The ink on the marriage certificate was barely dry when Jungkook handed Y/N a slim, matte-black card. It felt heavy, a physical manifestation of the power he had just handed her.
"What is this?" Y/N asked, looking at the "Jeon" insignia embossed in gold.
"Your weapon," Jungkook replied, adjusting his cufflinks. "Your cousin is attending the Starlet Charity Gala tonight. She's planning to debut as the new face of your family's brand. You're going to show up and remind everyone who the real heiress is."
"But I have nothing to wear," she whispered, glancing at the borrowed bathrobe.
Jungkook's eyes swept over her, a brief flash of something unreadable passing through them. "My stylists are already in the next room. Spend as much as you want. Buy the store. Buy the whole street if it makes you smile. From today on, the word 'budget' doesn't exist for you."
Two hours later, Y/N emerged. She was wearing a floor-length emerald silk gown that clung to her curves, her hair styled in elegant waves. She looked like royalty.
Jungkook was waiting by the door. He stopped mid-sentence on a phone call when he saw her. He slowly lowered his phone, his gaze intense.
"Does it look okay?" she asked nervously.
Jungkook walked toward her, his footsteps echoing in the marble hallway. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace—a teardrop emerald surrounded by rare black diamonds. He stepped behind her, his fingers brushing the back of her neck as he fastened the clasp. The contact sent a shiver down her spine.
"It looks perfect," he murmured near her ear. "But remember, the jewelry isn't the most expensive thing you're wearing tonight."
She looked at him in the mirror, confused.
"You're wearing the Jeon name," he said, his hands resting on her shoulders. "Go in there and hold your head high. If anyone dares to look down on you, just tell me. I'll make sure they never have a career to look up to again."
### Chapter 4: The Gala Crashers
The Starlet Charity Gala was teeming with reporters and the elite of Seoul. Min-ah, Y/N's cousin, was center stage, draped in white lace and acting the part of the grieving relative.
"It's so tragic," Min-ah told a circle of reporters, dabbing at fake tears. "My poor cousin Y/N had a mental breakdown after the stress of the engagement. We're doing everything we can to find her."
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the ballroom swung open.
The room went silent. Y/N walked in, her emerald dress shimmering under the chandeliers. She didn't look like someone having a breakdown; she looked like a queen returning to her throne.
Min-ah's face went pale. "Y-Y/N? What are you doing here? Security—"
"Security isn't going to help you tonight, Min-ah," Y/N said, her voice calm and cold.
"You're trespassing!" Han-jun, her ex-fiancé, stepped forward, trying to look authoritative. "Leave now before you embarrass yourself further."
He reached out to grab Y/N's arm, but before he could touch her, a gloved hand caught his wrist in a vice-like grip.
Jungkook stepped out from the shadows behind Y/N. The air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jungkook said, his voice a low, dangerous growl. He squeezed Han-jun's wrist until the man winced in pain.
"Mr... Mr. Jeon?" Han-jun stammered, his bravado vanishing instantly. "This is a family matter. This woman is—"
"This woman is my guest," Jungkook interrupted, releasing Han-jun's arm with a look of pure disgust. "And more importantly, she is someone you will never speak to again. Unless, of course, you want the Jeon Group to pull its funding from your father's textile plants by tomorrow morning."
The entire room gasped. The power dynamic shifted in a heartbeat.
Jungkook turned to Y/N, his expression softening just a fraction—a look reserved only for her. He offered his arm.
"Did you want to say something to your cousin, baby?" he asked, the endearment sounding like a sweet threat to everyone else in the room.
Y/N looked at Min-ah's trembling form. She leaned in close, whispering just loud enough for the nearby reporters to hear.
"Keep the dress, Min-ah. You're going to need it when you're begging for a job. Because as of tonight, I'm taking back everything that belongs to me."
As Y/N walked away on Jungkook's arm, she felt his hand tighten protectively on hers. For the first time, she wasn't just surviving—she was winning.