The night outside the hotel was quiet, but inside the luxurious room Taehyung had rented, his soul was in turmoil. He stood by the large window, staring at the glowing cityscape, but his thoughts were elsewhere. The cigarette in his hand was already half-burnt, smoke curling through the room.
Two knocks echoed at the door.
Taehyung pressed his lips together. He didn’t need to guess who had come. With heavy steps, he walked over and opened the door.
Mark stood there in his black leather jacket, sunglasses perched on his head. His lips curled into a familiar smirk.
“Didn’t think you’d still be living so well,” Mark remarked as he walked in uninvited. “I thought you’d have lost your mind mourning Emylia.”
Taehyung slammed the door shut, his gaze sharp. “What do you want, Mark? I don’t have time for your nonsense.”
Mark chuckled, settling onto the sofa, casually crossing his legs. “Relax, Taehyung. I just came to discuss something important.”
Taehyung walked toward the table, extinguishing his cigarette in the glass ashtray. “If you’re here to talk about Mirae, you better leave now.”
Mark smiled, but his eyes remained cold. “What a shame, because that’s exactly why I’m here.”
Taehyung scoffed before sitting down in the chair across from Mark, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re not selling Mirae, Mark. I won’t let you.”
Mark raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And what exactly can you do to stop me?”
“How much do you want?” Taehyung challenged, his voice unwavering. “I’ll pay you double whatever your buyer is offering.”
Mark let out a short laugh as if he’d heard the most ridiculous thing. “Double? You think I sell people just for money?”
“I know you’re the type who would sell anyone if it meant making a profit,” Taehyung shot back, his tone sharp. “You’ve done it before, and now you’re trying to do the same to Mirae? Are you insane?”
Mark shook his head, still smiling. “This isn’t about money, Taehyung. This is about something bigger.”
Taehyung frowned. “What do you mean?”
Mark reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a worn piece of paper, tossing it onto the glass table between them. “Read it yourself.”
Taehyung hesitated before picking up the paper, his eyes scanning the writing. Within seconds, his body froze.
It felt as if the blood in his veins had stopped flowing.
His fingers tightened around the paper, his lips slightly parted, but no words came out.
“…What is this?” His voice trembled.
Mark leaned back against the sofa, enjoying Taehyung’s reaction. “Proof that you and Mirae can’t get married.”
DNA Report:
Result: 99.9% biological relation
Tested individuals: Kim Taehyung & Lee Mirae
Taehyung looked up, his eyes burning with anger. “You’re lying. This is impossible.”
Mark smirked in satisfaction. “I have no reason to lie, Taehyung. Here’s Mirae’s birth certificate. Her father’s name is the same as yours.” Mark placed another document on the table.
Taehyung was speechless. His stomach twisted painfully, his breathing heavy. He read the paper again, searching for a mistake—something that could prove this was all a lie.
“No way…” Taehyung shook his head. “This is all nonsense.”
“You think I’d come all the way here just to make up some stupid story?” Mark scoffed. “Facts are facts, Taehyung. Mirae isn’t just the woman you love. She’s your biological sister.”
A ringing filled Taehyung’s ears. His entire body felt paralyzed. “You’re lying…”
Mark stood up, leaning slightly toward him. “I know this is hard for you to accept. But before you make a terrible mistake and take Mirae to the altar… you need to know the truth.”
Taehyung shook his head, rejecting the reality before him. “No… Mirae isn’t…”
“Do you know why I wanted to sell her?” Mark cut him off. “Because I don’t want her to stay in your life. It’s better if she disappears than for you to make a mistake you can never take back.”
Taehyung stood abruptly, his eyes blazing with rage. “You have no right to make decisions for me or Mirae!”
Mark shrugged. “Maybe not. But you also have no right to deny the truth.”
Taehyung slammed the papers onto the table, exhaling harshly. His mind was a mess, his emotions in turmoil.
“You’re lying, aren’t you, Mark? You’re just doing this to stop me from marrying Mirae!” Taehyung’s voice was sharp, desperate.
Mark chuckled. “At first, I won’t lie—I did hire someone to dig into your past to find a weakness I could use to separate you from Mirae. But I never expected to find this. Turns out, you two are actually siblings… I’d say that was money well spent.”
Mark turned toward the door, but before leaving, he glanced back with a satisfied smile.
“So… what are you going to do now, big brother?”
Taehyung slammed his fist against the table, his teeth clenched in frustration and despair.
“If she really is my sister, I still won’t let her fall into the hands of a monster like you!” he roared, grabbing Mark by the collar.
Mark burst into laughter. “Relax. Just pay the price for your sister’s freedom… and I promise she’ll be safe after this.”
Bam!
A punch landed on Mark’s face. Taehyung’s breathing was heavy, his eyes red with fury.
Bam!
“That’s for making my sister suffer!”
Bam!
“That’s for hitting her and making her cry!”
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
Taehyung punched Mark repeatedly. Mark collapsed onto the floor, blood dripping from his face.
“You really think she’ll accept this truth?” Mark coughed as he slowly got up. “Your wedding is in a few days, isn’t it?”
Taehyung ran a hand over his face, his mind racing.
“Taehyung, I want you to make the right decision,” Mark said, his tone unwavering. “I’ll marry her off to a man worthy of her. You just need to pay me—for your sister’s wedding. So, what’s it going to be?”
