**Kael's POV**
I didn't want to open the door.
Every instinct screamed at me to ignore it. To stay in bed with Sunshine. To pretend the knocking wasn't happening.
But it didn't stop.
BANG BANG BANG.
"Kael! Please! Open the door! It's urgent!"
Sunshine sat up, clutching the sheet. "Who is that?"
I recognized that voice. Even though I hadn't heard it in a year.
Hana.
"Kael?" Sunshine touched my arm. "Who is it?"
The knocking intensified.
"Kael, please! I know it's late but you need to hear this! It's about an article!"
My blood froze.
"Stay here," I told Sunshine.
"Who—"
"Just stay here."
I pulled on my pants and headed downstairs, heart pounding.
I opened the door.
Hana stood there in a Burberry coat over silk pajamas, hair perfectly styled despite the hour, Louis Vuitton bag clutched in manicured hands. Even in crisis, she looked like money.
"Hana. What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk. Right now." Her voice was urgent. "Please, I know you blocked me. I know you don't want to see me. But this is important."
"It's 3 AM."
"I know! I've been trying to reach you all night! I sent messages but they didn't go through and I realized you must have blocked my number so I drove here—"
She stopped when she saw Sunshine on the stairs.
Her expression shifted. Cooled.
"Oh. You have staff here. At this hour."
The way she said staff. Like Sunshine was the cleaning lady.
Sunshine came down, wrapped in my shirt. "I'm Sunshine."
Hana barely glanced at her. "Kael, I really need to speak with you. Privately. This concerns your career. Your family. Not really appropriate for—"
"Anything you have to say, you can say in front of her," I said.
Hana's jaw tightened. "Very well. Can I at least come in?"
I stepped aside.
We moved to the living room. Hana sat on the couch, posture perfect. Sunshine and I sat across from her.
Hana pulled out her phone.
"You have five hours. Maybe less."
"Five hours until what?"
"Until an article publishes that will destroy everything. Your career. Your father's company. Everything."
"How do you know this?"
She hesitated.
"Because the journalist writing it is—was—someone I was involved with. Lee Ji-won."
"You're dating a journalist?"
"Past tense. I was in Paris this past year, as you know. We met online four months ago. He said he was a writer working on Korean entertainment culture. We talked. He visited me three times. Then two weeks ago, I came back to Korea and discovered what he really is."
"Which is?"
"A hired weapon. Zenith Entertainment is paying him. CEO Hwang Min-seok hired him to investigate you. To dig up everything about Min-ho. To find proof of your father's corruption."
My stomach dropped.
"What?"
"I broke it off immediately. Told him we were done. But tonight he showed up at my apartment begging me to take him back."
She looked down at her phone.
"His phone rang. He stepped outside to take the call. I listened from the door."
She swallowed.
"And I recorded it."
She pressed play.
A man's voice filled the room.
"—the article goes live at 8 AM sharp. Everything ready?"
Ji-won's voice answered.
"Yes sir. Evidence about the Min-ho case, payments to investigators, and documents linking the Kim family to the cover-up."
"And the timing?"
"Perfect. The scandal breaks before his world tour. KDX's stock crashes."
A pause.
"You'll be able to acquire them for nothing."
Another voice spoke again, calm and cold.
"The Kim family has controlled this industry long enough. It's time for new management."
The recording ended.
Hana stopped the audio.
Silence filled the room.
"When was this?" I asked.
"Two hours ago. I've been trying to figure out how to tell you. I sent you messages but they didn't deliver. Then I remembered—you blocked me. A year ago. After—"
She stopped.
"After I left."
"You didn't leave. I blocked you because I was having episodes. I couldn't—I wasn't—"
"I know. Your BPD. I understand now. But at the time I was hurt. Confused. I went to Paris to get away from it all."
She looked at me again.
"And now I'm back and this is happening and I needed to warn you."
Sunshine finally spoke.
"She's your ex?"
I nodded.
"I'm sorry," I said quietly. "I never mentioned her."
Sunshine didn't respond.
I looked back at Hana.
"Why are you telling me this?" I asked. "We broke up a year ago. You could have just let this happen."
"Because despite how things ended, I don't want to see you destroyed. And what Zenith is doing isn't about justice. It's corporate warfare."
She leaned forward.
"They're using Ji-won. Using the Min-ho tragedy. Using your father's mistakes. All to make money."
Sunshine leaned forward.
"And what do you want in return for this information?"
Hana's eyes flashed with irritation. She looked at Sunshine for the first time—really looked at her.
