The first time Seonghyeon saw her, she was standing alone at the far end of the ballroom.

Not because she wanted to.

Because nobody wanted her beside them.

She was the illegitimate daughter of the chairman of one of the country’s most powerful companies—a living stain on a family that spent millions protecting its reputation. No matter how expensive her dress was or how perfectly she carried herself, she was still introduced in whispers.

“That’s her.”

“The outcast.”

“The mistake.”

She learned long ago not to react.

So she stood there silently, pretending not to hear the laughter hidden behind champagne glasses.

Then someone stepped beside her.

“You’re blocking the dessert table.”