Taehyung stared at him in disbelief. “How the hell am I supposed to trust you? You’re a worthless bastard!”
Mark smirked. “Don’t worry, I’ll send you the wedding location on the day it happens. You can see for yourself. If she doesn’t get married that day… you can kill me. I know you’re the boss of Swan Black, right? It should be easy for you to track me down and end me. So think carefully…”
Taehyung fell silent, deep in thought. He had no idea how Mirae would react if she found out the truth. The best thing he could do for now… was stay away from her.
At last, he made his decision.
“Fine. I’ll accept your deal. As long as you don’t lie to me. How much?” His voice was low.
“Two million won.”
Taehyung took a deep breath before slowly nodding.
“You really are the best brother, Taehyung. You made the right choice.”
With that, Mark walked away, leaving Taehyung standing motionless, his mind haunted by a truth that had just shattered everything.
••••
Emylia sat by the window, staring blankly outside. The full moon shone brightly, its light filtering through the towering tree branches surrounding this house. The place where she was trapped. The place Jihoon had turned into her cage.
She had long lost count of the days. She didn’t know how long she had been here. Everything felt like a blur. The only thing she knew was that she was no longer free.
The sound of footsteps outside the room made her turn. Her heart pounded, just as it always did whenever that sound approached. The door creaked open, and a shadow stood in the doorway. Jihoon.
"You’re still awake?" Jihoon’s voice was soft, but Emylia knew there was something hidden beneath that tone.
She didn’t answer.
Jihoon stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He walked over and sat on the sofa in front of her, his sharp eyes studying her face, searching for something.
"I know you’re still looking for a way out."
Emylia gripped the edge of the blanket wrapped around her. "What do you want from me, Jihoon?"
Jihoon smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I’ve told you many times. I want you here, with me."
"For how long?"
"Forever."
A chill ran through Emylia’s veins. She bit her lip, forcing herself not to give him the reaction he wanted.
"You know how much I hate you?"
Jihoon chuckled. "Yes. And I love seeing you angry."
Emylia closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling heavily. "Taehyung will look for me."
Jihoon raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Taehyung has forgotten about you, Emylia. He has more important things to deal with now."
Emylia stiffened. "What do you mean?"
Jihoon leaned back, crossing his legs with a satisfied expression. "Do you really think he still cares about you after everything that happened? After he believes you’re ‘dead’?"
Silence.
"Taehyung is not the man you once knew," Jihoon continued slowly, as if savoring every second of her reaction. "He has a new life now. And you… you’re just a memory he’s already discarded. You know, he has fallen for someone else…"
Tears welled up in Emylia’s eyes, but she pushed them back. She refused to let Jihoon see her break.
"You can say whatever you want, Jihoon. But I will never be yours."
Jihoon laughed again, louder this time. "We’ll see."
He stood up, leaning slightly forward, locking eyes with her.
"You will never escape from me, Emylia. You belong to me."
Then, he walked out, leaving her alone in the suffocating darkness of the night.
For the first time, Emylia felt real fear.
The night grew darker, with only the faint glow of the moon illuminating the room. Emylia remained by the window, her body still, her mind in turmoil. Jihoon’s words echoed in her head.
"Taehyung has forgotten you."
Something inside her refused to believe it, but the truth was… she had no idea what was happening outside. She hadn’t known anything about the outside world since she was trapped here.
Slowly, she stood and walked toward the door. Her hand grasped the knob, testing it as always. Locked. As always.
She shut her eyes, biting her lip to suppress the despair creeping into her heart.
Jihoon would never let her go.
She turned toward the small table in the corner of the room, where a few items lay—books, blank papers, a pen. The only entertainment she had. But tonight, she had no interest in reading or writing. She just wanted to get out.
Her eyes darted around the room, searching for something—anything—she could use. She had once tried breaking the window, but Jihoon had long replaced the glass with shatterproof material. Every escape attempt so far had failed.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps outside made her tense up. The door opened slightly, and a woman entered with a worried expression.
Minji.
The only person in this house who still treated her with kindness.
"Are you okay?" Minji’s voice was soft, as if afraid someone might hear them talking.
Emylia looked at her. "I want to get out of here."
Minji sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "I know."
"Help me, Minji. Please."
Minji hesitated. "You know I can’t. If Jihoon finds out I—"
"I’m willing to take the risk." Emylia grabbed Minji’s hand. "Please, Minji. I can’t live like this."
Minji fell silent, her eyes filled with uncertainty.
"I’m scared, Emylia."
"I’m scared too. But I’m more afraid of being trapped here forever."
Minji lowered her gaze, fiddling with the hem of her shirt—a sign she was deep in thought.
"I’ll try to find a way," she finally said. "But you have to be patient."
Emylia nodded. This was the only hope she had.
Minji stood up and walked to the door. Before leaving, she turned back.
"Don’t do anything reckless until I tell you, okay?"
Emylia nodded again, though in her heart, she had already started planning.
As soon as Minji left, Emylia returned to the window. Her eyes stared into the darkness outside, the vast emptiness feeling more suffocating than ever.
She didn’t know how much longer she could endure this.
But one thing she was sure of—she would get out of here.
No matter what it took.