Silver Pine Estate
The study door opened without a knock.
Daniel Park stepped inside.
Kang Tae-jin didn’t look up.
He stood beside the window, one hand resting in his trouser pocket while the other held a thin folder.
His expression was unreadable.
“You’re late.”
Daniel stopped.
“Three minutes, sir.”
Tae-jin finally looked at him.
“Exactly.”
Daniel lowered his eyes.
“Sorry.”
Tae-jin closed the folder.
“Don’t apologize.”
His voice was calm.
“Just don’t repeat it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Daniel walked toward the desk and placed another file on it.
“I found something.”
Tae-jin’s gaze dropped to the file.
“Speak.”
“The attackers were given your location several hours before the incident.”
Tae-jin’s eyes hardened slightly.
“By whom?”
“They still claim they don’t know.”
“Then they are useless.”
Daniel hesitated.
“One of them may know more than he’s admitting.”
Tae-jin looked at him.
“May?”
Daniel immediately corrected himself.
“He knows something.”
“Then make him remember.”
Daniel nodded.
There was no need to ask how.
Tae-jin opened the file.
Photographs.
Bank transfers.
A vehicle registration.
A phone number.
Nothing connected directly to the person behind the attack.
His expression became colder.
“Who is handling the investigation?”
“James.”
Tae-jin’s fingers stopped.
“James?”
“Yes.”
“Call him.”
Daniel took out his phone.
The call connected after several rings.
“James.”
A low voice answered.
“Mr.
Kang.”
Tae-jin didn’t bother taking the phone.
“I want the complete report on my desk within thirty minutes.”
There was a brief silence.
“I’m still verifying—”
“Then verify faster.”
Another pause.
“Understood.”
Tae-jin’s gaze remained fixed on the city outside the window.
“And James?”
“Yes, sir?”
“This matter stays outside the company.”
“Understood.”
“No directors.
No employees.
No one from the Kang Group is to hear about it.”
“Yes, sir.”
Tae-jin ended the call.
Daniel remained silent.
He understood exactly why.
Tae-jin wasn’t going to let anyone see weakness—not even for a moment.
The attack was a private matter.
And it would remain that way.
A moment later, Tae-jin’s phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
Daniel noticed the change in his expression.
“What is it?”
Tae-jin answered.
He listened.
His brows slowly drew together.
“Repeat that.”
Daniel looked confused.
Tae-jin said nothing for several seconds.
Then he ended the call.
“What happened?”
Tae-jin looked at him.
“The Civil Affairs Bureau.”
Daniel straightened.
“They found an irregularity in the marriage registry.”
“Whose?”
Tae-jin’s expression remained cold.
“Mine.”
Silence.
Daniel blinked.
“Yours?”
Tae-jin pushed the file aside.
“Come.”
Kim Family Mansion
Hana had been sitting on the sofa for almost ten minutes.
She had barely spoken.
Old Madam Kim seemed determined to make up for every minute she had spent worrying.
“Check her temperature again.”
A servant immediately stepped forward.
“Yes, Madam.”
Hana sighed.
“I’m fine.”
Nobody listened.
The thermometer was placed carefully beneath her arm.
Old Madam Kim watched closely.
“How long has the headache been there?”
“Since yesterday.”
“Any dizziness?”
“A little.”
“Any nausea?”
“No.”
“Pain?”
Hana glanced at her sling.
“…Some.”
Old Madam Kim frowned.
“Some?”
Hana nodded.
“Grandma, I’m fine.”
The old woman finally looked at her.
Her eyes immediately fell on Hana’s bandaged head.
Then her injured arm.
“Your hand is hanging from a piece of cloth.”
She pointed toward the sling.
“And your head is wrapped like you’ve just survived a car accident.”
Hana blinked.
Old Madam Kim’s voice softened, but her words remained sharp.
“And you still say you’re fine?”
Hana lowered her eyes.
“I didn’t want everyone to worry.”
Old Madam Kim sighed.
“Too late.”
She reached over and adjusted Hana’s cardigan.
