I. The Weight of the Crown
The aftermath had settled, not like dust, but like a layer of hardened glass over the Taewon Group Tower. Chairman Kim Taehyung sat in the 80th-floor suite, not a king surveying his domain, but a lonely watchman guarding a tomb. His victory was complete, yet utterly hollow. The gentle heart he'd once possessed was now a tightly bound fist, prepared for the next betrayal. He was a perfect portrait of power, lacking only the warmth of a soul.
Two weeks had passed since Seok-jin's arrest. The daily task of running a multi-billion dollar empire was a brutal distraction. His most crucial ally in this cold new world was his long-time, incredibly loyal Executive Assistant, Park Jimin.
Jimin was the antithesis of Taehyung's brooding perfection. He was efficient, cheerful, and radiated a calming, grounded energy that had protected Taehyung from the worst of the corporate storm. Jimin managed the Chairman's schedule, his public relations, and most importantly, the dark secrets of the investigation, all with unwavering loyalty and a sympathetic glance that never strayed into pity. He was the only person Taehyung now truly trusted.
"The stock stabilizing press release is ready, Chairman," Jimin announced, placing the tablet on the obsidian desk. His voice was always measured, a steady pulse in the chaos.
Taehyung didn't look up from the complex restructuring plan he was reviewing. "Ensure the messaging is clear: the company is cleansed. Any mention of Ms. Bae's legacy must be strictly limited to the official police statement—suicide due to scandal. I want no sympathy and no lingering curiosity."
"Understood, sir. I've also scheduled the meeting with the legal team for the official asset transfer of the Chairman's private holdings. This includes the old family estate, the one Ms. Bae Ha-eun's mother acquired," Jimin paused, watching his boss carefully.
Taehyung finally looked up, his eyes sharp. "Proceed. I want all traces of that period of my father's life—and the architects who came with it—removed from Taewon's books. Complete erasure."
II. The Entry of the Second Lead: A Thorn and a Shield
Later that afternoon, a sudden, urgent meeting was called by the Vice President of Strategic Planning regarding a massive regulatory complication with a new tech acquisition.
As Taehyung entered the planning room, he noticed a new, striking figure sitting at the table. She was dressed in a sharp, stylish suit, radiating an energy that was both highly competent and fiercely defensive. This was Jung Eun-ji, one of the top lawyers from Taewon's outsourced legal counsel, a rising star renowned for her ability to dismantle opposition with cold, irrefutable logic.
Eun-ji, however, had a different history in the Tower. She was the childhood best friend of the late Bae Ha-eun.
Eun-ji's presence was a shock to Taehyung. She was a living reminder of the kindness Ha-eun had guarded so fiercely. To the world, Eun-ji was a professional machine; to Ha-eun, she had been a confidante. Now, she was back, working in the very company that had destroyed her friend.
The meeting commenced, quickly devolving into a tense debate over legal liabilities. Taehyung found Eun-ji's arguments brilliant, yet subtly aggressive. Her cold demeanor mirrored his own, but she carried a palpable undercurrent of resentment.
"With all due respect, Chairman," Eun-ji stated, her eyes locked on his, "your current strategy relies on an oversimplified interpretation of the new digital privacy law. It's a risk a company of this stature shouldn't take, especially after recent, ah, destabilizing events."
The "destabilizing events" was a thinly veiled jab at the murder and the new regime. Taehyung met her gaze, his voice low and dangerous.
"Ms. Jung, I appreciate your zeal. But Taewon no longer makes safe choices. We make the right choices—the ones that ensure survival, regardless of perceived risk."
Jimin, sensing the temperature drop, subtly intervened, steering the conversation back to technical details. He noticed the intense friction between the Chairman and the lawyer. It wasn't simple professional disagreement; it was personal, fueled by a shared, tragic past.
III. A Quiet Alliance (The Second Couple Begins)
The meeting concluded with a shaky consensus. As the room emptied, Jimin remained to gather the Chairman's documents. Eun-ji, deliberately slow-moving, was also packing up her briefcase.
Jimin approached her with a small, polite smile. "Ms. Jung, thank you for your input. I'll ensure the Chairman reviews your detailed memo on the liability risks immediately."
Eun-ji looked at Jimin, her guard slightly lowered. She saw not the Chairman's intimidating shield, but a man who was quietly, genuinely exhausted.
"Mr. Park," she responded, her voice softer than it had been in the meeting. "I just want to ensure that the company Ha-eun... I mean, that the Taewon Group operates ethically. Her reputation has been ruined, and I won't let them destroy her company too."
Jimin nodded slowly. "I understand. The Chairman is working under immense pressure to correct the harami actions of his step-brother. He is not the man they paint him to be, Ms. Jung. He is carrying the weight of two tragedies."
Eun-ji scoffed, but there was a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "He claimed the throne, Mr. Park. He did what he had to do, perhaps. But I am here to protect my friend's legacy from those who profited from her fall."
"Perhaps we are both here for the same goal, Ms. Jung," Jimin said gently, offering a business card that was clearly his private line. "To ensure that the true architects of the broken vow—the betrayers—do not succeed, even in death. You were her shield; I am his. We should talk."
Eun-ji looked at the card, then back at Jimin's open, honest face. She recognized a rare quality: genuine goodness, much like the one Ha-eun had hidden. She took the card. The alliance, born out of mutual suspicion and shared grief, had begun.
IV. The Shadow of the Temple
Later that night, Taehyung sat alone, his fingers tracing the temple drawing Ha-eun had kept hidden. He remembered the old woman's words: Bhale hi ham chhote hain ya bade, the power of a promise, known or unknown, will endure.
He had won the war, but the promise was broken. He was haunted by the possibility that Ha-eun hadn't just been his rival, but his first love, bound by a blood vow he hadn't consciously recognized.
Suddenly, his security system beeped. An alert: Unauthorized Access Attempt at the sealed 80th-floor viewing deck. The exact spot of the fall.
Taehyung moved swiftly. He arrived at the deck to find not an intruder, but Park Jimin, standing by the police tape, holding a small, crumpled object—a single, black marble.