The news spread through the corporate world faster than anyone expected.
By the next morning, every major financial newsroom in Seoul was already whispering about it.
Baek Arin had returned.
And she had brought a child.
More shocking than that—rumors claimed the boy might be Kang Jae-min’s son.
Inside Kang Group headquarters, the atmosphere was tense.
Executives walked through the halls in quiet conversations, carefully lowering their voices whenever someone else passed by.
No one wanted to be the person who accidentally angered Kang Jae-min.
Inside his office on the top floor, however, the man at the center of the rumors appeared completely calm.
Jae-min stood near the window, staring at the city below.
His desk was perfectly organized as always.
Except for one thing.
The paternity test report.
It lay open on the desk where he had left it the previous night.
99.9% probability.
His son.
Even now the words still felt strange.
A soft knock sounded on the office door.
“Enter.”
His secretary stepped inside carefully.
“Sir… the legal department has reviewed the situation.”
Jae-min turned slightly.
“And?”
“They believe Ms. Baek will file for full custody within the week.”
“That was expected.”
The secretary hesitated before continuing.
“There is… another issue.”
Jae-min’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“The media has begun investigating the night five years ago.”
Silence filled the room.
The charity gala.
The hotel.
The night that had somehow changed both their lives.
“What have they found?”
“Very little, sir. But if the story grows larger, reporters may start digging deeper.”
Jae-min dismissed her with a nod.
When the door closed again, the office became silent.
His mind replayed the moment from the boardroom.
Min-jun’s curious eyes.
The way the boy had spoken so casually.
“Are you rich?”
Jae-min exhaled slowly.
For a man who controlled billions of dollars and thousands of employees, the idea of suddenly being someone’s father was surprisingly unsettling.
His phone vibrated.
A message from his legal team appeared on the screen.
Court hearing scheduled.
Two weeks.
The matter would be settled in court.
Or so everyone believed.
---
Across the city, Baek Arin sat inside a quiet apartment overlooking the Han River.
It wasn’t the luxurious penthouse she once owned.
But it was comfortable.
And most importantly—safe.
Min-jun lay on the floor nearby, surrounded by building blocks and toy dinosaurs.
He carefully stacked the blocks into a tall tower.
Then knocked it over with dramatic sound effects.
“Boom.”
Arin glanced up from her laptop.
“You’re supposed to build the tower, not destroy it.”
“That’s the fun part.”
She shook her head slightly.
Min-jun looked up suddenly.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Is he really my dad?”
Arin paused.
She had known this question would come eventually.
“Yes.”
The boy considered this seriously.
“He looks scary.”
Arin almost smiled.
“Many people think that.”
Min-jun continued stacking blocks.
“Is he mean?”
The question made Arin fall silent for a moment.
Memories flickered through her mind.
The rivalry.
The endless boardroom battles.
The night everything changed.
“…No,” she said finally.
“He’s just difficult.”
Min-jun nodded like he completely understood.
Then he added,
“His office was cool.”
Arin sighed softly.
“You noticed the office?”
“He had a giant computer screen.”
“That’s what impressed you?”
“Yes.”
She closed her laptop and leaned back in her chair.
Five years ago she had vanished from Seoul overnight.
Most people believed she had simply disappeared.
But the truth was far more complicated.
Because shortly after that night at the hotel…
Arin had discovered two things.
The first was that she was pregnant.
The second was far more terrifying.
Someone had been trying to kill her.
At first she thought it was a corporate rival.
But the attempts had been too precise.
Too professional.
So she had done the only thing she could.
She disappeared.
New identity.
New country.
New life.
Until she was certain the danger had passed.
And when Min-jun grew older, she made another decision.
He deserved to know who his father was.
Even if that father happened to be the coldest man in Korea.
Min-jun suddenly stood up.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Can I meet him again?”
Arin blinked.
“You just met him yesterday.”
“I want to see his office computer again.”
She laughed quietly.
“Of course you do.”
Then her expression slowly became serious again.
Because the upcoming court hearing would decide everything.
Custody.
Parental rights.
And how much influence Kang Jae-min would have in their lives.
What she didn’t know…
Was that Jae-min had already started planning something else entirely.
Because Kang Jae-min never liked leaving important decisions in someone else’s hands.
Not even a judge’s.
And if the court refused to give him the outcome he wanted…
He was fully prepared to create another solution.
One that Baek Arin would never expect.
Two weeks later, the courthouse was surrounded by reporters.
Black cars lined the street outside as cameras flashed continuously. Journalists had gathered since early morning, hoping to capture even a single photograph of the two people who had suddenly become the biggest story in the corporate world.
The scandal was irresistible.
A missing CEO.
A secret child.
And the cold heir of Kang Group possibly being the father.
Inside the courthouse, however, the atmosphere was much quieter.
Baek Arin sat calmly on a wooden bench, her white hair falling over one shoulder as she reviewed documents in her hands. Her violet eyes were calm, almost unreadable.
Beside her, Min-jun swung his legs back and forth from the seat.
“Mom,” he whispered.
“Yes?”
“Courts really are boring.”
She nodded.
“I told you.”
Across the hallway, Kang Jae-min stood with his legal team. His posture was straight, his expression completely emotionless as always.
Yet his eyes occasionally drifted toward the small boy sitting next to Arin.
