The pages fluttered in the hallway, white and crisp, catching the wind like broken wings.
Joon-Hyuk stood motionless.
The marriage contract lay at his feet—unsigned. Unclaimed.
Just like her.
He should've stopped her.
Should've said something. Anything.
But his pride—no, his fear—chained his mouth shut.
"Coward," he muttered to himself.
Behind him, the door to the boardroom creaked open.Mrs. Kang stepped out, her heels clicking with quiet judgment.
"She left?" she asked coolly.
Joon-Hyuk didn't answer.
"I warned you, Joon-Hyuk. Emotions are a luxury we can't afford. Especially not with her inheritance hanging in the balance."
At that, his head snapped up.
"You knew?"
Mrs. Kang's expression didn't change.
"I've always known. Her father's assets were placed in a trust. It activates upon her marriage. Why do you think I pushed for it?"
His stomach dropped.
This wasn't about a promise.This was about power.
And he… he was the bait.
Meanwhile, Hana walked blindly through the city, her thoughts spinning like a storm.
The letter. The contract. The weight of her dead father's legacy.
She didn't know what she was anymore—an heiress, a pawn, or just a girl drowning in promises she never made.
She ducked into a quiet café, trying to breathe.
The bell above the door jingled softly. A man in a charcoal suit followed her inside.
He didn't order anything.Just sat two tables away. Watching.
Hana didn't notice him.
She clutched her cup, staring at the swirling tea as if it held answers.
But in the reflection of the glass… something flickered.A face she thought she'd never see again.
Her eyes widened.
It was him.Chairman Baek Do-Won.
One of the three men who wanted her father's empire.The man who smiled when he signed her life away.
He was back.