“I let my emotions get the best of me and ended up causing you a lot of trouble, Seol-won. It would be best if this photo never sees the light of day and everything fades away quietly, as you suggested… but if that’s not possible, you can just say it was an incident with a woman from your past who begged to see you and wouldn’t take no for an answer, or even call me a stalker – whatever works. I’ll go along with whatever you say. Don’t worry about me. I appreciate your help the other day, and… even though it’s late, congratulations on your engagement. I really hope you and your fiancée have a happy life together.”

As long as I don’t interfere or get in the way of his future, he’ll be fine with Heo Yeonseo as his partner.

Unlike love, which always leaves us uncertain and wondering if our feelings are really reciprocated, SW Company’s union with Rep. Heo Ji-seop will remain firm and undeniable, a solid foundation for what lies ahead.

I thought he’d be relieved after I made it clear that I was the one who put my emotions aside and stepped back. But unexpectedly, Lee Seol-won remained motionless for a while, sinking heavily into the back of his chair.

“You.”

Then he called to me.

“What is it?”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.

Maybe… like you said, it’s time for me to go back to the States.

Before I do that, I need to clear up Eun-sae’s and Lee Jae-kwang’s loose ends. I already know about his criminal past – I even witnessed it myself by going to the scene.

I approached Lee Seol-won because of the scandal, because he is the kind of man who has no visible weaknesses. But with Lee Jae-kwang, just a face-to-face conversation and a few probing questions would probably be enough to gather evidence.

If I can just get a confession out of him…

—”Do you want to report it?”

That dawn, as we were leaving the mansion after spending the night there, Lee Seol-won had read my thoughts with uncanny accuracy.

—”Why are you being so naive? With dozens of people making such a noisy mess, do you really think no one ever reported it? Even if someone did, it’s easy enough to ignore the investigation.”

Then I have to make it so the police can’t ignore it.

But from this point on, Lee Seol-won must be kept out of it.

If I expose Lee Jae-kwang’s crimes to the world, SW Company will inevitably be affected, and the repercussions will be far greater than the affair scandal I originally planned.

“So you’re going back to the US…”

After hearing my answer, Seol-won’s gaze became subtle and complex.

“When do you plan to leave?”

“Why?”

I must have been more persistent than I realized. For a man who had never shown any real interest in me to go so far as to ask about the exact timing of my return – it said something.

“Why are you asking? You sound like someone who wants to see me off.”

As if that would ever happen. It shouldn’t, and it won’t.

I gently touched the phone that once belonged to Eun-sae.

She returned without anyone to see her off – choosing to die in the safest place she knew: by her parents’ side.

On that flight home, she must have looked down at the world below and silently prepared for her end.

Eleven hours.

Long when you think about it. Short if you don’t.

How did Eun-sae cope with everything during that time?

“It’s probably better if you don’t know. We’re supposed to be strangers again anyway, right? Don’t worry, I won’t bother you again.”

Quietly, but clearly, I drew a line in the sand.

If he had asked me to sign a written agreement promising never to come near him again, I would have done it without hesitation.

Lee Seol-won said nothing in response, a slight furrow forming between his eyebrows.

Shadows traced the strong features of his face – flowing from his smooth forehead down the sharp bridge of his nose and along the defined line of his jaw.

He was the kind of man whose features stood out so clearly that even the shadows on his face seemed darker than most.

What could he be thinking about so intensely?

Was he doubting my promise to return to my homeland?

Was he doubting my promise to return to my family home?

But the truth is, I have no choice but to return.

After provoking Lee Jae-kwang, it was no longer safe for me to stay in Korea.

More than my own safety, I had to think of the welfare of the orchestra to which I belonged.

So as not to endanger those around me, I had already submitted my resignation.

“Forget about me. Even if you hear something about me, just think of me as someone you don’t know. I’ll live as if I’ve forgotten you too.”

As I wrapped things up, the image of him sitting alone in the Art Hall director’s office late at night suddenly flashed through my mind.

