Chapter 28: Ryu Taesan

The message from Park Hyun Min came unexpectedly.

I would like to meet you, Taesan. Come alone.

That one line was enough to set me on edge.

I never went anywhere alone. Jongkook nim had always been with me, whether it was for business meetings or casual gatherings. But after what happened last time—after the way Park Hyun Min openly disagreed with me in front of the board—I felt uneasy.

Still, I prepared myself and went.

His estate was nothing short of a palace.

I had grown up in luxury, had lived in a mansion just as grand—but after my father died, I left it all behind. That place never felt like home anymore. Seeing something so similar now only brought back memories I wasn't ready to relive.

The security guard guided me inside, where Park Hyun Min was already waiting. The moment he saw me, he embraced me.

I froze.

This was the same man who had been cold toward me just yesterday, questioning my every move in the meeting. And now, he was greeting me like family?

Something wasn't right.

He pulled away, smiling. "Let me introduce my family to you."

I nodded, keeping my guard up.

He gestured toward the elegant woman standing nearby. "My wife, Park Dahyun."

Then he pointed to a young boy who barely spared me a glance. "My younger son, Park Won."

And finally, his gaze landed on the girl standing confidently beside them.

"And my daughter, Park Bora. She's the same age as you. Studying at KU."

Bora stepped forward, offering her hand for a handshake.

I hesitated.

Her gaze was sharp, too focused. There was something in her expression that made me uncomfortable, like she was analyzing me, reading me in ways I wasn't used to.

But I wasn't in a position to refuse, so I shook her hand briefly before letting go.

Park Hyun Min smiled again, his tone light. "You're still young, Taesan. I know you're working so hard. Since you're my childhood friend's son, I wanted to treat you one day. Today, I got the chance. Thanks for accepting my invitation."

I nodded politely. "It's an honor, Mr. Park."

"Shall we go to the dining room?" he suggested.

I was about to follow when Bora suddenly spoke up.

"Dad, come here for a minute."

There was something urgent in her tone.

Her father hesitated before nodding, following her toward what I assumed was his private meeting room. His wife and son had already gone ahead to the dining room, leaving me alone.

I sighed, deciding to wash my hands before dinner. The restroom was right next to the meeting room, and as I stepped inside, I could hear their voices through the thin wall.

I hadn't meant to eavesdrop. But the moment I heard Bora's sharp tone, I froze.

"Don't you dare do anything bad to Taesan."

My heartbeat slowed.

She continued, "I've made up my mind. I want him."

I stiffened.

What…?

Park Hyun Min's voice was laced with disbelief. "What are you saying, Bora? He's our enemy. You've just met him. It's been seconds."

Bora didn't falter. "I don't care. And don't try to do anything like you did to his father. If you try, I'll tell everyone. Or I'll kill myself."

My body turned ice cold.

What?

He invited me here… to kill me?

And he was the one who killed my father?

I reached for my phone with shaky fingers, pressing the record button. I had missed the first part, but I needed proof.

Inside the room, his voice dropped lower. "You don't have any idea what you're saying, daughter. I will bring the best man on earth for you. Just forget this childish crush."

Bora's laugh was bitter. "Dad, you're a psycho. But I can be a better psycho than you."

Then, suddenly—a loud slap.

She gasped but didn't back down. "You just wanted to be better than Taesan's father. But you never got that position. You were jealous of him. That's why you killed him. That poor man trusted you more than anyone else. But you never thought Taesan would handle things even better at a younger age."

Her voice shook slightly before she added, "If you try to mix poison today, I'll eat it first. I swear."

I felt sick.

Park Hyun Min's voice was deadly. "You know what? I can kill you too."

Bora let out a hollow laugh. "I know. It's a torture to have a father like you."

The door suddenly swung open.

I barely had time to move. I quickly shut off the recording and turned to the sink, splashing cold water onto my face to mask my expression. My hands were shaking. My face burned with anger.

I wiped my hands, fixed my glasses, and forced myself to look calm.

When I stepped out, Park Hyun Min walked out of the meeting room at the same time.

He smiled at me. Like nothing had happened. Like he wasn't just discussing murder.

"Let's go," he said smoothly.

I nodded, forcing my face into something neutral.

I couldn't let him know what I had just heard.

Dinner Table

The tension in my body refused to fade.

But I had to act normal.

Park Bora sat beside me at the table, her expression calm, but I could tell she was on edge.

After a few moments, she spoke up. "Ryu Taesan, if you want to change the food or try something else, tell me now."

I glanced at her. She was watching me carefully.

She was worried. She knew her father could try something.

