登入As Gye-yeong and Gang-mu ran up to the rooftop out of breath, the eyes of the people enjoying a peaceful afternoon tea simultaneously turned toward them.Gye-yeong’s cold gaze, flashing in the summer sunlight, and Gang-mu’s bewildered expression instantly froze the languid air of the garden. Women with their faces wrapped in bandages post-surgery put down their teacups and began whispering with curious eyes.“Oh my, it's Director Kim. But who is that tall man next to him?”“An actor? Or a model? His aura is incredible.”“No, he’s a famous financial tycoon. Representative Ga Gye-yeong of Kenz, the investment genius! I heard he was close friends with the director, and it’s true. He looks way better in person.”The pouring stares and embarrassing praise blurred into background noise, but Gye-yeong simply turned away without a word. His mind was fixed on only one spot—the youth smiling b
At the tail end of July, the Thursday sun blazed as if to scorch the earth.On a flight from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, inside a silent first-class cabin, only two men existed. One exuded a chilling frost, while the other quietly endured it, swirling his whiskey glass.“LF. Stop drinking and just get some sleep.”Hermann offered low advice as he looked at LF, who bore a peaceful expression as if he had merely gone for a light stroll, despite having just stained the European business landscape in blood.“Ending it so quickly leaves it a bit hollow.”LF lightly brushed off Hermann’s words and stared past the plane window at the endless expanse of clouds. Having achieved unprecedented success in the European market, a strange look of joy flickered on his face for the first time in a while. Rather than a sense of accomplishment, it was closer to the chilling excitement a predator feels before facing new prey.
Just how much more miserable time would she have to endure?Hyeon-sin trembled helplessly at Gye-yeong’s confession that he had shut her mouth to stop her from crying.Not wanting to miss that tremor, Gye-yeong’s obsessive gaze tracked her profile. Confirming the watery gleam in her eyes, his pupils sank cold as an Arctic sea.“And another man appeared in your nightmare. You know exactly who it is without me saying it.”“...As if.”Before she could finish, Gye-yeong roughly grabbed her shoulders. Trapped by the sudden force, Hyeon-sin collapsed onto the sofa, and Gye-yeong pinned her down, pressing his body weight against her chest.“You!”“Ugh...”A scream erupted from her unhealed ribs. Physical pain rushed over her, but facing the sad expression of Gye-yeong looking down at her made her heart ache even more.“LF—is it because of a bastard like him
Ga Gye-yeong took a brief breath and scanned the panoramic expanse of the rooftop garden.Though the view beyond the glass walls was peaceful, the air inside was sharp enough to cut, charged with Kim Gang-mu’s fury.As expected, Gang-mu was livid. It was a natural reaction from a friend who never hesitated to offer cold advice, always warning him not to look sideways and never to waste sympathy on lowlifes.Yet Gye-yeong absorbed the fury without a flinch. The youth had already grown uncontrollably large in the depths of his heart, rendering any advice useless.“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t cut this kid loose. I can’t get him out of my head.”“Ga Gye-yeong! Get a grip, please!”Han Gyoo-ryeon stepped between them, waving his hands in a desperate bid to mediate.“Hold on, Gang-mu, let’s calm down, alright? And Gye-yeong, if you’re trying to keep him close with
A week had passed since then.Although Gang-mu did not step forward personally, he poured his utmost sincerity into caring for Hyeon-sin, assigning four dedicated nurses to look after her. It was the result of his meticulous attention to ensure she could rest and remain safe from outside eyes.When he closely observed her daily life through the CCTV monitor, she was puzzlingly well-behaved. The sight of her leaning against the bed all day long, doing nothing but reading books, was almost uncanny. In particular, she never tried to meet anyone separately, nor did anyone contact her to pay a hospital visit.It's not that her social skills are lacking, so does she really have no friends or acquaintances to interact with?Gang-mu arranged a brief moment to call Hyeon-sin out to the rooftop garden to have a talk.The sun-drenched rooftop in July was blazing hot, but the rooftop garden cafe, sealed off by glass walls, was incomparably pleasant. The moment
#75. [The Hermit—Fragments of a Broken Heart]“...You do not have to treat me. I will just leave.”Hyeon-sin whispered in a voice as tiny as a mosquito, staring only at the floor. Her back looked as if it might crumble to pieces at any moment, and unable to leave it at that, Gang-mu roughly grabbed her wrist as she turned to depart.“Not to Gyoo-ryeon either. Leave that company as well.”“Yes. I know. Of course I won't go back there.”Hyeon-sin's tears showed no signs of stopping. She repeatedly wiped her eyes with her free hand, but new droplets continuously spread across the damp back of her hand.Watching this innocent and sorrowful surrender, Gang-mu felt like a peerless villain driving a blameless, young beast into a slaughterhouse.A sticky ache welled up in a corner of his chest. For the first time, Gang-mu questioned his own sense of justice, wondering if his decision to erase this sma







