"Breaking News… the Kim family has made an unforeseen decision."
Every television screen across South Korea blazed with the same headline.
"Kim Group Chairman announces the withdrawal of all charges against Kang Hauen and Kang Hyunwoo, who were previously accused of multiple attempted murders on Kim heir and Mirae Cosmetics head, Kim Suho."
The anchor paused, eyes flicking to the teleprompter.
"In the same announcement, the Chairman has officially confirmed that kim family is cutting all the ties with kang family and the marriage of Kim Suho and Seo Yerin, scheduled to take place in two weeks."
The anchor leaned forward, voice sharpened with curiosity.
"What led the Kim family to suddenly withdraw a case that has been ongoing for over a year? Why release the Kang siblings after such serious accusations? And why announce Kim Suho's marriage to his ex-girlfriend Seo Yerin at this exact moment, while Kang Hauen, Kim Suho's legal wife, is still missing?"
No answers came.
"Questions are now being raised nationwide," the anchor continued, voice sharpening. "Isn't it strange that after a year of court proceedings, the Kim family has chosen to settle outside the judiciary? Were the accusations false from the beginning? If so, why are all ties with the Kang family being completely severed? What truly happened between these two families?"
Old footage played of Hauen in handcuffs. The police are escorting Hyunwoo. Suho is taken to the hospital, pale and unconscious.
"And perhaps the biggest question of all," the anchor said gravely, "how can Kim Suho announce a new marriage while his current legal wife, Kang Hauen, remains missing? How can the Kim family abandon their daughter-in-law suddenly?"
The newsroom buzzed.
"After spending nearly a year in prison, Kang Hyunwoo has been released today following the sudden withdrawal of charges," another reporter added. "The Kim Chairman declined to take questions and left immediately after the announcement."
Footage played of reporters swarming Chairman Kim and Suho's father.
"Chairman Kim! Was the case fabricated?"
"Is this marriage a business move?"
"Where is Kang Hauen?"
"Is Kim Suho being forced into this wedding?"
No answers came. Chairman Kim refused to address the media.
Hyunwoo was released from prison. Freedom came to him quietly, after a year of stolen life.
Mr. and Mrs. Kang left the penthouse the same day, as soon as they came to know about the news. They were not informed about it. They themselves got to know all these from the news channel. Not even Suho told them about this. They didn't know whether to feel happy for getting a clean chit or sad for their daughter, who was still missing.
They didn't wait for Suho to return. They didn't ask for explanations. They didn't look back.
Yerin, on the other hand, was glowing. For her, the day tasted like victory. Every obstacle that had stood between her and Suho had finally been erased. The Kang family was gone. The case was over. Suho was hers again, openly, officially, forever.
That night, Suho returned to the penthouse alone. Exhausted. Not physically. But in a way that hollowed the soul.
He got out of the car, and he sensed that Mr. and Mrs. Kang weren't home. No voices. No movement. Just absence settling into the walls. He stood there for a long moment, holding his car keys, realizing he had lost even the right to say a proper goodbye to them.
His shoulders sagged, as if the weight of every decision had finally pressed down on his spine. His body moved, but his soul lagged, torn, bleeding, numb.
To save the Kang family from further suffering, he had made a choice that would cost him everything. A sacrifice no one would ever acknowledge.
Hauen was no longer just missing. She was forcibly carved out of his life, ripped away like a limb without anesthesia. Not by fate. Not by betrayal. But by power wielded without mercy, by threats wrapped in authority, and by a bloodline that valued legacy over love.
And it was eating him alive. He kept his face straight all day. Signed papers. Answered questions. Nodded when required. The groom-to-be. The obedient grandson.
But inside, he was dying slowly.
The life he had dreamed of with Hauen. The promises whispered in quiet nights. The future he had once believed was unbreakable.
All gone. Everything dissolved without warning, leaving behind nothing but unanswered echoes.
He couldn't even pinpoint when it started unraveling. How it happened. Why did it happen?
One day, he was happy dreaming about a better future, another day fighting the world to protect the woman he loved. And today, he was signing away his own heart to save her family.
He didn't realize when his own blood became the source of his misery. Didn't notice when love turned into leverage. Didn't understand when loneliness crept in, even while surrounded by people, wealth, noise, power…
He was never truly alone. Yet he had never felt more abandoned.
Suho turned his head, staring at the little garden, eyes dry but burning. No tears left. Just a man breathing through pain, living a life he never chose, carrying a love he was forbidden to keep.
He pushed open the penthouse door. Before he could take a breath, a force collided with him.
"Suho!"
Yerin jumped onto him, her legs wrapping around his waist, arms looping around his neck. Her laughter spilled over as she crashed her lips onto his.
The world froze. Suho's heart screamed. His body went rigid, like it no longer belonged to him. His eyes shut tight, as if darkness could save him. Her lips moved against his, warm, eager, claiming.
Every nerve in him begged him to push her away. Every second felt like betrayal.
Then suddenly, a voice echoed inside his head.
"Teddy…"
His eyes flew open. He pushed Yerin back abruptly, breaking the kiss.
She stared at him, breath uneven, irritation flickering across her face.
"What happened?" she asked.
Suho looked at her, eyes hollow, pain trembling beneath the surface. He looked like a man standing on the edge of collapse.
"I…" he exhaled shakily. "I'm tired, Yerin. I'm sorry." The words came out slow, careful, fragile.
She stared at him, her expression changing. He noticed it immediately. Panic rose in him. He couldn't handle another emotional scene. Not now.
He forced a smile, thin and rehearsed.
"I'm genuinely tired. Please understand," he said softly,
Even though every part of him hated the moment he was trapped in. Even though he wanted to break everything around him and run away… Straight back to his Hauen.
Yerin studied his face for a long moment, then smiled.
"I'm sorry," she said lightly. "I missed you so much. I got too excited today."
Suho said nothing. His eyes looked exhausted beyond sleep.
"Go rest," she added. "You look really tired."
He nodded and walked past her.
Then she spoke again, almost casually.
"Don't go to the guest room. I want to cuddle you tonight."
His fist clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palm. He held himself back, said nothing, and walked toward his room.
Yerin stood there, watching him walk away.
Yes, he looked tired. But not just physically. He looked emotionally drained, hollowed out.
Somewhere deep inside, she sensed it. He wasn't happy. But her ego and stubborn hope made her ignore that feeling. She told herself that time would fix everything. That he would slowly become her old Suho again.
But deep down, in the quiet corner of her heart, she knew the truth.
The man who loved her no longer existed in him. And the Suho standing in front of her now… He only longed for Hauen.