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What should she do? She couldn't let Andy know about this. Should she tell Park Chan-yeol? No, because this time, Anna didn't want to involve anyone else.
Outside the window, the sky had turned from day to night, and Anna's thoughts, once numb, gradually began to regain clarity. She looked at the shattered cup on the floor, with bloodstained water pooling around it.
What illness could come on so quickly? So urgently?
Han Yoon-soo's appearance clearly indicated that he had anticipated this outcome long ago.
Anna picked up the phone lying on the ground and dialed Yoo Jae-suk's number. The call that was usually hard to connect went through surprisingly quickly this time.
"Hello, Anna, what's up? Haha, I'm having a late-night snack with Jung Kook. Do you want to join us?"
Anna paused for a moment; after a whole day of silence, her voice was extremely hoarse. "Brother Jae-seok... something happened."
"What?" Yoo Jae-suk's voice instantly became calm, completely losing the excitement from before.
"Something happened, Brother Jae-seok, help me."
"Where are you?" Yoo Jae-suk asked.
Anna clearly stated her address. In less than twenty minutes, she heard hurried footsteps in the hallway, followed by the doorbell ringing.
Anna got up but stumbled slightly, struggling to regain her balance as she slowly walked over to open the door. She saw Jung Kook and Brother Jae-seok had come together.
"Come in."
"What happened, Anna?" Jae-seok asked anxiously.
Anna closed the door. Jung Kook was the first to see Han Yoon-soo lying motionless on the sofa with no signs of life, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"What is this..." Kim Jong Kook frowned deeply.
“Han Yoon-soo……..” Yoo Jae-suk also noticed.
“My mom, she passed away this morning,” Anna said softly.
Kim Jong Kook felt a chill run down his spine.
“How could it be so sudden?” Yoo Jae-suk asked.
Anna shook her head, “I don’t know.”
“Anna, you called us here, what do you want?” Kim Jong Kook asked.
“I don’t know what to do,” Anna said.
“If it was a sudden death, it’s best to call a doctor or the police to determine the cause of death,” Yoo Jae-suk said.
“I know, but I can’t,” Anna replied, her expression still numb.
“Anna, what are you saying? Don’t scare me. Why can’t you? Is your mother’s death somehow related to you?” Yoo Jae-suk had a bad feeling.
“Oh come on, brother, what nonsense are you talking about? If it really had anything to do with Anna, she would definitely find a way to hide this from everyone. Why would she let us know? That would just bring more danger,” Kim Jong Kook countered.
“Brother Jae-seok, Jung Kook, please help me keep this a secret. My mother’s death cannot be known by anyone for now,” Anna said.
“Why?” Jae-seok asked, confused.
“Because if one person finds out that my mother has passed away, there will be even bigger trouble.”
“What do you mean?” Jae-seok asked.
“But…” Jung Kook interrupted their conversation, “Don’t you think it’s a bit strange?”
“What?”
"Isn't it a bit rude, but don't you think Aunt Han Yoon-soo's complexion looks off? Why is there some bruising?" Jung Kook said.
"My mother has asthma," Anna replied.
"Even with asthma, if she was suffocating, the bruising on her face should be uniform. But look, the bruises on her face are patchy, and each patch is different. If you look closely, there are also some on her hands. What is this?" Jung Kook noticed the blood-stained water marks on the floor.
"My mother coughed up blood while drinking water before she died," Anna said.
"It doesn't look like an illness; it seems more like poisoning," Jung Kook remarked.
"Are you serious?" Yoo Jae-suk asked.
"Just a guess, but if it really is poisoning, then it must have been caused by something Aunt Han Yoon-soo consumed herself, because Anna has no issues. Anna, give me anything your mother consumed alone; I'll take it to a friend for testing," Jung Kook said.
Anna nodded and turned to gather some nutritional supplements and medications that Han Yoon-soo usually took. She packed them up and handed them to Kim Jong Kook. "Thank you, Jung Kook."
"Don't worry," Jung Kook said. "But Anna, you need to take care of yourself too."
Anna nodded.
"Anna, why did you call me over?" Jae-seok asked.
"I don't know what to do now that someone has passed away. Although I can't hold a memorial right away, I still need to complete what needs to be done," Anna said, tears streaming down her face.