"I'm sorry, who are you exactly?"
"I'm Kael's assistant."
"His assistant." Hana's tone made it sound like the help. "I see. Well, assistant, I don't want anything except to help prevent a catastrophe."
"How convenient."
"Excuse me?"
"You show up at 3 AM with a convenient recording. You just happen to be dating the journalist. You just happen to overhear—"
"I think what Sunshine is trying to say," I interrupted, "is that the timing seems suspicious."
"Suspicious?" Hana's voice rose. "I walked away from a man I was falling for because I found out he's being paid to destroy you! I risked my safety recording that conversation! I drove here in the middle of the night to warn you! And you think I'm suspicious?"
"We don't know you," Sunshine said quietly. "We don't know your motives."
Hana stood up.
"Fine. You want motives? Here's my motive: I still care about Kael. Even after everything. Even after he blocked me and disappeared from my life."
She inhaled slowly.
"I came back to Korea two weeks ago hoping maybe—"
She stopped herself.
"But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that article."
She grabbed her bag.
"If you don't believe me, don't do anything. Wait for 8 AM. Watch your career burn. I tried."
"Wait."
I stood.
"I believe you."
"Kael—" Sunshine started.
"The recording is real. I can hear it. And it makes sense. Zenith has wanted to take down KDX for years."
I looked at Hana.
"What do you think we should do?"
"Sue them," she said immediately. "Sue Zenith for corporate espionage. Sue Ji-won for invasion of privacy. Get an injunction to stop the article. Fight back legally."
"No," Sunshine said.
"You should get ahead of it. Confess everything before they can. Hold a press conference. Tell the truth. Take away their power."
"That's career suicide!" Hana said.
"Staying silent is career suicide," Sunshine countered.
They both looked at me.
I ran my hands through my hair.
"I don't know. I can't think clearly. This is too much."
My phone buzzed.
Director Han:
Kael, I just received a tip about an article scheduled for 8 AM. About your father. About Min-ho. Call me immediately.
I showed them.
"Director Han knows."
"Then you need to meet with her," Hana said. "With your legal team."
Before I could respond, my phone rang.
Director Han.
"Kael, I just got a tip from my contact in the media. There's an article scheduled for 8 AM. Corporate corruption. We need to meet."
"How early?"
"6 AM. My office at KDX. I'm bringing Attorney Kim and the crisis team."
"I understand."
"And Kael? Don't do anything until we meet. No statements. No calls to your father. No social media."
"Understood."
"Who else knows about this?"
I glanced at Hana.
Then at Sunshine in the kitchen.
"Just the people in this room."
"Bring Hana to the meeting. We need to hear everything she knows."
The call ended.
I looked at them.
"Director Han wants to meet at 6 AM."
"Good," Hana said. "That gives us time to think."
"What are you going to do?" Sunshine asked.
"I don't know."
"You have three options," Hana said, raising her fingers.
"One: confess before the article publishes."
She lifted another finger.
"Two: fight back legally."
"My uncle is on the Financial Services Commission board. Deputy Director Seo Dong-hyun. He has power. He could delay publication."
I stared at her.
"Your uncle is Deputy Director Seo?"
"Yes."
"And option three?"
"Wait for the article and respond afterward."
She shook her head.
"But that's the weakest option."
I looked at Sunshine.
"What do you think?"
"I think you should confess," she said quietly.
"Tell the truth before they force you to."
"People might forgive honesty."
"They won't forgive being lied to twice."
Hana laughed sharply.
"That's naive."
"It's honest," Sunshine replied.
"Maybe we need less strategy and more integrity."
Hana folded her arms.
"This isn't a fairytale. This is business. Politics. Power."
"You don't win by being honest."
"You win by being smarter than your enemies."
"And you don't think honesty can be smart?" Sunshine asked.
"I think honesty is a luxury Kael can't afford right now."
They stared at each other.
The tension crackled in the room.
I pressed my hands to my face.
"I can't think."
"This is too much."
"You don't have to decide tonight," Hana said gently.
"That's why you're meeting with Director Han."
I looked at her.
"Can you come to the meeting?"
"Of course."
She picked up her bag.
"I'll see you at 6 AM."
Then she left.
I stood alone in the living room.
3:45 AM.
In two hours and fifteen minutes, I'd be sitting in a conference room at KDX Entertainment surrounded by lawyers and crisis managers deciding the fate of my career.
My father's company.
My entire future.
And I had no idea which choice would save me.
Or if any of them would.
---
END OF CHAPTER 18