But she also remembered what East River Music House had given her.
The ability to speak Korean.
The confidence to sing.
And the friendships that turned a language she first encountered as a teenager into a lifelong passion.
She wanted other children to have the same opportunity.
She simply wanted to make certain the money would help them without becoming another tool powerful people used to make decisions on their behalf.
Meanwhile, the development negotiations entered a difficult phase.
Holloway's lenders were concerned about changes to the projected construction schedule.
Some investors viewed the revised preservation plan as too expensive.
Others believed the cultural center could improve the project's long-term reputation and commercial value if managed properly.
Elaine prepared new financial models showing several possible arrangements.
One required more upfront investment.
Another reduced the number of residential units.
A third proposed separating the music center's renovation from the private residential development through a partnership with a nonprofit property organization.
That third option interested Min-jae.
It would allow Holloway's company to develop part of the site while ensuring the music center's facilities were governed through a separate arrangement involving community representatives and specialized nonprofit partners.
The structure wouldn't eliminate financial risk.
And it would require careful legal documentation concerning ownership, maintenance, access, and future redevelopment.
But it offered a way to preserve the center without asking students to depend entirely on a developer's goodwill.
Nia liked the concept.
So did Sun-hee.
But they wanted the center's board to review every proposal independently.
The building's future couldn't become a private agreement between millionaires simply because one of them had discovered a waitress who sang Korean.
Min-jae respected that.
Holloway struggled with it.
He was accustomed to controlling projects.
Now he was being asked to share decisions with people whose annual budgets were smaller than his office's decorating expenses.
But the alternative was losing an investor he wanted and proceeding with a proposal whose public promises didn't match the practical reality.
For the first time, he had to decide what mattered more.
Complete control.
Or building something worth supporting.
Soo-bin arrived in New York during her school break.
Her father had asked whether she wanted to visit, making clear that she didn't have to participate in any public event or perform for anyone.
The girl answered immediately.
She wanted to see Nia.
Ji-eun accompanied her, along with a family assistant who helped coordinate travel and school arrangements.
Nia met them in a quiet lounge at their hotel.
She was nervous.