Chapter 03
Hyukjun, not noticing the change in Yuseong, spoke with excitement in his voice.
“So you’ve never been with a man, right? That’s because of me, isn’t it?”
It was a shame he failed to crush Shin Yuseong back in high school…
‘But now, I’ll get to do it every single day.’
Hyukjun laughed as if the thought alone pleased him.
“Ah, whatever. You’ll find out once we do it.”
“So intelligent. As expected of Director Kwon.”
At his vulgar remark that crossed the line, Yuna clapped in agreement, while Kyunghee flicked her nails and sneered.
All the effort Yuseong had put into acting like a good niece and younger family member out of a shred of affection—
Became meaningless in that moment.
Yuseong’s cold, hardened face straightened, and her previously hunched shoulders opened wide.
“Daughter. You’ve done nothing wrong. Straighten your shoulders.”
She remembered what Byungoh had told her the day he found out about the school violence.
“Promise me. From now on, you will never let yourself be treated like that again.”
The ones who should bow their heads…
The ones who should pay for their sins…
Were them.
Never her.
“Hey.”
There was no longer any reason to endure.
“Hey?”
At her sharp call, Hyukjun smirked mockingly.
“Watch your tone. I’m about to become your sky-high husband.”
Maybe I should teach you some manners first.
Muttering disgustingly, Kwon Hyukjun was met with a scoff from Yuseong.
“If you’re the sky, then what does that make me? God?”
“What the—”
Hyukjun suddenly reached out to grab her hair—
“—!”
Yuseong twisted his wrist and broke free, then stood up confidently.
“Ah—Aagh!”
Looking down at him as he grimaced in pain from his twisted wrist—
She found it amusing.
Kwon Hyukjun was still stuck at seventeen.
What a relief.
Because she was now twenty-five.
Smack—!
The sharp sound of a slap echoed through the mansion.
Hyukjun’s head snapped to the side, his mouth hanging open as he blinked in shock.
“W-what the…?”
Seeing him unable to even finish his sentence, Yuseong smirked.
Smack—!
She slapped him again, even harder.
“You crazy—!”
“Ah, sorry. I thought you were broken.”
“…What?”
“Some things get fixed when you hit them. Guess you’re not one of them.”
The whites of Hyukjun’s eyes reddened as his breathing grew rough with rage.
Regardless—
“Did my dad not beat you enough back then? That can’t be right.”
She continued mocking him to the very end.
Finally, Hyukjun shot to his feet and lunged at her—
“What the—?!”
Yuseong moved first and grabbed his hair.
“—!!”
Then, with all her strength—
She yanked it like pulling out weeds.
I should’ve just ripped all his hair out back in high school.
“Aaagh!! Let go!!”
“Oh my god! What are you doing?!”
“Shin Yuseong, have you lost your mind?!”
Her aunt, Yuna, even the secretary—
All three adults tried to pull her away.
But—
“Let go? Then should I grab your hair instead? Keep your hands off me!”
“Aaagh!!”
Yuseong didn’t let go, gripping his hair like a lifeline.
“Let go! Please let go! Shin Yuseong!!”
“Damn it—my hair—!!”
When she finally released him, a handful of his hair remained in her palm.
“Ha… ha… my… my hair…!”
And a bald patch had formed on the top of Hyukjun’s head.
Is that alopecia…? That’s unfortunate at such a young age.
“Wow. You really were nothing special. How disappointing.”
They say if you endure, you become a pushover.
Seems like old sayings are never wrong.
As Yuseong let out a hollow sigh, a phone screen was suddenly shoved in front of her.
“See this?! The articles are already everywhere. Damn it, your company’s directors are probably already calculating the money!”
Yuseong looked at the screen.
It was filled with articles announcing her marriage to the heir of Kwonseong Group.
“What do you think will happen if someone like you says you won’t marry? Know your place. Fake.”
Fake.
That word made her let out a hollow laugh.
She had been called that all throughout high school—
Just because she was adopted.
Her indifferent reaction only enraged Hyukjun more.
“You dare touch me?! If our group makes a move, your Shinyang will turn to ashes in an instant. Got that?!”
His shouting right in front of her made her head throb.
“Ha… not even chairman yet, and you’re already yapping…”
“…What?”
