For weeks, Jae had been disappearing at odd hours, always with a plausible excuse.
"Emergency investor meeting," he would say, pressing a kiss to Mira's forehead before slipping out the door.
"Site inspection in Busan," he'd murmur, sending her photos of properties—never revealing they were taken months ago.
Mira noticed his odd behavior but assumed it was just pre-wedding stress. Even when his phone buzzed constantly with calls from unknown numbers, she simply handed it to him without question.
"You're working too hard," she chided one evening, massaging his tense shoulders.
Jae caught her hand and kissed her knuckles. "It'll all be worth it soon."
One crisp Saturday morning, Jae woke Mira with breakfast in bed—freshly brewed coffee, warm croissants, and a small envelope.
"What's this?" she asked, still groggy.
Jae's smile was soft. "Open it."
Inside was a plane ticket to Jeju Island for that afternoon.
Mira blinked. "A trip? Now?"
"Trust me," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
The private jet was luxurious, but Mira couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Jae was unusually quiet, his fingers tapping restlessly against his knee.
"Are you going to tell me what this is about?" she asked as the plane descended.
Jae squeezed her hand. "Soon."
A sleek black car waited for them on the tarmac. As they drove along the coastal road, Mira's breath caught at the endless stretch of turquoise water, the cliffs dotted with vibrant greenery.
Then the car turned down a private road, lined with cherry blossom trees in full bloom.
"Jae..." Mira whispered, her pulse quickening.
At the end of the road stood a breathtaking modern villa—glass walls reflecting the ocean, an infinity pool merging seamlessly with the horizon.
Jae led her up the stone pathway, his grip on her hand tight with anticipation.
"Welcome home," he said softly.
Mira's steps faltered. "What?"
"Ours," he clarified, watching her face. "I built this for us."
Mira's lips parted in shock.
The front door opened to reveal an airy, sunlit foyer, the scent of fresh wood and sea salt lingering in the air. The living room boasted floor-to-ceiling windows framing the endless ocean, the kitchen outfitted with sleek marble countertops.
Jae guided her through each room—the cozy reading nook with built-in bookshelves, the spacious bedroom with a balcony overlooking the water, the master bathroom featuring the exact freestanding tub she had once admired in a magazine.
"You... remembered," she breathed, her voice trembling.
Jae's smile was tender. "Every detail."
Mira's hands shook as she stepped into the center of their bedroom, the sheer weight of what Jae had done crashing over her.
"All this time... you were building us a home?" Her voice cracked.
Jae cupped her face, his thumbs brushing away the tears she hadn't realized were falling. "I wanted somewhere that was just ours. No expectations. No past. Just... us."
A sob tore from Mira's throat. All the years of feeling like she didn't belong, all the times she'd doubted herself, all the fear that she wasn't enough—it melted away in this moment, in this place that Jae had created for her.
She pressed her forehead against his chest, her body trembling with emotion. "I love it. I love you."
Jae held her tightly, his own voice rough with emotion. "I wanted to give you the world, Mira. But for now... I hope this is enough."
Mira pulled back, her tear-streaked face breaking into a radiant smile. "It's perfect."
---
The morning had started peacefully.
Mira sat on the terrace of their new home, sipping coffee as she watched the waves crash against the cliffs below. The villa was secluded, surrounded by lush greenery and the endless blue of the ocean—a paradise Jae had built just for them.
Her phone buzzed. An unknown number.
"Mira, it's Eun-ji."
Mira's fingers tightened around her cup.
"I'm in Jeju," Eun-ji continued, her voice deceptively light. "I thought we should talk. Alone."
Mira hesitated. "There's nothing to talk about."
"Please," Eun-ji said, a fragile note creeping into her tone. "I just... I want to apologize. Properly."
Against her better judgment, Mira agreed.
They met at a secluded cove, far from the main villas and tourist paths. The jagged rocks jutted out over the water, the tide rising steadily.
Eun-ji stood near the edge, her designer dress fluttering in the sea breeze. She looked almost ethereal—beautiful, composed, and utterly dangerous.
"You really love him, don't you?" Eun-ji mused, staring out at the horizon.
Mira kept her distance. "What do you want, Eun-ji?"
A slow smile curled on Eun-ji's lips. "I want you to understand something."
