Chapter 3

Shin Kyobin.

Once infamous as the illegitimate youngest son of Shin Hyung-gil, chairman of Shinil Group, born from an affair.

“They say on the chairman’s 15th wedding anniversary, a baby was abandoned in front of the mansion. Turns out, that baby was the result of his affair…”

From the very beginning, his existence was like a messy drama’s troublemaker.

Chairman Shin Hyung-gil never wanted to show Kyobin in public.

Like a child to be hidden away, Kyobin was denied any special treatment as a chaebol’s son.

There was already the proper heir, Shin Seheon, born between Shin Hyung-gil and his legal wife, Ahn Sun-hye.

“Seheon has clearly inherited the chairman’s brilliant genes. He learns everything quickly and even overcomes impossible problems with wisdom.”
“Of course. He’s the one who’ll inherit Shinil and lead it. That much is only natural.”

Seheon was the solid future of Shinil Group, walking the elite path everyone acknowledged, with the family’s strong support.

Kyobin never even dared to look at such a place he could never reach.

Though mistreated at home, he lived like a wastrel, doing as he pleased.

Even when Kyobin caused accidents, Chairman Shin worked hard to manage the situation, thinking of the company’s image, using his wealth to smooth things over.

A modern-day wastrel, a legendary chaebol troublemaker.

And in Kyobin’s eyes, the unlucky target was Choi Hyejae.

“The mistress’s teacup… you broke it on purpose, right?”

The only person who ever comforted the abandoned child, unrecognized by anyone in the chaebol household, was the daughter of the housemaid.

“Why? The stepmother made me like this, but I can’t do the same?”
“…If anyone asks, don’t say it was you. Say it was me.”

Hyejae felt pity for Kyobin, who was hated in the chaebol household.

“If they know it’s yours, both the mistress and the chairman will be furious. If you say it was an accident I caused, maybe they’ll see me as pitiable and forgive it.”

Even though she was just the maid’s daughter and overstepping her place, the kindness she showed lit the spark of Kyobin’s twisted possessiveness.

From then on, he treated Hyejae excessively well.

“Did you have a nightmare? Should I stay until you fall asleep?”
“My dad brought this on his business trip. It was delicious… Take it to your mom and share it.”

Even though he rarely received proper family care, he always brought the best things to Hyejae.

“Isn’t it hard? Should I help with the parts you can’t reach?”

He even helped with chores, joining in cheerfully to ease Hyejae’s burden. Despite the many scars from adults in his life, he was naturally kind.

Because of that, Hyejae easily opened her heart to Kyobin.

Though she expected chaebol sons to be arrogant and condescending, she realized how wrong she was—Kyobin had been genuinely good.

But that illusion didn’t last long.

While Hyejae felt close to him, Kyobin always saw her as his possession.

If he wanted it, he had to take it. She was to serve his needs, and if not used, she was still never discarded.

“Can you just say it was you?”
“What? Why me?”
“If I say it was me, he’ll beat me to death. But if you say it was your fault, maybe they’ll just see it as a cute mistake.”

All his reckless acts and accidental mistakes fell onto Hyejae. She often had to bow her head in his place.

Everyone thinking of Shinil Group’s image expected her to handle it this way. Most of all, Kyobin did.

He enjoyed watching her clean up after his mess with a wicked smile.

“You don’t belong in this. Just do it with me.”

He blocked her from what she wanted to do.

“Shin Kyobin, how do you know Choi Hyejae from the other class? Weren’t you in different middle schools?”
“Ah, Hyejae? She’s our housemaid’s daughter.”

He even revealed private details about himself casually.

“Hey, Shin Kyobin. Why are you rejecting my confession? Tell me why. Why don’t you like me?”
“Reason? Nothing much. Just that Hyejae is prettier.”

He made others dislike her unnecessarily.

“Are you close with Hyejae? Don’t get too close to her.”
“Choi Hyejae is mine.”
“Don’t touch her, you don’t even know your place.”

He subtly cut off all her relationships. Whether he was malicious or not, it was confusing.

As a result, Hyejae became isolated from others because of Kyobin.

Especially when girls who admired him bullied her for no reason, or when her close friends couldn’t resist his threats, they drifted away.

When she cried alone in isolation, Kyobin appeared as if nothing had happened, using sweet words and soft gestures to lure her.

“You have me, so why cry so pitifully?”

From the beginning, he acted as if she should exist only for him. Kyobin was obsessively possessive of Hyejae.

Yet, they were never a romantic couple.

He smiled at her, said he missed her, said he liked her—but he never truly saw her romantically or confessed sincerely.

Hyejae realized he was simply toying with her.

She had spent years being used, like a fool, by this dual-sided nature.

Once she realized it, Hyejae vowed never to get involved with Kyobin or Shinil Group again.

That’s why she betrayed Chairman Shin Hyung-gil’s trust and secretly became a prosecutor.

Yet, Kyobin relentlessly tormented her.

Even when she reached the top of public authority in Korea, all her power became useless in front of his immense wealth and influence.

In the end, Hyejae succumbed to Kyobin’s scheme once more.

Waking from sleep, Hyejae pushed up her heavy eyelids.

“Ah… a dream…”

Perhaps because it was the day she had fallen right back into Kyobin’s trap after escaping desperately.

Exhausted, she collapsed onto the sofa in just a change of clothes, trying to rest.

Picking up her phone from the floor, she checked the time.

9 p.m.

The cursed worst day of all was still ahead.

She got up and walked toward the kitchen.

Her path was blocked by unpacked moving boxes, which she nudged aside with her feet.

Grabbing bottled water from the fridge, she gulped it down while surveying the still unfamiliar house.

Setting the bottle down, her eyes scanned every corner again.

This was a company-provided residence from Shinil Group.

Hyejae had vacated her rental villa in a hurry and had to prepare the move according to Kyobin’s instructions.

She hadn’t checked the house beforehand, only receiving the address, and only questioned it upon arrival with the movers.

“Why is this apartment so nice?”

Though the move was done correctly, doubts lingered.

She knew roughly what kind of welfare housing Shinil Group employees received.

Yet the residence she was given wasn’t just any apartment.

It was a premium brand, above-ground complex apartment, famous for housing chaebol families and celebrities.

“Our Hyejae isn’t like other employees. Of course, she gets better benefits.”

Kyobin had promised special treatment, but Hyejae wasn’t thrilled by the unnecessary favor.

Ding-dong.

Startled by the sudden doorbell, she tensed and looked toward the wall-mounted intercom.

Who would visit this late?

“Yes, who is it?”

Receiving no answer, she raised an eyebrow and walked to the front door.

High-end apartments were known for strict security.

Hyejae pressed the door lock button herself, slightly lowering her guard.

A hand suddenly shot through the barely-opened door and yanked it fully open.

“You’ve moved in?”

Startled, Hyejae stepped back.

Bang.

The unexpected late-night visitor barged in and even closed the door behind them.

“I heard people don’t even bring rice cakes to neighbors anymore when they move in.”

With the hallway light finally revealing the intruder’s face, Hyejae exhaled in relief.

“A… neighbor?”

The person standing there was Shin Kyobin.

Hyejae blinked in shock, her eyes wide, then let out a resigned sigh as she understood the situation.

No wonder she had been given such a luxurious apartment as her company residence.

He had brought her into his own apartment.

“I came to receive it myself. Do you have any rice cakes at home?”

“You really…”

Cunningly.