Chapter Four: The Missing Twin
873 Words
Jae-hyun couldn’t sleep.
The words from the mysterious phone call kept replaying in his mind.
“The other one.”
His other son.
Min-ho.
For five years, Jae-hyun had believed he had no children.
Now, in a single night, he had discovered that he had two sons.
One was sleeping safely inside the hospital.
The other was somewhere in the world.
And someone knew exactly where he was.
Jae-hyun stood beside the hospital window, staring at the city lights.
Behind him, Seo-ah was asleep.
The doctors had given her medication after she became too weak to continue talking.
Min-jun was in the children’s ward under heavy security.
Jae-hyun turned to Mr. Park.
“Get me everything about the hospital from five years ago.”
Mr. Park nodded.
“Birth records?”
“Everything.”
“And your father’s records?”
Jae-hyun’s eyes hardened.
“Especially my father’s.”
⸻
The Next Morning
Kang Mansion was unusually quiet.
Jae-hyun walked into his father’s study carrying a thick file.
Kang Tae-shik looked up from his desk.
“You came early.”
Jae-hyun placed the file on the table.
“Five years ago.”
His father said nothing.
“Tell me what happened.”
Tae-shik leaned back.
“I already told you what you needed to know.”
“No.”
Jae-hyun’s voice was calm.
Almost too calm.
“You told me enough to make me believe Seo-ah abandoned me. You didn’t tell me about my sons.”
His father’s expression changed.
“Jae-hyun…”
“Where is Min-ho?”
Silence.
Jae-hyun stepped closer.
“Where is my son?”
Tae-shik looked away.
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“Be careful how you speak to me.”
“I’ve spent five years believing the woman I loved betrayed me.”
Jae-hyun’s voice cracked with anger.
“Meanwhile, she was raising my son alone while you hid the truth from me.”
Tae-shik stood.
“I was protecting this family.”
“From what?”
“From the consequences of your relationship.”
Jae-hyun laughed bitterly.
“Consequences?”
His father looked directly at him.
“Min-ho wasn’t the only problem.”
Jae-hyun froze.
“What does that mean?”
Before Tae-shik could answer, the study door opened.
A young woman walked in.
She was elegantly dressed, with long dark hair and a calm expression.
“Father.”
Tae-shik turned.
“Ha-rin.”
Jae-hyun looked at her.
Kang Ha-rin.
His younger sister.
She had returned to Seoul only a few months ago.
“Why are you here?” Jae-hyun asked.
Ha-rin smiled faintly.
“I came to see you.”
Her eyes moved toward the file on the table.
Then she suddenly noticed a photograph sticking out.
A photograph of Min-jun.
Her smile disappeared.
For one brief moment, fear flashed across her face.
Jae-hyun noticed.
“Do you know him?”
Ha-rin looked at him.
“No.”
Too quickly.
Jae-hyun narrowed his eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
She turned toward their father.
“I’ll leave you two to talk.”
Ha-rin walked out.
Jae-hyun watched her leave.
Something wasn’t right.
He turned back to his father.
“What’s Ha-rin hiding?”
Tae-shik said nothing.
Jae-hyun picked up the file.
“I’m going to find my son.”
His father looked at him.
“You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”
Jae-hyun stopped at the door.
“He’s my son.”
He looked back.
“And this time, nobody is taking him away from me.”
⸻
That afternoon, Jae-hyun returned to the hospital.
Min-jun was sitting on the bed, drawing with a box of crayons.
When he saw Jae-hyun, his face immediately brightened.
“Dad!”
Jae-hyun froze for half a second.
Then he walked over.
“What are you drawing?”
Min-jun held up the paper.
“It’s my family.”
Jae-hyun looked at the drawing.
There were four people.
Min-jun.
Seo-ah.
Jae-hyun.
And another little boy.
Jae-hyun’s heart stopped.
“Who is that?”
“My brother.”
Jae-hyun slowly sat beside him.
“Min-ho?”
Min-jun nodded.
“Yes.”
“Have you met him?”
Min-jun smiled.
“Yes.”
Jae-hyun’s eyes widened.
“When?”
“Before Mommy brought me to you.”
Jae-hyun’s heart began racing.
“Where is he?”
Min-jun pointed at the drawing.
“He lives in a big house.”
“What big house?”
Min-jun thought for a moment.
Then he whispered,
“Your house.”
Jae-hyun went completely still.
“What?”
Min-jun pointed toward the mansion drawn behind the little boy.
“The big house with the black gates.”
Jae-hyun stared at the drawing.
His own mansion.
Someone had been living there.
Someone had been hiding his son under his roof.
Then Min-jun said something that made Jae-hyun’s blood run cold.
“Grandpa told me not to tell you.”
Jae-hyun looked at the little boy.
“Grandpa?”
Min-jun nodded innocently.
“Grandpa said my brother must stay a secret.”
Jae-hyun slowly stood.
His eyes darkened.
His father hadn’t just known about Min-ho.
Min-ho had been living inside the Kang mansion.
All this time.
And Jae-hyun had never known.
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