in England? But, more importantly, the old woman knew the owner pretty well.

“By the way, didn’t you have some questions for Suho? Why don’t you ask him now?”

The old woman glanced at Suho through the rear view mirror and lowered her head, “Forget it, I’ll ask him another time. You make your own decisions for now.”

Suho was slightly confused. This old woman’s mood seemed to fluctuate dramatically.

“So, you came all the way to the hotel today, just to hand money over to them?” Irene rolled her eyes. “How much did the screen cost?”

“No less than $2 million,” Suho replied on behalf of the old woman.

Irene glared at Suho, “Since I’ve signed with you, then…you pay for it…”

“All because of a stunt double like you? How many scenes do you think you need to film before I get my money back? Or perhaps, how many people do you need to scam and steal from before you can clear this debt that you owe me?”

Hearing the words ‘scam and steal’, the old woman felt slightly uncomfortable. So she refuted, “Irene is cheeky, but she’s​ never scammed nor stolen. She doesn’t need…”

The woman stopped without explaining any further, leaving the other two in the dark.

Only after the old lady arrived home, did Suho finally ask Irene, “Don’t you think your mom is a little strange today?”

“She’s practically like another person. But..what does this have to do with you!” Irene looked Suho up and down.  “Since you decided​ to sign my contract and become my artist, you will have to listen to everything I say.”

“Suho, don’t go overboard. What if I turn out to be the heiress of a famous socialite family? I will get revenge on you someday,” Irene scoffed. However, she would never expect that her words would some day be the truth.

Suho and Irene were both careless people, so they of course didn’t notice much more. But…

…Taeyeon and Tiffany were both observant people. After seeing the old woman, they both felt something was a bit strange.

Why would a casually dressed woman, who knew the origins of the expensive screen, leave such a lasting impression?

However, this curiosity had not reached the point where the couple felt they needed to investigate further.

“Tae, the events that happened tonight were quite interesting. Did you see Suho’s expression? That girl…”

“It’s getting late. Get some rest,” Taeyeon hugged Tiffany as he gently placed a kiss on her forehead.

Tiffany did not say any more, but a slight smile remained on her face.

Meanwhile, Han Ji-eun had also just got into bed when Father Kim suddenly thought of something, “A couple days ago, Taeyeon dropped by and asked some weird questions. He also asked about the fire at the research facility.”

Han Ji-eun froze, “Why did he suddenly ask about that?”

“How would I know? He also asked me why you changed your surname.”

An anxious expression appeared on Han Ji-eun’s face as she began to panic, “Did you tell him everything?”

“It’s no secret. Why can’t I tell him?” Father Kim put down the glasses in his hands and got into bed. “You’re mother and son, why can’t you be direct with each other?”

Han Ji-eun rolled over and turned her back to face Father Kim. At this moment, she was speechless; her mind was simply filled with panic.

Taeyeon couldn't possibly find out the truth...

...she had hid it well and nothing had gone wrong all these years. So, she couldn't possibly be exposed by Taeyeon.

She knew she should stop scaring herself.

Even so, no matter how many excuses she used to comfort herself, she couldn't stop her body from trembling in fear. She could sense that her exposure was near and she was terrified. As a result, she was haunted by nightmares the entire night.

...

The next day, Suho arrived at the black and white villa early in the morning. He originally wanted to check if Irene had the habit of sleeping in. But, to his surprise, the 19-year-old woke up every morning, before the break of dawn, to practice her martial arts in the garden, regardless of the weather.

Irene's mother brought out a pot of tea for Suho and said apologetically, "I'm really sorry about yesterday."

"It's OK, auntie."

"I'm curious though, why do you want my Irene, she's obviously..."

"She's interesting," Suho replied straightforwardly. "She lives her life freely without feeling restrained by society."

The old woman laughed without saying another word. After quite some time, she finally said, "You seem to be very close to the superstar, Tiffany. I saw her last night. She's beautiful. And President Kim..."

"Auntie seems to have some secrets," Suho responded with an extra layer of meaning to his words.

"From now on, take good care of Irene for me," the old woman looked at Irene, "This child is very tenacious, but she can't stand being bullied."

"From the sounds of it, is auntie planning a trip away?"

The old woman did not respond. But, after returning from the celebration last night, she had done a lot of thinking.

Especially after seeing Taeyeon and Tiffany, as well as Tiffany's protruding belly, she felt there were some things that she had to personally face.

Suho looked at the old woman. From her eyes, it wasn't hard to conclude that she had a story to tell. However, he had never expected that the woman's story would be so closely related to his life.

Not long afterwards, Irene finished her training. With a body full of sweat, she approached Suho and asked, "What did my mom say to you?"

"Tidy up a little. I'll take you to your new home," Suho did not answer her question, he instead gave her an order. "Since you are a signed stunt double, you should live like someone who has been signed. I will arrange an apartment for you."

"Are you trying to train me like a trainee? Let me tell you, I will only be a stunt double."

Suho looked at Irene helplessly, but at the same time, he was proud that she had not lost herself to the glitz and glamour.

He had a feeling that this artist of his was going to be very interesting.

...

Han Ji-eun was extremely uneasy. She really wanted to know if there was a purpose to Taeyeon's questions or whether it was just coincidence.

So, early the next morning, she made her way over to Tiffany and Taeyeon's home, under the guise of bringing soup for Tiffany.

But, had she forgotten that only two days ago, she had stirred up quite a commotion in Seoul over her relationship with her daughter-in-law? Did she expect that one mere pot of chicken soup would wipe the slate clean?

Even though her relationship with Han Ji-eun wasn't great, reason and logic meant that Tiffany couldn't turn her away from her home.

After all, she was her mother-in-law. So, she had no choice but to invite her into the house first and focus on being cautious after.

As soon as Han Ji-eun entered the living room, she placed the chicken soup on the coffee table and looked at the scripts beside Tiffany, "Are you studying for another role?"

Tiffany gave a slight smile as she gently put her scripts away. She then asked Han Ji-eun, "Mom, if there's something you want to say, then go ahead."

"Is Taeyeon at Crown Empire?" Han Ji-eun looked around for Taeyeon.

"Yes, he has an important film collaboration to discuss," Tiffany nodded calmly as she waited to see what game Han Ji-eun was trying to play.

Han Ji-eun did not get flustered. Like a normal mother-in-law, she carefully poured out the chicken soup and handed it to Tiffany. But, Tiffany did not reach out her hands to accept it.

"What? Are you afraid I poisoned it?"

"I just finished breakfast and can't fit this in my stomach," Tiffany replied.

Han Ji-eun did not insist. After a bit of hesitation, she finally got to the main point, "Has Taeyeon spoken about me lately? If he wants to understand me better, he can ask me directly. Why waste time investigating in secret?"

"Investigating?" Tiffany appeared confused. After all, she was honestly unaware of this, so there was no