The Heir of Winter
In the ruthless corporate world of Seoul, two names ruled every financial headline.
Kang Jae-min.
And Baek Arin.
If the corporate world were a battlefield, these two were its most feared generals.
Jae-min was the cold and untouchable heir of Kang Group, one of the most powerful conglomerates in South Korea. His reputation was legendary—merciless in negotiations, flawless in strategy, and completely uninterested in emotions.
People called him “The Ice Prince of Seoul.”
But there was one person who never feared him.
Baek Arin.
The brilliant CEO of Valeon Holdings, a rising company that had stolen multiple billion-won deals from Kang Group.
She was unforgettable.
Snow-white hair that fell to her waist.
Unnaturally beautiful violet eyes that made people stare twice.
And a figure that turned every room silent the moment she walked in.
But what Jae-min remembered most…
Was how she looked at him like he was just another obstacle to destroy.
---
The Night Neither of Them Remembered
Five years ago, a charity gala was held at the most luxurious hotel in Busan.
Both Kang Group and Valeon Holdings had sponsored the event.
Both CEOs were there.
Jae-min rarely drank.
But that night he did.
Arin rarely accepted drinks.
But someone made sure she did.
By the time the ballroom music slowed, Arin’s vision blurred. Her body felt strange, weak.
She stumbled into a quiet hallway.
Jae-min found her there.
They should have argued.
They should have insulted each other like always.
Instead…
She collapsed into his arms.
Her violet eyes were unfocused.
And Jae-min… was far too drunk to think clearly.
---
The Morning After
Jae-min woke with a splitting headache.
His suit jacket was on the floor.
The room smelled faintly of perfume.
And the woman beside him…
Was gone.
Baek Arin had disappeared.
Not just from the hotel.
But from the entire country.
Her company collapsed.
Her penthouse was empty.
Her phone numbers stopped working.
Within months, the world assumed the same thing.
Baek Arin had vanished forever.
---
The Order
But Jae-min never trusted coincidences.
There were whispers in the corporate world.
Some investors believed Arin had disappeared to build a secret empire.
Some believed she was planning revenge.
Jae-min hated uncertainty.
So he did something no one would ever believe.
He contacted someone in the shadows.
An assassin.
“Find her,” he said coldly.
“And make sure she never comes back.”
Years passed.
Nothing happened.
No sightings.
No rumors.
Until one quiet afternoon.
---
The Woman Who Should Be Dead
The boardroom doors of Kang Group burst open.
Executives froze.
A woman walked inside.
White hair.
Violet eyes.
Alive.
Baek Arin.
But she wasn’t alone.
A small boy held her hand.
Jae-min stood slowly.
“…Arin.”
The boy tilted his head and stared directly at him.
His eyes widened.
They were identical.
Dark.
Sharp.
Exactly like Jae-min’s.
Arin’s voice cut through the silence.
“This is Baek Min-jun.”
The boy spoke innocently.
“Mom… is he my dad?”
The entire boardroom exploded with whispers.
---
The Test
Two weeks later the results arrived.
99.9% match.
The boy was his son.
Jae-min stared at the paper for a long time.
He had built an empire.
But somehow… he had also created an heir.
And now Arin wanted full custody.
The court hearing made things worse.
Because the judge gave a solution neither of them expected.
“If the parents are married, joint custody is possible.”
---
The Deal
Arin sat across from him in his office.
Her violet eyes were colder than winter.
“You don’t deserve to be his father,” she said quietly.
Jae-min folded his hands.
“Maybe not.”
“But he’s still my son.”
She leaned forward.
“So what do you want?”
His answer was simple.
“Marry me.”
The room went silent.
Min-jun colored dinosaurs on the floor between them.
Arin let out a bitter laugh.
“You must be crazy.”
“Probably,” Jae-min replied.
“But if we marry… you keep custody.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“And you?”
“I get to stay in his life.”
A long silence followed.
Finally she said one word.
“…Fine.”
“But this is only a contract.”
---
The Unexpected Change
Living together changed things.
Jae-min began noticing things about Arin he had ignored before.
How she always checked if Min-jun had eaten.
How she stayed awake at night finishing work after the boy slept.
How her violet eyes softened whenever Min-jun laughed.
And sometimes…
When she walked past him…
Her white hair brushing her waist…
Jae-min found himself staring.
Maybe she was beautiful.
Maybe he didn’t hate her.
Maybe…
He never had.
---
The Secret That Could Destroy Everything
But there was one problem.
A secret Jae-min never told anyone.
Five years ago…
He had hired an assassin.
To kill Baek Arin.
And now she was standing in his house.
Alive.
Which meant one terrifying thing.
Someone had failed.
Or worse…
Someone was still waiting to finish the job.
And if the assassin came back…
The woman he was beginning to care about…
Might die because of him.
