As the sleek black Mercedes glided through Seoul's bustling streets, a heavy silence filled the air, suffocating and thick. The driver's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, exchanging anxious glances with Ha-Na's secretary, Ha-Min.
"Seoul has changed a lot. I almost couldn't recognize it..." Ha-Na murmured, her voice fragile and broken, like a lonely child abandoned by the world. Her reflection in the window showed a woman aged by grief, her once vibrant spirit dimmed.
Ha-Min, seated beside her, watched her with deep concern. He reached out, his hand trembling slightly as he clasped hers tightly. "Noona, you're not alone," he said softly, his voice a lifeline in her sea of sorrow.
Ha-Na took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as she tried to anchor herself in the present.
She stared out the window, her eyes tracing the familiar yet foreign skyline of the city she once called home. Her expression was a heartbreaking mix of longing and sorrow, each passing landmark a painful reminder of the life she had lost. Memories of happier times flooded her mind, contrasting sharply with her present reality, each one a dagger to her heart.
She still remembered the heartache of seeing the love of her life choose her cousin over her, the person she once trusted most.
She had stood by his side for twenty years, enduring thick and thin, dedicating her youth and life to him. She had helped him pull strings behind the scenes, securing him a prominent position at Ilhwa Entertainment.
Whenever he stumbled, she shielded him from blame, willingly sacrificing her own reputation to preserve his standing. She threw herself into silencing those who looked down on his humble beginnings, enduring countless humiliations to protect his reputation and ambitions; dreams they had once shared together.
And what did he do to the woman who made him the man he was today? He repaid her with betrayal, casting her aside for her cousin's allure, as if she were nothing more than an inconvenient burden.
To top it all off, when scandals involving slush funds and stock manipulations surfaced, he swiftly threw her under the bus, leaving her to bear the brunt of the blame and shame.
That was the final blow. Following it, everything was snatched away from her. Her pride was shattered, her family abandoned her, people humiliated her, and her reputation was blasted into nothingness.
Forced to flee to the States to escape the fallout, she watched helplessly as all the fruits of her labor and success were handed on a silver platter to her cousin, while he found solace in her cousin's arms, callously discarding her after using her for his own gain.
For three long years, she had lived in the shadows, watching from afar as the world she once knew slipped further and further away. She witnessed how her absence had been conveniently forgotten, as if she were nothing more than a faded memory in the minds of those who had once claimed to care for her.
No matter how much she contemplated it, she knew deep down she didn't deserve any of this. After all, she had never been a bad person; at least, not in their lives.
So, she came back to fight with every fiber of her being. Her eyes, once filled with sorrow, now burned with a fire of relentless purpose, fueled by the injustice she had endured, ready to reclaim everything that had been unjustly taken from her.
However, it wasn't that simple.
She defied her grandfather's orders to stay in the States, fully aware that, to him, crushing her was easier than crushing an ant. But she wasn't the naive, muddle-headed girl anymore. She had returned with a plan, a meticulously crafted strategy, and all she needed now was an ally powerful enough to stand against the formidable Kang family.
Although she exuded confidence and was steeled for whatever lay ahead, the same couldn't be said for the other occupants of the car.
Ha-Min couldn't help but worry for her, who was like a sister to him. He took a deep breath and asked hesitantly, his voice filled with concern, "Are you sure about this, Noona [1] ? What if the old master finds out?"
Only her mother, her uncle, the driver, and himself knew of her return. This secrecy provided a sliver of hope that he could still change her mind before they arrived. Desperation clawed at him, pushing him to try one last time.
"Please, think about it," he implored, his voice almost breaking. "What if the old master explodes? You know how ruthless he can be towards anyone who defies him." He laid out the words carefully, each one heavy with the fear of what could happen.
The unsettling prospect of Ha-Na incurring the old master's wrath and being forced to remain permanently in the States weighed heavily on his mind, tightening a knot of uncertainty in his chest.
However, she remained unshaken. Her confidence radiated from within, unbreakable and fierce. She had already hit rock bottom, endured the deepest betrayals, and survived the worst humiliations. There was nothing left that could drag her down further.
"Not if I play my cards right," she replied confidently. Then, her curiosity piqued, she asked, "And besides, will that jerk be there tonight?"
Ha-Min didn't need clarification; he knew exactly who she meant – her ex-fiance. "Yes, I saw Ha Joon Jae in the news along with Ae-Ra," he replied, his voice laced with a mix of frustration and sarcasm. "The old master requested Madam Jin-Sol's presence at the party to represent the Kang family, so I can only assume your dearest cousin went on her own accord to flaunt her so-called perfect life in front of everyone."
He knew Ae-Ra's schedule well—she should have been in Busan. Yet here she was, gracing the party as Ha Joon Jae's date.
Contrary to Ha-Min's assumption, Ha-Na's reaction was unexpected. Instead of showing sadness, a glint of satisfaction lit her eyes, reflecting a simmering anticipation of facing her cousin and former lover. It was as if she relished the idea of facing them.
"This turned out better than I expected," Ha-Na smirked, mischief dancing in her eyes, a sight that deepened Ha-Min's concern.
"I can't wait to meet my dearest cousin. It's been a while since I last saw her losing her wits," She added with another smile, savoring the anticipation of the upcoming showdown.
As she watched Ha-Min grow listless, she chuckled. She had wanted to come clean with at least him, but where was the fun in knowing everything? Didn't anticipation make it more enjoyable?
But perhaps that wasn't meant for Ha-Min.
Deciding to give him a break, she spoke. "Don't worry. I had it all planned," she assured him. "It's time for payback."
With a confident smile, she cheekily declared, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. One must taste their own medicine to understand its bitterness." She then leaned back in her seat, leisurely scrolling through her phone to check the highlights.
Ha-Min raised an eyebrow, a sly grin forming on his lips. "Were you knocking on the trouble's door, Miss Kang?" he inquired, his voice dripping with curiosity and a hint of amusement.
He couldn't help but wonder whether she was finally rebelling head-on. This thought immediately turned into worry, knowing she had just returned and would be in deep water if the old master caught wind of her appearing in the papers with another scandal.
His next words slipped out before he could even stop them. "Aren't you worried the old master might send you back the same day you returned?" he questioned, a touch of mockery in his tone.
She retorted in a tone dripping with casual indifference, "That's for me to worry about. What a buzzkill you are. Why don't you just enjoy the party to its fullest?" She suggested, hoping he would relax and savor the unfolding drama.
Though she remained calm, Ha-Min did not reciprocate.
"Just be careful, Noona," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to see you get hurt again."
But Ha-Na only smiled, a bittersweet expression playing on her face as she looked at Ha-Min. "Don't worry, little brother," she reassured him, her voice soft yet resolute. "I've been through worse than this."
Hearing those words, Ha-Min felt a pang of heartache, his concern deepening. Before he could articulate his worries, she raised her hand to stop him, her gesture gentle yet firm, silencing his impending words.
"Alright. Time for another fun night of work," she declared with a flicker of determination, her gaze shifting to the view outside the window, a spark of anticipation igniting in her eyes.
As if on cue, the driver announced their arrival. "We are here."
Ha-Na's lips curled into a smile, tinged with both excitement and apprehension. The stage was set, and the night promised to be anything but ordinary.