The cold air inside the Seo estate was stifling, tense, and heavy with the weight of unspoken words.
Hara stood in the center of the grand sitting room, her fists clenched at her sides, her jaw trembling with barely contained rage. The chandeliers above cast a dim glow, but it couldn't hide the fury burning in her eyes.
Madam Seo sat on the velvet armchair, poised with her usual elegance—until Hara's voice broke the silence like shattered glass.
"How could you?" Hara couldn't hold her anger . "How could you lie to me my entire life?"
Madam Seo flinched but said nothing.
"You let me hate her. You let me humiliate her—my own sister!" Hara's voice cracked. "You let me become your pawn. Was any of it real? Was I ever really your daughter?"
"Hara…" Madam Seo stood slowly, arms outstretched. "Please… I did what I had to. You were just a baby—fragile, scared. I raised you as my own. I cared about you —"
"You used me," Hara snapped, taking a step back. "You used my pain, my confusion… and you molded me into your weapon."
Tears streamed down Madam Seo's face as she tried to approach. "I'm sorry. I truly am. I made mistakes, but I—"
"Stop pretending!" Hara shouted. "You're not sorry. You're just scared you've lost."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Madam Seo's expression twisted.
The tears vanished.
And she laughed—a cruel, hollow sound that echoed through the room.
"You stupid girl," she sneered. "So easily fooled by your sister's crocodile tears. You really think she's the victim in all this?"
Hara's breath caught.
"I should've known you'd break the moment things didn't go your way," Madam Seo hissed. "You let her win, Hara. You did this."
Then, without warning, she slapped Hara across the face.
The sharp sound echoed like a whip crack.
Hara stumbled slightly, stunned. But then slowly, she straightened—eyes glistening with both hurt and fire.
"You hit me?" she whispered.
"Because you're a fool," Madam Seo snapped. "You betrayed me."
A chilling silence settled between them.
But then, Hara smiled—a bitter, knowing smile. "You're right. I did let her win… because I forgot who I was fighting for."
Madam Seo narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"
"My sister's fight is mine now," Hara said quietly. "This isn't just about you and her. It's about me and her. Twin against twin. And I'll face her—not for you, but for myself."
"You'll regret this, Hara," Madam Seo warned. "She will destroy you."
"No," Hara said. "She already saved me—from you."
Madam Seo's face contorted in fury, but Hara wasn't finished.
"I'm done playing your puppet," she said, stepping back. "I'm cutting ties. I don't want your money. Your power. Your schemes. You raised me, yes—and I'm grateful. But I'm not someone you can control. Not anymore."
She turned to walk away, but paused at the door.
"And I don't need your help to get what's rightfully mine. I'll fight for it on my own terms. Not as your shadow—but as Seo Hara."
She walked out, heels echoing against the marble floor.
Madam Seo stared at the door long after it closed.
Then, slowly, she sank to her knees.
Tears streamed down her face—not of sorrow, but frustration. She clenched her fists, her carefully manicured nails digging into her palms.
"All my efforts… all my sacrifices…" she whispered.
She looked up at the grand portrait hanging on the wall—one of her and Hara from years ago. A happy lie, framed in gold.
"She was my only chance…" she choked out.
Then her voice hardened.
"No. I'm not finished. I won't give up now."
Her eyes blazed with renewed fury as she whispered to herself:
"If I can't control the pieces, I'll destroy the board."