The court's ruling had left the nation stunned: Seo Hena was declared a rightful legal heir. Madam Seo's stolen empire was collapsing under the weight of her lies. The media hailed Hena as the phoenix who had risen from the ashes of betrayal.
Later that day, Hena stepped into the grand Seo estate for the first time in decades. The air was still thick with memories, and the place felt unfamiliar. She wandered the halls until she reached a room that had once belonged to her—now dusty and untouched, like a sealed memory.
She traced a finger over the windowsill. "I'm home," she whispered, voice thick with emotion.
Damian entered behind her, quietly. "You reclaimed more than property today, Hena. You reclaimed your story."
She turned to him, smiling faintly. "Then let's start rewriting it. Together."
He pulled her into a gentle hug. "Together."
---
Meanwhile, Hara's world was crumbling fast. She sat alone in her private suite, trembling with fury. The courtroom loss. Damian's rejection. The truth about Jae-woon. And now... Min-ah.
She stood abruptly and stormed out, rage burning in her eyes. She knew where Min-ah would be—at the design studio they used to visit together.
Min-ah looked up as Hara burst in. "Hara?"
Without warning, Hara slapped her hard across the face.
"You traitor!" Hara screamed. "You told them my plans. You betrayed me!"
Min-ah touched her stinging cheek and narrowed her eyes. "I didn't betray you. I just stopped enabling a delusional psycho."
"What did you say?!"
"You heard me," Min-ah snapped. "You're obsessed with Damian like a lost puppy. You can't stand that Jae-woon doesn't love you anymore. And you think the world owes you for your heartbreak!"
"You knew what you were doing!" Hara hissed. "You made me look like a fool—again!"
Min-ah folded her arms. "You are a fool. Even after sleeping with Jae-woon, you still chased Damian like nothing happened."
"That's a lie!"
"No, it's not. You just don't want to believe it."
Hara's body trembled. "You're lying... Jae-woon said nothing happened…"
Min-ah laughed bitterly. "Of course he lied. You were drunk. I spiked your drink that night. Just a little truth serum and sedative. You don't remember because you weren't supposed to."
Hara's face went pale. "You… what?!"
"I wanted you to see how twisted your obsession had become. But you refused to learn."
In a blind rage, Hara slapped Min-ah again, then shoved her. Min-ah fell, crashing to the floor with a loud thud, clutching her arm in pain.
"Get out!" Hara shrieked. "You ruined everything!"
Min-ah sat up, breathing heavily. "I should've exposed you long ago."
"Leave now or I'll call the police," Hara spat.
Min-ah staggered to her feet. "You're not even worth it anymore."
As she limped out the door, she paused. "It's pathetic how far you've fallen, Hara."
When she was gone, Hara stood frozen, tears cascading down her face. She sank to her knees, fists clenched.
"She betrayed me... he betrayed me… everyone betrayed me."
Her screams echoed off the walls.
But as the silence settled, so did a chilling resolve.
"I won't let this ruin me," she whispered. "I'll make them all pay. My small mistake... it won't stop me. This war isn't over."
---
Back at the Seo estate, Hena and Damian sat on the balcony under a pale moonlight.
"What now?" Damian asked.
"I want to restore what my mother lost. The dignity, the name, everything Madam Seo took. But first... I need to heal."
He reached for her hand. "And you won't do it alone."
She smiled softly. "You've given me more than I ever imagined."
He leaned in. "And I'll keep doing it. As your partner, your friend… and soon, your husband."
Their hands intertwined, steady as the storm behind them raged.
---
Elsewhere in the city, Madam Seo sat alone in a dark room, her empire crumbling piece by piece. Her son had betrayed her, her daughter had walked away, and the girl she tried to erase had returned to reclaim everything.
She clutched an old photograph of Hara and Hena as babies—twins in matching dresses, unaware of the darkness ahead.
Tears slid down her cheeks. "What have I done…?"
---
Far away, Jae-woon stood at a train station, suitcase in hand. The pain in his chest was heavier than his luggage.
"She'll never forgive me," he murmured. "But I'll come back… when the time is right."
He turned, the train roaring behind him.