“Once upon a time, there was a little girl, her name was Alice. On her first birthday, her mother got her a soft cuddly brown teddy bear. The little girl…”

Park Shin Hye paused as she looked down at So Won who was looking at her with a confused gaze. After the dinner just now, So Won had dragged her into her room but didn’t say a word. She just held her hand tightly, staring at her like she will disappear in any second. They have been like that for a while now and Shin Hye suggested her to sleep since it’s getting late. So Won chose the story book from the shelf and want her to read her to sleep.

Shin Hye sighed as she put the story book on the bedside table. “Why are you not sleeping? It’s very late now.”

So Won moved closer to her, her tiny hand still holding onto Shin Hye’s hand. “So Won is scared.”

“Scared of what?” Shin Hye asked softly.

“I’m scared that when I woke up tomorrow morning, eomma will disappear again.” So Won said with tears welling in her eyes.

Shin Hye pursed her lips. “How long have eomma left you?” She tried to get an answer from the kid.

“Eomma has forgotten about it? You left on appa’s birthday one month ago. That was the first time appa came home so early that night. Appa asked me where you are and I told him that you have been inside the room for the whole day. Appa went up to look for you and I begged him not to fight with you. I secretly followed from behind and stood outside the room. I heard appa shouted at you and you were crying and throwing things in the room. Ahjuhma saw me and quickly bring me back to my room. She said this is adult issue, I shouldn’t listen and interrupt. Then when I woke up the next morning, you already left.” So Won said sadly.

Shin Hye’s brows furrowed creating a crease in her forehead. “Is your appa and eomma fights a lot?”

So Won stared at her in confusion but she nodded. “Whenever appa tried to talk to you, you will always make him very angry. But you will be happy for a while when appa bought you presents.”

“Presents? What kind of presents?” Shin Hye asked again.

So Won tilted her head, thinking. “Bags, clothes, necklaces and you love diamonds the most. Appa even bought you a new sport car last year.”

Shin Hye widened her eyes. “Diamond? Sport car?” Wow, she thought. Looking at the house, the car and their appearance, she can already guess that the scary man was very rich. She smiled slightly. Is this the way of rich husband and rich wife communicated, with expensive presents? She looked at So Won again. “What is your eomma’s name?”

So Won looked at her with a worried gaze now. She leaned forward and placed her tiny palm on Shin Hye’s forehead. “Eomma, are you sick? You can’t remember your name?”

Shin Hye bit her lower lip. “Hmmm… since eomma have left for so long, I’m just testing So Won whether you still remember eomma’s name or not. I’m worried that So Won will forget about eomma.” She lied. She was a lawyer. It’s not hard to fool a kid.

So Won climbed on top of Shin Hye and sat on her lap. “Of course I remember. You are my eomma. So Won love eomma the most. Eomma’s name is Choi Yoon Suh.”

Shin Hye chuckled silently. She was right. This was the only reason she could think off when everyone in this house mistaken her as So Won’s mother. It was because she looked exactly the same as her twin sister, Choi Yoon Suh. She sighed deeply. So everything in that letter was true. She really has a twin sister. She then looked back at So Won and smiled at her. “What about your appa? What’s his name?”

“Lee Min Ho.” So Won replied without any suspicious.

Shin Hye titled her head. This name is very familiar. She remembered she heard it somewhere. Was it somewhere in the newspaper? She asked herself. And then she remembered. “Venus Corporation. The CEO of Venus Corporation.” She whispered. No wonder he is so rich.

“So Won, do you have any photos of your eomma? Family photo or your photo with her?” Shin Hye asked again.

So Won shook her head. “Appa was very busy and never have time to accompany us. We never go to any vacation or holiday before. Appa don’t like to take photo. And you don’t like to take photo with me. Maybe because So Won is not cute enough and eomma don’t like me.”

Shin Hye’s heart felt a pang when she saw the sadness on So Won’s eyes. She caressed her cheek gently before she turned to the bedside table and took her phone. She scrolled the screen and opened the camera mode. She looked at So Won and smiled.

“Who said So Won is not cute? So Won is the most pretty little girl that I’ve ever seen.” She leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

So Won’s eyes reddened and tears started to pool in her eyes. “Eomma have never kissed me like this. So Won thought eomma don’t love me.”

