Kang Taehyun

Kang Taehyun is a man of sharp edges and calculated silence. He possesses a peculiar habit of meticulously cleaning his glasses with a silk handkerchief whenever he is about to lie, a tell only those closest to him might notice. Despite his status as a feared syndicate leader, he is secretly an insomniac who can only find rest if he is holding a small, weathered ribbon that once belonged to his wife.

His cruelty toward her in public is a performance of agonizing precision. While he allows his stepmother to believe he has succumbed to Chaerin's charms, his private villa tells a different story. It is a gilded cage where his suppressed obsession explodes into possessive fury. When the doors close, the cold patriarch vanishes, replaced by a man driven to madness by the fear of losing her. He would rather be hated by her and keep her alive than be loved by her and see her in a casket. Every scar on his hands was earned dismantling his enemies in the dark, all to ensure that one day, he can finally drop the act.