Min-jun noticed him and waved.
“Hi.”
Several lawyers nearly choked on their coffee.
Jae-min hesitated for a brief second.
Then he nodded once.
The hearing began shortly afterward.
Inside the courtroom, the judge listened patiently as both legal teams presented their arguments.
Arin’s lawyer spoke first.
“My client has raised the child alone for five years. She has been the sole parent, caregiver, and provider. Granting her full custody is the most stable solution for the child.”
Jae-min’s lawyer stood next.
“My client was never informed of the child’s existence. Denying him parental rights would be unfair both legally and morally.”
The judge studied the documents carefully.
Then he looked toward the two people sitting across the room from each other.
“Mr. Kang. Ms. Baek.”
Both stood.
“The court acknowledges that the child has spent his entire life with his mother. However, the father also has legal rights.”
The judge paused before continuing.
“The most balanced solution would be joint custody.”
Arin’s expression immediately hardened.
Her lawyer leaned forward.
“Your Honor, my client strongly objects. The two parents have a long history of conflict. Cooperation would be extremely difficult.”
The judge folded his hands.
“That is precisely the problem.”
The room fell silent.
“In situations like this, the court must consider what environment will provide the child with stability.”
He looked directly at them.
“If the parents were married, joint custody would be much simpler to arrange.”
Arin blinked.
Jae-min’s lawyers looked surprised.
The judge continued calmly.
“But since you are not, the court cannot enforce a shared household arrangement.”
Min-jun raised his hand suddenly.
Everyone turned toward him.
“Yes?” the judge asked, slightly confused.
“Is marriage important?”
Several people tried not to laugh.
The judge cleared his throat.
“For legal matters like this… yes.”
Min-jun nodded thoughtfully.
“Okay.”
The hearing ended shortly afterward.
The final custody decision would take several days.
Outside the courtroom, reporters immediately rushed forward.
Cameras flashed as Arin exited the building holding Min-jun’s hand.
Jae-min followed shortly behind.
The reporters shouted questions.
“Ms. Baek! Is Kang Jae-min really the father?”
“Mr. Kang! Are you planning to claim custody?”
“Will the two of you reconcile?”
Neither of them answered.
Their cars drove away in opposite directions.
But later that evening, Arin received a message.
Come to Kang Group headquarters.
She stared at the screen for a moment.
Then sighed.
Min-jun looked up from the couch.
“Is it scary dad?”
She frowned slightly.
“You already call him that?”
“He’s my dad.”
She had no argument for that.
An hour later, she walked into Jae-min’s office.
He was standing by the window again, just like before.
“You wanted to talk.”
He turned.
“Yes.”
Arin crossed her arms.
“About the court?”
“Yes.”
“I already know what you’re going to say.”
“Do you?”
“You want joint custody.”
Jae-min studied her quietly for a moment.
Then he spoke.
“Marry me.”
The words landed in the room like a thunderclap.
Arin stared at him.
“…What?”
“You heard me.”
“You can’t be serious.”
Jae-min walked toward his desk.
“If we’re married, the court cannot deny joint custody.”
Arin let out a sharp laugh.
“You must be insane.”
“Possibly.”
He sat down calmly.
“But it solves the legal problem.”
She walked closer, clearly irritated now.
“This isn’t a business contract.”
“Actually, it is.”
Arin’s eyes narrowed.
“You expect me to marry the man I spent years fighting in corporate wars?”
“Yes.”
“You expect me to live in your house?”
“Yes.”
“And pretend we’re a happy family?”
“That part isn’t necessary.”
Arin stared at him in disbelief.
“You’ve completely lost your mind.”
Jae-min remained calm.
“You keep full custody.”
The room went quiet.
Arin blinked slowly.
“…What?”
“You keep custody,” he repeated.
“I only ask to stay in his life.”
She searched his face, trying to find the catch.
“There has to be something else.”
“There is.”
“What?”
“The marriage will be public.”
Arin scoffed.
“So you avoid a scandal.”
“That is a secondary benefit.”
Min-jun’s voice suddenly echoed from the doorway.
“Are you getting married?”
Both adults turned.
The boy stood there holding a juice box.
Neither of them had noticed when he arrived.
Arin rubbed her forehead.
“Min-jun…”
But the boy looked excited.
“Can I have two bedrooms?”
Jae-min answered calmly.
“Yes.”
Min-jun grinned.
“Cool.”
He ran back into the hallway.
Arin stared after him.
Then she slowly turned back to Jae-min.
“You planned this.”
“Yes.”
She exhaled slowly.
Of course he had.
Kang Jae-min never entered negotiations without already calculating the outcome.
A long silence filled the room.
Finally she spoke.
“…Fine.”
Jae-min raised an eyebrow slightly.
“This is only a contract marriage.”
“Agreed.”
“No interfering with my work.”
“Understood.”
“No acting like a real husband.”
“That won’t be difficult.”
She glared at him.
Then turned toward the door.
“Congratulations, Kang Jae-min.”
She paused briefly before leaving.
“You just made the worst business deal of your life.”
Behind her, Jae-min watched quietly.
But for the first time in years…
The coldest man in Seoul allowed himself a small smile.
Because for the first time since Arin had returned—
She had agreed to stay.