Shin Hye her cheek softly. “Every mother in this world loves their children. Eomma love So Won too.” She paused and smiled at her. “Want to take a selfie with me?”

So Won titled her head and looked at her in confusion. “Selfie?” She doesn’t understand.

Shin Hye laughed softly. “I mean take a photo with me. Come.” She pulled So Won closer to her. She held her phone and stretched her arms, positioned it at them. “Okay, ready? Smile…” She said as she pressed the button.

She brought her phone and showed the photo to So Won. “You see. Our So Won is a beautiful young lady.”

So Won looked at the photo and touched on it softly. She smiled happily and looked back at Shin Hye. “Eomma is so beautiful. Can I have one copy of this photo?” She asked expectantly.

“Of course. I’ll print a copy for you.” Shin Hye said as she put the phone at the side and pulled So Won into her arms. “It’s late now, you have to sleep already. I promise you that I’ll still be here when you wake up tomorrow. Okay?”

So Won nodded as she wrapped her tiny arms around Shin Hye’s neck. “Eomma, don’t leave me. So Won love you.”

Shin Hye sighed and her back gently. “Eomma love you too. Sleep.”

When Min Ho couldn’t find Shin Hye and her luggage in his room, he guessed she must have hid herself in So Won’s room and he was right. He wanted to talk to her and make her be honest to him about her real motive of coming back. He softly pushed the door opened and peeked through it. His hardened face slowly softened when he saw Shin Hye embraced So Won in her arms, both were deeply in sleep.  

He slowly walked into the room and stopped beside the bed. His gaze dropped down where a bed time story book was laid on the floor. He leaned down and picked the book up. He looked at the tittle of the book and chuckled silently. ‘Mother’s Love’.

This is So Won’s favourite book. Ahjuhma told him when she brought her to a bookstore to buy story book the other day, So Won chose this book. He sighed as he looked at the two tiny bodies cuddling together on the bed, sleeping soundly. So Won’s lips were curled up in a soft smile even when she was sleeping. Her tiny arms were wrapped securely around her mother’s waist. She really loves her mother very much. Until now, Min Ho still couldn’t understand the reason why So Won love her that much. She have never done her responsible as a mother all these while. She rather spent her time enjoying her night life outside than staying at home to kiss So Won good night. This was the first time he saw them sleeping together like this.

His eyes slowly moved to the woman that he once loved very much. That beautiful angelic face, those eyes that can captured his heart, those lips that have the ability to kiss his soul out, have now became a stranger to him when he found out the painful truth. The truth that hurt him so deeply, that betrayed his love, his trust for her. He still doesn’t understand what have change between them. The little girl that he first met 16 years ago, he doesn’t understand what make her changed to the person he was looking at now. Maybe he was wrong. She was only 12 years old at that time. She was still a little kid that doesn’t know about the real world at that time. He was the one who misunderstood her as what he wants her to be. He was wrong.

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Shin Hye woke up early the next morning when she felt the morning breeze gently hit her face. Her lips curled into a soft smile when she saw So Won sleeping closely beside her. Without realizing it, she leaned down and kissed her forehead naturally. This little girl is very beautiful. She doesn’t understand why her twin sister treated her like that. A good and cute daughter like So Won; she worth all the love from her parents. She sighed before she slowly pulled her hand away from her and gets down of the bed very softly, trying not to wake So Won up.

She took her belongings from her luggage and walked into the bathroom to clean up. She looked at herself through the mirror and sighed deeply. She already decided to go away from this house after she talks to that scary man later. Although she promised So Won last night that she will stay but what she meant was her real mother, not her. No matter how sorry she felt for her, she is still not her mother. They have mistaken her as her twin sister. She doesn’t mind to stay a little longer for So Won because they are somehow still related. She is her niece. But she has no time to find out where was her long lost twin sister now, what happened to her and her family. She need to go back to Jeju Island to spend her time with her father, her adopted father that have spent his entire life taking care of her, love her.  

After she cleaned herself, she saw the ahjuhma that take care of So Won when she stepped out of her room. She nodded politely at the older woman. “Good morning.”

