A few minutes after Jung-Jin left, Caroline burst into Kiera's ward.
"Kiera!" she cried, rushing to hug her daughter, who sat upright on the hospital bed, motionless. Kiera had tried so hard not to cry anymore, but the moment she felt her mother's warm embrace, the tears flowed freely.
"Mum… Are you alone?" Kiera asked as she wiped her face.
"Yes," Caroline replied, her voice trembling. "Kiera, you weren't meant to go through all of this. I'm the one to blame. I put you through this pain!"
Kiera pulled away from the hug and stared at her mother.
"How was I not meant to go through this?" she snapped. "Mum, you kept Dad away from me. You stole the moments we could've had. He came to see me when I was a child, but you got so angry and told him never to come back! I only got two days with my dad!" Kiera's voice cracked as she broke down, crying harder than she had since her father's death.
Caroline flinched, startled by her daughter's pain. "Kiera, it's not what you think… I—I don't know what to say, but I loved your dad. It was his family that betrayed me… they—"
"They were the evil ones, not Dad!" Kiera interrupted sharply. "You didn't even try to explain anything to him. Whatever you were told or threatened with wasn't enough reason to just let him go!"
"They wanted to kill you, Kiera!" Caroline's voice trembled with desperation. "What could I do? I had no parents, no family—you were all I had. I endured so much at first because I wanted you to grow up with your full family. I wanted you to have what I never did. No matter what your father told you before he passed, please don't hate me. I know you're angry and lost, but I'm still here. Please… don't resent me," she begged, tears streaming down her face.
Listening to her mother's trembling voice, Kiera could no longer hold onto the bitterness. She didn't fully understand what love was anymore—but she knew now, her mother did love her father.
Realizing this, Kiera leaned forward and hugged Caroline tightly.
"I'm so…r.r..y," she whispered—and fainted in her mother's arms.
"Kiera!! Nurse! Doctor!" Caroline screamed, shaking her daughter frantically.
Within moments, a team of doctors and nurses rushed in and asked Caroline to wait outside.
"Aunty, what's happening to Kiera?" Kyung asked anxiously as she approached Caroline, who was crying outside the room.
"K-Ki...e...r...a..." Caroline stuttered, shaking uncontrollably. At that moment, she felt as if her whole world was falling apart.
"What happened to her?!" Kyung shouted, trying to peer through the window, but she couldn't see anything clearly. Panicked, she called Lee-Soo.
Meanwhile, in his office, Lee-Soo sat across from Jung-Su, his intense stare making the older man visibly uneasy.
"I know exactly what your family tried to pull," Lee-Soo said calmly but firmly. "But hear this—you'll never hurt Kiera. Not while I'm around."
"Who said anything about hurting her?" Jung-Su replied, trying to remain composed.
"I'm not a fool. I see right through you. And maybe it's time you knew—Kiera, your estranged granddaughter, the one you tried to kill, is my fiancée. Understand now?" Lee-Soo's words hit like a bullet.
Jung-Su sat stunned.
Suddenly—ring ring ring!—Lee-Soo's phone buzzed. It was a call from Kyung.
"Lee-Sooah, it's Kiera... she fainted!" Kyung cried.
Lee-Soo didn't wait another second. He hung up, bolted out of his office, rushed into the elevator, and jumped into his car.
He drove like a man possessed.
"Get out of my way!" he yelled, weaving through traffic with no regard for the rules. All he could think of was Kiera.
Moments later, he arrived at the hospital and spotted the doctor speaking with Kyung and Caroline. His heart pounded wildly, but he forced himself to stay calm and ran over to them.
"Lee-Soo is here," Kyung said quickly. "Doctor, this is her fiancé."
Caroline's eyes widened in shock, but Lee-Soo didn't care. "What happened to her?" he demanded.
The doctor looked at him solemnly. "She's in a psychogenic coma caused by severe emotional stress. It should only last a few hours. However, we're concerned this could lead to depression. Please contact us immediately if anything changes." He bowed respectfully before walking away.
"Can I see her?" Lee-Soo asked, noticing Kyung and Caroline preparing to enter the room.
Caroline hesitated, but when Kyung gently nodded at her, she stepped aside.
"Unni, let's go to the cafeteria. You must be starving," Kyung said with a warm smile, linking her arm with Caroline's. "Don't worry. She's safe now."
Inside the room, Lee-Soo sat beside Kiera's unconscious form. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
"Mianhae, Jung-Ha-ah. Na ttaemune abeoji-ga doragasyeosseo."
(I'm sorry, Jung-Ha. Because of me, your father died.)
He took a shaky breath.
"Your father… he was like a father to me. And I feel terrible he didn't have the chance to truly be one to you. I promise—I'll take care of you. I'll protect you. Whatever you decide, I'll respect it. Just… please come back to us. Your mum is here. Kyung is here. I—your future husband, though you may not have accepted me yet—I'm here. Waiting for you. Please come back to us, in one piece."
In the depths of her coma, Kiera found herself in a strange, peaceful place.
A man dressed in white stood nearby.
"Excuse me? Where is this place?" she asked hesitantly.
"It's where I must bid my final goodbye… nae ttal—my daughter," Jung-Sik said softly, turning slowly to face her.
Kiera's eyes brimmed with tears as she recognized him.