To Carry a Torch | KTH ✅

Chapter 22: Welcome to My Favorite Place

Tae's POV 🎺

"Hana?"

"Hey, Taehyung, come on in," she smiles softly as she waves me into her office. "What's going on? How are you?" she asks with concern knowing everything that has unfolded.

"I'm hanging in there, I guess. Management sent me next door to Legal to sign off on some paperwork for our case against the former employee that was trying to blackmail me, so I thought I'd stop in for a chat with you since your offices are so close to each other."

"How are you handling all that?" Hana asks, knowing how hard it is when we find out one of our own has betrayed one of us.

"Apparently, he thought if he kept up with releasing pictures, I would break down and entertain a costly blackmail attempt," I shrug while running my hands through my hair. "Having money is a blessing and a curse."

"I can't imagine being so consumed with wealth that you would attempt to ruin someone's life over it," Hana shakes her head. Since working at BH and dating Jin, she's learned to recognize there are a lot of shady people in the world, which has been a sad lesson to learn for all of us.

"Is that the only reason you are stopping in?" she asks with a knowing look. Hana knows me too well, and she's inviting the conversation we both know we need to have.

Sighing heavily, I shake my head. "Hana, why didn't you tell me about Yeona having a daughter? You and I have been friends for a long time now, and you know I have the means to have gotten them out of there? I could have saved them. You need to help me to understand," I finally ask.

I haven't stopped thinking about Yeona since the day she pushed me away, and the one thing that keeps popping up in my head is the fact that Hana had been sitting on this information the longest. As much as I love Hana, I've found myself harboring resentment for her since the incident went down, and I know if we don't work this out, it will eventually drive a wedge between her and myself and with Jin as well.

"Since Yeona isn't employed with us anymore, I'll make an exception to talk about this, but nothing leaves this office," Hana says while getting up and closing her office door.

I nod at her sadly, my heart still stinging from the fact that Yeona doesn't roam the BH halls with me anymore.

Hana settles back into her chair and begins, "First, I only knew Blossom existed because when Yeona filled out her health insurance forms, she picked coverage for herself and her daughter, but honestly, that's all I knew Taehyung. It wasn't my place to tell you she had a dependent, just like I would never tell anyone about your information. Did I hope she would tell us all about her daughter someday? Yes, but it wasn't my business to tell anyone, and it would have been unethical for me to share the information."

I nod slowly, the information really sinking in this time now that I've had space from the events unfolding, and I'm not so emotionally charged. "True, true," I reply, knowing I wouldn't want Hana sharing my personal information as well.

"Secondly, you have to remember that's all I knew, Taehyung. I didn't know about her mother. I didn't find out until after you did. I had no idea things were bad there. She never shared that information with me."

"Okay," I breathe out, feeling a little more at ease knowing this important bit of information. It wasn't fair for me to assume Hana was holding the key to all of Yeona's secrets.

"Now, can I ask you something?" Hana says, her eyes are intense in a way I've never seen.

"Of course, Hana. Anything..." I breathe out.

"Do you love her?"

"I do," I answer.

"Then what are you going to do about it? Isn't that what's important now?" she says as she reaches over and pats my hand gently to drive her point home.