"How did you find me?" Hena asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she stood near the apartment window, back turned to Damian.
The soft murmur of the city below filled the silence. Claire had left them alone, sensing the weight in the room.
Damian stepped closer but kept a respectful distance. "I asked Leo to check the party guest list. I thought you might be staying with someone you knew… and Claire was listed."
She turned to him slowly. "So you tracked me?"
"I just needed to make sure you were okay," he said, his voice gentler than she remembered it ever being. "After what happened and the fight that happened between you and Hara… the video of the fight was recorded… I had to act fast. I've already had the footage pulled from major outlets. Most of it is being scrubbed."
She looked at him, unsure whether to be grateful or suspicious. "Why are you doing this for me?"
He paused, then met her eyes. "Because you didn't deserve what happened. And because I believe you're telling the truth."
Her gaze dropped to the file he'd brought the day before. The proof that she existed. The proof that someone had buried her.
Damian's voice cut through her thoughts. "You're not alone in this anymore, Hena. Let me help you."
But Hena's response was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door.
Damian tensed. Hena peeked through the peephole, and her stomach dropped.
It was Madam Seo.
She opened the door cautiously.
"Hena," Madam Seo said coolly, her presence as commanding as ever. "May I come in?"
Damian stepped into view. "What do you want?" he asked stiffly.
Madam Seo's eyes flicked to him, then back to Hena. "Just a private word with the girl."
Hena gave Damian a slight nod, and he stepped into the kitchen, close enough to hear, but out of sight.
Madam Seo entered, pulling a small envelope from her purse.
"Take this," she said, placing it on the table. "Enough money to start over anywhere. Disappear. Forget this ever happened."
Hena stared at the envelope, her heart pounding.
"You can't erase me again," she whispered.
Madam Seo's smile didn't reach her eyes. "You don't belong in this world, Hena. You were never meant to return. I protected you by giving you up."
"No," Hena said, voice trembling. "You protected Hara… and destroyed me."
"Think of your safety," Madam Seo warned. "Think of what digging will cost you. Some secrets are buried for a reason."
Hena looked down, then back up with quiet resolve. "You're afraid. Because I know something is wrong. And I'm not going anywhere."
The older woman's expression cracked for a split second—just enough to reveal something deeper. Fear? Guilt?
She turned sharply and left without another word.
Damian reentered the room moments later, jaw clenched. "I heard it all."
Hena looked at him, her eyes full of emotion. "She was ready to buy me off… just like that."
"You're stronger than her," he said. "We'll uncover the truth—together."
---
That night, Hena sat by her window, moonlight illuminating the small bracelet she kept in her palm.
Hara.
Hena.
Two lives. One truth.
She scribbled in her notebook: "I need to know everything. Even if it means confronting my past head-on."
The next day, she visited an old hospital listed on the birth documents. It was no longer running, but records had been moved to a private archive.
Claire helped her get an appointment. Inside the dusty archive room, Hena searched for "Seo – 20 years ago."
Hours passed before she found a folder labeled "Seo, Twins – Case 1071."
Her hands shook as she opened it.
Inside: Two infant footprints. Identical.
A report stating one baby girl was in critical condition at birth.
Another note: Transferred without parental consent.
She gasped.
Before she could read further, a staff member stepped in. "Sorry, miss. You're not authorized to access this record."
Hena quickly photographed what she could and left, heart thundering.
---
Meanwhile, at the art gallery, Damian sat in his private office. He looked at an old black-and-white photo he had uncovered during his quiet investigation.
It was a newspaper clipping from 21 years ago.
"Prominent Heiress Gives Birth to Twins Amid Scandal – One Reported Stillborn"
He narrowed his eyes at the faded image of a young woman in a hospital bed—barely older than Hena now—and beside her, two tiny babies wrapped in white.
But only one survived… officially.
Damian set the photo down, deep in thought. He wasn't just dealing with a family scandal anymore. This was a cover-up. One that had stolen Hena's life and given it to Hara.
He leaned back in his chair, brows furrowed. "Why lie about one of the twins? And who was involved?"
Someone had hidden this story long ago. And now, that truth was unraveling.
---
Back at Claire's apartment, Hena stared at the photos she'd taken.
Someone had taken her as a baby. Someone had decided she didn't belong. But why?
She heard Claire's voice from the kitchen. "Hena, you okay?"
Hena nodded. "I will be. Once I know everything."
She turned back to her notes and whispered to herself:
"I'm done living in the shadows."