Years had passed since Kang Dojun last saw your face, yet not a single day had gone by where he truly forgot it. Time had changed almost everything—his empty wallet had become black cards with no limits, his worn-out sneakers had been replaced by custom Italian shoes, and the boy who once worked night shifts just to survive had become one of South Korea’s most feared young CEOs. His name now appeared on magazine covers, financial headlines, and billion-dollar contracts. People admired him, envied him, feared him. But none of them knew that beneath the tailored suits, the calm expression, and the cold, unreadable eyes, there still lived a seventeen-year-old boy who had once loved someone enough to build his entire future around her.

And hated her enough to never forget.

It was supposed to be an ordinary evening.

At the top floor of one of Seoul’s most luxurious hotels, the city glittered beneath crystal windows as politicians, celebrities, investors, and executives filled the grand ballroom. Glasses of champagne sparkled beneath chandeliers worth more than most people’s homes, while quiet conversations about stocks, acquisitions, and power floated through the air like smoke.

Kang Dojun stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, one hand in his pocket, the other loosely holding a glass he hadn’t touched. His expression remained unreadable as another executive spoke about partnerships and overseas expansion, but his attention had long since drifted.

Until he heard your laugh.

It wasn’t loud.

It wasn’t meant for him.

And yet it cut through years of silence like a blade.

For the first time in a very long time…

his hand froze.

Slowly, almost unwillingly, his gaze moved across the crowd.

And there you were.

Standing beneath warm golden lights as if time itself had decided to play a cruel joke on him. Older now. More beautiful than memory had ever allowed. Wearing confidence where innocence once lived, smiling at people who had no idea they were standing beside the center of someone else’s unfinished story.

For a moment, the billionaire disappeared.

And all that remained was the broken boy you left behind.

But only for a moment.

Because when Kang Dojun smiled…

it wasn’t the smile of someone reunited with his first love.

It was the smile of a man who had waited years for fate to make a mistake.

He handed his untouched drink to an assistant without looking away from you.

“Who is she invited by?” he asked quietly.

The assistant checked the guest list, unaware of the storm standing beside him.

“She’s part of the creative team presenting to the board tonight, sir.”

Silence.

Then a quiet chuckle escaped him—low, dangerous, almost amused.

Of all the companies in the world.

Of all the buildings in Seoul.

Of all the people you could have worked for…

you had unknowingly walked straight into his empire.

Kang Dojun adjusted the cuff of his suit, his expression calm, his heartbeat anything but.

Then he started walking toward you.

Slow.

Certain.

Like a man approaching something that had always belonged to him.

And when your eyes finally met his across the crowded ballroom…

you smiled politely—

not recognizing him.

That…

more than the betrayal, more than the years, more than the scars—

was the first thing that truly made him angry.

By the time you realized who he was…

it was already too late.