But I also knew—after that argument, he wouldn't risk poisoning me tonight. Not after Bora had confronted him directly.

I gave her a small smile, playing along. "Why?"

She exhaled lightly, picking at her food. "My diet is different. Look, I'm eating different dishes. You can have them if you want."

I shook my head. "It's okay. You can have yours."

She hesitated for a second before nodding. Then, after a beat, she spoke again. "I can talk casually with you, right?"

I tilted my head slightly. "Yes."

She took a sip of her drink, then glanced at me with a small smirk. "You're so handsome, Taesan."

I raised a brow at her boldness but didn't let it shake me.

"Thanks."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. I could tell. This wasn't just dinner. This was a warning. A game of survival.And then, I had proof. Park Hyun Min killed my father. And no matter what happened next, I was going to make him pay.

The moment I stepped away from the dining table, I pulled out my phone, my fingers moving with precision despite the storm raging inside me. My chest was tight, my breath controlled, but my mind was racing with the weight of what I had just uncovered. I had him. The man who took my father away from me. The truth had been hidden in plain sight all this time, yet no one had suspected him. Not even me. He had played his role so well—a trusted friend, a powerful businessman, a mentor figure to me. But now, I had the proof.

With a steady hand, I tapped my screen, attaching the recording and sending it directly to Jihoon hyung. No unnecessary words, no explanations—just a simple message that carried the weight of everything.

Me: Hyung, it's him. I have proof.

There was no response. But I didn't need one. I knew Jihoon hyung. He didn't waste time with words when action mattered more. He would move now. The law was in his hands, and justice would finally be served.

I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to stay composed. I couldn't afford to slip up now. I had to act normal. If Park Hyun Min suspected anything—if he so much as noticed something was off—he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate me, just as he had done to my father. He had invited me here for a reason, and now I knew what it was. He hadn't called me here to simply test me, to see if I was competent enough to handle my father's legacy. He had called me here because he was deciding what to do with me.

The realization sent a chill down my spine.

I pocketed my phone, smoothing my expression as I turned back toward the dining room. My steps were even, measured, but my body was still running on adrenaline. I barely reached the entrance when suddenly—a sharp sound split through the quiet evening air.

Sirens.

The piercing wail of police vehicles cut through the silence, shattering the illusion of peace that had settled over the estate. My heartbeat slowed. My fingers twitched. I recognized that sound immediately.

They were here.

Within moments, flashing red and blue lights painted the palace walls, reflecting off the polished floors. The deep hum of car engines mixed with the hurried movement of security guards, their trained instincts kicking in as they tried to assess the threat. But there was no stopping what was coming.

The air shifted, the once serene and controlled atmosphere of Park Hyun Min's empire unraveling before my eyes.

There was a pause—a brief moment where time felt frozen. The staff and family members inside the estate turned toward the entrance, their conversations dying mid-sentence, confusion flickering across their faces. The soft clinking of plates, the distant murmurs of servants moving about, everything stopped.

Then, in an instant, everything erupted.

The palace guards moved first, hands instinctively reaching for their weapons, but then they hesitated. Because this wasn't just any police force. This was Seoul Gangnam's Investigation Division. And standing at the front of it, leading the charge, was Kim Jihoon.

He stepped into the grand hall with an unyielding presence, his black coat trailing behind him as officers poured in after him. Seok Hanbin and Seok Hana flanked him on either side, their expressions unreadable but their hands resting near their holsters, ready.

The staff and family members stood in stunned silence, the tension in the air growing thick with unanswered questions. No one moved. No one spoke.

And then, Jihoon hyung's voice rang out.

"Park Hyun Min."

The name hung heavily in the air, like a noose tightening around its victim's throat.

All eyes turned toward him.

I did too.

He was standing there, completely still.

His expression was unreadable, his face a mask of indifference. No panic. No confusion. No denial. He simply… watched.

And that's when I knew—he had already figured it out.

He knew why they were here. He knew what was coming.

And yet, he wasn't running.

Jihoon hyung took another step forward, his gaze unwavering, his voice cutting through the growing whispers around us.

"You are under arrest."

The weight of those words crushed the air out of the room.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Shock, disbelief, horror. The palace staff froze in place, their confusion morphing into fear. The security detail, once alert and prepared to defend their employer, suddenly found themselves caught between duty and morality.

At the dining table, Park Dahyun, his wife, rose from her seat, her face pale. She didn't speak, didn't move toward him. She simply stared, like a woman whose world had just come crashing down.

His son, Park Won, barely sixteen, looked at his father with wide, uncomprehending eyes. His mouth opened as if to say something, but no words came out.

And then, there was Bora.