The woman looked at Shin Hye with a surprise gaze. “G-Good morning, agasshi. It’s still very early now. Why did you wake up so early? Do you need anything?”

Shin Hye smiled softly. “May I know where is Lee Min Ho-sshi?”

Lee Min Ho-sshi? The woman widened her eyes and looked at her in confusion. She pointed the room at the corner and stuttered. “D-Doryeonnim is in the study room.”

Shin Hye nodded. “Thank you. I need to see him for a while.” Without waiting for her to reply, Shin Hye walked towards the room at the corner. She stopped in front of the door and knocked on it softly.

“Come in.”

The deep and cold tone that was heard make Shin Hye took a deep breath before she opened the door. She slowly walked into the room and sighed silently when she saw Min Ho sitting on the fancy big couch in the room, reading newspaper. He looked up at her and there was a slight surprise crossed his eyes. He smirked as he put the newspaper down at the side.

Shin Hye inhaled another deep breath. “Can we talk?”

Min Ho’s lips were curled into a sarcastic smile. “Wow. You wake up so early. It must be something very important that you need to talk to me so early in the morning.”

Shin Hye glanced at her watch briefly before looking at him. “It’s 8.30am already. It’s not early. I usually wake up earlier than that. I have a very good habit to wake up early every morning.”

Min Ho laughed loudly. “Good habit of waking up early? This is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard. You wouldn’t even open your eyes if the sun didn’t burn into your room.” He stopped laughing and looked straight at her. “Stop acting. What you want this time? What is your motive of coming back this time?”

Shin Hye realized all those questions were not actually asking her but to her twin sister. She wanted to know the answers too. What is her motive of writing her the letter, luring her over here. She sighed again. “As I told you earlier, we have a misunderstanding. I didn’t come here myself. In case you forget, you are the one who dragged me into the car and bring me here.”

Min Ho exhaled sharply as he stood up of the couch, walking towards her.

Shin Hye took a step backward, feeling uneasy with him coming close to her. His gaze was intense and his body was very tall. Everything about him makes her felt nervous.

“Do you know the way you acted now nauseated me.” Min Ho said, staring into her eyes.

Shin Hye glared at him angrily. “Apologize.”

Min Ho raised his brows. “What?”

Shin Hye took a step forward and glared into his eyes. “I said apologize. You have no right for being so rude to me.” She said sternly.

Min Ho smirked again. “You are unbelievable.” He inhaled a deep breath before he continued. “I don’t mind if you want to stay here but let me warn you. Your life will be miserable if you stay. I will make sure you regret for everything you did and suffer badly in this house.” He said in a dangerous deep tone.

They held each other gaze for a long while before Shin Hye sighed in defeated. “I repeat. We have a misunderstanding. I’m not the person you thought I am. My name is…”

“Of course you are not.” Min Ho cut her off. He closed the distance between them as he kept moving towards her with a steady slowness that made her moved away for every footstep forward.

Shin Hye gasped when her back slammed against the wall near the door. Her entire body stiffened as her heartbeat raced tremendously. Her lips parted slightly and were unable to form any word.

Cupping her chin, Min Ho forced her to look at him. His gaze dropped to her lips and smirked at her. “These alluring lips of yours, I have to admit that it was really good in seducing man and fooled them around like your puppet. The first time I saw you, you were so pure and kind. But it was actually just a pretentious from you to get a man.” He chuckled. “How stupid I am to fall into your trap.” He tightened his grip on her chin as he leaned forward. “If it is not because of So Won, I have already killed you.” He said through gritted teeth. 

The hatred in his eyes was so scary that make Shin Hye felt suffocated. She tried to struggle to break free from his hand but it only makes him tightened even harder. She bit her lower lip as she looked into his eyes. She wasn’t sure but is it pain that she saw in those eyes? She was really curious with what her sister have done that make this man has so much rage in him. Or was it because of this violent and aggressive attitude that make her sister ran away?

Shin Hye inhaled for some breath. “I told you that I’m not her. I’m her…” She stopped at mid-sentence when she suddenly felt a painful cramp in her abdomen. Her face twisted in pain as she gasped softly. She moved her hand to her abdomen and pressed hardly against it.

Min Ho was startled by her sudden changed of expression as he removed his hand away from her. “What game are you playing now?” His