Silver Pine Estate
The breakfast tray was almost empty.
Hana had managed to finish nearly everything Old Madam Kang had placed in front of her, although she had complained silently about the absence of anything remotely spicy.
Old Madam Kang watched her put down the spoon.
“Are you full now?”
Hana nodded.
“Yes, Grandma.”
“Completely?”
Hana looked at the empty bowl.
“Completely.”
Old Madam Kang smiled with satisfaction.
“Good.”
She picked up a napkin and gently wiped a tiny spot from the corner of Hana’s mouth.
Hana blinked.
“Grandma…”
“What?”
“I’m not a child.”
Old Madam Kang chuckled.
“You certainly look like one when you’re being fed.”
Hana lowered her eyes, embarrassed.
Across the room, Madam Yoon tried to hide a smile.
Hana noticed.
“Madam Yoon.”
“Yes, Miss Hana?”
“Don’t laugh.”
“I wasn’t laughing.”
Hana narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Old Madam Kang laughed again.
For a few moments, the room remained warm and comfortable.
Then Hana’s expression changed.
She suddenly remembered something.
“My phone.”
Old Madam Kang looked at her.
“What about it?”
“Can I have it?”
Madam Yoon stepped forward.
“I’m afraid there is a problem.”
Hana looked at her.
“What happened?”
“Your phone was ruined by the rain.”
Hana’s face fell.
“Ruined?”
“It wouldn’t turn on.”
Hana stared at the blanket.
Her phone contained years of photographs, contacts, messages, notes, and important files.
Old Madam Kang noticed her disappointment.
“Don’t worry.”
She nodded toward Madam Yoon.
Madam Yoon picked up a small box from the nearby table.
“We already bought you a new one.”
Hana looked surprised.
“For me?”
“Of course.”
She carefully took the box with her left hand.
“Thank you.”
“Open it.”
Hana removed the phone and turned it on.
Within minutes, she was entering her account information.
Madam Yoon watched her curiously.
“What are you doing?”
“Restoring everything.”
She entered another password.
Then another.
The phone began downloading her information.
Her contacts returned first.
Then her photographs.
Her messages.
Her notes.
Hana’s shoulders relaxed.
“Most of it was backed up.”
Old Madam Kang smiled.
“So you didn’t lose anything important?”
Hana shook her head.
“No.”
She scrolled through her photographs.
Then she suddenly stopped.
Her smile disappeared.
Her fingers moved toward her left wrist.
Nothing.
She checked the other wrist.
Nothing.
Her bracelet was gone.
She frowned.
“Grandma…”
Old Madam Kang looked up.
“What is it?”
“My bracelet.”
“What about it?”
“I was wearing it.”
Hana searched the bedside table with her eyes.
“It was on my wrist yesterday.”
Madam Yoon immediately stepped closer.
“We’ll look for it.”
Hana nodded.
“It was important.”
“We’ll find it,” Old Madam Kang assured her.
Hana gave a small nod.
She didn’t know that the bracelet had already been found.
It was somewhere else in the estate.
But she had no idea where.
She picked up her phone again.
There was one person she needed to call.
Seo-ma.
The phone rang twice.
“Hana!”
Seo-ma’s voice immediately came through.
Hana pulled the phone slightly away from her ear.
“Good morning.”
“Don’t ‘good morning’ me!”
Seo-ma sounded genuinely upset.
“I’ve been calling you over and over!”
“I couldn’t answer.”
“Why?”
Hana glanced toward Old Madam Kang.
“I’ll explain when I see you.”
There was silence.
Then Seo-ma’s voice softened.
“Are you okay?”
Hana looked down at her sling.
“I’m fine.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m somewhere safe.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
Hana smiled faintly.
“I know.”
Seo-ma sighed.
“Fine.
I’m coming to find you.”
“Seo-ma—”
The call ended.
Hana stared at the phone.
Old Madam Kang smiled.
“She sounds like a good friend.”
“She is.”
Hana placed the phone beside her.
After a moment, she looked toward the window.
“I think I should go home today.”
Old Madam Kang’s expression softened.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Hana looked at her phone again.
“Seo-ma is worried.”
She hesitated.
“And my family doesn’t even know where I am.”
Old Madam Kang sighed.
“Fine.”
