TRUST NO ONE IN SEOUL.

The words stared back at me from the tiny folded paper inside the necklace.

Everything inside my body went cold.

Not fear.

Something worse.

Recognition.

Because suddenly…

I understood my mother wasn’t trying to hide from one person.

She was hiding from an entire system.

Daniel stared at the note like it physically hurt him.

Evelyn looked deeply unsettled.

And Richard Hart?

Richard looked furious.

Not surprised.

Furious.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because that meant he already knew Seoul mattered.

I slowly lifted my eyes toward him.
“What’s in Seoul?”

Nobody answered.

The silence stretched too long.

That alone was an answer.

The detective shifted awkwardly beside us.
“Should we secure the evidence?”

Evidence.

The word sounded absurd now.

Because every piece of evidence connected directly back to the Hart family.

And somehow the police still acted like outsiders instead of participants.

Daniel stepped closer carefully.
“Sophia… give me the note.”

“No.”

His jaw tightened immediately.

Not angry.

Worried.

“I can help you.”

I almost laughed.

Three years ago I probably would’ve believed that instantly.

Now?

Now I didn’t even know if Daniel understood who he really worked for anymore.

Evelyn spoke quietly beside me.
“She was warning you.”

I looked toward her slowly.
“About who?”

Evelyn hesitated.

That hesitation terrified me.

Because Evelyn wasn’t afraid of speaking anymore.

Unless the truth was worse than silence.

Finally she whispered:
“About everyone.”

The ballroom suddenly felt much smaller.

Much darker.

Like invisible eyes had been watching us long before tonight.

A cold memory surfaced unexpectedly.

Three months ago.

The charity gala.

The night I lost the necklace temporarily.

A woman approached me near the restroom afterward.

Elegant.

Older.

Korean.

She touched the necklace briefly and smiled before walking away.

At the time it felt meaningless.

Now?

Now every memory felt dangerous.

Daniel noticed my expression instantly.
“What?”

I swallowed hard.
“Someone recognized the necklace before.”

Richard went completely still.

Daniel immediately stepped toward me.
“When?”

“At the gala.”

His face darkened instantly.

“What did she look like?”

Before I could answer—

Evelyn suddenly whispered:
“Oh no.”

We all looked toward her.

And for the first time since arriving…

Evelyn looked genuinely terrified.

Not cautious.

Not emotional.

Terrified.

Daniel noticed too.
“What?”

Evelyn stared at me carefully.
“Did she have a white scar near her wrist?”

My blood ran cold instantly.

Yes.

Tiny scar.

Barely visible.

How did Evelyn know that?

“Oh my God,” Evelyn whispered.

Daniel’s expression changed immediately.
“Who was she?”

Evelyn looked between us slowly.

Then answered with visible reluctance:

“Min Seo.”

The name meant nothing to me.

But Daniel reacted instantly.

Actually reacted.

Fear.

Pure fear.

Richard snapped immediately.
“She’s dead.”

Evelyn looked directly at him.
“That’s what they said about Sophia’s mother too.”

Silence exploded across the room.

The detective looked completely lost now.

Good.

Because finally someone else felt confused besides me.

Daniel rubbed his forehead hard.
“This isn’t possible.”

Evelyn crossed her arms tightly.
“She worked with Sophia’s mother.”

My pulse stopped.

Worked with her?

My mother wasn’t alone.

For eight years I believed she died in isolation.

Now suddenly:
there were coworkers
connections
warnings
other women
other victims

How big was this?

Daniel looked at Richard slowly.
“You told me Min Seo disappeared after the investigation.”

Richard’s expression hardened.
“She did.”

“That’s not the same thing as dead.”

Something shifted between father and son again.

Cracks widening.

And suddenly I realized something important:

Daniel had been lied to too.

Not completely.

Not innocently.

But enough.

Enough to make him dangerous to his own family now.

The detective’s phone suddenly rang.

He answered quietly.

Then visibly paled.

Bad sign.

Very bad sign.

“What happened?” Daniel asked sharply.

The detective looked directly at me.

“They tracked the anonymous call.”

My stomach tightened instantly.

“And?”

He hesitated.

Then quietly answered:

“It came from inside this hotel.”

The ballroom froze.

Everyone instinctively looked around.

Guests.

Police.

Security.

Staff.

Anyone could be watching.

Anyone could be listening.

And suddenly…

I understood why my mother wrote:

TRUST NO ONE.

Daniel stepped beside me immediately.
“We leave now.”

This time Evelyn agreed instantly.
“He’s right.”

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Because Evelyn almost never agreed with Daniel.

Which meant the danger just became real enough to unite them.

Richard looked furious now.
“You are not taking her anywhere.”

Daniel finally snapped.

Not controlled anger.

Not polished billionaire composure.

Real rage.

“For once in your life STOP trying to control everything!”

The ballroom went silent again.

Because suddenly the terrifying heir of the Hart empire no longer looked powerful.

He looked broken.

And for the first time tonight…

I realized something horrifying:

Daniel wasn’t trying to protect the Hart family anymore.

He was trying to protect me from it.