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

The only light came from a flickering lamp and the soft glow of a fireplace.

The first thing he felt wasn't pain.

He jolted upright, eyes wild—until Hyun Soo placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Minah—Where is she? Where is she?!"

"She's with your father. He sent someone. Dojin was closing in."

That aching pause stretched... until Hyun Soo added, gently:

"She knew it was from you. She nodded. She understood."

Jaewook's shoulders dropped slightly, but the tension never left his face.

That's when Kang Ho stepped in from the kitchen, holding two mugs of tea like peace offerings.

"I knocked you out to save your life."

Kang Ho set the tea down, then looked him straight in the eye.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a tablet and tapping into a secure feed.

"A tracker. Discreet. Untraceable. I wasn't about to let her out of our reach."

"We can find her when the time is right."

"Get some rest," Jaewook murmured.

Remote Situation Room – 3:47 a.m.

Not physically—but in tone, in precision, in power.

Minah sat quietly in a minimalist space with frosted glass walls, blinking monitors, and men in uniform posted like statues.

But powerful in a way that made the entire room obey when he merely nodded.

He looked at her like she was both a daughter-in-law… and a national asset.

"You must be tired," he said calmly.

"Sit down. Drink some water. We'll talk once you're ready."

He turned to the two men who escorted her in.

Within moments, Minah realized something chilling—

Jaemin's people weren't just guards.

They were military. Police. Intelligence.

And every one of them stood ready on his command.

"Minah… I know my son cares deeply for you."

He paused—voice steady but unyielding.

"Jaewook can't protect you from Park Dojin. Not in his current condition. Not while he's being hunted."

Minah's throat tightened, but she didn't speak.

"That's why you're here. My men will protect you."

"And we're tracking your father—down to the wire."

"You listen to me. Not Jaewook. Not anyone else."

"You give us everything you know."

Then she slowly reached into her bag.

Just a quiet surrender—strategic, not weak.

Separation