Was it finally time to break away from the past? I hadn’t seen Father, but I knew today marked my last meeting with my family. There would be no more reason for them to contact me, no more messages to be passed through Mr. Kim.

I hadn’t lived a life of fierce ambition, but neither had I lived idly. To meet Father’s expectations, I had done nearly everything within my reach. Devoting myself to the role I was given—that had been the entirety of my way of life.

And yet, suddenly, I felt directionless. As though I had been walking a narrow straight path only to stumble into a wide clearing. Was it an opportunity to go anywhere, or was I stranded with nowhere left to go? I couldn’t grasp it.

“...Shall I take you to your officetel?”

As the car stopped at an intersection light, Mr. Kim asked quietly. He had been driving naturally toward Kwon Yido’s house but seemed to have second thoughts. Certainly, in this situation, facing Yido might feel heavy.

“No.”

“......”

“Take me to Mr. Kwon’s house.”

My answer contradicted my thoughts. Fortunately, Mr. Kim didn’t press for reasons. He simply turned the wheel, following the light, guiding the car smoothly toward Yido’s home. Raindrops slid helplessly across the sleek surface of the car.

***

By the time we arrived, twilight was settling outside. The rain had grown heavier, and my muddled thoughts had been, if not sorted, then at least swept aside. That was enough.

Mr. Kim dropped me off not at the front gate but at the garage. I had asked to be let out at the main entrance, but he refused, saying I’d get caught in the rain. I couldn’t exactly deny that summer colds tended to be severe.

“Go on in. Be careful driving on wet roads.”

He would return to the hotel where my family was. There he would tend to Mother and my siblings, handling this and that. And the one he would stay closest to... was Minjae.

“And please, look after Minjae.”

“......”

Instead of an answer, he gave me a composed glance. Sometimes, when silent like that, he exuded an edge as sharp as Yido’s.

“...Maybe it’s just my impression,” he murmured, furrowing his brow ever so slightly, “but the way you say goodbye today—it feels like you’ll never see me again.”

“......”

A thin laugh escaped me. He said nothing in return, only watched as I straightened my clothes and gave him a small nod.

“Thank you for driving me.”

Ties don’t sever cleanly, like a knife cut. Even if I resolved this was the end, if the chance arose, we would cross paths again. Not that I would ever seek such a chance myself.

“Then I’ll go.”

Whatever he felt, Mr. Kim did not stop me. Nor did he say, as usual, to rest well. He only stood beside the car, silently watching my back as I walked away.

“...Ha.”

In the elevator, postponed fatigue crept over me. Perhaps the day had been too long. I had gone to work, seen the news of Father’s arrest, finished all my tasks, then visited my family before returning to Yido’s house. Despite so much, the day still wasn’t over.

What had Yido been doing while I was gone? The question was answered the moment I opened the door. For there he was, standing in the exact same spot, dressed exactly as he had been earlier.

“......”

“......”

Not a single detail had changed since after work—the clothes he wore, the place he stood waiting, even the gaze fixed on me. He surely hadn’t been standing there without moving a step, and yet the sight was enough to startle me.

“...Why are you standing there?”

Only when I asked did he blink. In that motion I realized how still he had been, as though frozen like a statue. The air around him began to flow again, like a paused film resuming.

“What do you mean why...”

“......”

“If someone’s standing here like this, isn’t the natural thought that they were waiting?”

Would it be rude to say he was like a watchdog at the door? How could he have known exactly when I would return? Most likely he had heard the car pull in and come out at that moment.

“I was worried you might not come back.”

The word “worried” from his lips never ceased to feel strange. What did a man like Kwon Yido, who had everything, even have to worry about? Perhaps whether tomorrow’s tie should be blue or gray.

“You left as though you wouldn’t return.”

“...Hardly.”

I answered lightly and stepped inside. His pheromones—always carrying the scent of damp wood—hung thicker in the humid air tonight.

“Where else would I go?”

You’re the one who eliminated all other places. Not that there had been any certainty I could go back, but now even the illusion was gone. All I had left was the officetel I’d abandoned and Yido’s house. Those were my only options.

“You even changed my number, yet you act as though you’re worried.”

It wasn’t meant as sarcasm. And he likely knew that. Which was why his reply was little more than a narrowed gaze and a quiet murmur.

“I thought you’d be angry.”

“I don’t get angry over things like that.”

I had said before—anger, too, was a kind of privilege. If emotion could change circumstances, it would be worth it. But demanding answers wouldn’t mean a thing.

“Still, I am curious. Why did you do it?”

I had expected something along the lines of to see the plan through perfectly. That he feared his scheme would collapse if my family could reach me. But his answer differed slightly from what I imagined.

“I didn’t want you entangled.”

His elegant voice was calm, his dark gaze free of deceit.

“I didn’t want those people to affect you.”

Those people. And Jung Sejin. How many times today had I been reminded that I was not family? Had I ever asked for more? Somehow, everything I’d built up until now felt meaningless. It wasn’t even that I was hurt—just... hollow.

“I’m sorry. For not telling you beforehand.”

And that was all he apologized for? If only it had been just a matter of disclosure.

“It’s not something to argue over...”

I had no intention of reproaching him. He apologized only for not informing me. The rest—he didn’t consider mistakes.

“Have you eaten?”

His sudden question made me look up. Perhaps it was presumptuous, but I doubted he had. I turned away and moved first.

“I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

After a quick shower, I came down to find a modest spread set on the table. Fewer dishes than usual, suited to the late hour—mostly light, easily digestible food.

