Page 17 of Rewind

Ethan folded his hands on the table and smirked. “Not at all…Soo-ah.”

The older woman turned a bright shade of red. Her lips curled into an ugly sneer before she straightened in her seat.

Ethan knew enough about Korean culture to understand the social nuances of addressing an elder and one of status. He was certain that Madam looked down on him for being an illegitimate son and expected him to treat her with deference. But he was not one of her subordinates to be dismissed so easily and he intended to return the same energy he was being given.

“I hope you’re more respectful to your patients.”

He cocked his head to the side. “Am I being disrespectful? My apologies, I thought we were being informal here. Speaking of my patients, it seems you’ve done some research on me.”

She lifted her tea cup again and took the tiniest sip. “Of course, Dr. Ethan James Han. 38 years of age, raised by a single mother, Han Min-na who now goes by Mary Han. You excelled in school from an early age and even graduated from High School at 16. From there you attended college on an academic scholarship, not an Ivy League school, mind you but I supposed that’s good enough for someone with your background. You were on an accelerated track because you had credits before you entered the university and graduated by the time you were 20.”

“From there you went to medical school, graduated and did your residency here in Philadelphia and then a fellowship. Shortly afterwards, you became partners in your current practice with your former mentor when the previous doctor retired. By all accounts, you’ve accomplished a remarkable feat, being in your position at such a young age. From what I can tell you’ve been successful in your career and in providing a comfortable life for yourself. Most people would be impressed.”

It was clear from her tone that she was not one of those people.

Ethan raised a brow. “You were thorough. I’m surprised you didn’t list all my hobbies.”

Her lips tilted slightly into a shadow of a smile. “I have no interest in your little extracurricular activities. But I’m you occasionally play basketball on the weekends at the park.”

Ethan didn’t know whether to be impressed or creeped out that this woman knew so much about him. But he supposed with the amount of money backing her, nothing was impossible. “Was there any particular reason you wanted to tell me that you’ve had me investigated?”

She raised one shoulder in a nonchalant shrug. “Not particularly. Before one enters a battle it’s prudent to study the enemy.”

Ethan raised, a brow? “I’m an enemy?”

“You are if it’s your intention to make trouble for my family.”

Ethan released a heavy sigh, growing more irritated by the second as this woman continued to drag this out. “There’s a reason you’re here today, so how about getting to the point.”

Instead of answering him she snapped her fingers and Kevin came rushing to the table. He placed some documents in front of Ethan.

Ethan did a quick scan of the top page. All he saw was a bunch of legalese, but something that particularly caught his attention were the words,relinquish all rights.”

“What the hell is this?” he demanded as it dawned on him that this woman’s goal wasn’t to help him meet his father but the exact opposite.

The smirk returned to her lips. “You’re a doctor, so I can only assume you’re an intelligent man. But if you need me to spell it out for you, this document will ensure that you will make no further attempts to contact any member of my family or make any claim toward our assets. If you need further clarification, the man you claim to be your father wants nothing to do with you.”

Chapter

Seven

Ethan’s heart fell to the bottom of his feet. His entire body froze and he couldn’t move. The only proof that he didn’t die on the spot from those cutting words was the erratic pounding of his heart.

He was 19 all over again. The summer he’d gone to Korea to find his father. The rejection then had hurt, and it had returned tenfold. But now he was no longer a naïve teenager on the cusp of manhood. This was something he should have prepared himself for.

Though the combination of nausea, rage and despair, rumbled within his stomach, he forced himself to keep his emotions under control. His years of training as a top surgeon came in handy in that moment.

“And this document says that?”

The smirk returned. She lifted her tea cup again, and took a sip. “More or less.”

“Dr. Han, if you need time to go over this document with your own legal counsel feel free to do so, but we feel 10 million is an appropriate figure to start with. Madam is willing to give you a week, otherwise, you’ll be presented with a new contract with half the compensation. For each week you stall, the offer will behalved until it’s completely taken off the table. At which time, we will pursue our own legal action against you for harassment,” Kevin explained.

“I’m sure this wouldn’t look good to the medical board,’ Soo-ah added.

It took an insane amount of patience not to stand up and flip the table over. Ethan took a deep calming breath before responding. “Is that a threat?”

She lifted her left hand and examined perfect manicured nails, seeming to wave her gigantic diamond in his face. “Threats are for people who have neither the power nor backing to see things through. When it comes to protecting my family’s reputation, I will go to any lengths to make our problems disappear.”

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