A dark expression shadowed Autumn’s face. The man’s disheveled appearance had made him hard to recognize at first, but now she was certain it was him.

“Why are you here, Uncle?”

Kim Dae-jun. A long-time acquaintance of her father, and the man responsible for her father’s demise.

Autumn’s face twisted in clear displeasure.

She had forgotten his face after not seeing him for over a decade, but now she remembered vividly. It was a name she couldn’t forget.

Her breathing became ragged, and tears welled up in her eyes despite her efforts. In response to her, the man’s words were utterly absurd.

“Autumn has become an artist too, huh? I heard you had an exhibition today. It feels like just yesterday when you were so small. Congratulations on your first exhibition. I came to celebrate.”

“Really, that’s all?”

“Of course, of course.”

“Alright. I must be going then.”

“Autumn!”

As Autumn turned to leave, the man called her again. Sensing her eagerness to escape, Dae-jun revealed his true motive.

“Autumn, I need some money. Could you lend me some for a few days?”

“Are you insane, Uncle?”

“I can really pay you back this time. I’m really sorry to ask this of you, especially after all that happened with your father. I’ll pay it back soon…”

Harsh words poured from Autumn’s mouth. How could he swindle money from her father and then ask her for money?

Incredulous, she exchanged words she wouldn’t normally use, but the man persisted.

“I’m really in a hurry, Autumn. I used to play a lot with you when you were little… Don’t you remember?”

“Let go of me!”

Contrary to the gentle Yun Dae-ho, Autumn cut him off sharply, and Dae-jun resorted to appealing to their past relationship.

Autumn found his words even more outrageous.
Dae-jun and Autumn had indeed shared a good relationship. It’s true. He often visited her home, gifted her dolls, played with her, and even got along well with her mother.

…Until he committed fraud.

Amidst the messy commotion, Autumn loudly argued with the disheveled Dae-jun. Soon, the attention of the people gathered at the gallery entrance shifted to them.

Park, the gallery director, burst through the crowd. Approaching Autumn, he forcefully pushed Dae-jun away, sheltering her behind him. Dae-jun tumbled to the ground.

“What are you doing!”

“Autumn, hey!”

Realizing the situation was against him, Dae-jun quickly fled.

Park turned to a tear-streaked Autumn, looking quite alarmed, and asked urgently.

“Are you okay?”

“…Sob.”

“You must have been really scared. Who is that man? Do you know him?”

Autumn shook her head. Park, while wiping the tears on her cheeks, comforted her.

“We can’t let you stay like this. I’ll take you home, just wait a moment. I’ll bring the car.”

“It’s okay. You’re busy today.”

“How can I let you go alone?”

Despite Park’s insistence, Autumn excused herself and hurried away.

“Autumn… Autumn!”

Too drained to respond, she knew Park was calling her but still rushed away from the gallery.

Looking around, she thankfully noticed no one following her.

All she wanted was to rest. She had to go home.

“Ugh…”

But as she reached the middle of the road, she stopped. Going home like this would only worry her mother, who was still affected by her father’s death anniversary. If her mother heard about Dae-jun, it could cause her to collapse.

So, where to go?

Despite her confusion, Autumn dragged her weakening body, walking aimlessly.

Inside a meeting room at the department store, the executives and staff were discussing the introduction of a new brand.

Ki-tae, staring blankly at the PPT screen, tapped his pen absent-mindedly on the desk. His thoughts kept drifting.

‘Why does she hate me?’

He had hardly paid attention to Yoon Autumn for 9 years.

His indifference played a part, but he remembered how Autumn always seemed uncomfortable around him. He had deliberately avoided bothering her, especially since living in the mansion must be hard enough without his added pressure.

So, he hadn’t been kind for long.

Excuses, perhaps…

His grip tightened on the pen, which snapped under the force. The noise drew the eyes of everyone in the room.

“Ki-tae, director,” his brother Ki-jeong called out.

“Ah… sorry. Please, continue.”

Ki-tae waved off the attention, signaling them to proceed.

The meeting resumed. Trying to focus, Ki-tae glanced at the PPT, where a model in a white dress caught his eye.

The slide showed several models dressed in outfits that reflected the brand’s style.
His gaze kept returning to the white dress on the screen. It reminded him of the dress Yoon Autumn wore at a recent exhibition.

Annoyed at himself for constantly thinking about someone he claimed to dislike, Ki-tae’s lips twisted in disdain.

To check on the first day’s events, Ki-tae headed to the gallery. Spotting Park, the gallery director approaching, he pushed open the glass door and entered.

His eyes alternated between the empty spaces where paintings had been sold and those still awaiting buyers, anticipating Park’s report on the exhibition’s status. However, Park began with something Ki-tae hadn’t expected, remarking casually before giving his usual report.

“Director, I’m concerned about Autumn Yoon.”

“…Why Yoon Autumn?”

Ki-tae frowned, puzzled why Park was mentioning Autumn on the opening day of the exhibition instead of discussing the event itself.

With a grim expression, Park turned towards the gallery’s exterior. Following Park’s gaze outside, Ki-tae’s eyes narrowed.

“…?”

What’s out there?

Watching Park sigh as he stared at the empty space, Ki-tae grew concerned.

Park cautiously began, “A drunkard accosted Autumn Yoon right in front of the gallery. I’ve never seen such a commotion here before.”

Muttering his worries about whether she was alright, Park seemed troubled even as he continued speaking without a response from Ki-tae.

“Seeing her crying face is still bothering me. I couldn’t properly look after her due to the exhibition. She said she wasn’t feeling well today. I hope she’s not hurt…”

Ki-tae, who had been silently listening, quickly asked, “Where is Yoon Autumn now?”