“You’re home now.
Let us worry.”
Hana didn’t argue.
For once, she simply allowed her grandmother to fuss over her.
A servant returned with the thermometer.
“Thirty-seven point eight.”
Old Madam Kim’s expression changed.
“Still slightly high.”
Hana immediately said,
“That’s barely a fever.”
Old Madam Kim stared at her.
Hana slowly closed her mouth.
“…Okay.”
A faint smile touched the old woman’s lips.
“Good.”
The door opened.
Seo-ma stepped inside carrying a small bag.
“Hana.”
Hana immediately smiled.
“Seo-ma.”
Seo-ma walked straight toward her.
She already knew Hana had been injured, but seeing her sitting there with her arm secured in a sling and her head bandaged still made her expression tighten.
“How are you feeling?”
Hana gave her a small smile.
“I’m okay.”
Seo-ma looked at her sling.
“Does it hurt badly?”
“Not anymore.”
Seo-ma nodded, clearly relieved.
Then she glanced at Old Madam Kim.
“She told me she was fine when I came in.”
Old Madam Kim sighed.
“She’s been saying that since she arrived.”
Seo-ma shook her head.
“Of course she has.”
Hana sighed.
“Don’t start.”
“I’m not starting anything.”
Seo-ma crouched in front of her.
“I’m just making sure you’re not secretly pretending to be stronger than you are.”
“Seo-ma.”
“Your arm is broken.”
“I noticed.”
“And your head is bandaged.”
“I noticed that too.”
Seo-ma looked at Old Madam Kim.
“She really is impossible.”
Old Madam Kim nodded.
“Finally, someone understands.”
Hana stared at both of them.
“Are you two teaming up against me?”
For the first time since returning home, Hana laughed.
The tension in the room eased.
But only for a moment.
Because the door opened again.
Soo-min stepped inside.
She looked toward Hana.
Their eyes met.
For a brief second, Soo-min’s smile disappeared.
Then she replaced it with something softer.
“Hana.”
Hana looked at her.
Soo-min approached slowly.
“I wanted to apologize again.”
Hana remained silent.
Soo-min clasped her hands.
“About the banquet.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“I shouldn’t have allowed everyone to think that gift was mine.”
She lowered her head.
“I’m sorry.”
Hana studied her for a moment.
Then she said quietly,
“Apology accepted.”
Soo-min looked up.
She hadn’t expected it to be that easy.
Hana continued.
“But don’t do it again.”
Soo-min’s smile tightened.
“I won’t.”
Seo-ma watched her carefully.
Soo-min turned toward the door.
“I’ll leave you two alone.”
She walked out.
The moment the door closed behind her, the softness vanished from her face.
Her fingers curled into fists.
She had apologized.
She had lowered her head.
She had played the obedient granddaughter.
But none of it had changed what she wanted.
Kim Hana would pay for humiliating her.
She just needed the right opportunity.
Seo-ma sat beside Hana.
“You know…”
Hana looked at her.
“What?”
Seo-ma lowered her voice.
“Have you heard what everyone at school is doing?”
“No.”
“Graduation is coming.”
“I know.”
“They’ve become obsessed with pranks.”
Hana smiled.
“What kind?”
Seo-ma rolled her eyes.
“Marriage pranks.”
Hana frowned.
“Marriage?”
“Yes.”
Seo-ma laughed.
“Someone calls another person pretending to be from some official office.”
Hana stared at her.
“Seriously?”
“Very seriously.”
“They’ve even started making up stories about people marrying heirs from the five great families.”
Hana laughed softly.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I know.”
Seo-ma leaned closer.
“Yesterday, they told Min-jun that he had secretly married the daughter of a chaebol family.”
Hana laughed.
“What did he do?”
“He nearly cried.”
Hana covered her mouth.
Seo-ma continued.
“And today someone told Ji-hoon he’d been registered as the husband of the daughter of the Han family.”
“Did he believe it?”
“For about thirty seconds.”
Hana shook her head.
“People are insane.”
