Chapter 3: Healing in the Shadows
Chapter 3: Healing in the Shadows
Three months passed. The downfall of Park Enterprises was swift and absolute. Deprived of Jae-min’s crucial backing, bank loans were called in, stocks plummeted, and Raymond Park was forced to file for bankruptcy. Vivian, facing felony assault charges, was trapped in a grueling legal battle, her reputation permanently blackened.
But far away from the glitz of Beverly Hills, in a quiet, sunlit apartment in Silver Lake, Naomi was fighting a different kind of battle. The physical burns on her neck and shoulder were healing into faint pink scars, but the emotional trauma lingered. She woke up sweating in the middle of the night, dreaming of boiling liquid and cold, mocking laughter.
She had refused to accept any money from Jae-min, wanting to heal on her own terms. She spent her days quietly tending to her small garden, growing her own perilla leaves and chili peppers, trying to find her love for food again.
One rainy afternoon, a knock sounded at her door. When she opened it, Jae-min stood there, holding a simple brown paper bag. He wasn't wearing his usual tailor-made Tom Ford suit; instead, he wore a soft black cashmere sweater and jeans.
"Jae-min," Naomi breathed, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought something," he said softly, holding up the bag. "Freshly harvested napa cabbage and sea salt from a traditional market. I was hoping... we could make kimchi together. No royal titles. Just home food."
May you like
Naomi looked from the bag to his warm, sincere eyes. For months, she had felt like an outcast, but looking at him, she felt a sudden surge of warmth. She stepped aside, letting him in.
As they worked side by side in her small kitchen, chopping radishes and rubbing chili paste into the cabbage leaves, the silence between them became comfortable. Jae-min handled the ingredients with deep respect, listening intently as Naomi shared stories of her culinary journey. In that small kitchen, the billionaire and the chef were just two souls finding solace in tradition.
