The moon hung low over Geonhae, casting a pale glow over the towering skyscrapers that stood like sentinels in the city's bustling heart. Neon signs flickered against the night, their colors bleeding into the humid air, but the old stone paths winding through the Hanok District whispered of a history that refused to be erased. It was a city of contradictions: ancient and modern, honor and deception, tradition and power.
At the edge of this duality stood Ae-rin, her figure silhouetted against the floor-to-ceiling windows of her penthouse office. The skyline glittered behind her, but her gaze was fixed on the wine glass in her hand, swirling its contents as though the motion could unravel the thoughts weighing her down.
The youngest chairwoman in her family's history, Ae-rin was no stranger to responsibility—or betrayal. Her father, Seo Jin-tae, the once-revered head of the Seo family empire, had taught her everything about power: how to seize, wield, and, above all, protect it. But he was not a man of soft affections. His love was conditional, measured by her accomplishments and unwavering loyalty to the family name.
Her older brothers, Ji-won and Min-hyuk, had been her protectors and rivals in equal measure. Ji-won, pragmatic and calculating, treated Ae-rin as both an asset and a threat. Min-hyuk, the eternal dreamer, had long distanced himself from the family's darker dealings, seeking solace in art rather than power.
And then there was her mother, Seo Eun-ju, the ghost of a woman who had once commanded every room she entered. Her passing had left a void in their family that was never spoken of but always felt—a silent reminder of what power could cost.
Ae-rin's gaze drifted to the city below. Geonhae was beautiful at night, but it had a way of devouring the unsuspecting. She had learned that lesson long ago, the scars hidden beneath her perfect exterior serving as a constant reminder. Yet, even now, she carried the weight of their legacy with precision and poise, her every move calculated, her every word sharp enough to cut through lies.
In a world where alliances shifted with the wind and betrayal was inevitable, Ae-rin knew one thing to be true: family was a double-edged sword. It could protect you—or destroy you. And in Geonhae, where whispers of deceit lingered in every shadow, trusting the wrong person could cost more than a fortune. It could cost everything.
Tonight, as the city murmured beneath her, Ae-rin made a silent vow: whatever battles lay ahead, she would face them head-on. Not as her father's daughter or her brothers' equal, but as Seo Ae-rin—the queen of her own destiny.