Chapter 14: Healing the Wounds of Time.
POV: Kang Ji-ah (FL)
Love isn't just about happiness.
It's about healing.
And right now, as I stood before Jae-hyun, I realized something.
Before we could truly move forward, we had to heal from the past.
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The Ghosts of Yesterday
I thought knowing the truth would set me free.
That piecing together our past would make everything fall into place.
But instead, it brought back something I had long buried—
The pain. The fear. The trauma.
That fire.
That night.
The sirens wailing. The smoke suffocating the air. The helplessness in my 10-year-old heart as I clutched the phone, screaming for someone to save him.
And now, standing here, staring at the man I had unknowingly saved…
It all came rushing back.
I felt my body tremble.
"Ji-ah?" Jae-hyun's voice was gentle, but I couldn't answer.
I couldn't breathe.
The memories clawed at my mind, pulling me back into the flames.
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Running Away
I needed air.
I needed space.
Without thinking, I turned and walked away.
I heard Jae-hyun call after me, but I couldn't stop.
Not yet.
Not when my mind was drowning in the past.
I found myself at the rooftop garden of his estate—our estate.
The night breeze was cool, but it did little to calm my shaking hands.
How could I accept his love when the past still haunted me?
How could I hold his hand when every time I closed my eyes, I saw him trapped in that fire?
How could I love him when I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to face what had happened?
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Jae-hyun's Presence
I didn't hear his footsteps.
Didn't realize he had followed me until I felt his warmth beside me.
He didn't say anything at first.
Didn't push me for answers.
Instead, he simply sat next to me, watching the moonlight cast silver shadows across the garden.
Then, after a moment, he spoke.
"I remember the fire too, Ji-ah."
I froze.
His voice was steady, but there was a weight to it.
"It haunted me for years. The guilt, the nightmares… I thought I should have been the one who died that night."
I turned to look at him, shocked by the raw honesty in his eyes.
"But then I realized something," he continued, staring at the sky.
"If that fire hadn't happened, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have met you. And I wouldn't have fallen in love with you."
His gaze softened.
"Ji-ah… we can't let the past define us."
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Choosing Love Over Fear
His words hit something deep inside me.
For so long, I had let the past control me.
The fear. The guilt. The pain.
But Jae-hyun was right.
That fire had changed our lives, yes.
But it had also brought us here.
It had led us to each other.
Slowly, I exhaled, letting go of the breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
I turned to him, my heart pounding.
"I'm scared," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper.
Jae-hyun reached for my hand, his warmth grounding me.
"I know," he said. "And that's okay."
He squeezed my fingers gently.
"But I'll be here. Always."
Tears welled in my eyes.
For the first time, the fear didn't feel so suffocating.
Because Jae-hyun was here.
Because he understood.
And because, despite everything, he still chose me.
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A Love That Heals
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the past slowly lift from my shoulders.
"I don't want to run anymore," I whispered.
Jae-hyun smiled, his grip on my hand tightening.
"Then don't," he murmured. "Stay with me."
I looked into his eyes—the eyes of the man who had unknowingly been a part of my life for so long.
And this time, instead of running…
I leaned in.
Pressed my forehead against his.
And whispered the words I had been too afraid to say.
"I love you, Jae-hyun."
His breath hitched, but then, he smiled.
A smile so full of warmth that it melted away every last bit of fear inside me.
"I love you too, Ji-ah."
And just like that—
The wounds of time began to heal.
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