AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I had been rather well, but I’m not so sure at the moment,” she said with a slight downward turn of her mouth. “Are you ready to explain yourself?”
Damn. She was pissed off. She usually began her interrogations with complete stoicism. The tension in the corners of her mouth didn’t bode well for him. Was he ready to explain himself? No. “Yes.”
“What in the world prompted you to partner with Jihae Park? After what she and her family tried to do?”
“Jihae Park and I aren’t partners. I don’t seem to have the romantic luck that Garrett and Adelaide have,” he quipped, but quickly turned down the humor when his grandmother’s eyes narrowed with impatience. “CS Productions entered into a promising partnership with Rotelle Entertainment. It has nothing to do with us personally.”
“And who might this us be?”
“Jihae and me.”
“Jihae and you are an us to you?”
An emotion between fear and doubt churned through him. “Grandmother, you’re playing word games with me. If you think I’ve forgotten what Rotelle tried to do to Garrett, then you don’t know me at all. I’m not only looking out for CS Productions’s interests but those of our family.”
“You’re not altogether wrong about me being a little unreasonable right now,” she conceded with a sigh. “But we almost lost Natalie and the baby because of the Parks. Well, them, and Garrett behaving like a complete fool by pushing Natalie away like that. All in all, it’s not something I could easily forget or forgive.”
“And that brings me to my second motivation for entering into a partnership with Rotelle Entertainment.” Colin sat forward in his seat. “Jihae Park doesn’t know that I’m your grandson, since we’ve made sure that only our family and our oldest friends know.”
“Go on.”
“I could earn her trust and find evidence of Rotelle Corporation’s involvement in the espionage attempt against Hansol.”
“While you work with her on a project that will benefit CS Productions? Do you think that wise? Or honorable?”
“Honorable? They’re the ones who started the war. I only mean to end it with justice.”
“Technically, Garrett began the war by refusing her hand. I have to take partial responsibility for that, as well.”
“Are you defending them now?” Colin couldn’t understand his grandmother’s reaction. Didn’t she want the Parks brought to justice?
“Not at all. The only one I care about in this twisted farce is you, my child.” Grandmother sighed, shaking her head slowly. “You’ve told me, and shown me, how much CS Productions means to you. You are putting your company at risk by this stunt you’re intending to pull. What happens to the partnership if she finds out who you are? What happens when she finds out you’ve set out to betray her and her family from the start?”
“Jihae is a brilliant businesswoman. I don’t believe she would jeopardize the film because of a personal falling-out. She wouldn’t. I know her.” But Colin also knew that Jihae would never forgive him for intending to spy on her.
“Suk-ah,” his grandmother said, her tone softening with the use of his Korean name. “Listen to yourself. You believe Jihae Park to possess integrity. If what you say of her is true, then I find it hard to believe that she was involved in the corporate espionage. Perhaps she’s in the dark about what Rotelle Corporation did. Or perhaps your objectivity has already been compromised. Either way, if you keep pushing yourself to spy on Rotelle Corporation through her, I’m afraid you’ll only be harming CS Productions and your conscience.”
Colin realized that she was right. The more time he spent with Jihae, the harder it was to believe that she was involved in her family’s attempt to sabotage the Hansol-Vivotex partnership, not to mention Garrett’s marriage. What he knew of Jihae did not fit such subterfuge. But maybe he was allowing his attraction to her cloud his judgment. He refused to let that happen.
“I apologize for not agreeing with you, Hal-muh-nee. The partnership with Rotelle Entertainment will put CS Productions on the map, and working closely with Jihae will allow me to bring Rotelle Corporation to justice.”
“Rotelle and Jihae, you mean?”
“Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.
“Rotelle Corporation should pay for their crime, but I don’t want this bad blood to affect your future. The espionage attempt was ultimately a failure, and Garrett and Natalie are happy as can be,” Grandmother said, searching his face. “I understand and accept your professional judgment in forming a partnership with Rotelle Entertainment, but compromising your integrity to bring someone else to justice could bring you down to their level in a blink of an eye.”
“If you’re worried about me losing my way, please don’t. I know exactly what I’m doing.” Ha. He was so conflicted and lost. He needed his grandmother’s guidance more than ever.
“You have always been the most stubborn child,” she huffed. “Despite what you believe, I am happy that you are doing so well on your own. It is true I would be happier if you were thriving in Hansol, but you did not disappoint me. There is nothing to make amends for or repay. We are family, and I am your grandmother. Do not let a false sense of gratitude or guilt persuade you to harm your conscience or integrity.”
“Thank you for your reassurance, Hal-muh-nee.” A suffocating weight lifted off his chest at his grandmother’s words. He had no idea how much he needed to hear that. “And I will take your advice to heart.”
Grandmother was right. He wasn’t convinced of Jihae’s guilt as he had first been, and the thought of actively gaining her trust just to betray her made him sick to his stomach. Besides, he wasn’t getting anywhere with it. He hadn’t even been able to take the few opportunities he had to steal a glimpse at Jihae’s computer because his conscience got in the way.
He would continue to be alert and on the lookout for information about Rotelle Corporation, but he would focus on producing the best film he could and take a step back from the amateur sleuth business.
Seven
