Haru never took Aara to his father's world before.
He kept it sealed, like a door that opened only in dreams and nightmares. A place made of marble and expectations, of family portraits that cost more than apologies, of wealth layered over rot.
But now?
Now he had no choice.
Because the name Rae Jin hadn't shown up by mistake.
It was a message.
From the house Haru swore he'd left behind.
The drive was quiet. Not soft — just tight. Compressed silence, like everything between them had been wound up and no one wanted to let go of the thread.
Aara sat with her fingers pressed against her thigh, watching the road through the passenger window. Her face unreadable. Steady. But Haru knew her tells — the way she tapped her nail against the inside seam of her hoodie. The way her shoulders pulled tighter the closer they got.
He didn't blame her.
She was walking into the lion's mouth with him.
And Haru? He was the son the lions wanted to eat alive.
The mansion stood like a monument to forgetting — tall, silver, glass and silence. The gates recognized Haru's license plate and peeled open without a sound.
Aara's eyes flicked across the cameras.
"Security like this," she muttered, "what are they afraid of?"
Haru answered without looking.
"Me."
Inside, it smelled like money.
Not warmth. Not comfort.
Just clean floors and a thousand things nobody touched.
The butler didn't ask questions. He didn't even look Haru in the eye — just gestured silently toward the east wing where the old office sat.
"Stay close," Haru said quietly.
Aara's voice was colder than his.
"Wasn't planning on wandering."
The door to the office was ajar.
Rae Jin stood at the window, back to them, sleeves rolled, tie loose. Everything about him was sharp. Calculated. The kind of man who smiled only when there was blood on the contract.
"You should've called," Rae said without turning.
"You should've stayed gone," Haru replied.
Rae finally turned. His eyes locked on Haru — then on Aara.
There was something behind his stare.
Not lust.
Not curiosity.
Recognition.
"So this is her," Rae said.
Aara lifted her chin.
Haru stepped half a step forward — instinct.
"Careful," he said.
Rae smiled.
"She's just like your mother. All eyes. No leash."
The room went silent.
Haru's fist clenched. He didn't throw it.
Not yet.
Aara spoke first.
"You've been printing my face on flyers."
Rae didn't deny it.
"You made yourself marketable."
"I didn't give you permission."
"The public did," he said simply. "The moment they started betting on your name."
Aara's voice dropped.
Colder now.
"Why fund Jaeyul?"
"Because control is easier when the people under you think they're in charge."
"You think he's in charge?"
"He thinks he is. That's what matters."
Haru stepped in.
"I want you out. Of everything. Every cent. Every shadow."
Rae smiled, slow and razor-edged.
"You don't get to want things, Haru."
"You're not in charge of me."
"No," Rae said. "But I own the world you're building in. That makes me the floor beneath your rebellion."
The tension snapped tight. Not loud. But sharp.
Then Rae stepped toward Aara.
And Haru moved between them instantly.
But Rae didn't flinch.
He just said:
"He bleeds for you. That's a weakness you don't get to keep forever."
Aara stared at him.
Not blinking.
Not backing down.
Then said:
"He doesn't bleed for me. We bleed together."
They left without another word.
No shouting. No slammed doors.
Just war in every step.
Outside, Aara didn't speak until they were back in the car.
Then:
"He looks at you like a mirror."
Haru's grip tightened on the wheel.
"He raised me with knives. Told me it was love."
"You ever believe him?"
"Not until I met you."
Aara leaned her head back, eyes closed.
"You okay?"
He shook his head.
"I'm not planning to be."
They didn't go home.
Not right away.
They drove until the city lights blurred, until the air got sharp and lonely, until the weight of bloodlines and silence felt smaller than what they were building between them.
That night, Haru opened his laptop.
Six screens.
Three firewalls.
One goal.
He typed one sentence into a black window:
"Strip Jaeyul's funding. Track all deposits. Start with R.Jin Holdings."
And in the corner of the room, Aara tied her hair back and wrapped her knuckles.
No words.
Because they weren't just reacting now.
They were designing war.