Yoo Jae-suk sighed and said, "I understand. I'll go out and buy some things so you can have a simple memorial at home. It shouldn't leave the soul without a place to go. But Anna, it can't be delayed for long."
"I know; it will be over soon. By tomorrow night, everything will be finished," Anna said.
"Anna, what exactly do you plan to do?" Yoo Jae-suk and Kim Jong Kook asked with concern.
"It's something that should have been done long ago."
"Anna, please don't do anything foolish," Kim Jong Kook said. "If there's anything you need to talk about, we can help you."
"Don't worry, Brother Jae-seok, Jung Kook, I will be fine," Anna said.
"That's good to hear," Jung Kook replied.
"I'll go buy some necessary things first. Anna, please wait here," Yoo Jae-suk said.
"Okay, thank you, Brother Jae-seok," Anna responded.
"I'll also go look for my friend," Jung Kook glanced at the time. "He should be off work soon. I'll let you know the results as soon as possible."
"Alright, thank you, Jung Kook."
Yoo Jae-suk returned quickly, lighting incense and candles. The room was quiet and eerie.
"Anna, go find a nicer photo of your mother; we will need it soon," Yoo Jae-suk said. "I will secretly help find a better burial site. Do you still want her to be buried with your father?"
"No," Anna shook her head. "She wouldn't want to see my father again. I've decided to bury my mother alongside Park Chan-yeol's father."
Yoo Jae-suk understood and nodded silently, choosing not to speak further.
"Brother Jae-seok, I'm really sorry for the trouble. You can go back now; thank you," Anna said.
"Anna..." Yoo Jae-suk wanted to comfort her, but the pain and sorrow of losing a loved one could only be felt personally. Moreover, Anna had an inexplicable burden on her shoulders, so he hesitated to say much; any words from an outsider would feel trivial. "Alright then, I'll leave first. If anything comes up, make sure to tell me."
"Okay, got it, Brother Jae-seok."
Though there was no wind, the candlelight flickered slightly. Anna sat on the floor next to Han Yoon-soo, hugging her knees and remained there until late at night, still unable to sleep. Her eyes were dry, so she simply forgot to blink, becoming like a wax figure.
The sudden ringing of her phone broke the eerie silence.
"Hello, Jung Kook," Anna answered.
"Oh, Anna! The test results are out," Jung Kook said urgently.
"What was the result?"
"Each tablet of the asthma medication your aunt took contained an extremely small amount of Cantharidin."
"I know, Mantis; that's an insect," Anna recalled.
"Yes, Cantharidin is extracted from this insect. Just 0.1 milligrams is enough to be lethal. Although the amount of Cantharidin in each tablet is minuscule, the adrenaline receptor agonists in the asthma medication can enhance its effects. Within less than a week of taking it, the user could experience cardiac arrest. The medication prescribed by the hospital should be fine, so how did this Cantharidin end up in the tablets?"
Anna felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She knew exactly how this Cantharidin got into the tablets; it was her brother who bought the medication for Han Yoon-soo. Ever since she started taking these pills, Han Yoon-soo's asthma had not only failed to improve with the warming weather but had actually worsened. She never imagined that Andy would do something so threatening and harmful. After all, Han Yoon-soo was their mother.
She was wrong—so utterly wrong.
Her brother, Zheng Andy, could no longer be regarded as 'human'...
"Anna... Anna, what's wrong? Are you listening?"
Anna snapped back to reality. "I'm listening."
"Who put this poison in your aunt's medication?" Kim Jong Kook asked.
Anna bitterly raised her lips in a slight smile. "It was Andy... he bought the medicine..."
"Andy... your brother?" Jung Kook exclaimed. "If that's the case, it's murder! Anna, you should..."
"Trust me, Jung Kook. Tomorrow night, I will give my mother a satisfactory answer," Anna said.
Kim Jong Kook hesitated for a moment but sighed and said, "Alright. Just be careful."
"Okay, thank you, Jung Kook."
To what extent can a person's heart fall? Parental affection and blood ties can all fade away. For the first time, Anna felt completely hopeless—hopeless about Andy.
Han Yoon-soo's words from this morning proved that she already knew there were deadly substances in the medicine bought by her son. Yet she pretended to eat it without any concern. Perhaps she was the most desperate one of all. By consuming Andy's poison without showing any signs, she aimed to avoid creating a deeper rift between Andy and Anna and believed that leaving would resolve the entanglement between Anna and Chan-yeol.