She sat stiffly in her chair, her fingers curled so tightly around the edge of the table that her knuckles turned white. She didn't look surprised. No, she had seen this coming. She had warned him. But even knowing this moment was inevitable, there was something in her expression that looked almost… broken.

Yet, despite the chaos unfolding around him—despite the lives he had shattered, the trust he had betrayed, the legacy he had tainted— Park Hyun Min simply smiled.

A slow, calculated smile. And then, his gaze shifted toward me. Our eyes met. And in that moment, I saw it. The cold calculation. The realization. The silent acknowledgment that he had lost. I had exposed him. And now, he knew he wasn't walking away from this.

The aftermath unfolded faster than I expected.

It didn't take long for the news to explode across every major broadcasting station. Breaking headlines. Live reports.

"Breaking News: Business Tycoon Park Hyun Min Arrested for the Murder of Ryu Jin."

"Shocking Betrayal: The Man Behind HoloVerse Innovation EX CEO's Death Revealed."

"Insider Rivalry Ends in Tragedy—The Truth Behind the Ryu Family's Loss."

Every channel was covering it. News anchors spoke in hushed, urgent tones as they replayed the footage of Jihoon hyung leading Park Hyun Min out of his own palace in handcuffs. Some networks even showed a side-by-side comparison—one photo of my father and him standing together years ago, smiling like brothers, and the other of him being dragged away by the police.

The betrayal was a national scandal.

I barely had time to process it before my phone started buzzing non-stop.

First, Dohyun.

The moment I picked up, his voice hit me like a storm.

"What the hell, Taesan?! Why didn't you tell me?! I saw the news five minutes ago, and I thought I was hallucinating! You—you actually caught your father's killer?!"

I rubbed my temple, exhausted. "Dohyun, calm down—"

"Calm down?! Are you insane? How do you expect me to calm down? This is—this is huge! I would've been there, you know?! I would've backed you up! You shouldn't have gone there alone—what if something happened to you?!"

I let out a tired sigh. "I had to handle it myself."

Dohyun exhaled sharply, his voice quieter now. "Yeah. I get it. But, Taesan… you good?"

His concern made my chest tighten, but I forced a small smile. "I'm fine."

"Liar."

I didn't respond.

Because he wasn't wrong.

Before I could even process his words, my screen flashed with another incoming call.

Sera.

I swallowed, quickly telling Dohyun, "I'll call you later."

Before he could argue, I hung up and picked up Sera's call.

The second she spoke, I could hear the worry laced in her voice.

"Taesan… I just saw the news. Is it true?"

I shut my eyes for a brief moment. "Yeah. It's true."

She inhaled sharply, as if trying to keep herself together. "I can't believe it. He was your father's best friend."

"I know."

"And he… he was going to hurt you too, wasn't he?"

I hesitated. I wanted to lie, to tell her it wasn't that serious. But she already knew.

"Yeah." My voice was quiet. "But he didn't get the chance."

Sera exhaled, but it was shaky. "I don't even know what to say. I'm just—I'm so glad you're okay."

For a second, I could picture her—her brows furrowed, lips pressed together, eyes filled with unspoken emotions.

And I wished I was with her.

But before I could say anything else, my phone buzzed again.

Soobin hyung.

Sera must have heard it because she quickly said, "I'll call you later. Just… take care of yourself, okay?"

I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "You too."

The moment I switched to Soobin hyung's call, his voice was already serious.

"Taesan. What happened?"

I sighed. "It's all over the news, hyung. You probably know already."

"I want to hear it from you."

So I told him. Everything.

When I was done, there was a long silence. Then, finally, he said, "You're handling things well. But don't carry everything alone."

I swallowed. "I'll be fine, hyung."

"I know you will. But you shouldn't have to be."

I didn't answer.

Another buzz.

Jihyo.

I barely picked up when her voice cut through.

"Oppa! What is happening?!"

I sighed. "Jihyo—"

"They're saying your life was in danger! That you went to meet him alone! Why didn't you tell me?!"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Jihyo, I didn't want you to worry."

"Too late! I'm already worried!"

I softened slightly. "I'm okay, Jihyo. I promise."

She huffed, clearly still upset. "I'm coming over now."

"You don't have to—"

"I'm coming."

I sighed, but a small smile played on my lips. "Alright."

"Where are you?"

"At police station."

And then—the last call came.

Jongkook nim.

I straightened instinctively before picking up. "Jongkook nim."

His voice was calm, steady. "You did it."

I exhaled. "I did."

A pause. Then—"Your father would've been proud of you, Taesan."

And for the first time since this all started, something in my chest eased.