CYEL

Song Minah, a quiet young woman in her early 20s, has suffered more than most. After a mysterious brain injury in her childhood left her selectively mute, she was passed from one foster family to another—until she ended up with a family that used her like a tool. Her step-sister, Sana Lee, driven by jealousy and greed, married Minah’s boyfriend and helped orchestrate her downfall. When the family business crashed, they sold Minah off in marriage to save themselves.

But what no one knew... was that Minah had already been claimed.

Han Jaewook, a reclusive and powerful CEO in his early 30s, suffers from a rare sun allergy and lives behind the veil of secrecy. As a boy, he once loved a girl named Minah—an orphan adopted by his mother. For three brief months, they were inseparable... until she vanished without a trace. Jaewook never forgot her. And when he finally found her again, humiliated by her boss and trapped by the family that betrayed her, he made his move.

He destroyed the family's business and gave them one condition: their daughter Minah would become his wife.

Now under Jaewook’s protection, Minah begins to uncover secrets buried for over a decade—secrets about her real identity, the truth behind her mutism, and the shadowy figures who were involved in her childhood trauma. But some truths don’t want to be found… and someone is willing to make sure they stay buried.

The Silent Bride

Minah had calmed slightly—still resting in Jaewook's arms, eyes shut, breathing shallow but steady.

Kang Ho stared at the laptop, frozen.

Hyun Soo slowly lowered himself into a chair.

For once, his face wasn't playful.

Then—quietly, for the first time in years—

The file displayed more than just Minah's trauma.

Statuses: Missing. Kidnapped. Dead.

Kang Ho exhaled shakily and leaned back, eyes tracing the ceiling like it held answers.

"How can people be this cruel?" he whispered.

"How do you look at a child and decide they're disposable?"

Kang Ho's eyes narrowed as he read the sender's name.

"I know who you are. You need to stop digging. You are in danger."

Hyun Soo looked over. "What is it?"

Kang Ho turned the screen toward Jaewook—his voice grim.

The kind that comes right before something snaps.

Hyun Soo, usually the sunshine in chaos, muttered under his breath:

He clenched his jaw—then slammed his fist into the table.

He was still holding Minah, arms wrapped protectively around her.

But his eyes—his eyes were locked on the message from his father.

But Jaewook recognized the source.

The one who was supposed to be on their side.

"We tried to be discreet sending the files. Han Jaemin got to us first.

"We'll find another route. But listen—Park Dojin is different. Cruel, untouchable, unpredictable.

Even though Han Jaemin is our superior... he's not working for Dojin.

He's working behind the scenes—for us."

"Wait. What? Jaewook's dad is working against Park Dojin?"

Minah stirred slightly in his arms, head resting against his chest.

She didn't open her eyes—but her fingers clutched his sleeve tighter.

Jaewook whispered, almost to himself:

"Either way... we just stepped into a war. And no one's walking out untouched."

The message continued on Kang Ho's screen:

"Most of the police, lawyers, and government officials are already bought.

If you want to stop him—we need to find his weakness."

The room stayed still, like it was holding its breath.

His eyes drifted briefly to Minah, still curled up near him on the couch—quiet now, but emotionally drained.

"He sent his own daughter to an illegal experiment. He erased her memories.

There was a bitter edge in his voice as he muttered:

"It's power. That's what he craves."

"Control. Authority. The ability to hide everything he's done—keep it all underground, buried with the kids he used and discarded."

Jaewook looked toward the screen again.

"His empire isn't built on loyalty. It's built on fear. And the second someone breaks that fear…"

The Warning