3. THE HUNT

The following morning, sunlight spilled across the marble floors of the Kim Corporation penthouse, but Ethan Kim didn't notice.

He had spent the entire night in his study, the email still open on his laptop, the photos replaying in his mind like a broken film reel.

Several times he tried to convince himself that the pictures were fake, and yet another detail betrayed him- the angle of Liana's smile, the exact shade of her lipstick, the bracelet he had bought her gleaming on her wrist while she leaned toward another man.

He had built his life on logic, not emotion. Business decisions, acquisitions, partnerships- all data, all facts. But this... this was personal.

At 7:10 a.m., his phone rang.

It was his private investigator, Lee Chan, a man who handled problems discreetly for the Kim family.

Ethan answered without preamble.

"I need you to find out where Liana Bennet was on the nights of June 8, June 14, and July 3. Quietly."

"Understood, sir."

"And, Lee- if these photos are fake, I will deal with whoever sent them. If they're real..." Ethan's voice cooled, each word sharpened by betrayal. "...then we end the wedding before it begins."

He hung up and stared out the window.

Below him, the city throbbed with energy. Somewhere in that chaos was the truth- and he would drag it into the light.

Across town, Mira waited inside a small café, her laptop open but untouched. The coffee in front of her had gone cold long ago.

She had not expected to sleep, but she'd dozed off at dawn, dreaming of her old life- Adrian's deep laughter, the way he'd brushed her hair back when she studied too long, the sound of his heartbeat when she leaned on his chest.

She woke up in tears, angry at herself for still missing him.

Now she just sat in the corner, watching the world move on like nothing had changed.

Her best friend Rina slid into the seat opposite her, dropping a paper bag of pastries.

"You look like you wrestled a thunderstorm."

"I did," Mira murmured, rubbing her eyes.

Rina frowned. "You sent it, didn't you? The photos?"

Mira hesitated, then nodded. "He deserves to know."

Rina leaned forward. "And what if it backfires? What if your sister finds out it was you?"

"She won't," Mira said softly. "I sent them from a throwaway account. He'll never trace it."

Rina studied her for a moment. "You're shaking."

"I know." Mira gave a faint, humorless laugh. "I keep telling myself I'm doing the right thing, but it feels like my heart might split into two anytime soon."

"That's because you still have one," Rina said quietly. "People like your sister don't."

Mira looked out the window, her reflection pale in the glass. "Maybe. But this isn't over. I need proof. Real proof."

"Why? You already sent the photos."

"Because she'll deny everything," Mira said. "She's smart. She'll twist it, cry, make him believe she's the victim. Unless I have something undeniable, she'll win again."

Rina sighed. "So, what...... are you going to follow her around?"

Mira didn't answer, but the flicker in her eyes was enough.

Rina groaned. "Oh no. You're serious."

"I have to show him who she really is when no one's watching."

That evening, Liana Bennet glided into an exclusive rooftop bar, her shining dress catching every light. She laughed, flipping her hair in all directions, whispering into the ear of a man twice her age.

Two tables away, hidden behind a newspaper, Mira snapped a photo with her phone.

Her heart raced- not from fear of being caught, but from the raw ache of recognition.

Liana had always been like this- performing. She was a mirror that reflected back whatever people wanted to see.

As Mira took another picture, she felt a pang of guilt. What am I becoming?

But then she remembered Adrian's voice, the softness in it when he told her she was his forever....and the image of her sister's hand in his hair.

The guilt vanished.

Across the bar, Liana's laughter rang out, loud and fake.

Mira pressed record.

Meanwhile, Ethan scrolled through the reports Lee Chan had already sent.

GPS logs. Credit card statements. Photographs.

Liana's perfect story was cracking.

June 8- dinner at a "charity consultant's" home, alone with the host until midnight.

July 3 - a luxury suite at the Crown Hotel paid for under a friend's name.

Ethan's jaw clenched. He zoomed in on one of the images- a blurry figure beside Liana. The man's face was unclear, but the bracelet on her wrist gleamed again, the one he'd given her.

"Why, Liana?" he whispered. "Why would you do this?"

He remembered the first time she'd told him she loved him. They'd been on his private island, the setting glow of the sun painting the sea gold. She had looked sincere then, eyes soft, voice trembling. 'You make me feel special.'

Now those words felt like poison.

His assistant entered the office timidly. "Sir, Miss Liana is on line one. She says you haven't called since yesterday and..."

Ethan cut him off. "Tell her I'm in meetings. All day."

He didn't trust himself to speak to her yet. Not until he knew everything.

Mira followed her sister for a few more days.

Each time she discovered something new- Liana slipping into expensive hotels, whispering to men in parking lots, accepting gifts she would later pretend came from Ethan.

By the end of the week, Mira's phone was filled with evidence, but her heart felt heavier than ever.

One night, sitting alone in her tiny apartment, she scrolled through the photos. Each one was another wound she didn't want to open, but she forced herself to keep looking.

"She'll ruin him," she whispered. "Just like she ruined me."

Her phone buzzed. A new message.

Unknown Number: "We need to talk".

Mira froze. The air around her thickened.

Another message appeared.

"If you don't want your identity exposed, meet me tomorrow, 10 a.m., Glass Garden Café".

Her pulse thundered in her ears.

Who was it? Someone had seen her? Was it Liana?

She typed back with trembling fingers. "Who are you?"

No reply.

The screen stayed black, reflecting only her wide, frightened eyes.

The next morning, Ethan stood by the windows of his office, the skyline glowing gold with sunrise.

His investigator's final message replayed in his mind.

"Sir, you were right. The photos are genuine. Your fiancée has been meeting several men under false names for months".

Ethan's hands curled into fists.

The truth was no longer hidden.

He turned his phone in his palm, opening the anonymous email again.

Whoever had sent it had known what he needed to see- no threats, no demands, just evidence.

Someone who wanted him to see the truth.

Someone who hated lies as much as he did.

Ethan murmured, "Whoever you are, we will meet soon".

The next morning, Mira sat at the Glass Garden Café, her hood pulled up, fingers gripping her coffee cup. Every time the door opened, her heart jumped.

Ten o'clock came and went. No one approached her table.

At 10:14, her phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number: "I am here".

Her breath hitched. She looked around quickly, but before she could react, someone stepped into the light of the café's entrance.

Tall. Sharp-eyed. Familiar from the countless photos online.

Ethan Kim.

Their gazes met for the first time.

Recognition flickered- not of faces, but of pain.

Mira's world tilted.

He crossed the room in long strides, like a man who already knew the answers but needed to hear them anyway.

"Mira Bennet," he said quietly, voice low but commanding. "We need to talk."