Four paths, One destiny

Episode 1 – Four Paths, One Destiny

The courtroom was chaos—lawyers throwing words like daggers, witnesses sweating under the heat of truth, and restless reporters scribbling in their notepads.

At the center sat Han Ji Ah, her dark robe draped perfectly, her gaze as sharp as a blade. She banged her gavel once, and the noise died instantly.

“Order,” she said, her voice calm but lethal. “The verdict is clear. Guilty.”

Gasps filled the room. The defendant broke into a panicked cry, but Ji Ah’s face remained unreadable.

“Court is adjourned.”

She stacked her papers neatly, rose to her feet, and swept out of the courtroom without a single glance back.

Outside, the spring sun brushed her face. She tilted her head slightly, muttering under her breath,

“Finally. I need a break before I lose my mind.”

Her phone buzzed.

She sighed before answering.

“Ji Won?”

The reply was a scream.

“UNNIE! My dress! He destroyed my dress! Do you know how much it cost?!”

Ji Ah pinched her nose. “What did you do this time?”

“I did NOTHING! Some idiot spilled coffee all over me, and now the photographer says I should wear a backup outfit. A BACKUP? For Han Ji Won?!”

Ji Ah rolled her eyes. “You’re not dying. Just wear something else.”

“Are you serious?!” Ji Won shrieked. “This is a magazine cover! People don’t forget first impressions, unnie. You’re the smart one, how do you not know this?!”

“Because I’m too busy dealing with criminals, not clothes,” Ji Ah muttered. “I’ll call you later.”

“You better! Or I swear I’ll—”

Ji Ah hung up before her sister’s fiery rant could break her eardrum.

Meanwhile, in the vast sky above Seoul, a plane sliced through the clouds.

Inside the cockpit, Lee Tae Hyun tightened his grip on the controls. His reflection in the glass revealed a boyish excitement hidden behind the uniform. For the first time, he was flying solo.

The radio crackled.

“Captain Lee, how’s the view?”

Tae Hyun grinned, his voice steady but laced with awe.

“Beautiful. The clouds look like cotton candy. I almost forgot I’m working.”

A chuckle came through the radio.

“Don’t get distracted. You’re not here to eat clouds.”

“Copy that,” Tae Hyun laughed, eyes fixed on the endless blue. “But still… this is freedom.”

In a towering glass building downtown, Jung Hyun Woo paced like a storm in a suit.

“This design is flawed,” he said coldly, tossing a prototype back at his trembling team. “Redo it. Perfection doesn’t take shortcuts.”

“B-but sir—”

Hyun Woo cut him off. “Do you think customers will forgive mistakes just because you’re tired? Fix it. Tonight.”

No one dared to argue. His reputation wasn’t just ruthless—it was legendary. Hyun Woo lived for work, for building his empire higher, sharper, stronger.

Hours later, when his office finally emptied, silence filled the skyscraper. He loosened his tie, checking his phone.

Mother’s birthday tomorrow.

For once, a trace of softness touched his face. He stepped into his car with a small velvet box in mind. Not for a lover—he didn’t have one. Not for himself.

For his mother.

He entered a luxury boutique, the golden lights glinting against rows of pendants and rings.

At the same time, Han Ji Ah walked into the very same boutique, tugging her hair loose from its tight bun. No robe, no gavel, no courtroom weight on her shoulders. Just a woman looking for dresses, for once in her life.

She muttered to herself as she eyed the racks.

“Ji Won is going to kill me if I show up in jeans again… I should just pick the least ridiculous one.”

A saleswoman approached.

“May I help you, miss?”

Ji Ah gave her a polite smile. “Something simple. Comfortable. Not… whatever that glittering disaster is.”

The saleswoman blinked, unsure if Ji Ah was joking.

As Ji Ah moved toward the counter, she froze.

A tall man in a charcoal-gray suit stood at the glass display, examining a pendant. His posture screamed authority, his profile sharp under the boutique’s golden light.

At that exact moment, he turned.

Their eyes met.

Ji Ah blinked, calm and composed. She inclined her head slightly, like a quiet acknowledgment.

Hyun Woo’s gaze lingered, studying her—not the dress she held, not her tired expression, but her quiet presence. She didn’t fidget, didn’t smile politely. She simply existed as if the noise of the world could never touch her.

The saleswoman returned, breaking the silence.

“Sir, should I prepare the pendant for wrapping?”

Hyun Woo didn’t look away from Ji Ah.

“Yes.” His voice was low, commanding.

Ji Ah turned her attention back to the dress in her hand, but a tiny spark of curiosity tugged at her lips.

A strange flicker stirred in his chest.

The shop fell silent again. No words spoken between them, no introductions. Just a pendant in his hand, a dress in hers, and an unshakable sense that fate had just taken its first step.

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