The sound of cameras filled the air like a rain of bullets.Hundreds of flashes burst in the marble-lit lobby of AUREX Holdings, reflecting off the polished floor like shards of ice.Amid the crowd of reporters and investors holding their breath, two figures appeared side by side — Kang Jaehyun in a charcoal-gray suit carved from silence, and Han Serin in a simple white dress that caught the light like a gem newly cleansed of the dust of her past.
That day, AUREX announced a new partnership with Arkadia Media — the company Serin once worked for before scandal ruined her name.Yet no one realized that this press conference wasn't just about business.It was their first stage — a contract marriage executed with the precision of a CEO and the composure of a woman who had already lost everything.
Jaehyun stood at the podium, his low voice echoing through the hall.
"AUREX Holdings and Arkadia Media will collaborate on the global project LUMINA.We believe that synergy between vision and experience will open a new chapter in Korea's creative industry."
Each word fell like carefully placed stone — solid, but never warm.Meanwhile, Serin stood beside him, smiling softly toward the cameras.A perfect smile — but if one looked closely, it wasn't serenity; it was control.
When the event ended, silence settled in the room.The reporters left, lights dimmed, and only the two of them remained — in a meeting room overlooking Seoul's golden dusk.The light fell across Jaehyun's face, sharpening his jawline, freezing his gaze.
"So… this is the beginning," Serin finally said, her voice soft yet firm.Jaehyun turned slowly, eyes unreadable.
"Beginnings require a strong foundation. I don't need a pampered wife, Serin. I need someone who knows how to survive the battlefield."
"And you think I don't?" Serin met his gaze, eyes clashing like twin blades.
"I just want to make sure you understand what kind of battlefield you've entered," Jaehyun replied. "The media isn't our only enemy. I can be a storm too—if you ever try to play me."
Serin's lips curved faintly as she took a step closer, their distance reduced to a breath.
"You can't destroy someone who's already been broken, Jaehyun."
For a heartbeat, time froze.Their eyes locked — not as husband and wife, but as two souls allied in a war with no victors.Outside, the sun set behind towers of glass, painting their faces in amber light.It was beautiful — and cold.Just like their deal — dazzling on the surface, but beneath it, shadows waited to move.