Scarlet Strings.

Chapter 31:

Scarlet sat down beside Ha-Joon as he immediately leaned into her, resting his chin on her shoulder. He still looked exhausted, his body heavy with the lingering effects of last night's drinks. Meanwhile, Aaira settled beside Sung-Hoon, who sighed heavily before handing her their baby.

"Here, take him," Sung-Hoon muttered, rubbing his tired eyes.

Aaira took the baby with practice ease, adjusting the milk feeder in his tiny mouth as he dozed off mid-sip. Scarlet glanced over and chuckled. "What's up with him? So lazy in the morning?"

Aaira sighed, shaking her head. "Ahh... him. He didn't sleep last night. Neither did he let anyone else sleep."

Scarlet let out a soft laugh, watching the tiny baby nestled against Aaira's chest. His tiny fingers twitched slightly, and his face scrunched as if he were still dreaming.

Sung-Hoon groaned. "Tell me about it. I thought I was done with sleepless nights in my 30s. Turns out, I just signed up for a lifetime of them." He yawned, resting his chin on his palm.

Ha-Joon hummed, still attached to Scarlet, arms lazily draped around her waist as he nuzzled against her shoulder. "I sleep fine," he murmured.

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "That's because you're a heavy sleeper. If a storm hit this house, you'd probably still be snoring."

Ha-Joon chuckled, pressing a kiss against her shoulder. "Good thing I have you to wake me up, then."

Scarlet ignored the warmth creeping up her neck and instead focused on her food. Across the table, Ha-Neul's grip on his spoon tightened. He kept mumbling under his breath, "They're husband and wife. They're husband and wife. I shouldn't be the one reacting."

Yet, despite his efforts, his jaw clenched every time Ha-Joon leaned in a little too close to Scarlet. He stabbed at his food, trying to focus on something, anything, other than the sight before him. Mrs. Wi and Mrs. Kang exchanged glances but said nothing.

Mr. Wi also remained silent, though he subtly took another spoonful of the soup Scarlet had made. No compliments were given, but they weren't complaining either. That, in itself, was a small victory. Aaira smirked, sensing the tension. She nudged Sung-Hoon, whispering, "This is more entertaining than a drama."

Sung-Hoon, still half-asleep, just grunted. "Mmm. Less talking, more eating."

Ha-Joon finally lifted his head and stretched. "By the way," he began, "in the evening, there's an important meeting. Both Scarlet and Ha-Neul need to be there."

Scarlet raised an eyebrow. "Me?"

Ha-Joon nodded. "As CEO of our fashion company, your presence is highly recommended. The meeting involves some major investors."

Ha-Neul, who had been trying his best not to react to Ha-Joon's excessive clinging, looked up. "And me?"

Ha-Joon smirked. "The meeting is also about your hotel project. Since you're handling it, you'll need to be present."

Ha-Neul gave a slow nod, his eyes flickering toward Scarlet for a brief moment before he went back to eating. Mrs. Wi took a sip of her tea. "I assume the investors are from abroad?"

Ha-Joon nodded. "Yes. Some high-profile clients. We need to make a good impression."

Mrs. Wi finally spoke. "Then I hope everything goes smoothly. It's important for the family reputation."

Scarlet didn't miss the way she emphasized family reputation. She could hear the unspoken words, don't embarrass us. She simply smiled, nodding politely. "Of course. I'll make sure everything is handled well."