The days blended together, the quiet of the mansion pressing in on Saejoon as he worked tirelessly. The weight of being the chairman, of managing the vast Shin Group, felt like an unshakable burden. Yet, he bore it in silence. There was no room for weakness, not anymore. His family was gone, and Hana depended on him. He had no choice but to continue, to endure.
Uncovering the Truth
Weeks passed since Saejoon's confrontation with Mr. Kang, but the investigation was far from over. The more he dug, the more it became clear that the roots of his parents' deaths ran deep. It wasn't just about a simple mechanical failure—it was much more intricate.
One evening, after a long day of meetings, Saejoon sat in his office, reviewing documents once again. His mind was sharp, and every detail seemed to fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He flipped through a series of documents from the maintenance company, a firm that had worked with his family's fleet for years.
There it was: a strange transaction. A large sum of money paid to the maintenance company in exchange for a "discreet upgrade" of their equipment. Saejoon's breath caught as he read the lines over and over again. It was the missing link, the evidence he needed.
But there was more. The signature on the transaction documents was unmistakable: Kang Seungho.
Confronting the Past
The discovery weighed heavily on Saejoon's mind as he called for another meeting with the remaining board members. The atmosphere in the room was tense. Those who hadn't been dismissed in the first wave of changes knew that Saejoon wasn't a child anymore. They had to tread carefully.
Saejoon wheeled himself into the boardroom, the eyes of the directors following him. The familiar feeling of dread in the room didn't escape him. They were no longer sure of their place in the company, and they feared his next move.
"I've come across some troubling information," Saejoon began, his voice cold and steady. "It seems some of you knew more about my parents' accident than you let on."
A few of the directors exchanged worried glances, but no one dared speak.
"The maintenance company," Saejoon continued, his eyes fixed on Mr. Kang, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "had been tampered with. And the man behind that tampering was you, Kang Seungho."
Kang's face drained of color. His mouth opened, but no words came out.
"I know what you did," Saejoon said, his voice low, full of quiet fury. "You engineered the failure, didn't you? You thought you could get away with it. But now, you'll pay for it."
Kang's hands trembled as he tried to regain his composure. "I-I didn't—"
Saejoon slammed his hand onto the table, making everyone jump. "Don't lie to me. You've been siphoning money from this company for years, and now you think you can take my family's life too?"
The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Saejoon could feel his rage simmering beneath the surface, but he held it in check. He had no time for theatrics. What mattered now was justice.
"I'm dissolving the board once and for all," Saejoon said, his voice chillingly calm. "And as for you, Kang Seungho... I'll make sure you never see the light of day again."
The director's chair creaked as Kang stood up, his face twisted in fear. "You can't do this, Shin! Your father—he trusted me!"
Saejoon's eyes narrowed. "My father trusted a snake, and now it's time to end the poison."
Kang made a final desperate attempt to salvage his position. "I'm a part of this company's foundation, Shin! You can't—"
But Saejoon didn't let him finish. With a swift motion, he snapped his fingers, and security entered the room, surrounding Kang.
"Take him away," Saejoon said, his voice like ice.
Hana's Quiet Dread
Back at home, Hana could sense the change in Saejoon. He wasn't the same older brother who had once been reckless and carefree. The man who returned after the accident was someone else entirely—quiet, intense, distant.
That night, after the meeting, Saejoon wheeled himself into Hana's room. She looked up from her book, her eyes bright but filled with an underlying sadness.
"Oppa, are you okay?" she asked, putting her book down.
Saejoon met her gaze, his face softening just a little. "I'm fine, Hana."
But Hana didn't buy it. "You look... tired."
Saejoon chuckled softly, though there was no warmth in it. "I'm always tired. But that's nothing new, is it?"
Hana frowned. "You don't need to do everything by yourself, you know. I'm here, oppa."
His heart clenched. She was so young—too young to understand the weight of the world that had fallen on his shoulders. He smiled faintly and reached for her hand.
"I know, Hana. But this is something I have to do. For us."
"Are you sure?" she asked quietly.
Saejoon paused before answering, his voice heavy with meaning. "Yes, I'm sure."
The Breaking Point
The weeks that followed were a blur of paperwork, meetings, and decisions that seemed too complex for someone as young as Saejoon to handle. But he was learning fast, too fast. He had no choice but to. He needed to control the company, to protect it, to protect Hana.
But with each passing day, Saejoon could feel the cracks in his own psyche beginning to show. The more he learned, the more he uncovered about the corruption that had festered in his family's business, the more isolated he felt.
The stress of managing the empire while still recovering from the loss of his parents—and the accident that had stolen his ability to walk—was taking its toll. His mind often raced with dark thoughts, and though he pushed them away, they were always there, lurking in the background.
But Saejoon knew one thing for sure: He could never let his guard down. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.
A Sleepless Night
Late one night, Saejoon sat in his office again, the glow of the desk lamp illuminating his features. He stared blankly at the reports in front of him, his mind tired but restless.
It was in these quiet moments, when everyone else was asleep, that the loneliness truly sank in. Hana's gentle breathing from the room next door was the only thing keeping him tethered to some semblance of humanity.
The weight of the chair, the quiet ticking of the clock, and the endless mountains of paperwork felt unbearable. Yet, he refused to break.
Suddenly, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. It was Hana.
"Oppa, are you still working?" Her voice was soft, hesitant.
Saejoon turned in his chair, offering her a small, strained smile. "I'll be done soon. Go back to bed."
But Hana didn't leave. She stepped closer and, to Saejoon's surprise, sat beside him. "Oppa, I'm scared," she whispered.
Saejoon's heart tightened as he looked down at her small face. "Scared of what?"
"Of losing you too," she said quietly, her voice trembling. "If something happens to you, I'll be alone."
Saejoon's hand found hers, and for the first time in a long while, he allowed himself to show the faintest hint of vulnerability.
"You won't be alone," he said softly. "I'm here, Hana. I'll always be here for you."
The Long Road Ahead
The road to truth, to justice, would be long and fraught with challenges. But Saejoon was no longer the naive, reckless teenager he once was. He had learned that strength wasn't just about power—it was about resilience, about surviving in a world that constantly sought to break you.
And as he looked at Hana, her worried eyes filled with hope, he knew that the fight for his family's legacy had just begun.