POV: Male Lead (Min-jae)
Min-jae sat in his study, staring at the flickering city lights outside his window. His mother's revelation from earlier still echoed in his mind—his father had stolen everything from his uncle, Ahn Ji-hoon, and somewhere out there, his cousin, the rightful heir, was alive.
The weight of the truth pressed heavily on his chest.
"Your cousin. He's alive, Min-jae."
His mother's words haunted him. If his cousin ever found out the truth, he had every right to take back what was his. But that wasn't what troubled Min-jae.
It was the thought that his father might have been hiding more.
Ha-neul walked in, her sharp gaze settling on him. "You haven't said a word since we left your mother's place. What's going on in that mind of yours?"
Min-jae leaned back, exhaling deeply. "He's alive, Ha-neul. My uncle's son. I need to find him."
Ha-neul crossed her arms. "And what will you do when you do? Hand over everything?"
Min-jae clenched his jaw. "I don't know. But I need to know who he is, where he is. And whether he even knows the truth about his family."
She nodded slowly. "I can help. But this won't be easy."
Min-jae already knew that. If his father had gone to such lengths to erase his uncle's existence, he wouldn't have left any traces of his cousin either. But he had to try.
Ha-neul pulled out her phone. "I have a few contacts who can dig into old records. If your uncle had a son, there has to be something—birth records, school history, anything."
Min-jae nodded. "Do it."
Just as she was about to make a call, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and frowned.
"It's Jang Hyun-sik."
Min-jae's expression darkened. "Answer it."
She put the call on speaker.
"I hear you've been digging into the past, Min-jae," Hyun-sik's smooth voice came through. "That's dangerous."
Min-jae's grip tightened around his glass. "I don't recall needing your permission."
Hyun-sik chuckled. "You don't. But let me save you the trouble—your uncle's son? He's already closer than you think."
Min-jae froze.
Ha-neul stiffened beside him. "What do you mean?"
Hyun-sik sighed dramatically. "Let's just say… you should look at the people around you more carefully."
Min-jae's mind raced. Was Hyun-sik bluffing, or did he really know something?
Before he could respond, Hyun-sik continued, "Oh, and Min-jae? You're running out of time. The past always has a way of catching up."
The call ended.
Silence filled the room.
Ha-neul turned to him. "He knows something."
Min-jae's fists clenched. "Then we find out before he does."
The search for the lost heir had begun.
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