POV: Female Lead ( Ha-neul)
Ha-neul's breath caught in her throat.
Min-jae's arms were around her, desperate, unrelenting.
For days, she had waited—hoped—that he would come back.
But now that he was here, she felt the storm still raging between them.
She placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away.
"Min-jae," she whispered, searching his eyes. "Why did you come back?"
His jaw clenched. "Because I can't lose you."
A single tear slipped down her cheek. "Then why did you leave in the first place?"
His silence cut deeper than a knife.
She took a shaky breath. "Do you still love me, or are you just afraid of losing me?"
Min-jae stepped back as if her words had struck him.
"I love you," he said, voice raw. "I always have."
"Then tell me the truth," Ha-neul demanded. "Why are you fighting this?"
Min-jae turned away, running a hand through his hair. "Because… I don't know how to love you without hating your father."
Her heart shattered.
It was the answer she feared the most.
---
A Choice Between Love and Blood
The room felt colder now.
Ha-neul wrapped her arms around herself, willing her voice to stay steady.
"My father's sins aren't mine," she said. "I'm not him, Min-jae."
He exhaled sharply. "I know."
"Then why does it feel like I have to pay for his mistakes?"
Min-jae turned to her, his eyes filled with torment. "Because every time I look at you, I see the daughter of the man who took everything from me."
Her breath hitched.
Min-jae stepped forward, gently cupping her face.
"But every time I close my eyes," he whispered, "I see the woman I love more than anything."
Tears welled in Ha-neul's eyes. "Then fight for me, Min-jae."
He looked at her, expression unreadable. "Even if it means going against your father?"
She hesitated.
And that hesitation made something in his gaze harden.
Min-jae took a step back. "That's what I thought."
Before she could say anything, he turned and walked away—again.
But this time, she wasn't going to let him leave.
Not without a fight.
---
Do-hyun's Next Move
The next morning, Ha-neul sat in her father's office, seething.
"You arranged my marriage to Kang Do-hyun?" she asked coldly.
Her father barely looked up from his documents. "It's what's best for you."
"No," she snapped. "It's what's best for you."
Yoo Ji-hoon sighed. "Min-jae will never forgive me, and as long as you're with him, you'll never have peace."
Ha-neul clenched her fists. "I'll decide that for myself."
Her father finally looked at her. "Do you love him that much?"
Her voice didn't waver. "Yes."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then her father smirked. "Then let's see if he loves you enough to fight for you."
Before she could respond, the door opened—
And Do-hyun walked in.
Ha-neul's stomach twisted.
Her father stood. "Kang Do-hyun will be your fiancé by the end of the week."
Ha-neul's blood ran cold. "You can't force me."
Do-hyun smiled. "I don't need to force you. Min-jae already left, didn't he?"
Ha-neul's breath caught.
This was their plan all along.
Push Min-jae away.
Make him believe he wasn't enough.
Then trap her in a marriage she never wanted.
Ha-neul stood abruptly. "You think Min-jae won't fight for me?"
Her father gave her a knowing look.
And for the first time, doubt crept into her heart.
Would Min-jae fight for her?
Or had she already lost him?
---