Then, in one swift motion, she grabbed Mira's wrist and yanked her forward.
Mira barely had time to react before her ankle twisted violently against the uneven rocks. A sharp crack echoed in her ears, followed by blinding pain as she lost her balance.
She screamed as she tumbled into the water, the icy shock of the waves stealing her breath. Her hands scrambled for purchase on the slippery rocks, but the current dragged her deeper.
Above her, Eun-ji stood motionless, watching.
"No one will hear you out here," she said softly. "And by the time they find you... well, accidents happen all the time in Jeju."
Then she turned and walked away.
Hours passed.
Mira's voice was raw from screaming. Her ankle throbbed, swollen and useless. The tide had risen, trapping her on a narrow ledge of rock, the water lapping hungrily at her legs.
She had tried to climb, tried to pull herself free, but every movement sent agony shooting up her leg.
The sun dipped below the horizon, plunging the cove into darkness. The air grew colder, the wind biting at her soaked clothes.
Mira slumped against the rock, her energy spent.
Jae...
She closed her eyes, tears mingling with the saltwater on her cheeks.
---
Jae had known something was wrong the moment Mira didn't return.
He had called her phone a dozen times—no answer.
By nightfall, he had mobilized a search party, his voice hoarse from shouting her name along the cliffs.
"She wouldn't just disappear!" he snarled at the local authorities, his hands shaking. "Someone took her!"
But the ocean was vast, the island full of hidden coves and treacherous paths.
And Mira was nowhere to be found.
---
Exhausted, Mira lifted her head as a faint sound carried over the waves.
A voice.
Her heart leapt.
She screamed again, her voice breaking.
"HELP! PLEASE—HELP ME!"
Silence.
Then—
A flashlight beam cut through the darkness, sweeping over the rocks.
"MIRA?!"
Jae's voice.
She sobbed in relief. "HERE! I'M HERE!"
The light found her—a tiny, shivering figure clinging to the rocks, her face pale with pain and exhaustion.
Jae didn't hesitate. He plunged into the water, fighting the current until he reached her.
"I've got you," he gasped, pulling her into his arms. "I've got you."
Mira collapsed against him, her body trembling.
"Eun-ji," she whispered. "It was Eun-ji."
Jae's grip tightened, his voice a dark promise.
"She's finished."
---
The sterile white walls of the hospital room felt suffocating.
Mira lay in bed, her ankle wrapped tightly in a cast, an IV drip feeding fluids into her veins. Bruises painted her arms and legs, and a deep cut on her forehead had been stitched closed.
The door opened, and Jae stepped inside.
His usually immaculate appearance was disheveled—his hair a mess, his clothes wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. The moment he saw her awake, his entire body sagged in relief.
"Mira," he breathed, rushing to her side.
Mira's throat tightened. She reached for him, her fingers trembling.
Jae caught her hand, pressing it to his lips. His skin was cold.
"I thought—" His voice cracked. "I thought I lost you."
Mira swallowed hard. "I'm sorry."
Jae shook his head, his grip tightening. "Don't. Don't you dare apologize."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken fear.
Then Mira spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
"She planned it."
Jae's jaw clenched. "Tell me everything."
Mira recounted the events—Eun-ji's call, the secluded cove, the way she had lured her to the edge.
"She knew exactly where to take me," Mira whispered. "Somewhere no one would hear me scream."
Jae's expression darkened with every word. By the time she finished, his knuckles were white where they gripped the bed railing.
"She wanted me to disappear," Mira said, her voice breaking. "She wanted you to think I just... left."
Jae exhaled sharply, his entire body trembling with barely restrained fury.
"I'll k*ll her."
The words were low, deadly.
Mira's fingers tightened around his. "Jae—"
"No." His voice was steel. "She doesn't get to walk away from this. Not again."
Mira didn't argue.
Because deep down, a part of her—the part that had clung to those rocks, certain she was going to die—wanted Eun-ji to pay too.
Jae leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers.
"Never again," he vowed, his voice raw. "I won't let anyone hurt you. Not ever."
Mira closed her eyes, tears slipping free.
"I know."
Outside, the first light of dawn crept through the window, painting the room in soft gold.
But neither of them noticed.
All that mattered was this—the warmth of their hands intertwined, the steady beat of their hearts, the unshakable promise between them.