The Contract: Sunshine (30 page)

“You know I’m always delighted when you visit me, young man,” Sophia preened sweetly.  “However, calling on a lady in such a manner--”

“Can it old woman, you haven’t been a lady since prohibition,” Yoon said sarcastically.

He was exhausted and pissed.  It was rare for him and long overdue when it came to Sophia Dupree and her demands and threats.  He did his best to be respectful and resorting to underhanded tactics went against everything he stood for, but he was fighting for something very precious and no one, not even
this vile old woman that had a G
od complex was going to get in the way of his happiness.

“Stop it with the ‘
old woman
’
name calling!”  Sophia hit her desk with the side of her closed fist and leaned forward to place her elbows on the wooden surface clasping her hands together.

“Sophia, I come here to get my wife and if
you know what is good for you,
y
ou will stay out of my way.”

“Or what?” Sophia countered between clenched teeth.

“Or...”  He held up his cell phone. “I push this button and with one call to my father,
the
Amba
ssador of the Republic of Korea
at the local embassy
,
and tell him some information that will put a halt to Dupree Foods going into the Asian market.  Your company garners to lose out on a multi-billion dollar deal if it falls through.  I know it and you know it too.”

“This is not a game, young man.”

Was that
actual fear he saw in her eyes?
 
Good
!  “How will you explain that to your Board of Directors...OLD WOMAN,” his eyes narrowed on her face.  “Do you hear me?”

“I hear just fine,” Sophia said leaning back in her chair and looking down her nose at him.   “If you make that call, then I will make a call of my own that will completely wipe you out.”

“Sophia!”  Hye Da yelled from the sideline.  “Enough!  If our friendship means anything to you--”

“Friendship?  You two know each other?”  Yoon interrupted.  “
Why
are you here?  What did I walk in on?” 

“Oh my, we need to come clean, Sophia,” Hye Da worried her hands.  “Min Yoon--”

Before she could say another word
,
a streak of wild hair and sobbing woman flew by her and threw herself against Yoon. 

“Yoon...Yoon!  You came for me,” Sunshine sobbed.  “Thank God.  I knew you wouldn’t let me down.”

“Sunshine,” he lifted her up against him and held her tightly.  Burying his face against h
er
shoulder
,
he breathed in her scent. 

“Oh...no...
n
o...”  Sunshine squirmed in his arms pushing at him until he loosened his hold fo
r her to slide against his body and
her feet touched
the
floor
.
“You can’t be
here.  You will lose everything
you’ve work for.  I can’t let that happen,” she cried.

He cupped her face in his large hands.   “Calm down, sweetheart.  Take a deep breath.”  He frowned.  “You look as bad as I feel.”

Sunshine wailed.

“No...No...You are
beautiful.
  I meant tired, honey...you look as
tired
as I feel,” he corrected himself.  “Oh, don’t cry,” he crooned
,
his eyes tearing up.  “You’re breaking my heart.”

He swept her against him again and held her while she trembled in his arms. 

“I’m sorry  I ruined everything for you.  The marriage isn’t even real and you lost everything for a woman you don’t even love,” she hiccupped.  “Now that I’m out of your life
,
it can go back to normal and I swear Nana Sophia will give it all back.”

“What is this about the marriage not being real?”  Hye Da asked.

“No, I want to know if it’s true
,
you don’t love my granddaughter?!”  Sophia asked.

Yoon
,
ignoring the other women in the room
,
kept his focus only on Sunshine.  He’d never seen her so upset and even though it’s been twenty-four hours
,
she looked as if she had lost weight.  There were crescent dark shadows beneath her eyes and she hadn’t stopped shaking since he took her in his arms.

“How could you leave like that and just leave me some goodbye note?”  Exasperation filled his voice.  “Do you have any idea what that bedroom is like without you in it?  I couldn’t bear to sleep in our bed without you.  Your wonderful scent lingered on your pillow and it was hell to not be able to reach for you and hold you.”

“Yoon...what are you saying?”  Sunshine eyes searched his face.

“And I swear tomorrow we are going shopping for a huge wardrobe.  No wife of mine should be able to put everything she own
s
in a couple of suitcase
s
!”  He chuckled. 

“You want me to come home?”

“Of course I want you back home.  It’s where you belong and you better not ever leave me again woman.”  He cupped her face and tilted it upwards.  “I’m sorry.  That bedroom was our zone for honesty and I wasn’t true to you or myself about how much I’ve come to depend on you and how much I’ve come to love you.”  At that moment he spoke to all in the room, but gazed only at her.

The heavy lashes that shadowed her cheeks flew up in surprise and she moisten
ed
her lips with her tongue
.  H
is hungry eyes followed
her tongue
but he knew if he kissed her again he wouldn’t be able to stop.  There was too much that needed to be said and understood between them.

“You should have waited until I came home.  I’m the man in this marriage and it’s not for you to face such important matters alone,” he ripped out the words impatiently.  “Did you have so little faith in my ability to protect you?  To protect what we have?”

“You lost so much already, Yoon,” her voice was hoarse with emotion.  “I know how hard you worked to make it in this country.  I’ve heard the pride in which you spoke about
Young’s Investments
.  How could I have lived with myself knowing it was my family that had destroyed the only man I ever truly loved?  It was unbearable to think that you would someday hate me for what I d
id
to you.”

