Lucas Lee didn't expect a crowd waiting for him when he stepped out of the arrival hall. He thought he could slip into Seoul quietly, the same way he left ten years ago. But people recognized him immediately.
"Is that… Lucas Lee?" someone whispered.
"I thought he vanished."
He heard the murmurs but ignored them. He wasn't here to greet anyone. He wasn't here to explain where he had been or why he left. He had only one reason for returning—and that reason was already waiting to be destroyed.
Outside, a black car pulled up. Rafael, his assistant, opened the door.
"You should've told me your flight time," Rafael said. "The media almost spotted you."
Lucas shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
"You're still the same," Rafael muttered. "Cold as ice."
Lucas got into the car. The city skyline wasn't the same as when he left—it was bigger, brighter, but underneath the shine, he could already smell the corruption.
Rafael drove for a while before speaking again.
"So… what's the plan?"
Lucas leaned back in his seat, eyes half-closed.
"KangTech," he said simply.
"Everything starts with them."
Rafael glanced at him through the mirror. "You're really going after them?"
"They went after my family first."
That was all Lucas needed to say.
---
Somewhere else in the city…
"Lucas Lee?" Prosecutor Jinwoo Park looked up from the file in his hands. "He's really back?"
His colleague nodded. "Yes. He landed today."
Jinwoo scoffed. "Great. Just what Korea needs—a lawyer who bends the law like rubber."
"Be careful," the colleague said. "People say he's dangerous."
"I'm not scared of a lawyer," Jinwoo replied.
But his expression tightened.
He remembered the stories too.
---
Later that night…
Lucas stood on the balcony of his temporary penthouse.
Seoul stretched out below him, glowing in the dark.
A soft voice came from behind him.
"You came back without telling me."
He turned.
She was standing there—calm, gentle, the only person he didn't push away.
"It was better this way," Lucas said. "I didn't want you involved."
"And yet, here you are," she replied quietly. "Standing in front of me again."
Lucas didn't answer.
Because she was right.
He shouldn't be here.
But he was.
He looked out at the city again.
"Korea has forgotten me," he said.
"That's fine. I didn't come to be remembered."
His eyes hardened.
"I came to settle a debt."
The first warning....
Lucas arrived at his new law office early the next morning.
It wasn't anything fancy yet—just a clean, modern space Rafael found overnight. White walls, glass doors, quiet. Perfect for someone who preferred working in silence.
He placed his briefcase on the desk and opened the blinds.
The city looked calm from this view… almost innocent.
Almost.
Rafael walked in holding a stack of documents.
"These came in the moment people heard you returned," he said. "Old clients want you back. New ones too. Some even sent gifts."
"I don't care about any of them," Lucas replied without looking up.
"Only KangTech."
Rafael sighed. "Of course."
He handed Lucas a thick folder.
Inside were photos, legal reports, and names—people connected to the company that ruined Lucas's family.
Lucas flipped through the pages slowly, his expression unreadable.
"They're still doing business like nothing happened," Lucas said quietly.
"They've forgotten what they did."
Rafael raised a brow. "And you haven't."
Lucas closed the file.
"No," he said. "I remember everything."
---
Across the city…
Prosecutor Jinwoo Park was already in court, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly messy because he'd been arguing since morning.
Jinwoo was fierce—sharp voice, sharp mind, and absolutely no patience for criminals.
"Your honor," he said, pointing at the defense table, "the defendant isn't just lying—he's proudly lying."
"Objection!" the defense lawyer shouted.
"Sustained," the judge sighed. "Prosecutor Park, choose your words."
Jinwoo clicked his tongue and leaned back.
Everyone in court knew him.
Everyone feared his temper.
But today, something else bothered him.
Lucas Lee.
Just the name annoyed him.
During the break, Jinwoo sat alone in the hallway, scrolling through his phone.
His screen showed an article:
"Lucas Lee spotted in Seoul. Ten years after disappearance."
Jinwoo exhaled sharply.
"What kind of lawyer disappears for a decade and comes back as if he owns the place?"
His junior prosecutor looked nervous.
"Sir… maybe you should just avoid him."
Jinwoo scoffed. "Avoid him? Never. If he breaks the law even once, I'll be the first to put handcuffs on him."
He didn't know it yet, but Lucas was already moving in his direction.
---
Later that evening…
Lucas didn't like parties or crowds, but tonight was different.
KangTech was holding a private event for investors—perfect for slipping in without being noticed.
He walked through the grand hall confidently. Men wore expensive suits, women wore glittering gowns, and everyone was pretending to like each other.
Lucas didn't smile. He rarely did.
He stopped when he saw Chairman Han, the man who led the company responsible for everything that happened years ago.
The man who pretended Lucas's family didn't exist.
Lucas didn't approach him yet.
He just watched.
A waiter passed. Lucas placed a card on the tray.
"Give this to Chairman Han," he said calmly.
The waiter nodded and hurried over.
Chairman Han picked up the card… froze… and slowly looked around the room.
On the card was only three short words, printed in black:
I'm back. —L.L
The chairman's hand trembled slightly.
Lucas could see it from across the hall.
Good.
Fear was always step one.
Lucas turned and walked out, leaving the chairman sweating in confusion.
Rafael caught up with him outside.
"That was your first move?"
Lucas nodded. "The warning."
"And the next move?" Rafael asked.
Lucas's eyes narrowed.
"Court," he said.
"And after that… everything they tried to hide."
---
Somewhere else…
Jinwoo was heading home when his phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
"We need to talk."
—Lucas Lee
Jinwoo stopped walking.
"What the hell…?"