She had truly reached a point where death seemed inevitable. She was using her life to repay the debt she owed to her child over the years.
It was really exhausting.
No matter how close the relationship, with death, it completely dissipated. Although memories lingered in her mind and although we still believed in souls, there was no longer a way to hold hands, no longer a way to embrace, no longer a way to confide. Even the initial sense of distance had become a luxury.
In the end, as time passed, memories would fade, and sorrow would diminish.
After a sleepless night, she knew dawn was breaking again. The candle had melted down to a puddle of wax, its flame growing weaker, and the incense had scattered in the pot, devoid of vitality.
Anna brought two new candles, lit them, placed them back in their original spot, lit three sticks of incense, knelt down, and bowed three times.
"Mom, I'm leaving now. Wait for me to come back," Anna said as she inserted the incense properly. She stood up, changed into a different outfit, put on her hat, and left the room.
The car sped through the dimly lit streets of Seoul. The air felt particularly fresh; spring had arrived, and green buds were beginning to appear on the trees by the roadside. She still had a distance to cover. On this road she had traveled for several years—neither too long nor too short—she had gained so much but lost even more.
In fact, last night, Anna kept having a thought flash through her mind: Was Han Yoon-soo really at fault? So many people had told her that being with Park Chan-yeol was a mistake. Why hadn’t they listened?
Perhaps Park Anqing was right; what truly drove them to be together against all odds were the countless hardships they faced. When everything calmed down and returned to normalcy, was it still love?
After all, what tests love faced were not just one difficulty after another but rather the blandness and tastelessness of everyday life. Park Chan-yeol hadn’t come by recently; he must have pondered these questions too.
Anna wondered if she was being too retrospective—this way with her mother and also with Hogga—after all, in moments of helplessness, it was always him that came to mind...
Was it love?
She didn’t know; there would never be an answer.
It wasn’t until afternoon that the car stopped in front of an ordinary farmhouse. It looked unremarkable at first glance, but once inside the yard, she noticed surveillance cameras everywhere. Immediately someone came out; it seemed they received instructions through an earpiece and did not stop Anna's steps.
Anna slowly pushed open the door and walked inside. The room was equipped with various advanced medical devices. Jin Yu Cheng sat on the bed with tubes still inserted in his nose; his eye sockets were sunken and his complexion waxy, but thankfully he had regained consciousness. Upon seeing Anna, although he no longer possessed his former imposing presence, there was still no hint of frailty in his murky gaze.
"You're here; sit down. Miki should be here soon," Jin Yu Cheng said in a weak and hoarse voice as if speaking required immense effort.
"Okay," Anna said, sitting down beside the hospital bed.
Jin Yu Cheng raised the corner of his mouth. "I know you've always had questions for me."
"You know everything," Anna did not deny.
"Of course. Even though I'm sick, my mind is still sharp," Jin Yu Cheng replied.
"Then tell me, what is the reason for killing Hogga? And even if Andy comes back, why does he have to kill you to take control of Century Group?"
"Because... of this." Jin Yu Cheng rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing a tattoo of a Wolf Head on his forearm.
"This tattoo?" Anna asked, puzzled.
Jin Yu Cheng smiled and said, "Feel it."
Anna hesitated for a moment before reaching out. Beneath the loose skin was a small, hard square object.
"What is this?"
"This is the secret of Century Group," Jin Yu Cheng said.
"What is it?" Anna inquired.
Jin Yu Cheng smiled again, his pale lips cracked and dry. A Jin Yu Cheng, carrying the secret of Century Group for seventeen years, was finally about to reveal it to Anna.
"This is The Track of Establishing Governance."
"The Track of Establishing Governance..." Anna had never heard this term before and could not imagine its concept.
Jin Yu Cheng paused for a moment before continuing, "Do you think Century Group became a pillar of the Korean economy in just over ten years by mere chance? There are countless capable and hardworking people, but no matter how powerful an individual's career may be, it cannot withstand a single word from policy or a decree."
"Yes, if the Korean government wants to stifle a company's development, then that company is destined to perish. I believe the opposite holds true as well," Anna said.
Jin Yu Cheng smiled slightly and said, "You are very clever; you can see through things with just a hint."
Anna remained silent. She once thought of herself as intelligent, but now she truly did not know if her losses were due to her cleverness or her own foolishness.