“You have done not
hing but believe in me, love me
and trust me to be a bigger MAN than your grandmother.”
His vexation was evident as he spared a glance over at a surprisingly quiet Sophia.

“Still...”

His eye
s
came back to rest on Sunshine.  “Still what?”  He frown
ed
as her eyes dropped away from his face to stare at the ground.  His hands dropped to her shoulder and he lightly shook her.  “Look at me,” he ordered.  She complied.  “I will say this one time and I want you to get it in your beautiful head and keep it there.  Are you listening?”

“Of course,” she said.  One corner of her mouth tilted up in a half-smile and it gave him hope.

“Yes, I worked hard to build the wealth I have; but it’s just money and I’m smart enough to earn it all over again,” Yoon assured her.  “If not in this town or even this country because of your grandmother’s interference, th
e
n we can relocate to South Korea,” he smiled at her smile.  “I
can’t wait to show you my home;
w
he
re I grew up
...the schools I went to.  Oh, and my childhood friends will adore you as much as I do--”

“I would love to meet them,” Sunshine laughed
as
her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

“No, you can’t take my granddaughter away from me!”

Both their heads turned to look at the older woman as she came to her feet.  Her skirts rustled about her as she came around to stand in front of her desk.

“Nana, I love him,” Sunshine said i
n a voice so soft and childlike
it was as if simply being before her grandmother she reverted back to her childhood.

Yoon protectively wrapped his arm about his wife’s waist and drew her into the curve of his side.  “You created this situation, Sophia,” his voice was accusing in tone.  “Didn’t you think there could be consequences for interfering in my marriage?  The day Sunshine accepted me as her husband you lost your right to tell her how to live her life.”

“I love my granddaughter, Yoon,” Sophia spoke softly.  “I thought you of all people knew how much she means to me.  I rarely share my confidences in anyone, but I did with you because it was important that you knew how precious Sunshine is to me.”

“I thought I did,” Yoon nodded.  “Then I started to
wonder
why Sunshine didn’t seem to speak about you in the same way.  The things you and her mother have done to her all of her life...well, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

“I thought I was doing what was best,” Sophia said defensively.

“You and her mother have used her as a pawn in your little war game!”

“Not true!”

“Really?”  Yoon snorted.  “If that is so, why did Sunshine’s father feel the need to set up a trust fund separate from what she was already set to inherit from you?”

Sophia looked away from his knowing stare.  “He was her father.  Of course he would want to provide for his only child.”

“Or was it because he could see
the game you and her mother were
playing between each other and because he could no longer be here to be the buffer from the two of you he set up this marriage clause in hopes that in his own way from the grave, he could assure Sunshine would find a husband that could love and protect her like he did?”  Yoon paused as he saw the older woman’s face grow ashen.

“Sunshine has never had the disposition of the rest of us,” Sophia began quietly.  “She was such a sensitive but happy child.  Her name suited her from the moment she was born.  I swear that child came out of her mother giggling and cooing.”  Sophia
’s
voice cracked with emotion and a tear ran down her powder
ed
cheek.

“Nana--”

Sophia eyes rested on her granddaughter.  “God, I love your little cherub face from the moment I laid eyes on you.  You were the daughter I always wanted and could never have.”

“I was?”  Sunshine voiced her surprise.

“Of course,” Sophia breathed in painful disbelief.  “Do you not remember how it was between us when you were a child?  Have my need to make you strong enough to take over the business completely wiped away the good times we share
d
, Sunny girl?”  More tears fell.

Yoon saw the moment sweeter memories of the past came to Sunshine’s face.  “
You
went to Disney World with me on a school field trip,” she said.

“One of several,” Sophia chuckled.

“Oh gosh,” Sunshine laughed.  “You had to be the only one who would wear heels to an amusement park.”

“That was because when you
r
nanny called to tell me you were in tears after you
r
mother call
ed
to cancel at the last minute
,
I was in the middle of
a
business meeting.  I didn’t have time to change,” Sophia filled in the blanks.

“You rode all those rides with me when I was too scared to ride them alone.  Everyone thought I had the coolest grandmother!”

“I was pretty awesome,” Sophia shook her head.  “But I wasn’t going to let those young mothers out do me.”

“Mother had promise
d
to go with me, but at the last minute she cancelled because she was in Greece.”

“She was always everywhere else but home with you it seemed,” Sophia spoke through gritted teeth.  “All I know is she continuously disappointed you and your tears broke my heart e
ach
time.  You have to be the most painful crier ever
to
watch.”

“I thought it was just me,” Yoon grinned and squeezed Sunshine who playfully punched him in the side.

“Sunny, it wasn’t always the way it is now between your mother and me.  When Cedric first brought her home
,
I thought physically she fit the mold of a Dupree woman. 
She was
vibran
t
and beautiful, but I soon realize
d
good breeding means a lot.”

“Myrna
was what one called a
‘
Goodtime Gal
’
in my day.  She was the type men should sleep with, pay to be their mistress, but definitely never marry and take home to your mother.”