“I kept thinking about it—it just didn’t add up, so I did so digging. Don’t you think it’s strange too, Uncle? That Grandfather never heard anything? It ans soone deliberately blocked the information...”
Cheon Suhan’s eyes began to tremble.
As expected... he knows sothing.
The attorney visitation room’s light flickered uneasily overhead.
“I an, even if they said ties were cut, my mom was still Grandfather’s youngest daughter. Isn’t it strange that not a single person—police, prosecutors—picked up on that simple fact? If they had, they would’ve contacted him.”
“What are you getting at?”
“Don’t you think it’s odd?”
“So what if it is? How would anyone know what happened over a decade ago?”
I nodded at his reply.
“That’s true. I thought the sa—until soone who knows about the incident appeared.”
“What?”
His voice jumped.
“Yes.”
“Who is it? Who knows about it?”
Wrong question.
The question should’ve been, ‘Who killed my sister?’ —if he was truly her brother.
“Does it matter? Isn’t what I found out more important? The target was my mom. Two n carried out the act. And from their mouths ca the na Mr. Pyo. That’s all for now. And...”
I trailed off slightly, and Cheon Suhan’s face turned ashen, as if he assud I knew more.
“I’m going to tell Grandfather. I might not know who Mr. Pyo is, but chances are he’s soone close to Grandfather. Only soone in his circle could’ve blocked that information. That person must be—”
“No! I swear, I didn’t know! I didn’t know anything!”
Cheon Suhan shot up, shouting in panic.
I lifted my head to look at him—expressionless.
My cold gaze made him turn away.
“You didn’t know...? That sounds a lot like soone who did know.”
“That... that’s...”
“Sit down.”
He slumped back into his seat helplessly.
“Tell what you know. Prove you weren’t involved. If you and Uncle really had a hand in killing my mom... then she was just too pitiful.”
My voice trembled slightly.
I hoped it wasn’t true.
Even though I was sure, I still wished it wasn’t.
And then, Cheon Suhan, stamring, gave the truth I never wanted to hear.
“I—I really didn’t know. I only found out after Misook died. Yeah, I found out too late. If I had known... I would’ve stopped it, no matter what.”
My hands under the table began to shake uncontrollably.
Cheon Suhan was rambling now, as if he couldn’t even see anymore.
“That bastard Mr. Pyo killed her. I didn’t know. My brother—he blocked the information from getting to Father... And when I found out, I fought with him. I swear. But by then, it was all already over.”
Cheon Suhan... this bastard’s just a fool. Nothing more than Cheon Sooman’s puppet.
The pathetic sight of him only made my fury boil.
“You should’ve at least told Grandfather. If you were really her brother, you should’ve said sothing! Fuck... are you even human? Even beasts don’t kill their family, you sons of bitches!”
My whole body trembled with rage.
Now I understood why they killed .
If he could ignore his own sister’s murder, of course he wouldn’t hesitate to kill a nephew.
“How... how could you? No matter °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° what, how could you decide to kill your own sister? She left, quietly, without demanding a single thing from Grandfather. So why? Why go after her? Why?!”
Cheon Suhan hung his head and trembled silently.
I spat the words at him.
“I hope it’s true—that you really only found out later. Because if you’re lying to right now, I’ll kill you. Parole? A pardon? Don’t even dream of it. I’ll strip everything you have. I’ll make it happen.”
I shot up from my seat.
As I walked away, I stumbled—Chief Ma caught .
“...Chief. Let’s go. Take ho.”
Supported by Chief Ma, I left the visitation room.
* * *
Cheon Taesan was looking down at Cheon Jiwon with deep disapproval.
Jiwon couldn’t even et his eyes, just hung his head.
“Useless brat. Still the sa, are you?”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Why the hell are you apologizing?! You’re the eldest grandson, and this is how you behave? How long do you plan to keep disappointing ?”
Cheon Taesan sighed deeply as he looked at the silent Jiwon.
“So. What do you want to do?”
“Father wants to join Ilseong, but... I don’t think I’m ready, Grandfather.”
“Not ready? You worthless fool. You’re giving up without even trying?”
“But...”
“No excuses. Your sister Jisoo is already planning to start from the bottom at the company. And you, her older brother, are doing nothing? Planning to keep living like this forever?”
“...”
Another long sigh from Cheon Taesan.
“Myeonghun. Co in.”
At the chairman’s call, Ha Myeonghun entered.
Jiwon glanced at him, then looked away again.
“Transfer two buildings in Gangnam to this fool.”
“Which ones, sir?”
“Pick the most expensive.”
“I’ll handle the title transfer and paperwork.”
After Ha Myeonghun stepped out, Cheon Taesan sighed once more at Jiwon.
“That should be enough for you to live however you want without Sooman’s help. Do whatever you want—waste it all, whatever. This is the last thing I’m giving you. Now get out of my sight.”
“I’ll contact you within a few days. I’ll take care of the docunts and taxes on our side.”
Jiwon left the house without a fuss—an unusually quiet exit, considering his usual behavior.
