Page 330 of Scarbound

His fingers tightened around the glass.

Ms. Lee took a deep breath.

“I cannot tell you what to do,” Ms. Lee said at last. “And I won’t ask you to carry my son because I failed to help him carry himself.”

Noeul looked down.

A notification chimed from her phone. She glanced at it briefly before composing herself.

“Noeul, I must go.”

She stood.

Noeul followed her toward the elevator. Once she pressed the button, he met her gaze. His expression was steady.

The elevator chimed. Before entering, Ms. Lee reached into her bag.

“There’s one more thing.”

She handed him an envelope. “This belongs to you.”

Noeul frowned and opened it. His breath caught.

“My ID…” His fingers trembled. “My passport.”

Ms. Lee placed a card in his hand. “And your money. Everything Chung-Hee was holding.”

Noeul stared down at them. For several seconds, he couldn’t speak.

Ms. Lee closed his fingers around the card. “I made Chung-Hee open the safe this morning. My son had no right to keep any of this from you.”

Noeul looked at her.

“I can’t undo what happened,” she continued. “But I can return what belongs to you.”

She stepped into the elevator.

His throat tightened. “Ms. Lee…”

“Live well.”

The doors began to close.

“Goodbye, Noeul.”

“Thank you, Ms. Lee.”

The doors closed before he knew whether she had heard him. Noeul remained there, staring at the envelope in his hands. Mrs. Kang appeared quietly behind him. Noeul looked down at his passport again. Then she wrapped her arms around him. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He leaned into her embrace, closed his eyes, and held the passport tightly against his chest.

CHAPTER 67

That night, Noeul slept with a faint smile.

Three days later, everything was ready. He spent his final hours savoring the quiet routines of the apartment—the warmth of Mrs. Kang’s presence, Ji-Woo’s endless messages, the ease of being near Duri.

They had grown used to sharing a bed, though neither had crossed that last boundary. Noeul couldn’t. Not yet. And Duri never pushed.

That night, Noeul lay beside him, listening to his breathing. For a long time, he simply watched him sleep. Duri’s light brown hair had fallen across his forehead. Without thinking, Noeul reached out and carefully brushed it aside. His fingers lingered there.