Episode 01.
Drawn in by beauty and a fragrant scent,
the rose-covered path turned out to be a cruel trail of thorns that tore into her skin.
She struggled desperately to escape the vines.
Yet each time, she helplessly fell for the sweet temptations and the meticulous traps laid out for her.
Perhaps it had been decided the moment she stepped into this thicketā
that no matter how clever her tricks, she would never escape.
Still, she fought like a fool.
Even as her body was scratched and bleeding, she refused to surrender,
never realizing that the red droplets staining her skin were beginning to match the color of the rose petals.
Sorting through the mountain of documents took longer than expected.
āAre you almost done removing everything?ā
Hee-jae, stacking files onto a cart, turned her head toward the investigator who had spoken.
His eyes were fixed on the ticking second hand of his watchā
a silent reminder that she needed to hurry.
āIām done.ā
Rising from her crouched position, Hee-jae picked up the last remaining item on her empty desk.
āProsecutor Choi Hee-jaeā
Her hand hesitated for a brief moment before placing the nameplate inside the box of office suppliesāpretending as though it meant nothing.
For less than a year, countless case files had piled up in her office.
At times, she had felt as though she might drown in them.
Still, she had given her all as a prosecutor.
But now, as she was leaving, she saw the truth clearly:
There was nothing here she could take with her.
Her colleagues werenāt generous with parting words.
No āThanks for all your hard work,ā or āBest of luck.ā
Just irritation at her slow movements.
āShould we just pass the ongoing case files to Prosecutor Park?ā
āYes, go ahead,ā
she replied calmly, hugging the box of her personal belongings.
Then she stepped out of her office, knowing she would never return.
Rumors followed her down the hallway like a poisonous fog.
āDidnāt she get appointed less than a year ago?ā
āGuess the rumors were true, huh?ā
āYou donāt know? Prosecutor Choi supposedly had connections with the chaebolā¦.ā
No matter how softly they whispered, Hee-jae heard every wordā
as if their gossip was designed to pierce her ears.
She gritted her teeth and walked faster,
but the corridor seemed endlessly long,
and the murmurs grew louder.
Once outside, sitting in her car, she finally let out a shaky breath.
āā¦Itās unfair.ā
Her voice trembled, eyes turning red.
She had been forced out of the prosecution office under false pretenses.
Yes, she had been offered a bribe by Shinil Group, Koreaās top conglomerate.
But she had rejected it and completed the investigation with integrity.
And yet, the moment she did what was right, she became a targetā
pressured by her superiors until she had no choice but to leave.
And then, that voiceā
the one she never wanted to rememberā
echoed in her ears.
āDidnāt I tell you not to pull any stunts, Hee-jae?ā
āYou belong by my side. Thatās where you fit best.ā
She had fought so hard to escape him,
to carve her own path as a prosecutor.
But in the end, she had fallen back into his trap.
Her phone vibrated.
The message on the screen read:
āHee-jae, when are you coming?ā
āBy now, you shouldāve already left the prosecution office.ā
āDonāt try anything foolish. Come quickly. I miss you.ā
His cheerful toneāafter destroying her lifeāwas infuriating.
She turned off the notifications and tossed her phone aside.
Yet, bitterly enough, her destination was Shinil Group Headquarters.
She parked, pulled out her ID card, and passed through security.
Straight to the top floor.
Straight to him.
The doors opened to reveal the manā
the one no one believed would ever inherit the company,
now seated as its CEO, smiling like a saint.
āWelcome!ā
His voice was bright. Carefree. Almost playful.
The kind of voice that made her want to kill him.