“Why do you think Chairman Kwon allowed such a one-sided marriage? Can’t you use your brain?”
A ridiculous contract like this could’ve been buried quietly.
Would that Kwonseong really be unable to handle something so trivial?
There was only one reason the chairman allowed it.
“Because even as the only son of Kwonseong Group, there isn’t a single woman willing to marry you.”
Kwon Hyukjun—
A notorious troublemaker even among the elite.
A man so terrible that even professional matchmakers refused him.
No wonder he was a headache for his father.
Yuseong looked at him and smirked.
“Your father basically sent you to me for recycling.”
At that bombshell, everyone except Hyukjun froze.
“So what now? You can’t even be recycled…”
She looked him up and down coldly.
“Guess I should report you as waste instead. Right?”
Crash—!
Hyukjun rushed up to her, shouting furiously.
“You bitch! Do you think you have connections? Power?! Your father’s about to die—do you really think you can break this marriage contract?!”
Ah… so noisy.
“Who said I’m breaking it?”
Her single sentence silenced everything.
“I’m not breaking the contract either.”
This was a top-tier conglomerate.
A deal that could revive Shinyang—
Why would she throw that away?
The power and benefits of becoming the daughter-in-law of Kwonseong—
She would never give that up.
It would help her father.
And Shinyang Trading.
“Well then, I have somewhere to be. See you all later.”
Before her ears started bleeding, Yuseong quickly left.
“W-what? Hey! Yuseong!”
Ignoring her aunt’s call, she stepped outside and immediately sent a short text.
Then she called an informant.
“Yes, it’s been a while.”
Yuseong trusted her father completely.
There was no way he made such a contract without reason.
“I need you to find a man.”
After briefly describing him, she smiled.
‘The fake one is you, Kwon Hyukjun. Not me.’
The real heir of Kwonseong—
Who should have been in Hyukjun’s place.
—Understood. You just want us to find Kwon Suhyeok’s whereabouts?
Yuseong got into a taxi and pulled out Hyukjun’s hair from her pocket.
“Ah… I didn’t need this much.”
—Pardon?
She hadn’t pulled his hair out just to vent.
‘The contract only says I have to marry Chairman Kwon’s bloodline, right?’
Instead of breaking the contract—
She would change the husband.
Chairman Kwon Seongjae was infamous for his affairs.
Surely, there were illegitimate children hidden somewhere.
The more options, the better.
“Find all the children Chairman Kwon had outside.”
With a smile that didn’t match her innocent face—
A greedy smile—
“I’m going to line them up and pick one.”
It was a smile identical to her father, Shin Byungoh.
Meanwhile — Manhattan
Inside an office filled with sunlight through wide windows—
It was complete chaos.
Bloodstains scattered across the carpet.
Large men lying unconscious.
At the center stood a man, calmly wiping blood off his hand with a handkerchief.
“Clean it up.”
At a single gesture, his subordinates dragged the bodies away.
Lighting a cigarette, he exhaled slowly.
“…Hah.”
The mole on his nose stood out, adding to his dangerous charm.
“Who said I’m getting married? What a joke.”
He checked an article on his phone.
“Sir, a message just arrived on this phone.”
A phone he hadn’t seen in years—
One he had used in Korea.
“A message?”
“Yes. From someone named Shin Yuseong…”
At the name—
His movements quickened.
“…Ha.”
Then suddenly—
He threw his head back and laughed.
On the screen:
[ SOS ]
A simple, clear message.
His subordinate stared, stunned by the smile he had never seen before.
“What are you looking at? Never seen a handsome man before?”
Snapping out of it, the subordinate spoke.
“…No, sir. Also, they’re asking for the contract documents to be sent by fax immediately.”
“Ah, that.”
The man checked the documents on his desk, pausing at the signature line.
“Hmm.”
Then, as if nothing mattered, he wrote a name boldly and handed it over.
“…You wrote the wrong name.”
At that, he simply stood up and grabbed his coat.
“No. That’s my full name.”
“…What?”
“I’m taking a few days off. Call me if something urgent comes up.”
Watching his boss leave casually, the subordinate looked down at the document again.
Kwon Suhyeok.
A name that felt unfamiliar—
Written clearly on the page.