Hana looked up.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
A small smile appeared on Hana’s face.
“But you’re not going alone.”
Hana immediately opened her mouth.
“Don’t argue.”
Hana closed her mouth.
“…Okay.”
“Good.”
Madam Yoon stood.
“I’ll prepare everything.”
A little later, Madam Yoon opened the wardrobe.
Hana stared.
Inside were several neatly arranged outfits.
Cream-colored dresses.
Soft cardigans.
Blouses.
Comfortable trousers.
Everything looked new.
“When did these get here?”
Madam Yoon smiled.
“Young Master arranged them.”
Hana looked at her.
“Tae-jin?”
“Yes.”
Old Madam Kang glanced toward the wardrobe.
Her expression immediately softened.
“My grandson is thoughtful as always.”
Hana looked back at the clothes.
She remembered what had happened to her own clothes.
Doctor Han had cut them open while examining her injuries and treating her arm.
There was no way she could wear them home.
Madam Yoon carefully removed a cream-colored dress and a soft cardigan.
“This should be comfortable.”
Hana nodded.
“Thank you.”
Changing proved more difficult than she expected.
With one arm in a sling, she struggled to pull the cardigan into place.
Madam Yoon noticed.
“Let me help you.”
Hana hesitated before nodding.
“Thank you.”
Madam Yoon carefully helped her dress without disturbing the injured arm.
Once she was ready, Hana stood in front of the mirror.
Her face was still pale.
The sling stood out against the cream-colored dress.
She touched her hair with her good hand.
“I look terrible.”
Old Madam Kang smiled.
“You look like a young lady who needs rest.”
Hana looked at her.
“That’s a polite way of saying it.”
Old Madam Kang laughed.
“Come.”
She held out her hand.
“Let’s go.”
Hana took it.
They moved slowly through the corridor.
At the staircase, Hana stopped.
Old Madam Kang immediately noticed.
“Don’t even think about walking down those stairs.”
“I can walk.”
“You have one good arm and a head injury.”
Hana sighed.
A wheelchair was brought a few minutes later.
She reluctantly sat.
Old Madam Kang smiled.
“Much better.”
Hana gave her an annoyed look.
But she didn’t argue again.
They eventually reached the entrance.
A black sedan was waiting outside.
The driver stepped out and opened the rear door.
Madam Yoon helped Hana into the car.
Old Madam Kang followed.
Before getting inside, Hana looked back at Silver Pine Estate.
She had only been there for a short time.
Yet the place already carried memories she hadn’t expected to make.
She turned toward Old Madam Kang.
“Grandma.”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
Old Madam Kang gently touched her cheek.
“Just get home safely.”
Hana nodded.
She climbed into the car.
The door closed.
The sedan slowly pulled away.
Hana leaned against the seat and watched the estate disappear behind her.
She didn’t know what waited for her at home.
But she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever.
The Kim Family Mansion
Seo-ma arrived at the Kim family mansion before noon.
The moment she stepped through the entrance, she knew something was wrong.
The servants moved quietly.
Nobody seemed willing to speak.
Seo-ma stopped one of them.
“Where is everyone?”
“In the living room, Miss Seo-ma.”
Seo-ma nodded and walked toward the room.
When she entered, she found almost the entire family gathered there.
Old Madam Kim sat on the main sofa.
Mr.
Kim stood near the window, his expression hard.
Li-won sat nearby, looking worried.
Mrs.
Hee remained beside Soo-min.
Soo-min was the first to notice Seo-ma.
She stood.
“Seo-ma.”
Seo-ma didn’t bother with small talk.
“Where’s Hana?”
Soo-min blinked.
“Hana?”
“Yes.”
Soo-min lowered her eyes.
“I don’t know.”
She sighed.
“She hasn’t come home.”
Seo-ma stared at her.
“You haven’t heard from her?”
Soo-min shook her head.
“No.”
Then she added softly,
“I hope she knows what she’s doing.”
Seo-ma’s expression changed.
“What does that mean?”
Soo-min looked at her.
“I just mean…”
She lowered her voice.
“Maybe something happened to her.”
The concern sounded convincing.
Almost.
Seo-ma folded her arms.
“If you’re really worried about her, why haven’t you called her?”
Soo-min’s face stiffened.
“You know I—”
“You have her number.”