Then the reckless way he had downed two glasses of Purple Lean at the mansion without a second thought.

I couldn’t help but add a word of concern.

“Don’t overwork yourself. Take care of your health.”

“Hyun Eun-sae.”

Lee Seol-won sighed softly.

“If you need help, just say the word.”

I was honestly a little surprised that he would offer his kindness one last time, but realistically, any help he could give would probably amount to finding me a quiet place to hide from Lee Jae-kwang for a while, or maybe booking me a first-class ticket back to the States.

I didn’t know the exact nature of their family ties, but from the outside, he and Lee Jae-kwang were both SW people. And a man with a fiancée wasn’t going to risk shaking up his entire household just to expose Lee Jae-kwang’s crimes for the sake of someone he no longer had a relationship with.

It was only natural.

Even I couldn’t do that.

Since Lee Jae-kwang even owned a mansion that was used for parties, there was a high chance that his relatives had already turned a blind eye to his crimes.

The limits of Lee Seol-won’s help were clear – but the result I wanted was much harsher, much more ruthless.

I wouldn’t remain a victim of that man.

If he ruined Eun-sae’s life, then he should suffer just as much in return.

Strengthened by that conclusion, I shook my head.

“No. Let’s never see each other again.”

And then I said goodbye to him for the last time.

Even after thinking it over, I knew it was the right decision. It was better for both of us – for me and for him – that we were no longer entangled.

If he wasn’t related to Lee Jae-kwang, I might have swallowed my pride and asked him for help.

But he had already intervened once and protected me from Lee Jae-kwang himself.

There’s no way he would have let that go.

On the night of the party, I went in with Lee Seol-won and we disappeared somewhere in the mansion together – Lee Jae-kwang knows that.

Just like he used Eun-sae’s phone to get to me, there’s no guarantee that he didn’t do the same to Lee Seol-won.

Even if Lee Jae-kwang tries to provoke a conflict or create a scene, it is clear that Lee Seol-won is the kind of person who would not allow such actions to affect me directly.

At this point, it is unnecessary for me to add to his already complex situation.

More importantly, I must remember the essential truth: I am definitely someone who has no real relationship with Lee Seol-won.

The person who once had a relationship with him was Eun-sae.

I may have imitated Eun-sae in some ways, but that does not mean that I should fool myself into thinking that I have become her.

The moments that Lee Seol-won and I shared – his attempts to shield my face, the shared rhythm of our hearts, his efforts to protect me when he was unwell – do not mean that we were ever truly close.

These actions, despite their apparent significance, should not be mistaken for a true connection.

I must not confuse these experiences with the depth of a relationship.

The person he was trying to do right by was Eun-sae, not Hyun Seo-hae.

In the same way, I should do right by someone who was cold and distant at first, but eventually turned out to be kind.

It’s only right that I step down now, cleanly and without causing any more trouble.

Be reasonable.

I repeated to myself.

Don’t lose your conscience – don’t lose your sense of decency.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Just then the car door swung open. The chauffeur returned just in time.

“Ms. Hyun Eun-sae, please take this.”

The chauffeur handed me a small pharmacy bag. Inside were various hangover remedies.

“Thank you. I’m sorry for the trouble, especially so late at night. Please drive safely.”

I picked up the bag and got out of the car. I deliberately walked a little fast because I was afraid that Lee Seol-won would call me and continue the uncomfortable conversation.

At that moment, I closed the door and turned away.

I happened to look up, and the sky seemed so vast and far away that I felt dizzy.

The vast night seemed to press down with the weight of eternity.

What had I been doing all this time?

How could I have wasted so much of it on such a foolish mistake?

Why didn’t this man hold me accountable?

Even though his calm expression had calmed me down a bit… Can a simple “I’m sorry” – just that – really make everything okay?

I felt so ashamed and guilty that I couldn’t trust myself to control my expression.

So in the end, I couldn’t bring myself to look back.