“They’re bored.”
Seo-ma stood.
“I’m going to get you some water.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I know.”
She pointed at Hana.
“Stay here.”
Hana smiled.
“Yes, boss.”
Seo-ma walked toward the door.
Then she turned.
“Oh, and don’t answer any strange numbers.”
Hana laughed.
“Why?”
“Because you never know.”
Seo-ma disappeared down the hallway.
Hana picked up her phone.
For a few seconds, everything was quiet.
Then—
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
Hana stared at the screen.
She remembered Seo-ma’s story.
A prank.
She almost ignored it.
But the phone kept ringing.
Finally, she answered.
“Hello?”
A polite voice came through.
“May I speak with Miss Kim Hana?”
“Speaking.”
“Miss Kim, this is the Civil Affairs Bureau.”
Hana blinked.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
The prank.
Of course.
The voice continued.
“Your marriage registration has been successfully processed.”
Hana froze.
For several seconds, she said nothing.
Then she glanced toward the doorway where Seo-ma had disappeared.
“…Is this a prank?”
There was silence on the other end.
“Miss Kim?”
Hana slowly sat upright.
“Who put you up to this?”
“We don’t understand.”
“Come on.”
Her voice became suspicious.
“Who is it?”
The official sounded confused.
“Miss Kim, your registration was legally completed.”
Hana’s expression changed.
“What registration?”
“Your marriage registration.”
Her fingers tightened around the phone.
“With whom?”
The official hesitated.
“Your husband is—”
The bedroom door opened.
Seo-ma returned with a glass of water.
“Hana?”
Hana looked at her.
The call was still connected.
Seo-ma walked closer.
“What happened?”
Hana didn’t answer.
She slowly raised the phone.
The voice on the other end spoke again.
“Miss Kim, are you there?”
Hana swallowed.
“I…”
She looked at Seo-ma.
Then at the phone.
Then she remembered the prank.
Her expression suddenly hardened.
“This isn’t funny.”
She ended the call.
Seo-ma stared at her.
“Who was that?”
Hana placed the phone on the table.
“Some prank.”
Seo-ma blinked.
“What?”
“Someone pretending to be from the Civil Affairs Bureau.”
Seo-ma’s face slowly changed.
“Oh.”
She remembered what she had just told Hana.
“I…”
Hana picked up the glass of water.
“It’s fine.”
She took a sip.
Neither of them noticed the message that appeared on Hana’s phone seconds later.
Marriage Registration Confirmation: Successful.
Civil Affairs Bureau
The call ended.
For three full seconds, nobody in the office moved.
Then the young registrar slowly lowered the phone.
His face had gone pale.
“She…
she hung up.”
The other officials stared at him.
“What did she say?”
“She thought it was a prank.”
Silence.
One of the senior officials immediately stood.
“She thinks the Civil Affairs Bureau called her as a joke?”
“I tried to explain.”
“And?”
“She didn’t believe me.”
Another official hurried over. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
“Did you tell her the groom’s name?”
The registrar shook his head.
“I didn’t get the chance.”
Everyone exchanged uneasy looks.
Then one of them whispered,
“We can’t tell Mr.
Kang.”
The room went still.
A senior officer frowned.
“We have to.”
“No.”
The younger official looked terrified.
“If Mr.
Kang hears that the bride was contacted before we verified the record, he’ll—”
He stopped.
Nobody needed him to finish.
Another man swallowed.
“But will he not still find out, sir?”
The senior officer slowly turned toward him.
“Of course he will.”
“Then shouldn’t we tell him ourselves?”
“We need to understand what happened first.”
The registrar looked toward the computer screen.
“But his name is already on the record.”
“Exactly.”
Nobody spoke for a moment.
Then hurried footsteps sounded in the corridor.
Everyone froze.
The office door opened.
Kang Tae-jin stepped inside.
Daniel Park followed a few steps behind him.
The color drained from the registrar’s face.
Tae-jin looked around the room.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
“Why does everyone look frightened?”
Nobody answered.
