The cold wind swept through the countryside as the train rumbled further from Seoul, the city of shattered illusions and buried secrets. Hena leaned her head against the window, watching the blurred landscapes speed past. Fields, mountains, small villages—it all reminded her of a time before everything turned bitter. A time when dreams were simpler.
By the time she stepped out of the station and into the familiar village path, the clouds had cleared. The air here was different—less suffocating. Her grandmother's house stood where it always had, nestled among the persimmon trees, unchanged by the chaos of the world beyond.
The old wooden gate creaked open.
"Hena?" her grandmother's voice called from the garden, eyes squinting toward the entrance.
Hena ran to her and hugged her tightly, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
"I'm back, granny" she whispered.
Her grandmother pulled back, examining her. "Your eyes… you've been through something heavy."
Hena nodded, her voice resolute. "But I'm not running anymore. No more hiding. If the world wants to know who I am, let it."
They walked inside together. The kettle began to boil as Hena looked around the kitchen that raised her. It smelled of ginger, rice, and memories. Here, she felt whole—even if the truth was just beginning to unfold.
---
Meanwhile, in Seoul...
Damian stood in his office, holding the crisp white envelope in trembling hands. The DNA results had arrived faster than expected, thanks to the private lab he had contacted. He remembered the night clearly—when he quietly switched the wine glasses at Madam Seo's estate after Hena and Hara's confrontation.
He unfolded the papers.
His eyes scanned the lines.
"99.9% match – Biological mother: Seo Eun-joo (Madam Seo)"
The air left his lungs.
So it was true.
Hena... was the real daughter.
Not just a forgotten twin. Not a mistake.
She was the daughter Madam Seo had tried to erase.
---
Later that night...
In the vast darkness of the estate, Madam Seo sat alone in her private study, the only light flickering from her antique desk lamp. A sleek tablet played a silent video on loop.
It was a recent clip. Hena, standing outside the village gate, hugging an old woman. The footage had been taken from a discreet distance.
A bitter smile curled across Madam Seo's lips.
"So…" she whispered, brushing her fingers against the screen.
"You've come back."
The shadows around her deepened.
And somewhere, deep in her chest, she had to act fastm