The sunlight was warm, the kind that should've made Hana feel safe. But safety was a luxury she no longer believed in.
She sat across from Min-Ji in the Kang family's private sunroom. The air smelled of fresh orchids. But underneath it? Something else. Unease.
Min-Ji was quiet—too quiet.
"Did you read the letter?" Hana finally asked, voice low.
Min-Ji nodded slowly. "Your mother's words were... heavy."
Hana gave a tiny smile. "She always spoke like every sentence was a contract."
"I see where you get it from."
Min-Ji's hand brushed the teacup, and something in her eyes flickered. Guilt? Conflict?
But it disappeared before Hana could name it.
Elsewhere in the estate, Joon-Hyuk was finishing a call.
"The moment Baek makes contact with anyone in our inner circle, I want to know," he said into the phone. "Especially the household staff. And… family."
His jaw clenched. He didn't want to suspect anyone. But the stakes were rising. And in his world? Money, power, fear—they corrupted.
He just hoped Min-Ji, of all people, wasn't one of them.
Later that evening, Hana returned to her suite.
There was a small envelope waiting for her. No name. No stamp. Just one line written on it in sharp, elegant script:
He lives in your shadow. But bleeds from your light.
Inside? A photo.
Her. At the law firm.
And the man in the background—barely noticeable—Baek's assistant.
Watching her.
Her heart thundered.
"Someone is leaking my movements…"
And just as that thought struck, her phone buzzed.
A text. From Min-Ji.
Come to the greenhouse. I need to tell you something. Come alone.
Hana walked cautiously through the glass corridors toward the greenhouse. Her heels clicked against the marble. Her hand stayed near her phone.
When she stepped inside, the scent of fresh roses filled the air.
Min-Ji stood in the center, not turning around.
"You shouldn't have come alone," she said.
Hana froze. "You asked me to."
Min-Ji turned, eyes unreadable. "And that's what worries me."
She pulled something from her coat—an envelope.
"I've been helping you behind the scenes, Hana. But Baek reached out. Threatened me. If I didn't pass information…"
Hana's blood ran cold.
"You were the leak?"
"I never gave him everything," Min-Ji said quickly. "But I had to—he has something on me. Something that could destroy everything."
Hana's voice cracked. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I wanted to protect you, not become your enemy."
But now, that line had blurred.