"And then the car accident happened, Heeju," In-ah said.

"…!"

"The car we were in… the one where I got hurt, and our younger brother died."

Heeju felt her mind slipping into a fog, her thoughts scattering.

"It happened the day after Representative Baek Jangho smiled at me like that."

Her sister's words struggled to register.

The screech of tires, the violent collision with the truck that crossed the centerline, and the crushing pain of everything being flattened.

The sight of their younger brother, lifeless even before he could cry out, his blood staining everything red, and the sharp, stifling stench of oil.

The chaos of that day flashed vividly before her eyes, as if it had happened only yesterday.

And with it, the puzzle pieces began to fall into place.

Was that why In-ah had always seemed so tense around Baek Saeon? Why her face would go blank whenever he was near?

How had her sister kept this secret for so long?

The accident had happened when Heeju was just nine years old—nearly twenty years ago. In-ah had carried this suspicion alone for all those years.

That constant anxiety must have grown alongside her. It was its own form of punishment.

"Eventually, I told Dad," In-ah said, her voice cold and steady.

She remembered that day with perfect clarity.

"Dad dismissed it outright. At the time, Representative Baek Jangho was supplying dirt on government officials and newsworthy scandals to Sangyeong Ilbo. That’s how the paper grew into what it is today—by monopolizing those exclusives."

"…"

"The two families were already in a symbiotic relationship, like a crocodile and a plover. My concerns were ignored. All Dad cared about was his ambition to become a kingmaker."

"…"

"So I ran away," In-ah said, pressing her lips tightly together.

"I couldn’t marry a man I didn’t even know."

Her words struck Heeju deeply, an ache blooming in her chest.

In sign language, Heeju asked, "So… you met him the day before the wedding?"

In-ah looked slightly startled but nodded.

"Yes. I met him, clinging to the hope that I could stop the wedding somehow."

"What do you mean?"

In-ah’s face turned cold.

"The last time I saw Baek Saeon, I wanted to try anything to stop the wedding. Even if it meant threatening him."

"…!"

"I told him I’d expose his secrets."

The word threaten made Heeju flinch.

"I went there to blackmail him."

"…!"

In-ah clenched her jaw.

"Even when I told him I’d reveal everything about him, he didn’t so much as blink. Instead, he brought up the car accident and laughed."

"…!"

"The bastard," In-ah spat, her voice trembling with fury.

At last, Heeju understood the true nature of her sister’s long-held animosity. It hadn’t been directed at her, but at Baek Saeon from the very beginning.

"That’s when I knew. My careless words as a child had cost our younger brother his life."

Guilt spread across In-ah’s pale face. She lowered her head, her voice trembling as though confessing a grave sin.

"And then… he blackmailed me instead."

Three years ago, In-ah had been too emotional, her mind too disorganized. She had no preparation and no clear plan. The moment she confirmed her long-held suspicions, her resolve crumbled.

Her attempt to confront him had always been doomed. From start to finish, she was at a disadvantage, while Baek Saeon remained composed.

It felt like staring into a blade disguised as a human being.

That was when he made his proposal.

"Give me your sister."

"He said if I gave you to him, he’d let me leave unscathed."

"…!"

"He promised I could leave without Dad ever finding out."

When In-ah’s eyes, filled with torment, met Heeju’s, an instinctive dread swept over her.

A part of her already knew she wouldn’t want to hear what was coming next.

"As payment for my silence, Baek Saeon demanded you as a hostage."

It felt as if nails were being driven into Heeju’s throat.

"I knew it was cowardly, but I was so scared…"

Her voice trembled like a storm-tossed wave.

"He said if I handed you over, he’d ensure I could escape safely. He’d even free me from the arranged marriage. But the price he demanded… was you."

"…"

"That bastard is completely insane. He’s not normal."

In-ah’s once-sharp focus blurred as she spoke, her words sounding hollow.

Heeju’s chest tightened as the realization hit her.

Baek Saeon had promised In-ah the freedom she had so desperately sought—something Heeju herself had always wanted, too.

But what Baek Saeon had offered so easily to her sister, Heeju had been forced to endure years of torment to obtain.

What had the past three years of marriage been?

Baek Saeon had treated her exactly as a hostage.

She had been miserable, powerless, accustomed to being ignored.

And yet, she had loved him deeply.

That realization burned like a wildfire, consuming her.

Her bloodshot eyes brimmed with hot tears as fury bubbled within her.

"I know I only thought of myself," In-ah admitted, her voice cracking. "I sold you out and ran away. But… I couldn’t bear it after everything I’d done. Not after losing our brother and sending you into that nightmare."

"…"

"That’s why I came back. To set things right."

"…"

"That’s why I returned to Korea."

Even as Heeju listened to her sister’s tearful confession, her mind remained numb.

"Forget the idea that we’re a real couple," Baek Saeon had once told her.

"You’re just here as a hostage."

So that was the truth all along.

Knowing this made her feel foolish—naive for ever thinking otherwise.

