Chapter 33
“Is something wrong?”
Kang Yoon stared at Bora’s messages, which contained nothing but short, curt replies to everything he said, and fell into thought.
Yesterday, she had even said she was busy and didn’t answer his call.
“Did she find out about the contract I made with her mother…?”
Yes, that would make sense.
Bora was proud. She might have felt humiliated that Kang Yoon had taken care of her mother’s mess without telling her.
“No. If that were the case, she would’ve gotten angry at me first.”
Her behavior over the past few days felt as though she was subtly avoiding him, and it frustrated him. But he was too far away to do anything about it.
On top of that, he was working day and night to move up the construction schedule even a little, so he didn’t have much time to contact Bora either.
“It’s her bedtime now.”
Where Kang Yoon was, it was 9 p.m. In Korea, it was 2 a.m.
It might not seem like much, but the five-hour time difference was also a major obstacle to staying in touch.
“Sigh… I just hope Han Kang Moon doesn’t pull any stupid stunts.”
Grandfather seemed to be completely on Bora’s side now. As long as Kang Moon focused on his own work and stayed quiet, Kang Yoon wouldn’t ask for anything more.
‘No way… Has Bora’s heart grown cold? Is she no longer interested in me?’
A contract marriage. A contractual couple.
But between them, there was definitely trust and compassion.
“Trust and compassion… that’s not love, though.”
How had things turned out like this?
During the contract period, Kang Yoon had promised himself he would cherish and care for Bora as his real wife.
What he hadn’t expected—what he hadn’t seen coming—was that he would actually fall in love.
He kept wanting to see her, hear her voice, hold her.
He wanted to keep that pretty sight of her—always smiling brightly as she looked into his eyes—by his side for a long, long time.
“Sigh… I didn’t get married just to play at love.”
Their marriage had been for their respective goals, and both Kang Yoon and Bora had worked to help each other achieve them.
Detective Gong had informed him that Bora was going around searching for various things.
At home, she was looking after Grandfather and the eldest aunt. Outside, she was searching for traces of Ahn Ji-hye. It made him both feel sorry for her and grateful.
All Kang Yoon had done was give Bora money.
Yet Bora was running around wholeheartedly, doing everything she could. It moved him deeply.
If he were to express these feelings to her, Bora would surely…
‘We’re in a contractual relationship. Give and take. If you receive one thing, it’s only natural to give one in return, isn’t it?’
…she would say that with a slightly prim expression.
Just imagining that cute face made the corners of his lips twitch.
Once they achieved their goals, he thought he should seriously ask Bora to date him—regardless of interests or contracts.
“Huh?”
Bora, who hadn’t replied even after reading his “Good night” message, suddenly sent a reply at that hour.
Sleep well too, Mr. Kang Yoon. Fighting tomorrow.
Thinking that she must have dozed off from exhaustion and then woken up to reply made him feel better again.
“Good night, Bora. I miss you.”
Murmuring words she couldn’t hear, Kang Yoon headed to bed as well.
If he fell asleep quickly, maybe he would dream of Bora.
“Sigh… I’m really so nervous. I can’t believe this is even possible…”
Bora kept fiddling with the document envelope in her hand for a long time.
She couldn’t bring herself to open it and check the contents.
“Calm down. Calm down… This concerns Mr. Kang Yoon’s future. Yoon Bora, get a grip… Stay calm.”
Only after drinking two cups of hot coffee did Bora finally gather her courage. She checked the doorknob once more.
After confirming it was securely locked, her hand trembled as she solemnly tore open the envelope.
“…Oh my God… It’s real… What Grandpa said… was true!”
Her slightly trembling hand began to shake visibly.
On the stiff A4 paper was written the secret Kangsan Group had held for the past thirty-six years.
〈Genetic Test Report〉
Sample Reception Date: 2025.09.11
Report Date: 2025.09.13
Name: Jin Hyun-sook (Sample 1)
Han Kang Moon (Sample 2)
Han Kang Yoon (Sample 3)
.
.
There is no parent-child relationship between Jin Hyun-sook (Sample 1) and Han Kang Moon (Sample 2).
