The day of the wedding arrived, and the atmosphere around the Kang and Yoo families was nothing short of spectacular. The wedding venue, a sprawling mansion adorned with white roses and golden chandeliers, gleamed under the soft glow of afternoon light. The air was filled with the sound of soft classical music, but beneath the elegance and grandeur, an underlying tension brewed.
Min-jae stood at the altar, his tall, muscular frame straight and commanding in a perfectly tailored tuxedo. His figure, lean and sculpted into a V-shaped torso, was nothing short of ethereal. His jawline, sharp and chiseled, caught the light as he surveyed the guests, his eyes cold and indifferent. To the world, he was the ideal groom—handsome, powerful, and enigmatic. But inside, he felt nothing.
Beside him stood Yoo Seo-jin, her beauty undeniable in a sleek, white gown that shimmered as she moved. She looked breathtaking, her long dark hair cascading down her back in soft waves, her eyes bright but slightly clouded with uncertainty. But even she, stunning as she was, couldn't quite outshine Min-jae.
Min-jae's gaze flickered over to her once, but there was no warmth in his eyes, no spark of affection. Instead, he turned back to face the audience, his demeanor cool and composed. This was nothing more than a performance, a necessary act for the media and the expectations of their families.
As the ceremony began, the officiant's voice echoed through the grand hall, but Min-jae's mind was elsewhere. He wasn't focused on the vows, on the promises of eternal love. No, he was thinking of how he had gotten to this point—the manipulation, the strategy, the contract that had led him here. It was all part of the game he had mastered.
When it came time for the kiss, Min-jae leaned in with a cold, practiced expression. His lips met Seo-jin's, but it wasn't a kiss born of passion. It was mechanical, a formality for the cameras, a show for the world to see. The kiss lasted only a moment, but it was enough to send flashes of cameras into a frenzy.
Seo-jin, her eyes still closed from the kiss, felt a knot form in her stomach. She had known Min-jae had changed, but this... this was beyond anything she had imagined. The man who had once been so eager to win her heart, the man who had chased her for years, was now a stranger. Cold. Detached.
The reception that followed was filled with reporters, flashes of cameras, and whispers of intrigue. The media was in a frenzy, reporting on the shocking rise of Kang Min-jae from the naive, overweight heir to the powerful CEO he was today. But beneath the gleaming surface, the reality was different.
Min-jae's interactions with Seo-jin were minimal. He only spoke when necessary, and his words were always brief, calculated. When they posed for photographs together, he held her hand, but it was stiff, distant, as if he were simply going through the motions. The way he smiled for the cameras was nothing more than a mask, a performance for the world's sake. There was no real emotion behind it, no love in his eyes.
Seo-jin couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She had broken their engagement four years ago, yes, but even now, part of her had hoped that they could somehow rekindle what they once had. But Min-jae's indifference shattered that hope. He didn't need her anymore. He didn't need anyone. He was untouchable now, far beyond the grasp of the person she once knew.
As the night wore on, the guests admired the opulence of the event, commenting on how well the couple looked together, on the success of the union. But no one saw the cracks beneath the surface. No one saw the way Min-jae's gaze lingered on the door, as if waiting for the moment he could escape.
In the privacy of the bridal suite, just before the final moments of the night, Seo-jin turned to him, her voice barely a whisper. "Min-jae... do you even care? About us? About any of this?"
Min-jae didn't look at her. Instead, he adjusted his cufflinks and stared out of the window, his silhouette sharp against the dimming sky.
"Care?" he repeated softly, almost to himself. "I'm here, aren't I? What more do you want?"
Seo-jin's chest tightened, but she swallowed her emotions. "I don't know," she muttered. "I thought I could change you. I thought there was still something between us."
Min-jae finally turned to her, his expression unreadable. "There's nothing to change. This is how it is now. I've changed, Seo-jin. And you, too, have become someone I don't recognize."
His words were final, cutting through the silence like a knife. There was no bitterness in his tone, no anger—just a cold truth that chilled her to the bone.
The silence between them was deafening. As the night stretched on, Min-jae remained emotionally distant, the man he had become too far removed from the boy who had once loved her.
Seo-jin sat in the corner, staring at him, her heart heavy. This was the man she had once dreamed of spending her life with—the man who now felt like a stranger. A stranger she couldn't reach, no matter how hard she tried.
And as Min-jae walked out of the room without a word, leaving her behind in the cold emptiness of the bridal suite, Seo-jin realized—he was lost to her forever.