CHAPTER 30: Checkmate Before Vows

The media ate it up.

Every headline screamed the fairy tale.

But inside the Kang mansion, the wedding preparations were nothing short of a war room.

Hana sat at the long table, surrounded by designers, planners, PR agents.

Every detail calculated.

Every guest list curated for power, not love.

"You will wear the Kang heirloom tiara," Mrs. Kang ordered, her tone like steel under silk.

Hana smiled sweetly.

"Of course. It's a small price for the show."

Min-ho sat at the head of the table, silent, watching.

She could feel his gaze like a brand on her skin.

They weren't speaking unless necessary.

Professional.

Deadly.

Until a phone rang.

Mrs. Kang answered.

Her face blanched.

Hana frowned.

"What's wrong?"

Mrs. Kang slammed the phone down.

"He's back."

Min-ho's expression turned to ice.

"Who?"

Mrs. Kang's voice shook.

"Chairman Kang's bastard son.Kang Joon-ho.The exiled snake."

Hana's blood ran cold.

She had read whispers of him in old tabloids.

The only person more dangerous than Min-ho.

Because Joon-ho didn't play by rules.

And rumor had it—he wanted the Kang throne back.

At any cost.

Min-ho stood.

"Increase security.No one makes a move without my word."

But Hana saw it.

For the first time, the unshakable Kang Min-ho...looked rattled.

And in her gut, she knew.

The wedding wouldn't just be a show.

It would be a battlefield.

And Joon-ho?He was already moving his pieces.