"The Track of Establishing Governance is a deal between Congress and Century Group. Century Group serves Congress and can help Congress accomplish tasks that oppose the President," Jin Yu Cheng said, glancing at the tattoo on his arm. "Whoever obtains this will gain the support of Congress and the true economic power of Century Group. Of course, obtaining this also comes with great risks."
"I don't understand," Anna said. "If that's the case, why did you want to leverage Mr. Yoo Jae-suk's influence to manipulate the South Korean presidential election? Why didn't Andy try to take this from you when he first profited from Century Group? What does this have to do with Hogga?"
"Because at that time, there was a division between the left and right factions in Congress. I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to support a president I backed and break free from the control of the right-wing forces in Congress." Jin Yu Cheng looked at Anna and smiled helplessly. "I just didn't expect that a young girl like you would be so stubborn in wanting to get to the bottom of things. But in the end, it turned out fine; the current president is not aligned with any faction. For me and for Century Group, nothing has changed. As for Andy, he did catch me off guard at that time, but he didn't know about The Track of Establishing Governance then..."
"Hogga... Hogga knows..." Anna said bitterly; there were still too many things she hadn't considered.
"That's right."
"So he must die," Anna said, her eyes reddening as she looked at Jin Yu Cheng.
Seeing the look in Anna's eyes, Jin Yu Cheng raised the corner of his mouth; perhaps when one is about to die, they truly no longer care about anything.
"Even if I don't kill him, he will die. I just can't take any risks; I can't let him reveal this secret to anyone."
"What do you mean? What do you mean by 'he will die'?"
Jin Yu Cheng was somewhat surprised by Anna's question. After thinking for a moment, he quickly realized, "It seems you have always been unaware... I've lived for so many years and seen many people and things; you two are one who loves without letting the other know and one who doesn't realize they've already fallen in love with the other. It's truly fascinating..."
Anna felt a bit flustered; she didn't want to dwell on what Jin Yu Cheng had said but only wanted to know what 'he will die' meant.
"After being caught off guard by Andy, I understood very well that there must be a hidden force behind him helping him; otherwise, he wouldn't have seized the opportunity so precisely. That person is Hogga. Since Hogga returned to South Korea over these years, far too many politicians and social elites have disappeared for no reason; he is quite capable. After Andy left South Korea, I began investigating Hogga. Hogga had already learned about The Track of Establishing Governance's secret from a former president of Congress, but interestingly enough, he did not tell Andy about this."
Anna sneered coldly, "Whether he told others or not has already posed a threat to you."
"That's right," Jin Yu Cheng said. "I have no other choice. The stability of power always requires sacrifices."
"What else do you know? What do you mean by 'he will die'?" Anna asked.
"He is sick."
Anna felt her hands and feet cold and trembling. "What kind of illness?"
"Bark-like Endovascular Tumor... This disease has fewer than five cases worldwide, with an almost zero cure rate. From diagnosis to death, it takes about five years at most, and the skin on the hands and feet becomes covered in ugly, bark-like growths. I think he must have learned about his illness while in Germany, which is why he rushed back. I was puzzled at first; this illness is quite obvious in its current state, yet you, Anna, had no idea at all. After our conversation today, I finally understand what Hogga means to you, and he wishes to maintain that image in your heart. As for you, whether or not it is love for him, you should know in your heart."
The tears she had cried that night returned in an instant, silent and overwhelming. The suppressed emotions erupted without sound, only tears falling continuously. She finally understood the profound love that had been there all along, one she had endured without noticing. Memories flashed before her eyes: why he never took off his black gloves even while eating, why he frowned in pain, why his once agile body hesitated for a moment during a fight. Why did he suddenly appear at that time, wanting only to embrace her quietly...
Because he already knew he had no time left.
Why did he not let Anna seek the truth about himself even in his farewell letter...
Suddenly, Anna felt a sharp pain in her heart. Hogga had chosen to deceive from the very beginning until the end. Yet the deep affection and weight contained within that deception brought a lifetime of excruciating pain and regret whenever remembered.
Anna no longer had the ability to reclaim everything. Even after hearing these unknown truths today, Hogga in her heart would forever remain that man standing alone in the snow—isolated to the extreme and not entirely well.
If only there could be a 'what if,' Anna wished she could see him again.
What could she say? Perhaps it would still be 'I'm sorry'...
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