I clicked on each name associated with Lee Seol-won. They were all well-known public figures, so their photos and personal details came up quickly. Considering his age, I started looking up his cousins one by one.

Lee Jae-shin. The only daughter of the eldest son’s family, she had arrived on the scene like a comet and was now leading SW Company’s new business ventures.

The woman in the photo had a striking appearance – short hair cut just below her ears, bold eyebrows and piercing eyes.

Lee Jae-shin had earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in business administration from prestigious universities overseas, then returned to Korea to launch an OTT platform with SW’s support.

It was seen as a strategic move by the company to keep up with the rapidly evolving media landscape.

She aggressively acquired licensing and simulcast rights for various content from production companies, leveraging SW’s credibility and immense financial power.

Many of the shows released through the platform received praise that exceeded expectations, and Lee Jae-shin successfully recouped her investments, an achievement that led to her being dubbed the “hidden dragon” of the SW family.

Next came the two sons of the second son’s family: Lee Jae-hyup and Lee Jae-kwang.

Since Lee Seol-won was the only child of the third son’s family, these two were basically the ones I had to pay attention to.

While Lee Jae-shin was opening up a new market with the launch of her platform business, and Lee Seol-won was running the cultural foundation that focused heavily on the fine arts, the two sons of the second son’s family were following the path of inheriting SW Company’s original entertainment business – the one that had built its current success.

I thought of Lee Jae-kwang, who ruled like a king over that mansion of drugs, violence, and orgies. With someone like him holding the reins of commercial art, it was no wonder that aspiring, unknown actors-whether by choice or coercion-set foot in that house only to disappear without a trace.

In truth, you’d never guess the sordid underbelly of the SW family from the information available online. Every one of them had followed a flawless elite path. This included Lee Jae-shin, but her brothers had also graduated from prestigious private universities in the US.

I checked Lee Jae-kwang’s academic background again and was really surprised. If ever there was someone who proves that the difficulty level of life can be set to easy, it’s him.

If it weren’t for the support of his family, he probably wouldn’t have even finished elementary school.

I could only imagine what a headache he must’ve been for the admissions counselors trying to get someone like him into such a good school.

I zoomed in on the photos of the two brothers to examine them more closely. The older one, Lee Jae-hyup, was a bit short and had a delicate, handsome face. Maybe it was the glasses, but he gave the impression of a well-behaved honor student type.

Lee Jae-kwang, on the other hand…

—”Who’s this? Even from behind, the figure’s so slender. They say you can tell a beauty just from her shadow—so why is she covering her face so tightly?”

Although I had heard his voice when my back was turned, this was the first time I had seen his face. But the impression I got from Lee Jae-kwang’s photo wasn’t unfamiliar.

It was the typical delinquent look that almost everyone has seen at least once in their school days. The kind who hangs out at the back of the classroom during recess or lunch, loud and disruptive, usually the big guy with the booming voice who sets the uncomfortable tone for the group.

Lee Seol-won was also noticeably tall, but his frame was densely packed with muscles, giving him an elegant, well-balanced physique. In contrast, Lee Jae-kwang had a fuller, almost bloated build, with soft flesh clinging to his body – more bulky than fit.

His older brother, Lee Jae-hyup, had a more slender figure, making it surprising how little resemblance there was between the siblings. It was hard to believe that they were related at all.

—”But for some reason, that silhouette looks familiar.”
—”Miss, don’t I know you?”

On top of that, Lee Jae-kwang had thrown a loaded question at me just by looking at my back. It’s not easy to identify someone just by looking at their back unless you’re very close to them.

Was he that close to Eun-sae?

Could it be that the one who was involved with Eun-sae – the real him – was Lee Jae-kwang?

No matter how hard I looked, I couldn’t find a single feature that resembled Lee Seol-won – it was almost impossible to believe.

Still, Eun-sae must have been extremely emotional, impulsive and in a state where it was easier to make the wrong decision than the right one. Just the one common thread of SW Company might have reminded her of Lee Seol-won and sent her into a tailspin.