A parent-child relationship is established between Jin Hyun-sook (Sample 1) and Han Kang Yoon (Sample 3).
The genetic test results showed that Jin Hyun-sook and Han Kang Moon were unrelated, while Jin Hyun-sook and Han Kang Yoon were mother and son.
“How… How did they really live like this for thirty-six years…?”
Bora barely calmed her pounding heart with deep breaths and sank into thought.
Chairman Han had confessed to Bora the birth secret of Kang Moon and Kang Yoon—a secret like a cruel twist of fate.
Chairman Han had one son and one daughter.
His eldest son was Han Woo-jin, who had died long ago, and his daughter was Han Se-eun, who had lost contact with the family.
Han Woo-jin had gone on a blind date with Jin Hyun-sook, the only daughter of a famous flour mill owner, and married her.
Jin Hyun-sook was a classic beauty, always calm and elegant, perfectly suited to be the eldest daughter-in-law of a wealthy family.
Around that time, Han Woo-jin was also having an affair with a twenty-year-old woman named Ahn Ji-hye.
For Han Woo-jin, who lived under constant pressure to inherit his father’s business and maintain a refined life at all times, Ahn Ji-hye had been a refuge.
Lively and free-spirited, she had been a breath of fresh air in his suffocating life. The two loved each other in secret, avoiding the world’s eyes.
Then, by coincidence—as if it were God’s cruel joke—the timing of Jin Hyun-sook’s and Ahn Ji-hye’s pregnancies and deliveries overlapped.
Though he loved Ahn Ji-hye, Han Woo-jin could not give up everything he had. He declared their separation.
Of course, Ahn Ji-hye could not accept it. She finally received the spirit possession ritual she had long resisted.
Pregnant at the time, Ahn Ji-hye underwent the ritual, rode the ritual blade in trance, and went straight to Han Woo-jin’s house to confront Chairman Han.
“My womb carries the seed of this family. It’s a boy, and he will accomplish great things in the future. The daughter-in-law of this house is also carrying a boy, but that child is destined to bring calamity upon this family. Do not take my words lightly. If you wish for this family line to continue long, you must bring my child into this household.”
Overwhelmed by Ahn Ji-hye’s fierce gaze, Chairman Han drove her out.
After that, she came every day, hurling curses at the household and casting spells.
Perhaps because of that—
Han Woo-jin died in an accident before he ever saw his sons’ faces.
It was the day after Ahn Ji-hye came for the fourth time to cast her curse.
They requested a police investigation, but it was difficult to prove that a shaman’s actions had caused a person’s death.
Ahn Ji-hye was released without charges. As she left, she glared at Chairman Han with bloodshot eyes.
Then, several months later—
The day after Jin Hyun-sook gave birth to Kang Yoon, Ahn Ji-hye also gave birth to Kang Moon.
Chairman Han, who had arranged a hospital for Ahn Ji-hye’s delivery, secretly visited the hospital out of lingering concern.
There, Ahn Ji-hye left her final words.
“This child… will inherit Kangsan Group. The child born yesterday will bring immense calamity. Do not ignore my words… If you do, three generations will be destroyed and everyone will suffer the agony of burning to death. Chairman Han… remember my words… 반드시… ngh… ack…!”
After saying that, Ahn Ji-hye vomited blood like a fountain, collapsed, and ultimately lost her life.
Chairman Han was terrified.
A young shaman filled with resentment had coughed up blood and died—how ominous and horrifying it must have been.
In the end, Chairman Han decided to heed Ahn Ji-hye’s words.
Without anyone knowing, he switched the babies of Jin Hyun-sook and Ahn Ji-hye.
Jin Hyun-sook could never have imagined that a baby only one day old would have been switched.
Believing she must raise this child born without a father with love and devotion, she tearfully raised Kang Moon.
Meanwhile, Kang Yoon lived his entire life unjustly branded as “the shaman mistress’s child.”
Bora felt so heartbroken and pitiful for Kang Yoon that she clutched the test report and burst into tears.
Now, the truth had to be revealed.
“Sniff… Mr. Kang Yoon is the true owner of this group. He’s the real blood of this family!”
