DYEH 03

Chapter 3

“Chairman Han Jong-in of Shinsung Group—ranked fourth among South Korea’s conglomerates—was found murdered at his home. His granddaughter, Miss Han Seo-hee, was arrested at the scene as a suspect…”

The calm yet urgent voice of the news anchor echoed through the police station.
Everyone inside fell silent and turned their eyes toward the TV screen.

When someone exclaimed, “Huh? Isn’t that Han Seo-hee?” all gazes shifted to one spot.

The sight was striking—an elegantly dressed woman in a high-end white two-piece, her wrists bound in handcuffs. The red stains on her once-pristine suit stood out starkly.

Whispers rippled through the room, but amid the noise, one person remained frozen as if trapped in another world—Seo-hee herself.

“Miss Han Seo-hee.”

The detective called her name gently. Even that voice sounded distant and unreal to her.

She’d been in the same dazed state ever since leaving her grandfather’s house in Pyeongchang-dong.
No matter how many times she said she hadn’t done it, the detective refused to believe her.

When she didn’t answer, his voice grew louder.

“Miss Han Seo-hee!”

“…Yes.”

Her voice cracked as she barely managed to respond.

“Keeping your mouth shut isn’t going to help you. You think staying silent will protect you? Like you’ve got some fancy Miranda rights? Forget that nonsense.”

She had told them again and again on the way from Pyeongchang-dong that she didn’t do it—but no one believed her.
She couldn’t admit to something she hadn’t done, yet her silence only made the detective treat her more like a criminal.

“The evidence is clear, and you were caught at the scene. Do you think you’ll just walk away from this? Even the rich can’t buy their way out when the proof is this solid.”

“…”

“No matter how much money you throw around, you can’t change a murder into an accident. Understand?”

He muttered something under his breath, as if annoyed at himself for even bothering to care.

“I really didn’t do it. How could I possibly…”

Seo-hee’s voice trembled as she tried to defend herself. She couldn’t even finish her sentence—how could she say it aloud?

Her voice quivered, and then tears broke through. The world blurred before her eyes.

She couldn’t understand any of it.
She had only gone to visit her grandfather…

Who could have done that to him?
Why? For what reason?

Unanswerable questions swirled in her head. Yet the dark red stains still marking her hands were a chilling reminder that this was no dream.

Grandfather…

She shut her eyes tightly, recalling the last image of Chairman Han’s face.

“So you think staying quiet will help? The knife only had your fingerprints. And we’ve got statements saying your relationship with your grandfather soured after you married Park Jae-min. What, you stabbed him in anger because he didn’t like your husband?”

“Our relationship got awkward after I got married, yes—but bad? Who would say something so absurd?”

“You’ll find out soon enough who said it. For now, just confess. Life in prison and the death penalty are worlds apart. Admit it, show remorse, and maybe you’ll get a lighter sentence.”

His words blurred between persuasion and threat.

“What about my grandfather? Where is he now?”

Seo-hee asked through tears that clung to her lashes.

“Wow, what an actress,” the detective scoffed, clicking his tongue. His eyes said it all—You killed him and now you’re pretending to grieve?

“Where else? The National Forensic Service. They’re doing the autopsy.”

“Grandfather…”

Tears streamed down her cheeks, her sobs growing louder. She buried her face in her hands, shoulders trembling.

Sensing his chance, the detective softened his tone and handed her a tissue.

“You can’t just leave him like that in some cold morgue. Admit it now, and let him rest properly. Shinsung Group’s on the brink—what good will denying it do?”

But his words no longer reached her. Seo-hee shook her head violently, sobbing uncontrollably.

“I… hic… I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill him…”

Her voice broke into sobs until she gasped for breath—and then, with a loud thud, she collapsed.

“Miss Han Seo-hee!”

Drip, drip, drip.

The sound of falling water echoed faintly in the quiet room.
On the hospital bed, Seo-hee frowned in pain.

“Ugh…”

A stabbing ache spread through her head. Her eyelids felt impossibly heavy, but she forced them open.

If she opened her eyes, this nightmare would be over.
Her grandfather would be smiling, calling her name again.

When she finally opened her eyes, a blurry, unfamiliar ceiling came into view.
A sharp antiseptic smell filled her nose, and an IV line was attached to her arm.

A hospital.

“Are you awake?”

A familiar voice reached her ears. When she tried to sit up, a strong arm helped her.

“Jae-min!”

Her husband, Park Jae-min—the one person she wanted most to see.
Seeing his face made her believe, if only for a moment, that this had all been just a dream.

She smiled in relief and reached out to hold his arm.

Clink.

The metallic sound froze her. A cold sensation around her wrist—handcuffs, fastened to the bedrail.

Reality came crashing back. The look in Jae-min’s eyes confirmed it: this was no dream.

Shame burned hotter than despair. She tried to hide her hands, but the cuffs gleamed in plain sight.

“What the hell happened? They said the chairman’s dead, and you—what’s going on?”

His tone held reproach more than concern. Seo-hee bit her lip.
She had thought he would first ask if she was all right—but all he wanted was answers.

Tears welled up.
She was terrified, confused, and utterly alone.
Once part of South Korea’s elite, now she felt small and pathetic.

“I don’t know. I don’t understand any of this… I can’t even believe Grandfather is gone. But even if he is… why would I—why would I ever—”

Her voice broke off.
She couldn’t say it—to the man she loved.

Jae-min gently patted her hand, as if to tell her she didn’t need to say more.
It was the first time he’d ever shown her such tenderness.

“Let’s just calm down first.”

It was hard to calm down, but his words soothed her a little. She nodded weakly, trying to steady her breathing.

Even so, her body trembled. She bit her lip again to keep from crying and looked up at him, waiting for his next words.

“Seo-hee.”

His voice was serious.

Please, just tell me you believe me…

That was all she wanted to hear.
If he said that, maybe she could hold herself together.

“Let’s just admit it.”

The words shattered her completely.

“Jae…min?”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Jae-min squeezed her hand and continued in a coaxing tone.

“You were caught at the scene. The evidence is solid. I heard the prosecutor in charge will probably be Shin Joo-young—she’s notorious for being strict.”

“…”

“I talked to Lawyer Park. He said if you confess and show remorse, they might rule it as an impulsive—”

He trailed off, unable to say murder aloud.

“They’ll try for a reduced sentence. Just admit it. If you don’t, you could get the death penalty…”

“Jae-min!”

Her voice rose, trembling with betrayal. She had truly believed he trusted her.
That even if the world condemned her, her husband—her partner of five years—wouldn’t.

Confess and repent?
As if she were guilty?

Seo-hee’s face twisted in pain, eyes full of disbelief and hurt.
She yanked her hand from his grasp.

“Please, don’t get emotional—let’s think rationally—”

Before he could finish, a familiar voice came from outside the curtain.

“Stop it, brother-in-law.”

Brother-in-law?
The voice made her eyes widen. Then the curtain was drawn back.

“I-soo…”

It was Han I-soo, Seo-hee’s younger cousin—and the CEO of one of Shinsung Group’s entertainment subsidiaries.
Like a real sister to Seo-hee, since she had no siblings of her own.

For a moment, relief washed over Seo-hee.
Seeing I-soo step in against Jae-min felt like finding an ally.

“What are you doing here? You’ll get dragged into this—”

“Unnie.”

I-soo cut her off mid-sentence.

“Do you still not understand what’s going on?”