His gaze settled on the registrar.
“You called me.”
The registrar swallowed.
“Yes, Mr.
Kang.”
Tae-jin walked toward the desk.
“What happened?”
The official opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed.
Tae-jin waited.
One second.
Two.
Then his voice dropped.
“I don’t like repeating myself.”
The registrar immediately stood straighter.
“There is…
an irregularity in the marriage registry.”
“Whose?”
Daniel asked looking curious
Tae-jin’s expression remained cold.
“Mine.”
Silence.
Daniel blinked.
“Yours?”
Tae-jin pushed the file aside.
“Come.”
The atmosphere inside the private office had changed completely.
Tae-jin stood across from the registrar.
The official looked terrified.
“I assure you, Mr.
Kang, we didn’t make this registration ourselves.”
Tae-jin’s expression remained emotionless.
“Then who did?”
“We received the application through the authorized system.”
“Whose authorization?”
The official swallowed.
“Your family network.”
Tae-jin’s eyes sharpened.
“My family?”
“Yes.”
“Which member?”
“We don’t know.”
Daniel stepped forward.
“Pull the access logs.”
The official immediately nodded.
“We already did.”
“And?”
The official hesitated.
Tae-jin’s voice became colder.
“And?”
“There was a system update yesterday.”
Daniel frowned.
“System update?”
“Yes.”
“During the update, several records were transferred to a temporary verification server.”
Tae-jin’s gaze became unreadable.
“Convenient.”
The official lowered his head.
“We’re trying to determine how it happened.”
Tae-jin walked toward the desk.
“You’re not trying hard enough.”
The official went pale.
Daniel stepped in.
“Sir.”
Tae-jin stopped.
Daniel held up his phone.
“I found the record.”
Tae-jin looked at him.
Daniel’s eyes moved to the screen.
“The husband.”
A pause.
“The registration lists…”
He looked up.
“…Kang Tae-jin.”
Tae-jin said nothing.
Daniel continued.
“And the bride is Kim Hana.”
The room went silent.
Tae-jin’s eyes slowly lowered to the registration document.
Kim Hana.
The same girl he had carried through the rain.
The same girl whose bracelet was sitting on his desk.
I
His expression remained cold.
But something in his eyes changed.
“Contact her.”
Daniel hesitated.
“Sir?”
Tae-jin looked at him.
“Find out whether she knows.”
Daniel nodded.
“Yes, sir.”
Tae-jin turned toward the registrar.
“And until I tell you otherwise…”
The official immediately straightened.
“Yes?”
“Nobody touches that record.”
“Understood.”
Tae-jin walked toward the door.
Then he stopped.
Without turning around, he said quietly—
“And find the person who accessed the system.”
Daniel followed him.
“Immediately.”
The door closed behind them.
Inside the office, the registrar finally exhaled.
He looked at the marriage certificate again.
Two names.
One record.
And neither of them seemed to know they were married.
Outside, Daniel caught up with Tae-jin.
“Sir.”
Tae-jin continued walking.
“What?”
“There’s one more problem.”
Tae-jin stopped.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“The bride already received a confirmation call.”
For the first time, Tae-jin turned around.
“What did she say?”
Daniel looked at his phone.
“She thought it was a prank.”
Tae-jin stared at him.
Then, unexpectedly, the faintest trace of disbelief crossed his face.
“She thought the Civil Affairs Bureau was pranking her?”
Daniel nodded.
“Apparently.”
Silence.
Tae-jin closed his eyes for a brief second.
Then opened them again.
Cold.
Composed.
Untouchable.
“Find her.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Daniel…”
“Yes?”
“Don’t tell her yet.”
Daniel looked surprised.
“Why?”
Tae-jin’s gaze shifted toward the city beyond the glass doors.
“Because I want to know…”
His voice dropped.
“…who thought they could put my name on a marriage certificate without telling me.”
He walked away.
Daniel remained where he was for a moment.
The answer was clearly going to be ugly.
And somewhere across the city, Kim Hana was still drinking her water— completely unaware.