Midnight settled over the mansion like a secret.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡco3lH0nGjs
The lights were low, the air cool, and the faint hum of the refrigerator was the only sound.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRotzKRujAV
Tae-jun sat alone in the corner, one hand lazily circling his glass of beer. The amber liquid caught the dim light like molten gold, and he smiled—not from joy, but anticipation.
He wasn’t drinking for comfort. He was waiting.
Soft footsteps echoed on marble.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡviR7cZqgkC
Shin Da-eun entered, her robe loosely tied, hair brushing her shoulders. She didn’t notice him; her eyes were fixed on the refrigerator. Like every night, she reached for her usual beer.
Then came a low voice from the shadows.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkexHwToEV
“Shall I pour it for you, Aunt?”
Her hand froze.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡerJr0npLnN
When she turned, she saw him—Tae-jun—leaning against the counter, a sly smirk on his face, beer bottle in hand.
“Tae-jun-ah…” she gasped. “You’re drinking?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t it look like it?”
Her sarcasm came sharp. “Just like your mother, aren’t you?”
The smile faded from his eyes, replaced by something darker—colder.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRUVwDJ2Hd
After a moment, his lips curved again, but this time it wasn’t playful.
“Aunt,” he murmured, “shall I make you a drink? My style.”
Da-eun hesitated, then shrugged, feigning indifference. “Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
He moved with calm precision—each sound deliberate. The crack of ice, the hiss of a bottle, the swirl of liquid into crystal. The colors began to blend: violet bleeding into rose, then softening into a glowing pinkish hue that shimmered under the light. The drink looked almost alive, like a captured sunset dissolving in glass.
When he handed it to her, Da-eun couldn’t help but admire it.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb81Lm733Nv
She took a sip. The texture was smooth—velvet and silk on her tongue. A sweet floral fragrance bloomed, chased by a whisper of bitterness that lingered in her throat.
“Mmm…” she smiled faintly. “Very nice, Tae-jun-ah. You really can make drinks well.”
He tilted his head, studying her. “Would you like to know what’s in it?”
She giggled softly. “What did you mix in this?”
“Just normal things,” he said. “Eggs, milk, a few others… ah, I almost forgot—the core ingredient.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMRvK5Jdts
He leaned in close, voice dropping to a whisper.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLjDk6BSdpb
“Foxglove.”
The smile vanished from her lips. “W-what did you say?”
“Foxglove,” he repeated, almost tenderly. “A beautiful flower. Deadly heart.”
The glass slipped from her fingers, shattering against the marble.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQSwYvOVJS
Da-eun screamed, stumbling to the sink, shoving her fingers into her throat, trying to vomit. She gulped water, coughing violently. Her heart pounded, fear clawing at her chest.
Behind her, Tae-jun chuckled softly. “Gracias.”22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7znnjxZ9mW
His eyes drifted to her trembling legs, the tear in her stockings. The sight made his grin widen before he turned and disappeared down the hallway.
By dawn, Secretary Lim stood before Chairman Ryu Tae-ho, voice nervous as he relayed the night’s events.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDUGAnpyfX
The old man simply laughed, low and amused.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtZ0DnlOjO
“Looks like Tae-jun has already started his game,” he said.
Later that night, Da-eun sat in her car, her hands still shaking as she dialed her husband’s number.
“Kyung-min-ah…” her voice cracked. “That boy—Tae-jun—he… he poisoned me! Said it was foxglove!”
“What?” Ryu Kyung-min, the fifth son, sat up sharply in his office chair. “Are you sure?”
“I went to the hospital,” she said breathlessly. “They ran every test—everything’s normal. But still—he’s not a normal boy, Kyung-min. He’s dangerous.”
Kyung-min’s eyes darkened as he processed her words.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWD5gBjqBal
So it begins, he thought.
He leaned back, his tone colder now. “When did this happen?”
“Last night… same time as always, when I went for a drink.”
Kyung-min’s mind raced. Tae-jun had arrived at the mansion only recently—yet somehow, he knew Da-eun’s habits, her timing, her secrets. The precision was too perfect.
“He was waiting for you,” Kyung-min muttered. “He knew you’d come.”
Da-eun blinked. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” he said quietly, “that Tae-jun has eyes everywhere. Spies, maybe. Connections. He’s not acting on impulse, Da-eun—he’s planning something.”
A chill ran through her. “Then what should we do?”
“Stay quiet,” he said finally. “Don’t provoke him again. I’ll handle this.”
But when the call ended, both knew—the storm had only just begun.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the tall windows of the living hall. Da-eun awoke on the couch, her head throbbing.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM036gHRNp
Across from her sat Tae-jun, legs crossed, sipping coffee as if nothing had happened.
“How was the foxglove, Aunt?” he asked sweetly. “Do you want another round?”
Her rage surged. “You—!”
Before she could strike him, he tossed an envelope onto the table. Photographs spilled out—her and Ryu Sang-ho, in intimate closeness.
Da-eun froze, color draining from her face. Her gaze darted to the staircase just as Yoon Hye-jin, Sang-ho’s wife, descended gracefully.
“Good morning,” Hye-jin greeted.
Tae-jun smiled brightly. “Good morning, Aunt Hye-jin. Off to your exhibition?”
“Yes,” she replied, smiling. “If you’re free, do come by.”
“Of course,” he said cheerfully.
Da-eun stood frozen, sweat forming at her temple.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRv4qssTWNe
Hye-jin frowned. “Da-eun, are you alright? You’re sweating.”
“She drank a bit too much last night,” Tae-jun said smoothly, eyes gleaming. “You really should take care of your health, Aunt.”
Hye-jin chuckled lightly, waving as she left.
As the door closed, Da-eun turned on him, trembling. “How dare you—”
But Tae-jun calmly unfolded another set of papers and red them. 22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgzz2NgTug
As he read the names—she felt her world collapse.
Ryu Ye-rim — DNA test — No match with Ryu Kyung-min.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PdLCPfQ0V
Ryu Ye-rim and Ryu Sang-ho — Match confirmed.
Her knees buckled. “Tae-jun… please. What do you want? I don’t know anything about your mother’s death.”
He smiled faintly. “I never said this was about my mother’s death.”
His voice turned cold, sharp as glass. “You’ve got brawns, Aunt… no brains. Though I hear you’re good at other things.”
Tears streaked down her face. She fell to her knees, clutching his leg. “Please, these things must never come out. I’ll do anything.”
“Anything?” His smirk deepened. “Good. Tomorrow, bring me the signed contract with the Oh family—the one about the rare plant biotech project. Do that, and maybe your little secrets stay buried.”
He left her trembling on the floor.
That night, in Tae-jun’s room, Min-jun stood by the window.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxkVQpQx6SQ
“Hyung, will she really do it?”
“She has no other choice,” Tae-jun said, pouring himself another drink.
“Hyung… you’re ruthless.”
“Brutal,” Tae-jun corrected softly. “That’s what this family made me.”
Min-jun hesitated. “How did you even find out about Da-eun and Sang-ho?”
He set his glass down. “I didn’t. Mom did. Her accident began the day she found out their affair.”
Min-jun’s voice trembled. “And Ye-rim?”
Tae-jun’s eyes darkened. “Kyung-min had a vasectomy after Han-se was born. Three years later, Ye-rim was conceived. He thought she was his child. She wasn’t.”
Min-jun swallowed hard, both amazed and disgusted. “This family… it’s rotten to the core.”
Tae-jun looked toward the night sky through the window, his reflection cold and determined.22Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ufxQJCpNZ
“Then let’s see,” he said softly, “how long it takes before it all collapses.”
and then Add to home screen.