Episode 11 of "Buried Hearts" kicks off with Jang-seon sternly rebuking Hui-cheol for initiating divorce proceedings with Eun-nam, leaving the latter bewildered and distraught. Hui-cheol, in a moment of contrition, apologizes for exploiting Jang-seon's authority during their childhood, an act that led to Dong-ju's expulsion from the rugby team. This confession only fuels Jang-seon's rage further, prompting him to physically assault Hui-cheol.
Elsewhere, Dong-ju unfolds a bombshell for Eun-nam by revealing the photograph Madame Pi bestowed upon him, accompanied by its digital counterpart retrieved from Il-do's phone. Recognizing her father as the man cradling the child, Eun-nam's revelation stuns Dong-ju, who confesses ignorance regarding the identity of the toddler. A fleeting flashback clarifies Dong-ju's realization: Eun-nam had orchestrated a blackmail scheme against Jang-seon to secure their divorce and safeguard his position at the hospital.
Returning to her familial abode, Eun-nam braces herself for the repercussions of her divorce decision. The chairman inquiries about the price she's willing to pay to remain married to Hui-cheol, only to be astonished when Eun-nam declares her readiness to surrender all her shares in exchange for a divorce.
Secretary Gong, venturing into her quarters, encounters Dong-ju to his astonishment. Displaying the photograph, he confirms that the child is indeed Seong-hyeon, urging her to keep his identity concealed. She complies and, in turn, presents Dong-ju with a book Yeo Sun-ho intended for Seong-hyeon.
Dong-ju's anger ignites when Secretary Gong exhorts him to relinquish his feelings for Eun-nam. He conveys his desire to confront everyone and uncover the truth about his father but resists for Eun-nam's sake. Sequestered in his vehicle, Dong-ju peruses the children's book bestowed by Secretary Gong and discovers a postcard adorned with Sun-ho's drawing of young Seong-hyeon. In a fit of emotion, Dong-ju rips the postcard and crumples the photograph, encapsulating his turmoil.
Eun-nam steps into the vehicle, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she mentions to him that she might recognize the child from the photograph. Her mind drifts back to a memory where Sun-ho once brought the boy home. That fateful night when her father passed away, she vividly recalls her mother sobbing to Secretary Gong, disclosing that Il-do was the culprit behind the demise of Sun-ho, the child, and the child's mother.
The chairman, sensing the gravity of the situation, summons Dong-ju inside for lunch. Dong-ju, shaken by the recent revelation, finds himself unable to share the dining table with Il-do and retreats. Seeking clarity, he inquiries Madame Pi about Il-do's whereabouts, who responds that he was seen trailing along the train tracks until he chanced upon Yeon-ju seated outside her residence, pleading for sustenance. Meanwhile, You-jin stood at the brink of despair, ready to ingest pills to end her life, until Dong-ju's intervention startled her back to reality by dragging Yeon-ju inside and insisting on food.
As Eun-nam predicted, Dong-ju's search for news reports on the car accident that claimed Sun-ho's life comes up empty. Determined to uncover the truth, he enlists the aid of Won-bae and Tae-geum. In parallel, Il-do receives a summons to Jang-seon's abode, where he is astounded to find Ji Yeong-su in the company of Jang-seon.
Dong-ju's subsequent action involves summoning Guk-hui to the chairman's clandestine vault. He confronts her about her thefts from the vault, offering assistance but only on one precondition.
The chairman, Cha, convenes a family meeting at his residence. In a bombshell revelation, he announces that Ji Seon-u is his son and his intention to wed Ji Yeong-su to integrate the boy into the family fold. Deok-hui voices her opposition but is taken aback by the unexpected silence of Guk-hui and Il-do. Eun-nam agrees to lend her support on the condition that she retrieves her Daesan shares. Young Tae-yun, his voice barely audible, expresses his dissent and exits the room, leaving a heavy silence in his wake.
Dong-ju arrives at Jang-seon's residence, where Hui-cheol's aunt, with a welcoming demeanor, offers him a cup of tea. A nostalgic flashback unfolds, depicting the aunt tenderly caring for Seong-hyeon while his birth mother snapshots this heartwarming scene. Presently, in a slip of the tongue, she inadvertently mentions Dong-ju's childhood visits to this very house. Jang-seon arrives timely, interrupting her before she could divulge further. He promptly signs the termination agreement for Eun-nam's divorce, forwarded by Chairman Cha. Addressing Dong-ju, Jang-seon coldly instructs him to accept his money and depart the country. Dong-ju, undeterred, retorts that he'll comply only when Jang-seon ceases to exist. As Dong-ju exits, Jang-seon remarks that Dong-ju surpasses his father in certain respects.
Later, Dong-ju convenes with Chairman Cha, Yeong-su, and Seon-u in the office. The chairman, with a grave tone, assigns Seon-u the task of learning the company's operations under Dong-ju's guidance. After their departure, the chairman bombshells Dong-ju by proposing his marriage to Eun-nam, emphasizing that Dong-ju must steer the company until Seon-u is capable, as his grandson-in-law.
Dong-ju then assists in organizing the inauguration gala for the new Vice Chairman, Choi Gi-hyeon. That very evening, Won-bae shares with Dong-ju a groundbreaking article about the fatal accident, revealing Il-do's presence at the scene and his sole survival. Elsewhere, Jang-seon confidently assures Il-do of Yeong-su and Seon-u's allegiance.
Concurrently, Kang Seong seeks out Il-do to apologize for sending a photograph to Deok-hui, explaining that it was captured on the day Sun-ho passed away. He refers to the woman in the picture as Gyeong-won, adding depth to the intricate web of secrets and revelations.
Dong-ju awakens from the clutches of a harrowing nightmare, his heart pounding as he urgently requests an audience with Dr. Kang I-hyeon. With a plea in his eyes, he once again seeks assistance in unraveling the mysteries of his memory. In response, Dr. Kang presents him with a video footage from their previous session, whispering a suggestion that Dong-ju might uncover the forgotten memories by adopting the innocent perspective of a child. They embark on the hypnotic journey anew, and Dong-ju's consciousness drifts back to a time when Il-do was tailing their vehicle in his own car.
A vivid flashback unfolds, depicting a truck swooping in between Il-do's and Sun-ho's cars, only to collide with the latter with a deafening crash. Sun-ho's car teeters precariously on the guardrail, suspended in a perilous ballet before the abyss. As the truck driver hands Il-do a piece of paper, revealing the shocking truth of Seong-hyeon and Sun-ho's kinship, Il-do steps away from his own steering wheel. Yet, despite Seong-hyeon's desperate cries echoing in the air, Il-do returns to his car with a cold resolve, using it as a lethal weapon to nudge Sun-ho's vehicle off its fragile perch and into the void.
As these harrowing memories resurface in Dong-ju's mind, Il-do recounts the entire incident to Kang Seong, cloaking his narrative in deceit. He claims a desire to converse with Sun-ho and Gyeong-won, yet inserts a falsehood, asserting that the truck had been the culprit behind the cars' precipitous plummet off the road, capping off an exhilarating cliffhanger in Buried Hearts Episode 11.
