Two years later.
The cold light filtering through the hospital blinds pierced Seo Hana's eyelids like knives. Her head throbbed, her lips were cracked, and her body felt like it belonged to someone else.
She gasped for breath, panic rising like a tidal wave.
Where... was she?
Her trembling hand found the button on the side of the bed. Machines beeped aggressively as nurses flooded the room.
"She's awake! Call Madam Kang immediately!" one of them shouted.
Hana's cracked lips parted. "Who... who am I?"
The words escaped before she could stop them.
The nurses exchanged glances filled with pity.
"Seo Hana-ssi... you're safe. You're at Kang Group Medical Center."
Kang? The name echoed in her foggy mind.
The door opened with military precision. A woman in a sharp suit, pearls draped over her collarbone, stepped inside. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes held the weight of dynasties.
"Kang Soo-jin," the woman introduced herself. "You have been asleep for two years, Seo Hana."
Two years?
Hana's heart froze.
"Why... am I here?" Her voice came out hoarse, foreign to her own ears.
Madam Kang placed a sealed envelope on Hana's trembling lap.
"Your mother entrusted me with this, in case of emergencies," she said coolly. "She was my closest friend. I failed her... until now."
Hands shaking, Hana opened the envelope. The familiar handwriting struck her heart like a dagger.
My Hana,If you read this, it means I am gone. And I fear... they will come for you too. Trust Madam Kang. She is the only one I trust now. Stay strong, my little girl. Never let them win.—Love, Mom
Tears blurred Hana's vision.
"What... what happened to my father?" she whispered.
Madam Kang's face hardened. "Dead. Your step-sisters took over. But your father's empire... remains legally in your name, Seo Hana."
Shock hit her like a blow.
"I don't understand..."
"You will," Madam Kang said coldly. "You have a choice. Reclaim your life—or let them devour you whole."
And then, with the tone of a business deal rather than sympathy, she dropped the bomb.
"Marry my son. It's the only way you can survive in this world, Hana."
Hana's lips trembled.
"Marry... your son?"
Madam Kang nodded. "Business. Not love."
Seo Hana had been sleeping for two years.
But today... she truly woke up.