“Julia is not easy. Some people may think she’s intimidating... too honest, too stubborn, too much. She may even think this of herself.”
Tae fisted his hands, digging his nails into his palms. Shame. He knew how those words hurt Julia, and he’d used them anyways.
“What do you think, Tae?”
Tae didn’t even have to think about it. He didn’t have to look up and wonder what her grandmother expected him to say. He knew in his heart exactly what he thought. “It’s everything that makes her so special, Halmoni.”
She leaned back in her seat, put her hands on her knees, and slowly rose to her feet.
Tae stood as well.
“Exactly. And this is why I chose you,” she said. “You love her for everything that she is. You wouldn’t want her to be anything less. You understand her deep loyalty to her family and encourage her to take care of us. I chose you to show Julia that she is worthy to be loved. And you did that, just like I knew you would.” She looked down at the pouch. “Keep this. You’re going to need it one day, when the time is right. I insist. It’s the most valuable thing I have in this life... other than Julia. But it’s no longer mine. It belongs to you. Now, I must go home and sleep.”
Tae wanted to refuse. He wanted to give it back to her. He didn’t want her treasures. He didn’t want her wad of cash or her gold or her coins. He would save it and give it to Julia when he saw her next. This should stay with her. Because, really, the only thing of value that Tae wanted...
... was Julia herself.
31
Cake
Julia
“I’m gonna miss you so much. What will I do without you?” Sonia hugged Julia tight.
“You promised that you’d FaceTime in for Sunday brunches,” Rachel reminded her.
“I promise. It’ll be Monday afternoons for me and perfect timing. And I’ll only be in Korea for six months. You’ll barely even notice I’m gone before I’m back.”
“What, did you suddenly get injected with a cheer serum to prepare for Korea?” Rachel asked. Rachel hated cheer.
Julia grabbed her and kissed her on the cheek. “I know you’re happy for me.”
“I am happy for you. You’re making big moves. And you’re doing them on your own terms. You don’t need a big, huge company and their big, huge money and their big, huge opportunity and that big, huge man—”
Sonia quickly covered Rachel’s mouth with her hand. “We’re in Julia’s parents’ home, for God’s sake!”
Julia was going to miss them, miss this so much. She’d considered everything Andrew Lim and Hansuk Holdings had offered her and her company. But Julia didn’t feel entirely comfortablegiving up control of Starlight. Andrew was right about one thing, though: she had to learn the Korean market before deciding what was next for them. So Julia decided to go spend some time there on her own. Six months to entrench herself in the market and learn as much as she could. She figured it could only help her and Starlight in the long run, whether they decided to go global or not.
Andrew, to his credit, was incredibly supportive, and Julia hoped she’d made a friend in this industry through their interactions. He was a good person to have in her corner.
“How are you feeling about everything?” Sonia asked.
Julia took a second to think about it. “I’m excited, for sure. And I’ve been thinking about getting out to Korea for a while now. Doing it on my own terms feels right. But honestly? I’m nervous too. Running Starlight remotely will be challenging, though I have a great team to support me. And experiencing Korea firsthand, not just through a TV screen or through Korean products, that’s gonna be new.”
“See all the sights. Buy all the things. Eat all the food. Have all the sex,” Rachel encouraged Julia.
“Rachel,” Sonia gasped.
“What? You want Julia to be celibate the whole time she’s there? That’s six months. How will she survive?” Rachel asked.
“Um, hate to break it to you, Rachel, but I’ve survived six-month stretches without sex before,” Julia confessed.
Rachel’s eyes grew to the size of saucers. Clearly, this was unfathomable to her. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.
“Don’t worry. I’m taking Bob with me,” Julia said.
“Yeah, it’s unclear if Korea is as advanced in sex-toy technology as it is in other areas, so it’s good to bring your own trusted resource,” Sonia said.