"Don’t fall for him, Heeju," In-ah said, her voice cutting through the haze.

"…"

"You can’t trust him."

The fragile semblance of hope Heeju had managed to piece together shattered again, leaving behind only despair.

Today’s interpretation had been flawless.

It had felt so harmonious, as though their minds were in sync.

"But how can you love a man like that?"

The shards of her broken heart fell to the floor, leaving behind nothing but emptiness.

***

She had no idea how she’d managed to walk this far.

The only thing she could see was the endless asphalt road stretching before her, her steps mechanically carrying her forward.

This entire arranged marriage had always been a rough and jagged affair, a knot of threats and coercion.

Whether it was the families sealing the deal with their stamps, or the secret agreement between her sister and Baek Saeon, Heeju had been nothing more than a pawn, used by both sides.

She shouldn’t have been surprised by her situation, yet the pain of it still felt fresh, unbearably raw.

Her sister, who knew Baek Saeon’s darkest secret, and the man who had kept Heeju as a hostage to silence her sister—it was all too much.

“Heh…”

Even now, the thought that she had been cast aside yet again gnawed at her. The emptiness drained the strength from her body.

She hadn’t even noticed the blood pooling in her heels as she walked aimlessly until the persistent vibration of her phone snapped her back to reality.

Rrrr, Rrrr—

Restricted number.

The words on the screen froze her in place, her breath hitching.

The call she’d completely forgotten about during her conversation with her sister.

Looking around, she realized she was utterly alone, stranded in a place with no signs or landmarks.

Heeju, her face void of expression, answered the call. Her trembling hand brought the phone to her ear.

“Hello, sister. How’ve you been?”

“…”

Even such a casual greeting made Heeju inhale sharply.

“You didn’t answer for so long, I was almost upset…”

“…”

“While I was away for just a little while, things sure got interesting, didn’t they?”

He laughed, his voice light and mocking. The cold wind tousled her hair, leaving it in disarray.

“Do you remember our promise?”

“…”

“You said you’d give me the words I wanted to hear. You agreed.”

“…”

“We have to settle the score properly, don’t we?”

Heeju stared blankly into the air and nodded silently. She felt oddly drained, incapable of responding. All she could do was bite down on her icy, trembling lips.

She was completely lost.

“We practiced for this, didn’t we? You even endured your sister’s harsh words for it.”

For a while, the kidnapper’s flippant laughter echoed. Then, as his laughter faded, his voice grew darker, more somber.

“Confess. I want your confession.”

“…”

Her aimless steps came to an abrupt halt.

“From the time… you stood there and just watched Baek Saeon die.”

“!”

“As the only witness—”

“…”

“What were you thinking as you watched me die?”

What was he talking about?

Heeju’s eyes darted around, unfocused and unsteady. Dusk was settling on the distant horizon, casting long shadows.

“That’s what I’ve wanted to hear for so long.”

“What are you… I, I don’t…”

“Still don’t get it?”

“…”

“You said you wanted to go back to how things were.”

“!”

“My stolen name, my stolen place, my stolen honor… I’m going to take it all back, even if it’s late.”

The kidnapper’s voice trembled, barely holding back his agitation.

“The name Baek Saeon—damn it, it was mine! That was my name!”

“!”

It felt like a knife had pierced her ribs, the pain sharp and jarring.

The truth shattered her. The name she had cherished, the man she had loved, was crumbling into pieces before her eyes.

He laughed again, bitter and taunting.

“Tell me, sister. You don’t really want to live with me, do you?”

Her thoughts felt sluggish, her mind refusing to work properly. Her eyelids fluttered, her ears ringing.

But finally, a strangled sound escaped her lips.

“If I become Baek Saeon again, then technically, you’d be my wife.”

“!”

“Could you live like that?”

It was horrifying. Her pupils trembled violently, her breath caught in her throat as though someone was choking her from behind.

“So hurry up and finish this, okay? Let’s get it over with, damn it.”

“…”

“When I’m Baek Saeon again, I’m not taking you with me. I told you, you’re a burden.”

His voice, low and tense, carried a sinister undertone as he chuckled.

“If you don’t give me the confession, this time it won’t be your father, but your husband—yes, the bastard who stole my life—who dies.”

“!”

“I don’t make empty threats. That’s why your sister fell off the mountain, remember?”

Heeju flinched violently.

“Think back. Who pushed her?”

No, that can’t be…

Desperately, she shook her head, denying it.

But then she remembered. The sensation of a heavy arm hitting her body.

It had all happened so fast.

There was the group photo, everyone raising their arms, chanting encouragement together.

No, it couldn’t have been…

But only the people from the Public Relations Office had been there.

Her trembling limbs, barely healed from her stitches, began to shake uncontrollably.

Who was the last face she had seen before falling?

Instinctively, Heeju tried to recall the moment, but her memories were blurry and fragmented.

“Time to return the phone now, sister.”

The kidnapper’s final command rang in her ears:

Confess. That was the ransom he demanded.