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(Seo-rin's POV)
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She wasn't supposed to wander.
That much was clear.
But after the garden walk, no one came to lock her in again. Her door stayed closed… but not locked.
So she waited.
Listened.
And when no footsteps came for hours — she slipped out.
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The hallway outside was quiet.
Too quiet.
Marble stretched in every direction, the kind of expensive silence that screamed power. Statues lined the walls. Oil paintings. A long velvet runner muffling her bare steps.
Every inch of this place was designed to intimidate.
But Seo-rin wasn't here to admire it. She was looking for answers.
Who was he?
What kind of man built an empire like this?
And why… why had he spared her?
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She turned a corner and saw a door at the end of a narrow hall.
Unlike the others, it was older — darker wood, no gold trim. Almost hidden.
She reached for the handle.
Locked.
But just as she was about to walk away—
Click.
The door eased open. Just slightly.
Someone hadn't closed it properly.
Heart pounding, Seo-rin slipped inside.
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The room was dim.
Dusty bookshelves lined the walls. A heavy desk sat in the center, covered in neatly arranged papers. But what caught her attention was the wall behind it.
Framed photos. Black-and-white. Some old. Some newer.
Faces stared back at her.
Men in suits. Bloody knuckles. Ice-cold eyes.
And there — in the center —
A young Jae-hyun.
Standing beside a man who looked just like him. Older. Fiercer. Deadlier.
His father?
Seo-rin stepped closer.
Under the frame, words carved in black:
> "Loyalty above blood. Silence above life."
Her fingers trembled as she reached up to touch the photo — when suddenly—
"You shouldn't be in here."
She spun around.
Jae-hyun.
Leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
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"You left my door unlocked," she said, trying to sound calm.
"I wanted to see what you'd do with trust."
He stepped inside slowly. Closed the door behind him.
"And you disappointed me."
Seo-rin swallowed. "I just wanted to know who you are."
"You still don't."
He stepped closer. She didn't back away.
"You think that photo tells you anything?"
His voice was ice.
"That man taught me to kill before I could write my name. He burned kindness out of me like poison."
A pause. Then softer—
"And now you're trying to light a fire in a place built only for ashes."
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She didn't speak.
And for a moment, neither did he.
Just silence.
And something between them that shouldn't have existed…
But now did.
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