"Calm down, Suho…" Hauen whispered.
Her voice trembled, not from fear, but from the way she could feel his storm bleeding into her skin. The betrayal. The separation. The pain he had carried alone for a year, now ripping itself open all at once.
Suho's chest rose sharply. He tried to breathe. Failed.
Kevin continued, choosing his words with care.
"When Hauen was arrested," he said quietly, "you collapsed."
Suho's fingers curled tighter around Hauen, the memory slicing clean and deep.
"I couldn't even approach you," Kevin went on. "You were completely gone. And honestly… I was confused too." He exhaled slowly. "The evidence I had back then… it wasn't enough to end things cleanly. Submitting it immediately wouldn't have solved anything."
He looked straight at Suho.
"Yerin is stubborn. Obsessive. I knew if I acted halfway, she'd only become more dangerous. She wouldn't stop. She would've done something far worse."
Suho finally lifted his eyes, sharp, blazing.
"So I decided to end it," Kevin said. "Not pause it. But end it."
His voice dropped lower.
"And the only way I could think of… was to remove the reason she was targeting you."
Silence fell heavy.
"I took Hauen away," Kevin admitted. "From everyone."
Suho's eyes darkened, disbelief and fury colliding in his gaze.
"I let Yerin believe she had you," Kevin continued calmly. "I let her stay close to you… without Hauen around."
Hauen's breath caught softly.
Suho looked at Kevin, stunned, rage vibrating under his skin.
"You used her," Suho said hoarsely, his voice finally breaking through. "You used my wife."
Kevin didn't flinch.
"I protected her," he said firmly. "In the only way I knew how at that time."
Hauen tightened her grip on Suho's hand, her thumb brushing over his knuckles, grounding him.
Kevin met Suho's furious stare, unblinking.
"I know you'll hate me for it," he said. "But if I hadn't done that… Yerin wouldn't have stopped at framing her. She would've destroyed her completely."
The air felt heavy, suffocating.
Suho swallowed hard, emotions crashing violently inside him.
"And I knew she would never be able to win you back, even if Hauen was taken away," Kevin said quietly. "But she refused to accept that truth."
He paused, then continued, his tone steady.
"To make her face reality, I kept Hauen away from you… And at the same time, I started gathering every piece of evidence needed to prove Hauen's innocence."
Suho's jaw tightened.
"At first, I didn't think it would drag on this long," Kevin admitted. "But as time passed, one thing became very clear."
He smiled faintly.
"You weren't giving up on Hauen."
Suho didn't respond.
"But Yerin?" Kevin added, shaking his head, "She still wouldn't accept it."
He looked straight at Suho.
"And you…" Kevin sighed. "You didn't even push Yerin away harshly. You chose to suffer quietly instead. You kept hurting yourself."
Suho glared at him, eyes sharp.
Kevin chuckled softly. "When Yerin and her family were invited to your house for dinner… I really thought that would be the end, that you rejected her clearly."
He exhaled.
"But no."
He sighed.
"Your in-laws entered the picture."
Suho stiffened.
"That made things worse," Kevin continued. "YYerin used that opportunity to manipulate your grandfather… to force you into agreeing to the marriage. And turned the situation in her favor."
Suho's eyes widened, shock rippling through him.
Kevin nodded. "That's when I decided this needed a full stop. Not later. Not slowly. Bat manually."
He let the words sink in.
"That's why I brought you here under the excuse of Mirae's inauguration, immediately after the marriage announcement with Yerin."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"And now," he said, gesturing lightly between them, "here we are."
The truth settled heavy in the air.
A whole year of pain, sacrifice, and quiet endurance… finally laid bare.
"That pen drive has every piece of evidence," Kevin said calmly. "How Yerin manipulated everything. How she created false proof against Hauen. And… it also contains that video."
"Take her back to Korea," Kevin continued, leaning back. "Prove her innocent. She's all yours now." A small chuckle escaped him. "As she always was."
Suho glared at him, his grip tightening around the drive.
"And before you tear me apart with that look," Kevin added lightly, "no. I didn't hurt her. I kept her safe. I made sure she was taken care of."
He sighed, his voice softer now. "Yes, you both suffered because of the separation. But in my view… it was necessary."
He met Suho's eyes.
"This small sacrifice," Kevin went on, "will be worth it. Yerin will be behind bars. And maybe then she'll finally understand her mistakes." He smiled faintly. "Most importantly, you both got a reality check. Of how strong your love actually is."
Suho didn't respond. He just stared at Kevin, anger simmering beneath the surface.
Because no matter how logical the explanation sounded, no matter how clean the ending looked… the truth remained unchanged.
Kevin had separated him from Hauen. And that separation had cost him pain he would never forget.
Kevin looked at him and smiled. "Stop glaring, bro. I know you're angry. And… I am sorry for that," he said honestly. "But you should also be a little thankful. I gave you a doorway into the American market for Mirae Cosmetics."
Suho's stare didn't soften.
Kevin chuckled lightly. "I was genuinely interested in Mirae the moment I heard you talk about expanding into the US at that party. I was actually planning to approach you that very night and propose a deal."
He shrugged. "But before I could, Yerin showed up. And as you know… everything took a very different turn."
He continued more calmly, "Later, I approached your company officially for a partnership. And I won't lie, you were impressive. Your vision, your product line, your strategy… solid."
A faint smile curved his lips. "So yes. We are business partners now."
Suho's jaw tightened. His glare sharpened instead of easing.
"You kidnapped my wife," he snapped. "You made me suffer. You put me through hell. And after all that, you want to be my business partner?"
He stepped closer, voice low and dangerous.
"Do you really think you're some great player in all of this?"
Kevin laughed softly. "I'm sorry, bro. I really am," he said. "But now, everything is finally in place. You got your wife back. You got the truth. You got the evidence. And you also got a solid deal to expand your business."
He tilted his head. "What else do you want? Yes, you suffered. Terribly. But to gain something, you have to endure something." A small smile. "And here, you didn't just gain something. You gained everything."
Suho continued to glare at him, anger still simmering. But then Hauen held Suho's arm tightly and leaned into his shoulder, grounding him. Suho looked down at her, felt her warmth, her presence. Slowly, his anger softened.
Kevin noticed that and smiled faintly. "Alright then. It's already late, and it's freezing out here. My job is done for now. Take your wife with you. I'll see you tomorrow at the inauguration."
He stood up and adjusted his coat.
Suho stayed silent. Hauen looked at Kevin and spoke softly, "Thank you, Kevin."
Kevin smiled at her. "Well then… bye," he said, turning back.
Suho and Hauen watched as he got into his car and drove away. The street grew quiet again.
They stayed there for a moment. Suho still held her tightly, arms wrapped around her as if letting go might break something fragile. His mind was heavy, replaying every truth he had just learned, every betrayal, every loss.
Then suddenly, something clicked in his mind.
His eyes widened slightly.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and unlocked it quickly.
Hauen looked at him, confused. "What happened?" she asked gently.