The private Gulfstream touched down at Incheon International Airport under a gray, overcast Seoul sky, a sharp and dramatic contrast to the sun-drenched beaches of Maui. The biting late-August wind cut through the air, reminding Ji-won that the warm, carefree bubble of Hawaii was officially behind them. A convoy of sleek, black executive sedans waited directly on the private tarmac, their tinted windows reflecting the dull city light. Min-jun’s expression hardened the second his feet touched the Korean asphalt, sliding effortlessly back into the cold, untouchable persona of the eldest Kang brother. Do-hyun, too, had dropped his comedic flair, his jaw set in a tight line as he checked his encrypted work tablet. "Keep close to me, Ji-won-ah," Min-jun instructed quietly, wrapping a thick cashmere scarf around Ji-won’s neck before guiding him toward the center vehicle. The drive back to the Kang family estate in Seongbuk-dong was silent and tense. The sprawling, high-security compound loomed behind towering iron gates, guarded by armed private security. For Ji-won, stepping back into the estate used to feel like entering a prison cell—a vast, echoing manor where he was completely isolated. But as he stepped out of the car, clutching his phone with its newly created *'Maui Survivors Club'* group chat buzzing quietly in his pocket, he felt a grounding sense of resilience. He wasn't alone anymore. Or so he thought, until they pushed open the heavy oak doors of the main entrance. Instead of the usual echoing silence, the grand executive foyer was alive with a strange, suffocating energy. Resting neatly on the polished marble floor near the double doors were several unfamiliar, ultra-luxury designer travel bags. A faint scent of expensive French tobacco and sharp, uncompromising perfume hung heavily in the air. Min-jun instantly stopped dead in his tracks, his body going rigid in a way Ji-won had never seen before—not even when facing Lu Sheng's threats. Do-hyun let out a sharp intake of breath, his playful demeanor vanishing completely, while Ji-ho’s fingers tightened around his leather tablet. "Min-jun," a deep, gravelly voice echoed from the formal receiving parlor just off the foyer. "You’ve grown careless in your old age. Leaving the estate unattended for a spontaneous tropical holiday?" A tall, impeccably tailored man stepped out from the shadows of the hallway. Silver threaded through his dark hair, and his sharp, uncompromising gaze swept over the four brothers like a physical blow. Behind him stood their mother, her expression a mask of cold, aristocratic detachment that hadn't aged a single day. Chairman Kang. Min-jun’s jaw clenched so hard a muscle twitched in his cheek. "Father. Mother. You weren't scheduled to return from the European summit for another two weeks." "Plans changed," Chairman Kang replied smoothly, his cold eyes finally shifting past Min-jun to land directly on Ji-won. A heavy, suffocating silence descended over the foyer. "And it appears a great many things have changed here while we were gone. I hear rumors of corporate missteps, public scandals, and... distraction." Ji-won’s blood ran cold. In his first life, his parents had been ghosts—overseas phantoms who only communicated through wire transfers and icy quarterly reports, leaving him to wither away in isolation. But seeing them here now, standing in the flesh with their terrifying, judgmental authority, felt like stepping backward into a nightmare. The vacation was over. Lu Sheng was a threat on the outside, but inside their own home, an even older, colder storm had just arrived.

Chapter 24: The Return of the Patriarch