1. The Uneasy Calm
The final preparations for the highly publicized, strategic wedding were underway. The mansion was buzzing with staff, though Kim Taehyung had ensured maximum security detail was disguised among the florists and caterers. The Chairman felt a gnawing tension—the corporate threat was gone, but the philosophical threat remained.
Taehyung had maintained minimal contact with Choi Min-ho, the former secretary and 'Unknown Architect,' but he knew the man was watching. Min-ho hadn't created 'Eun-ji' just to protect her; he had done it to force Taehyung to make a moral choice. The wedding was the final, public validation of that choice.
While reviewing the security footage of the manor's deliveries, Taehyung noticed a discrepancy. A specialized, high-security courier had delivered a small, custom-built wooden crate containing what was labeled as "Eun-ji's special art supplies." The courier was untraceable, bearing Min-ho's distinctive operational signature.
II. The Curatorial Intervention
Taehyung intercepted the crate in his secure office before Ha-eun could see it. Inside, nestled among professional oil paints, was a single, unmarked, velvet box.
Taehyung opened the box. It didn't contain a weapon or a bomb. It contained a delicate, antique silver locket. The locket was closed, intricately engraved with the initials: B.H.
Taehyung's heart dropped. B.H.: Bae Ha-eun.
He carefully pried the locket open. Inside, there were two tiny, faded photographs. One was a picture of a smiling young Ha-eun (around 10 years old), and the other was a picture of young Kim Seok-jin, his face innocent and kind, taken long before the corporate corruption.
There was a small, folded note tucked behind the photos:
The lie is safe now, Protector. You won the battle. But the Vow must be honored, not hidden. The locket holds the beginning and the end. Choose the truth, or lose everything at the altar. – C.M.H.
The message was clear: Min-ho was not trying to hurt Ha-eun, but to force the complete truth. The locket was the ultimate trigger, holding the images of her first love and her lost self. The wedding was the stage, and the locket was the final prop.
III. The Final Moral Dilemma
Taehyung stared at the locket, his hands trembling. If he gave this to Ha-eun before the wedding, her memories—the Chairwoman's memories—would flood back. The love for Seok-jin, the trauma of the betrayal, and the realization that the man she was about to marry was her corporate rival would destroy the fragile Eun-ji persona and likely lead to the complete psychological collapse Dr. Han had warned about.
But if he hid the locket, Min-ho would certainly find a way to expose the truth during the public ceremony, turning their strategic wedding into a scene of utter public and emotional disaster.
Taehyung walked to the window, feeling the weight of the moral burden. He had promised to protect 'Eun-ji,' the innocent artist. But could he build a life on a lie, knowing the woman he truly loved was locked away, and that the person he was marrying was a protective illusion?
IV. The Choice and The Preparation
Taehyung made his decision—a strategic move born of desperate love and calculated risk.
He walked to Ha-eun's room. She was practicing her dramatic walk down the aisle, holding the miniature CEO action figure like a bouquet.
"Taehyung!" she exclaimed. "I need you to tell me a very sad joke about asset valuation to make my crying walk perfect!"
Taehyung ignored the request. He approached her, holding the silver locket.
"Eun-ji," he said, his voice husky. "Before we make this final vow, I need you to hold this. It is a symbol of my absolute promise to you. No matter what you remember, no matter what you feel, I will be here."
He gently placed the locket into her hand. Ha-eun looked at the worn silver, her eyes wide with curiosity, yet still maintaining the childish innocence. She didn't open it immediately. She just felt the cold metal.
"It feels... very important," she whispered. "Like a very old, unbreakable contract."
Taehyung had delivered the ultimate trigger, betting everything on the strength of the Eun-ji persona and the genuine affection they had developed. The wedding was no longer a trap for the conspirators; it was a psychological duel with the past, with the locket as the final weapon.
"It is," Taehyung confirmed. "Now, let's practice your dramatic, unflinching Vow."