The sky hung heavy with storm clouds, but inside the Seo estate, the air was still, almost too still—as if the house itself were holding its breath.
Hena walked quietly through the east wing corridor, her steps light on the marble floor. Madam Seo was away at a political fundraiser, and the household staff had retired early. She had slipped in with the excuse of returning a misplaced book, but her heart led her elsewhere.
Her fingers trailed along the wall until they reached the door to Madam Seo's private study.
It was unlocked.
Hena hesitated for a heartbeat, then pushed it open. The scent of old paper and perfume enveloped her. Her eyes scanned the room—a space of cold order, expensive books untouched, photos of Hara in every stage of her life on display like museum pieces.
Her gaze fell to the large mahogany desk. She approached it, drawn not by logic but instinct.
She opened drawer after drawer—documents, family registers, nothing personal.
Then her fingers found a groove at the back of the bottom drawer.
A hidden panel.
She pressed it gently.
Click.
A smaller compartment slid open.
Inside, wrapped in soft velvet, was a delicate silver chain… and on it, a charm shaped like half a heart. The edges were jagged, clearly meant to fit another piece. The inscription read: "You are never alone."
Hena's breath caught in her throat. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a worn, faded necklace she had kept for as long as she could remember. Her half of the charm.
Trembling, she placed it beside the one in the drawer.
Click.
Perfect match.
Suddenly, the room faded. Memory surged like a wave.
---
Flashback – Years Ago
She was four. So was Hara.
They sat on their father's lap, both giggling as he tried to fasten the tiny necklaces around their necks.
"These are for you," he said softly, brushing their hair aside. "Even if we're apart, you'll always find each other."
Their mother stood behind him, her face tense. A car waited outside.
"I don't want to go," Hara cried, clinging to his arm.
"Don't worry," he whispered. "One day, you'll find your way back to each other."
He kissed their foreheads.
Then he left.
And they never saw him again.
---
Back in the present, Hena's hands shook as she stared at the twin charms. "Why… why would Madam Seo have this?"
She clutched both pieces tightly.
A whirlwind of questions surged in her mind.
If Madam Seo had this necklace, did that mean she was the one who separated them?
Or…
Was she never Hena's real mother to begin with?
A chill crawled up her spine.
"Who are you really?" she whispered aloud, staring at the necklace in her palm. "And why… did you want me gone?"
Her thoughts spiraled. Madam Seo had always treated her like a ghost—an intruder. She could understand neglect, even hatred… but the attempt to erase her? To destroy her?
Only someone hiding a deeper secret would go that far.
She placed the necklaces back into her pocket, closed the drawer carefully, and left the study as quietly as she had come.
In the hallway, a figure stood waiting.
"Miss Hena?" It was Yoo Sora, the ever-watchful assistant.
Hena froze.
"I didn't expect to see you here tonight," Sora said, her voice calm but laced with suspicion.
"I came to return a book," Hena replied, holding up a random volume she had grabbed on the way in. "Madam Seo will be furious if she loses anything."
Sora nodded slowly, her eyes unreadable. "She values things more than people. You should remember that."
Hena held her breath.
Was that… empathy?
Then Sora added quietly, "Some things are better left buried."
With that, she turned and walked down the hallway.
Hena's heart thudded in her chest. Her eyes dropped to the book in her hand. She wasn't just part of a twin switch. This was something deeper. Someone had erased her. Her identity. Her past.
And now, she wasn't sure who her enemies truly were.
---
Later That Night…
In the study, hours after Hena had gone, Madam Seo stood by the open drawer, staring at the empty velvet lining.
The necklace was gone.
She clenched the edge of the desk, her knuckles pale.
"She remembers," she whispered.
Then, turning to a hidden camera feed on her tablet, she watched footage from earlier that day—Hena placing the necklace together, her tearful reaction, the flashback etched across her face.
Madam Seo tapped the screen, zooming in on Hena's expression.
"So… you've come back," she whispered coldly. "But this time, you won't leave on your own."