...
우아한 제국
A man and a woman take revenge desperately yet elegantly after being trampled on by enormous power.
During the commemoration of Jang Chang Sung's first anniversary memorial service, Jang Gi Yun embarks on the expansion strategy for the company he inherited. This move involves E promoting the two-billion-dollar business centered around VK Media Culture Valley. At this juncture, Seo Hee Jae emerges at WJ Entertainment, sparking Gi Yun's curiosity.
Two imposing men are pursuing Hee Jae, and it's at this moment that she crosses paths E with Gi Yun. Her demeanor and conversation immediately capture Gi Yun's attention. Back at NA Entertainment, Hee Jae has personal justifications for her decision to stay and engage. The team at NA Entertainment insists on her showcasing her skills. With no hesitation, she storms into WJ Entertainment to resolve matters promptly.
Seung Pil takes a picture of Gi Yun and Hee Jae together at a bar and sends it to Jacklyn to get her infuriated. Jacklyn recognizes Hee Jae right away as she looks exactly like Ju Kyung. Woo Hyuk advises Hee Jae to stay away from Gi Yun, while Jacklyn visits Gi Yun at his office the next day and runs into Hee Jae again.
Hee Jae manages to make Hyunta the new model of Miyu Cosmetics just before Na Hee's contract renewal. Gi Yun and Jacklyn lose control when they lose the deal to NA Entertainment. Therefore, Gi Yun comes up with another plan to persuade the CEO of Miyu Cosmetics. Meanwhile, Gi Yun discovers something interesting while investigating Hee Jae's family background.
Woo Hyuk is unable to move on from his feelings for Ju Kyung, and encountering Hee Jae, who bears a striking resemblance to Ju Kyung, only adds to his confusion. During a visit to Gi Yun's house to resolve unresolved matters, Hee Jae accidentally pours wine on herself. This results in her reluctantly borrowing one of Jaclyn's dresses, only to be caught off guard by Jaclyn's sudden intrusion.
Seeing Soo A in Gi Yun's residence triggers memories of the days Hee Jae spent as Shin Ju Kyung. A decade ago, Chairman Jang held unfavorable opinions about Gi Yun and desired Ju Kyung to be his spouse, hoping she would guide him on the correct path. Faced with numerous significant blunders, Gi Yun found himself compelled to wed Ju Kyung solely to outwardly fulfill his father's desires.
After marrying Gi Yun, Ju Kyung gives birth to a daughter named Soo A and is living happily. Ju Kyung picks up Gi Yun, who has returned from a business trip abroad. Coincidentally, Seung Pil is there, and he introduces Jaclyn, who had caught Gi Yun's attention during his trip. Gi Yun finds it difficult to suppress his feelings for Jaclyn.
Seung Pil decides to get his revenge on Gi Yun for his time in prison. He plots with wealthy Jaclyn to steal Gi Yun's company. However, when Gi Yun and Jaclyn cross paths at a hotel bar, it sparks mutual interest between the two of them.
Gi Yun confronts Jaclyn during her inaugural ceremony and successfully feigns condescension to capture her attention. Meanwhile, Assemblyman Yang Hee Chan strategically attracts Jaclyn to Gi Yun's new project as part of a plan to secure Jaclyn's investment.
Upon hearing Ju Kyung's assurance that she intended to make him the next chairman and fully support him, Gi Yun had confidence in her words. However, the announcement during the commemoration event catches both Gi Yun and Ju Kyung off guard, resulting in a profound shock.
The astonishing declaration of the new chairman catches Gi Yun off guard, pushing him to rely solely on Jaclyn. To win her favor, he strategizes to fulfill her every wish, showing a willingness to cross boundaries with Ju Kyung. While attending a hotel meeting, Ju Kyung is confronted with Gi Yun and Jaclyn's shameless demeanor, placing her in an uncomfortable position.
Ju Kyung tries her best to persuade Gi Yun at the hotel where he and Jaclyn are together to come home. However, Gi Yun doesn't want to leave Jaclyn. Ju Kyung tells Hye Rim about Gi Yun's affair, but ironically, Hye Rim takes Jaclyn's side. Ju Kyung has no choice but to expose everything to Chairman Jang, causing Chairman Jang to call Gi Yun and Jaclyn to his house.
Ju Kyung tells Chairman Jang that Gi Yun had used company assets as collateral to get an immense loan. Gi Yun senses danger after getting rebuked intensely by Chairman Jang and plots to bring Ju Kyung down from her position in the company. Meanwhile, Ju Kyung falls into Gi Yun's trap and gets taken away by the police for embezzlement.
After Chairman Jang learns Ju Kyung was arrested by the police unfairly at the hands of Gi Yun, he angrily demands Gi Yun to get her released immediately. Gi Yun can't take his father's words anymore, and he decides to get rid of him by secretly giving him an overdose of his medicine. As Chairman Jang suffers in pain, Ju Kyung walks into his room.
At Chairman Jang's funeral, Ju Kyung is apprehended on allegations of murdering him. Due to Gi Yun's interference, every attorney declines to represent Ju Kyung. Adding to the adversity, Hye Rim provides false testimony, claiming she saw Ju Kyung commit the murder. Overwhelmed by shock, Ju Kyung collapses and bleeds.
Having already experienced a miscarriage, Ju Kyung now faces an impending prison term due to false murder charges. What makes it even more agonizing is her inability to be with Soo A. Gi Yun views this as a chance to pressure her into signing divorce papers, although his true motives are concealed. In the confines of prison, Ju Kyung weighs her remaining choices.
With Jaclyn now wedded to Gi Yun following Ju Kyung's imprisonment, her current objective is to eliminate Woo Hyuk. Their actions have not only snuffed out Woo Hyuk's chance to thrive as an actor but also compelled him to perform menial tasks around the office. Amidst it all, Woo Hyuk endures the humiliation, eagerly anticipating Ju Kyung's return.
Ye Kyung searches for evidence frantically to prove Ju Kyung's innocence, while Gi Yun and Jaclyn consider Yu Kyung to be a thorn in their sides. One day, Ye Kyung leaves to retrieve evidence proving Ju Kyung's innocence after receiving an anonymous text message from someone claiming to have it. But she sustains a deadly fall in a parking elevator shaft and gets rushed to the hospital.
Although Ye Kyung survives the horrible accident, she seriously injures her leg. Woo Hyuk believes the accident was not a coincidence. Meanwhile, Gi Yun and Jaclyn visit Ju Kyung in prison to tell her that Soo A can't remember her and is having a hard time because of her. Tormented by their words, Ju Kyung tries to take her life.
Ju Kyung makes the firm choice to dedicate herself to Soo A's well-being once she's released from prison. On the day of her release, she anxiously watches Soo A from a distance, as a restraining order prevents her from getting closer, and is taken aback when her daughter passes by without recognizing her. Ju Kyung is certain that Soo A is not being cared for with love.
Kim Jin-woo
Jang Ki-yoon
Han Ji-Wan
Shin Ju-kyung / Seo Hee-jae
Kang Yul
Jung Woo-hyuk
Son Sung-yoon
Jacqueline Taylor (Choi Min-ha)
Lee Sang-bo
Na Seung-phil
Nam Kyung-eup
Jang Chang-sung
Kim Seo-ra
Hong Hye-rim
Yoon Chae-na
Jang Soo-ah
Kim Mi-ra
Jung Joon-hee
Lee Mi-young
Woo Young-ran
Bang Hyung-joo
Yang Hee-chan
Kim Sol-bi
Hyunta (Yang Bit-na)