Chapter 2 - The Photograph That Should Not Exist
Claire Han stared at the photograph inside the envelope.
For several seconds, her mind refused to understand what her eyes were seeing.
The picture was old.
Not damaged.
Not blurry.
Just old enough to make no sense.
It showed Adrian.
Not the Adrian everyone knew.
Not the billionaire businessman standing beside her at charity events.
Not the man wearing custom suits and speaking to thousands of employees.
This Adrian looked younger.
Maybe twenty-five.
He was standing outside a small building somewhere in the countryside.
But he was not alone.
A woman stood beside him.
Claire recognized her immediately.
Her fingers tightened around the photograph.
Because that woman was supposed to be dead.
Claire looked around the empty hospital hallway.
The sound of machines echoed from Adrian’s room.
Her husband was fighting for his life.
And now she was holding proof that the man she married had been hiding something much bigger than a business secret.
The woman in the photograph was named Evelyn Park.
Adrian’s older sister.
The woman who disappeared eight years ago.
The woman everyone believed had died.
Including Adrian.
At least, that was what he told her.
Claire remembered the first time Adrian mentioned Evelyn.
They had been together for almost a year.
They were sitting in his apartment after dinner.
Claire had noticed an old framed photograph on his desk.
A young man.
A young woman.
A family that looked happy.
She asked him about it.
Adrian had gone silent.
Then he removed the picture and placed it face down.
"My sister."
Claire remembered his voice.
Not angry.
Not sad.
Something worse.
Empty.
"What happened to her?" Claire asked.
Adrian stared out the window.
"She disappeared."
"Do you think she is alive?"
He had paused for a long time.
Then he answered:
"No."
Claire never asked again.
Because she understood there were wounds people did not want opened.
But now...
The impossible had returned.
Claire looked closer at the photograph.
There was writing on the back.
A handwritten message.
She turned it over.
Only one sentence was written.
"Adrian never told you why I disappeared."
Claire felt cold.
Not because she was scared.
Because she was realizing something.
Someone had planned this perfectly.
The attack.
The memory chip.
The envelope.
The photograph.
Everything had been designed to lead her here.
But why?
A sound came from behind her.
Claire quickly turned.
Daniel Park was standing at the end of the hallway.
Watching her.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Daniel slowly walked closer.
"Where did you get that?"
Claire folded the photograph.
"You tell me."
Daniel stopped.
His expression changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
Claire noticed.
"You know this photo."
Daniel looked away.
"Claire, you don't understand what you're involved in."
She almost laughed.
Her husband had just been shot at his own wedding.
Someone had tried to kill him in front of four hundred people.
And now his brother was telling her she didn't understand.
"No," Claire said quietly.
"I understand one thing."
She stepped closer.
"Everyone keeps telling me to stay away from the truth."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Because sometimes the truth destroys people."
Claire looked directly into his eyes.
"Then why are you afraid of me finding it?"
Daniel didn't answer.
That was the answer.
A nurse suddenly appeared from the emergency room.
"Mrs. Park?"
Claire turned.
"Yes?"
"The doctor wants to speak with you."
For a second, her heart stopped.
She followed the nurse immediately.
Daniel stayed behind.
But Claire saw something before she entered the room.
He pulled out his phone.
And sent a message.
To someone.
The doctor explained that Adrian had survived the surgery.
But he was still unconscious.
The bullet had missed his heart by a few centimeters.
A miracle.
That was what everyone called it.
Claire did not believe in miracles anymore.
Not after tonight.
She sat beside Adrian’s hospital bed.
His face looked peaceful.
Almost like nothing had happened.
She reached for his hand.
The same hand that had held hers during their wedding ceremony.
The same hand that had hidden a memory chip.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"You knew something was coming."
No answer.
Only the quiet sound of machines.
Claire opened her laptop.
She connected the memory chip.
A single folder appeared.
No name.
No date.
Just one word.
"Claire."
Her breathing changed.
The file was created specifically for her.
She clicked it.
Inside were dozens of documents.
Photos.
Videos.
Audio recordings.
The first video opened automatically.
Adrian appeared on screen.
He was sitting in a dark room.
He looked exhausted.
Not like a billionaire.
Like a man who had been running from something for years.
Claire covered her mouth.
Because the video was recorded three days before their wedding.
"Claire," Adrian said.
"If you are watching this, something happened."
He looked directly into the camera.
"I wanted to tell you everything before we got married."
He paused.
Then looked down.
"But I was afraid."
Claire leaned closer.
The video continued.
"The person who tried to destroy my family eight years ago has returned."
Claire froze.
Eight years.
The same time Evelyn disappeared.
Adrian continued.
"I thought keeping you away from this world would protect you."
He shook his head.
"I was wrong."
The video glitched.
Then another image appeared.
A document.
A list of names.
Executives.
Politicians.
Business leaders.
People Claire recognized from television.
Powerful people.
Then Adrian said something that made her stop breathing.
"The person who ordered my sister's disappearance is someone who will be standing beside us at our wedding."
The video ended.
Claire stared at the black screen.
Someone at the wedding.
Someone close enough to attend.
Someone close enough to watch Adrian fall.
She slowly closed the laptop.
Then she looked at the guest list from the wedding saved on her phone.
Four hundred names.
Four hundred possible suspects.
But one name stood out.
A name Adrian had never mentioned.
A name that appeared beside his family table.
Claire zoomed in.
Her eyes narrowed.
Because the person sitting beside Adrian’s family during the wedding was not a stranger.
It was someone Adrian had introduced as an old family friend.
Someone Claire had shaken hands with.
Someone who had smiled at her before the gunshot.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
Unknown number.
A message appeared.
Only five words.
"Stop searching for your husband."
Claire stared at the screen.
Then another message arrived.
A photo.
Her fingers went cold.
Because the photo showed Adrian’s hospital room.
May you like
Taken from inside.
And someone was standing beside his bed...