We ate without exchanging a word. The silence was heavier than even my first night here. Only the clink of cutlery sounded. Finally, it was I who broke the quiet.

“I met with my family.”

His eyes turned to me. Setting down my spoon, I continued calmly.

“To ask what they planned to do... and such.”

“How considerate of you.”

“......”

“If it were me, I’d have pretended not to know.”

His detached observation only made it sound more genuine. Not an empty remark—if it had been him, he truly would have done just that.

“I have one question.”

“Go ahead.”

He nodded without hesitation. Our eyes met, and I instinctively looked down.

“Before...” 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

I intended to ask just once, not to dwell or assign blame. Clinging to what was already done was nothing but self-destruction. Dragging it out would only cost me more.

“...Was this the wicked thing you said you would do?”

It encompassed everything—exposing Haesin’s corruption, changing my number, acting unilaterally regardless of my will. Though perhaps the last wasn’t wicked at all, but inevitable.

You promised you would stand on my side.

The answer was already set. Before I had left home, he had said as much. It was the promise we made at the hotel. The conclusion was clear—he only had to nod.

“Seonho is acquiring Haesin.”

But instead of a “yes,” he began with something else—precisely what I had already heard from Mr. Kim. I furrowed my brow as his refined voice explained:

“Haesin Financial’s leadership will be replaced with professional managers, and the company will be renamed. Apart from Chairman Jung Cheol-ho and about a dozen top executives, there will be no layoffs.”

“...Merciful.”

I almost said it wasn’t the answer I wanted. But listening was never harmful.

“Well... it’s better for the company’s image that way. A shareholders’ meeting will be held soon. I’ll be attending.”

“You will?”

“Yes. I have some shares.”

He tilted his head with a small nod.

“Quite a lot, actually.”

“....”

Had I been that ignorant of corporate affairs? Or had he simply done his groundwork well? Either way, it was unexpected.

“Stabilizing after the acquisition will take time. And Chairman Jung’s trial will drag on accordingly.”

A long battle lay ahead. Though perhaps its winner was already decided. Maybe it was better for Father not to resist too long.

“How much did Chairman Jung tell you about the terms of the engagement?”

The question came lightly, and he didn’t even wait for an answer.

“Your family has no unique traits. The one omega they had wasn’t [N O V E L I G H T] even a blood relation.”

Such bluntness. Yet the words hardly stung.

“Chairman Jung proposed giving me Haesin’s omega in exchange for a partnership with Seonho Card. I refused. Instead, I negotiated with capital and systems.”

That much matched what I’d heard from Father. Though it was news to me that Father had initiated the deal. Desperate enough, it seemed, to extend a hand by offering me.

“The system I gave you then—it was indeed the data I had promised.”

“......”

I hadn’t expected him to admit it so easily. Then, even more unexpectedly, he added:

“Though it was defective.”

“...What?”

My eyes widened. His expression remained unchanged as he blinked.

“A major flaw was discovered. We’re repairing it. It’s not ready for practical use.”

“......”

His tone was calm, but the content wasn’t. The system he handed me had been faulty. If I had brought it straight to Father, Haesin might have collapsed again.

“You knew it was defective?”

“Does that matter?”

He asked lightly, then raised his brows and replied without hesitation.

“I didn’t know. Not at first.”

The phrasing left an itch. Not at first—and when was that? But he gave me no time to ask.

“That day, you saved Haesin once. The Chairman, too blind to see it, cast aside someone who could have helped him.”

It sounded far-fetched, but it was difficult to refute. His gaze, cold as steel, fixed on me—not in anger, but as though recalling me returning home with a red cheek.

“Believe it or not, I never intended to destroy Haesin myself. For your sake, I was willing to turn a blind eye.”

“......”

“But as I said—the one who pulled the trigger was Chairman Jung.”

Conflicting emotions surged. The timing had been Yido’s doing, but inevitably, it would have come. Was it fair to blame him, or unfair not to? I couldn’t decide.

“I was in contact with your secretary from the start. It’s true he provided much of what I needed, but this wasn’t because of him alone.”

That much I knew. This wasn’t the kind of thing one or two people could cause. Father’s seeds had ripened into poison and returned.

“Sadly, there wasn’t a single decent person left at the Chairman’s side. And when even his wife turned away, what more needs to be said?”

“...You spoke with my mother too?”

“......”

His brow furrowed, as though to say You didn’t know? Then he gave a brief laugh, lips curling.

“She’s wise. Unlike Chairman Jung.”

I recalled her overly cautious manner with me. So Yido had silenced her too. Since I’d met with them, he must have assumed she would tell me everything.

“In exchange for leaving your family untouched, I secured a promise that you would suffer no harm. Unless you wish it, they will never contact you.”

“......”

So my sense had been right. I felt no shock—only a strange calm. The only surprise was how little attachment I had to them. What pressed in wasn’t longing but emptiness.

“You are no longer Chairman Jung Cheol-ho’s son. You owe no debt of gratitude, and you are under no obligation to be dragged into what they do.”

Perhaps I should have said I felt relieved. But if that was what relief was supposed to be, then I clearly misunderstood the word.

“Sejin.”

He said my name slowly, softly, as though to begin his conclusion. When I looked at him blankly, he met my eyes.

“This is the extent of my wickedness.”

His gaze was strangely bitter. For a moment, I thought—was he apologizing? Still holding my eyes, he spoke.

“It wasn’t that I had Chairman Jung arrested...”

“......”

“...It was that I took your family from you.”

The weight of a stone sank into my gut. My throat constricted, no voice escaping. And into my silence, his cold voice continued.

“They may have been abusers in my eyes, but to you... they were still your only family.”