Johnny had tried calling Yuri five times, but she hadn't answered. Neither had she replied to his texts. He understood why she might ignore him—she had every reason to—but the silence gnawed at him. Was she deliberately avoiding him, or had something happened? Maybe she was just busy, caught up in rehearsals or work.

As he parked his car in front of Mrs. Seo's luxurious home, Johnny decided to try one last time. He didn't expect a different outcome, but to his surprise, the call went through.

"Hello?"

Panic set in. He hadn't mentally prepared for this moment.

"Yuri, I'm so sorry, really. Please, just hear me out, and let's—"

He was cut off.

"You assured me this wouldn't be an issue."

It wasn't Yuri's voice—it was someone else.

"We're busy right now, and we'd appreciate it if you stopped calling," the voice continued, cold and professional. "I don't know what kind of relationship you two had, but she's made it clear that it's over. So, I hope I don't have to take drastic measures. Move on with your life and pretend Rebecca never existed. Do you understand?"

Johnny recognized that voice. It was Manager Kim.

"Wait, I can't accept that. I really need to talk to her."

"You've done enough," Kim snapped. "She doesn't want to speak to you. Understand that and give it up."

The line went dead.

Johnny stood there, the weight of her words sinking in. Maybe Kim was right. Yuri had every reason to feel frustrated, maybe even betrayed. She had believed him when he'd confused her with Sea, only to later learn it was all a misunderstanding. That realization alone likely crushed any faith she had in him. Right now, she needed distance, time to process the mess before it consumed her entirely.

Sighing, Johnny punched in the code to the door and stepped inside. Nostalgia hit him immediately. The air was crisp and familiar, stirring memories he thought he'd buried. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he glanced around, seeing the house unchanged.

For a moment, he was a teenager again—moody, solitary, yet surrounded by friends who tried to pull him out of his shell.

"Johnny, what a surprise!"

He turned to see Jinyoung, his mother's housekeeper, greeting him warmly.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Johnny replied with a smile. "I missed this place."

"Come in, come in. I'll make some tea and honey biscuits," she said, ushering him inside.

Johnny slipped off his shoes and donned the guest slippers before following her down the hall to the living room.

"I'll let Mrs. Seo know you're here. She's upstairs handling business, but she'll be down shortly," Jinyoung said with a kind smile.

"Hey, what's with all the formalities? You used to sneak me spoonfuls of peanut butter eight years ago."

"Ah, dear Johnny," she said, her smile unwavering but her grip tightening on his shoulders. "Always speaking without thinking."

Her sunny demeanor hid a sharp edge as she added, "But remember what I taught you—loose lips sink ships."

"Ah, ah, ow!" Johnny laughed, though her grip genuinely hurt.

Left alone in the living room, Johnny scanned the space, his gaze wandering over familiar corners.

"Nothing's changed here, huh?" he murmured, a small smile forming.

"Johnny?"

He turned to see his mother rushing down the stairs to meet him.

For a moment, both stood still, their eyes meeting. Unspoken emotions filled the air—nostalgia, tension, and something neither expected: warmth.

Johnny's chest felt tight, but for once, it wasn't from anger or resentment. It was something softer, something he hadn't realized he craved.

"Hi, Mom." Johnny waved awkwardly.

It took a few minutes for them to feel comfortable again, sitting across from each other on the sofas, before they started talking.

"I came to tell you that I'm ready."

"You've decided what you want?"

"Yes. All I want now is some clarity. I've learned one side of the story, but I want to know the rest. I'm not a child anymore, and even if I were, I've been through too much to not know I can handle anything now. I'm tired of being lied to, so tell me what happened, and don't hide anything from me."

She took a sip of tea and looked at Johnny, somewhat apprehensive, but the cold weight of her gaze remained unchanged. He was certain that this was the signature look of his mother.

"Your father received many offers once the family business took off. One of them was a merger between the airports and one of the Collins family's shopping centers. There was nothing wrong with accepting it, but they weren't doing well financially, and signing a contract with them would bind us to pay half of a debt that wasn't even ours. Clearly, the Collins didn't take 'no' for an answer." She sighed. "As you must have noticed back then, your father was always very busy. He missed parent-teacher meetings, forgot my birthday..." She regained her composure. "He distanced himself from us to keep up with work."

Johnny continued to gaze at his mother's sad eyes.

"Then I got a job offer here, in Korea. It was a good salary, and I could do what I've always wanted to do and studied for. Your father didn't hesitate to support me. He was genuinely happy for me, but I would have to leave you both for a few months. I made plans, bought this house, I wanted us to be a family again. But everything fell apart one night—the company party."

Johnny didn't need her to elaborate. He knew exactly what she meant. The damned lover.