Maybe that’s why she took a step down a path she should never have taken – dangerous and reckless.

I struggled to find a way to make sense of her decision, desperately trying to understand her.

In the photo, Lee Jae-kwang was smiling as if he were a kind, carefree man.

I stared at that shameless smile.

When I returned to the Songun Art Hall, its exterior had been freshened up with new banners advertising another round of performances and exhibitions.

I could now understand why Lee Seol-won insisted on going to work even though he was not feeling well. He was the kind of person who had to stretch twenty-four hours into forty-eight just to keep up.

In the Songun Art Hall, the performance halls and exhibition rooms for visitors were in the front, while the administrative offices were in the back. The distance wasn’t short, and in my hurry, my steps turned into something close to speed walking.

Whether it was the alcohol, the fast pace, or the tension, I wasn’t sure, but sweat began to form on my forehead.

To say I wasn’t scared would have been a lie. This photo wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for me.

My head was filled with too many thoughts, and I still hadn’t figured out what to say – or even where to begin – when I finally came face to face with Lee Seol-won.

“Sir, you are not allowed to enter this area.”

Thanks to Eun-sae’s familiar face, I had been able to get in and out of the office wing without much trouble the last time. So today, out of habit, I went straight to the main building only to be stopped at the entrance by a security guard.

I was confused for a moment, but when I saw the guard’s face, it made sense.

He was someone I’d never seen before.

“Hello. The director is in the office, right? I’m here to see him.”

As I explained my purpose, the guard looked at me with a stern expression.

“Who are you? We didn’t get an appointment with the security team.”

“Ah… my name is Hyun Eun-sae. If you just say my name, the director will know. Please just tell him that I need to talk to him for a moment. It’s really urgent.”

“I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible. We don’t allow access to anyone without an appointment.”

I tried to reason with him, but the guard’s demeanor was firm, unyielding, not even leaving room for a needle to slip through.

“Then… how do I get an appointment? I can come back later.”

Last time it was Lee Seol-won who had called me in advance, so all the necessary procedures had already been taken care of. This time, since I was the one who requested the meeting, I had no idea what steps to take.

“He is not someone who meets with everyone just because they ask. What is your relationship with the director?”

For a moment I was at a loss for words.

How was I going to explain this?

That I was the ex-girlfriend of a man who was now officially engaged to someone else?

There was no way I could say something like that out loud.

As I stood there, unable to move forward or backward, more security guards appeared one by one and approached me. There were more of them than I remembered. And none of them recognized my face – or rather, Eun-sae’s face. It seemed that the entire security team at the art hall had been replaced.

Could something have happened here as well?

“What’s going on over there?”

“This woman insists on talking to the director.”

“The director? He’s already left for the day.”

The one who seemed to be the most senior among them spoke in a clearly angry tone and lied without hesitation. It was obvious that he just wanted to get rid of me.

At that moment, my face flushed with heat.

So that’s it – I’m being treated like a nuisance.

“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to make trouble.”

I turned, shoulders heavy, and walked out of the building.

What should I do?

Whenever Lee Seol-won was involved, I stopped feeling like myself. Nothing ever went the way I expected, I found myself saying and doing things I’d never done before, and I ended up being treated in ways I’d never experienced before.

Is it really possible for things to be so tangled between two people?

I guess this is what people mean when they talk about a bad fate – an unhappy marriage.

“Oh, wait a minute.”

Couldn’t I have just called him first?

It was such a simple solution, how could I have just thought of it? I must have been either tipsy from those two or three drinks, or completely thrown off by the stern attitude of the security guards.

I quickly dialed his number.

Ring, ring…

The dial tone rang in my ears.

But no matter how long I waited, the call never connected.

Finally, the line was disconnected with an automated message that said the call could not be completed.

I tried again. Twice. Three times.

Still the same result.

If he doesn’t answer at all… Does that mean he’s blocked me?