Seo-ma cut her off.
“You could have called.”
The room fell silent.
Soo-min’s cheeks slowly warmed.
Li-won looked uncomfortable.
Mrs.
Hee glanced toward her daughter.
Old Madam Kim remained completely still.
Mr.
Kim’s jaw tightened.
Seo-ma looked around.
“Does anyone actually know where Hana is?”
No one answered.
Then Old Madam Kim’s phone rang.
She looked at the screen and answered.
“Hello?”
Everyone watched her. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
Her expression slowly changed.
“What?”
She listened for another few seconds.
Then ended the call.
“Hana is coming home today.”
Li-won’s worried expression immediately changed.
“She’s okay?”
“Apparently.”
Mr.
Kim turned away from the window.
“Where was she?”
Old Madam Kim looked at him.
“She’ll tell us herself.”
Seo-ma finally breathed out.
At least Hana was safe.
Soo-min quietly sat back down.
Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her dress.
Hana was coming home.
That wasn’t good news.
Across the city, Daniel Park entered a small private room.
A man sat restrained in a chair.
Another man was seated against the wall nearby.
Both looked exhausted.
Daniel placed a folder on the table.
The first man looked up.
“Who are you?”
Daniel pulled out a chair.
“Kang Tae-jin wants answers.”
The man’s expression changed.
Daniel noticed.
“You know him.”
“I don’t know anything.”
Daniel opened the folder.
Several photographs were placed on the table.
A vehicle.
A location.
A weapon.
Then photographs of the men themselves.
Daniel leaned back.
“You were hired.”
Silence.
“Who hired you?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
“You were paid to attack Kang Tae-jin, but you don’t know who paid you?”
The man looked away.
“I never met him.”
“Who?”
“The person who gave the order.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“So you received the instructions through someone else.”
The man hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel studied him.
“You know something.”
The man remained silent.
Daniel placed another photograph on the table.
“What about the girl?”
The man looked at it.
“I don’t know her.”
“You attacked her.”
“We didn’t know she would be there.”
Daniel paused.
“Explain.”
The man swallowed.
“Our target was Tae-jin.”
“Not the girl?”
“No.”
Daniel exchanged a brief glance with the second man.
The second man immediately looked away.
Daniel noticed.
“Who contacted you?”
Neither answered.
Daniel closed the folder.
“Fine.”
He stood.
“I’ll come back.”
As he reached the door, the first man suddenly spoke.
“Wait.”
Daniel turned.
The man lowered his voice.
“We were given the location.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know.”
“Then what do you know?”
The man hesitated.
“Someone wanted Tae-jin hurt.”
Daniel’s expression remained calm.
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Daniel stared at him for several seconds.
Then he left.
Outside, he immediately called Tae-jin.
The call connected.
“Sir.”
“What did you find?”
Daniel glanced back at the door.
“They were specifically targeting you.”
A pause.
“The girl wasn’t part of the plan.”
Tae-jin said nothing.
“They received their instructions through someone else.
They don’t know the person’s identity.”
“Find him.”
“Yes, sir.”
The call ended.
Daniel looked toward the closed door.
Someone was hiding behind those men.
And whoever it was had planned carefully.
But not carefully enough.
Meanwhile, at Silver Pine Estate
Kang Tae-jin sat alone in his study.
Daniel’s words remained in his mind.
Someone had ordered the attack.
Someone who wanted him hurt.
His gaze fell toward the corner of his desk.
A small bracelet lay there.
Tae-jin reached for it.
He remembered finding it after the attack.
Hana had been wearing it.
He turned it over between his fingers.
There was nothing particularly remarkable about it.
Yet it had somehow remained in his possession.
He placed it back on the desk.
He would return it.
Eventually.
Later That Afternoon
The black sedan entered the driveway of the Kim family mansion.
Hana sat quietly in the back seat.
Her right arm rested against her body.
Through the window, the familiar gates came into view.
Then the gardens.
Then the large mansion.
She swallowed.
She had imagined coming home many times.
But never like this.
The car stopped.
The driver stepped out and opened the door.
Hana carefully stepped onto the driveway.
For a moment, she stood still.
The mansion looked exactly as she remembered.
Yet somehow…
It felt different.
Hana took a slow breath.
Then she walked toward the entrance.
Inside, everyone was waiting.