"I was so busy feeling sorry for myself, for my marriage, that I fell for that man's charms. For a long time, I forgot how you might have been feeling, but that night, I remembered you." A tear slipped down her cheek, and she gently wiped it away. "I felt dirty, so I went back to your father's house. I couldn't live without you two. I was determined to fix my marriage and be a better mother. But..."

She paused for a moment to compose herself.

"But when your father told me the Collins were plotting against us, I started to doubt that my affair had been an accident. Son, I know you did your best to hide it from us, but your father and I always knew you were dating that girl. But after I found out you were pregnant, that man would disappear from my life once he found out, that the Collins had paid him to destroy the trust between your father and me... That their daughter was willing to seduce you so you'd make the mistake of marrying her one day, and the company would be divided... I couldn't stay calm." Tears were now falling freely. "Forgive me, son, I lost control, and I didn't think about you for a second... I lied to myself, convincing myself that my actions were to protect you, but everything I did was just me venting my anger and frustration for being deceived and hurting your father. I thought keeping you and Jinwoo away from the cameras was the best way to protect you from suffering, but in reality, I was sparing myself the pain of facing the consequences of what I had done."

Johnny stood up and sat beside his mother to comfort her. He hugged her affectionately, rubbing her shoulder gently, trying to offer solace.

"I don't deserve it... But I hope someday you can forgive me... I really love you, my boy, my son."

As painful as the whole story was, Johnny's heart felt at peace. A huge weight lifted off his shoulders, and he could breathe freely.

"Thank you for being honest..." he smiled. "I'm proud that you're my mom."

That was the breaking point. The woman sobbed in her son's arms. His words made her happy—truly happy. Finally, they felt like a family again.

"I'm willing to try to forgive you. It may take time, but we'll start over. All of us."

"Thank you... Thank you...!"

Once the woman calmed down, and Johnny could talk to her about many things—his future, the girl he wanted to make amends with, his brother, and his job—he finally stretched.

"Are you sure this is really what you want?" she asked. "You don't have to..."

"No, I want to." He smiled playfully. "It'll be good for me."

They both smiled at each other.

"Then! I need to sort a few things out first and organize everything. Don't forget to go to the apartment, okay?"

After the farewell, Johnny returned to his car. He gathered his courage, and before he could regret it or lose his resolve, he recorded that message for Yuri. Although he knew he wouldn't get a response, he waited, hoping she would reply. He begged for her to respond. But nothing came.

Back at the Jung mansion, Johnny thanked Jaehyun for the favor.

"So, is that job at your dad's resort still available?"

"You can count on it. Just wait a few more months, and it'll be all set."

"Great... Thanks." Johnny lightly tapped Jaehyun on the shoulder. "No matter what happened, everything will be okay now."

"That's the spirit." Jaehyun flashed a wide smile. "But keep acting like this, and I'll tie you up right here to make sure you don't disappear like Yuta did."

"He's gonna be pissed if he finds out you're even using him for stuff like this." Johnny laughed. "But yeah... Can I stay for dinner?"

"Is that even a question?" Jaehyun threw his arm around Johnny's shoulders. "Did I tell you my dad's been on this kick of hiring a chef to cook our dinners now?"

"I'd say I hate you for being this rich, but you know, I'm gonna eat too, so I'll just say... I'm in."

Johnny enjoyed every moment with his friend that night. He felt complete seeing the joy on his brother's face, and Jaehyun seemed more cheerful with Bogum and their dad gathered, even though it took Gayeon a while to get him to call. It was a great dinner, and Johnny would have even stayed the night, but he had plans to carry out. Jaehyun wasn't thrilled about it, but he supported his friend and promised to visit often so Johnny wouldn't feel as alone as he had before.

As the night deepened into the early morning, Yuri finally had time to rest. She was exhausted after so many photoshoots and interviews, so she fell asleep on her way back to her apartment.

After a long bath, she threw herself onto her bed with a tired sigh. She finally checked her phone.

"A voice message..." Her heart ached as she saw the notification.

The moment she pressed the button, Yuri shivered, and her sleep was disturbed.

"I know you don't want to talk to me, so don't reply if you don't want to. I promise this will be my last message... Our story might not have started in the most beautiful way, or how it should have been, but even so, I want to give you my heart... In a world full of beautiful girls, you're the star that shines the brightest. I wish you were mine... I'm sorry for the wounds of the past. It might seem selfish, but I ask that you understand, since you're my great love. I hope you find someone who loves you more than I do and that you'll be happy."

In a hurry, not caring that she was in her pajamas, Yuri rushed up the stairs of the building with her heart racing. She rang the doorbell repeatedly, wanting to see him, wanting to hug him, wanting to tell him she didn't want anyone else. She wanted him.

But he didn't open the door.