The next morning arrived too quietly.
Suho was already awake before the city stirred. The penthouse lights glowed dim, shadows stretching long across the marble floor. A trolley bag stood near the door, neatly packed, silent proof of an escape he did not dare name.
He was dressed immaculately. Suit pressed. Hair set. Face composed. Only his eyes betrayed him, sleepless, stormy, carrying the weight of a thousand unsaid pain.
Behind him, soft footsteps padded across the floor.
Yerin stepped out of the bedroom, hair loose, eyes heavy with sleepafter not finding him on the bed beside her.
"Where are you going?" she asked, confusion lacing her voice.
Suho turned toward her. His face was blank. Too controlled. As if he had sealed every emotion behind a wall he could not afford to crack.
"I have a flight to New York at ten today," he said calmly, though inside him a war raged without pause.
Yerin frowned.
"Today?" she asked. "You were supposed to leave the day after tomorrow."
He paused for half a second, then nodded once.
"Yes. But there's a last-minute issue. I need to be there."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, searching. "Can't your team handle it?"
He looked at her then, really looked. He chose his words carefully, the way one chooses glass to walk on barefoot.
"I worked hard to make this happen, Yerina," he said evenly. "I don't want any mistake, small or big, to ruin it. I want to check everything myself."
She didn't reply. She just stood there, studying him, as if sensing something slipping through her fingers but unable to grasp it.
Suho adjusted his blazer, straightened his cuffs, and ran his fingers through his hair one last time. When he glanced up, he found her still watching him.
He exhaled slowly. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll be back on time."
He reached for the trolley handle.
Before he could move, her hand wrapped around his wrist.
He turned back.
Yerin smiled softly, stepping closer. She leaned in and placed a gentle peck on his lips.
"Take care," she whispered.
His skin burned at the contact. Every cell in his body recoiled, screamed, resisted. His heart thudded painfully against his ribs, memories colliding violently inside him. For a fraction of a second, Hauen's presence flooded his senses like oxygen rushing back into lungs that had forgotten how to breathe.
He forced himself to stay still. He returned a small, controlled smile. Nodded once. And then he pulled his hand free.
Without looking back, without wasting another second, Suho walked out the door. The sound of it closing echoed through the penthouse.
And Yerin stood alone, staring at the space he had just left behind, unaware that this departure carried far more than a business trip. It carried a man who was already halfway gone.
............
Two days had passed since Hyunwoo walked out of the prison gates.
Two days in freedom felt heavier than a year behind bars.
The real world did not welcome him with relief or warmth. It greeted him with truth. Brutal, unfiltered, merciless truth.
Piece by piece, he learned everything he had been blind to while locked away.
How his parents had been dragged through public humiliation. How their business crumbled under ruthless pressure. How banks seized factories they had built with decades of sweat. How his father, crushed beyond endurance, had tried to end his life.
And worst of all, he learned how Suho had saved his parents. Despite everything he had done, Suho had stepped in. Shielded his parents. Paid debts that were not his. Took on consequences that never belonged to him. All while silently longing for his sister Hauen. All while bleeding from a wound Hyunwoo himself had caused.
And Hauen… Still missing.
No trace. No news. Only accusations echo endlessly. The world is still calling her a culprit. A murderer. A traitor.
Hyunwoo's chest tightened. He had known none of this.
While his family suffered, he sat behind bars, clinging to a selfish hope. Believing that his sacrifice would buy him comfort. Status. A luxurious life waiting on the other side.
He had been greedy. Careless. Unforgivably selfish.
The realization felt like swallowing poison, slow and corrosive.
How could he have been so blind?
Guilt wrapped around him like a blanket made of thorns. Every thought pierced. Every memory burned. His mother's quiet sobs. His father's hollow eyes. His sister's erased existence.
He could not eat. Every bite turned bitter. Every meal reminded him of his parents starving emotionally. He could not sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, faces rose before him like accusations.
He had made foolish choices before. But this time, he had destroyed everything. Every single person who loved him had paid the price.
Midnight crept in quietly,
Hyunwoo lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to breathe properly anymore. His chest felt tight, his thoughts suffocating him. He couldn't stay still. He couldn't stay silent.
He had to tell Suho the truth. He had to fix everything. At least… whatever was still fixable.
Without thinking further, he rushed out of the house and drove straight to the penthouse.
The car came to a sudden stop in front of the gate. Hyunwoo jumped out and began ringing the bell repeatedly, his hands trembling. No response.
He rang again. And again.
Moments later, a security guard hurried toward him.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the guard asked sharply.
Hyunwoo looked at him, panic clear on his face. "I'm.. I'm Suho's brother-in-law, Hyunwoo. I need to speak to him right now. It's very important. Please call him."
The guard eyed him suspiciously. "Aren't you the one who was accused of attempting to murder Mr. Kim?"
"What are you doing here? Leave immediately, or I'll call the police."
Fear rushed through Hyunwoo's body.
"O-okay… I'll go," he said quickly, stepping back. Then his voice cracked. "But please… tell Suho to meet me tomorrow. It's really urgent. Please."
The guard studied him for a moment before replying, "Sir is not here. He's out of town. I'll inform him once he's back."
Hyunwoo's heart dropped. "When will he come back? Where did he go?" he asked desperately.
The guard's tone hardened. "That's none of your business. Leave now, or I'll call the police."
Hyunwoo looked back at the closed gate one last time, helpless, before he turned around and walked away, his steps heavy.
The truth was burning inside him. And Suho was nowhere near to hear it.
Just then, Bora opened the door. "Who was it?" she asked the guard.
"It was Kang Hyunwoo," the guard replied casually. "He said he wanted to meet Mr. Kim. Maybe he was trying to harm him again."
Bora frowned. "What did he want to talk about?"
"Nonsense," the guard said dismissively. "He kept asking where Sir was. When I told him he was out of town, he left. He's definitely planning something again. We should stay alert."
With that, the guard walked away.
Bora stood there for a moment, uneasy, then closed the door. As she turned to go back to her room, a voice stopped her.
"Who was it, Bora? At this hour?" Yerin's voice came from behind.
Bora looked at her and replied quickly, "No one."
Yerin narrowed her eyes. "No one? Someone rang the bell so many times, and you're saying no one?"
Bora hesitated for a second, then spoke carefully. "Actually… it was the sir's brother-in-law. Kang Hyunwoo."
"Kang Hyunwoo?" Yerin straightened instantly. "What was he doing here at this hour?"
Bora lowered her gaze. "I don't know. The guard said he wanted to speak to the sir urgently. But when he learned the sir was out of station, he left."
Yerin stayed silent, thoughts racing behind her composed expression.
After a moment, she said calmly, "Alright. Go to bed. I'll look into it tomorrow."
Bora nodded and walked away.
Yerin stood there alone, watching until Bora disappeared into the dark corridor.
Something about this felt wrong.
And she knew it.