* * *
“Take us sowhere quiet.”
At my request, Chief Ma drove to a parking lot near the Han River.
When we arrived at the riverbank, I stepped out of the car.
The sharp winter wind brushed my face, but the fire of my rage wasn’t cooling at all.
I stared at the frozen river, lost in thought.
‘It’s hard to believe there was this kind of backstory to my parents’ deaths... but did Grandfather really not know? Or did he know, and just couldn’t bring himself to abandon his sons?’
When the fury faded, only doubt remained.
‘What if I tell him, and it turns out he already knew? What if he tells to forgive them?’
I was torn.
Because I knew Grandfather still had lingering affection for his family, I’d been holding off on revenge against the Cheon brothers.
But after seeing Suhan stamring and trembling like that—I couldn’t wait any longer.
‘If he already knew and turned a blind eye, could I still defy his wishes and seek revenge?’
No matter how long I thought, there was no answer.
I didn’t know how long I stood there.
“The wind’s cold. Let’s head back to the car,” Chief Ma called out.
I was already chilled to the bone, even to the tips of my hair.
“Chief... what do I do?”
“Do what you want.”
“Even if it goes against Grandfather’s wishes?”
Chief Ma stared at silently, then finally spoke.
“What are you afraid of? That the Chairman might already know? That you’ll lose everything? That he’ll abandon you?”
His words pierced deep.
I let out a hollow laugh.
Yeah. What the hell am I afraid of now?
I already died once and ca back.
As he studied my face, Chief Ma added,
“I’ll follow the path you take, Boss. Even if it ans breaking with the Chairman. That’s part of what he expected when he brought back to Korea.”
His solid, dependable words shook sothing inside .
“You’re not the sa as the Chairman. You don’t have to be. I hope you beco a different kind of boss.”
“Thank you.”
“Forgive if I’ve spoken out of turn.”
“No. If you ever think I’m making the wrong choice, stop . Let’s go.”
I patted his broad shoulder as he bowed slightly.
We drove back to Pyeongchang-dong.
When we arrived, Ha Myeonghun greeted .
“Where’s Grandfather?”
“He’s in the study.”
I took a deep breath outside the study door.
“Grandfather, it’s Muhyuk.”
“Co in.”
When I opened the door, Grandfather greeted with a gentle smile.
“Out running errands since morning?”
“I had so business.”
He nodded, then frowned slightly at my stiff expression.
“Is sothing wrong?”
“...Did you know? That my parents didn’t die in a robbery, but were murdered on soone’s orders?”
His smile vanished instantly.
No matter how long I waited, the answer I wanted never ca.
So he did know.
Since when?
From the start? Or recently?
“You knew, didn’t you? Then why didn’t you tell ?”
In my past life, I believed Grandfather was a heartless, cold-blooded man. I resented him—and worked desperately to earn his recognition.
But after returning, I saw a different side of him, and I thought I’d been wrong. That he was just a man—soone who cared for family.
So I’d vowed to serve him properly this ti.
But now... I truly didn’t know anymore.
I couldn’t read his heart.
“Say sothing. Why did you pretend not to know? When did you find out? Was it before you t again? Did you know and still turned away?”
He didn’t say a word. Just looked at with sorrow in his eyes.
That was as good as a confession.
“What if I’d never found out the truth? What would’ve happened then?”
“...Then what was I supposed to do? Misook, Sooman, Suhan—they’re all my blood. Was I supposed to kill my own children with my own hands?”
His voice trembled.
“Sooman didn’t do it directly. He just... blocked the information from reaching .”
There it was. Cheon Sooman’s na.
He knew everything.
That Mom had been killed by Cheongpunghoe, and that the one who aided them by cutting off all leads was Cheon Sooman.
“And you still told to get along with them? Told to call the people who killed my parents Uncle and follow them? What, you think they’d have kept alive after you died? What if I’d found out the truth later and spent the rest of my life regretting it and resenting you?”
“...”
Now it all made sense.
Why Grandfather, even in my last life, seed reluctant but still made his successor.
It was probably half guilt over my mother, and half a refusal to pass everything on to the brothers responsible for her death.
In the end, because he didn’t tie up loose ends, I died by their hands.
I swore I wouldn’t cry again—but tears were already streaming down my cheeks.
“If you knew the killer, why didn’t you do anything?”
“I’m sorry. I only learned recently. But without proof, I couldn’t pressure them.”
“...No proof? Why not just ask them? Grandfather, you turned away. It’s no different than if you’d killed them yourself.”
He winced in pain at my words.
“Try to understand. It was all for you...”
“Please don’t say that. Don’t say it was for . I will never forgive them. Even if they didn’t kill directly. No reason justifies what they did.”
“Muhyuk... if even you turn away...”
“If there’s no evidence, then I’ll just gather the strength to pressure them without it. I’ll get that power. I’ll avenge them myself. As for my uncles—please deal with them yourself. I’m begging you.”
As I said it, I t Grandfather’s eyes.
Tears welled up in his.
End.
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