Chapter Eighteen: A Fabricated Past

The room was eerily quiet as Lisa sat, her knees pulled to her chest. The doubts Kane had sown were growing like vines, wrapping around her heart and squeezing tightly. She hated herself for even entertaining his words, but the grainy images of Taehyung in an Aegis uniform and the video replayed relentlessly in her mind.

The door hissed open, and Kane entered. This time, he carried a small, leather-bound journal. His expression was calm, almost paternal, as he approached her.

“Lisa,” he said softly, placing the journal on the table between them. “I didn’t come here to fight or manipulate you. I came to give you the truth—the truth Taehyung has been hiding from you.”

Lisa didn’t respond, her eyes flicking to the journal.

Kane sighed, sitting across from her. “I know how much you love him. I can see it in the way you defend him, in the way you hold onto hope. But love can blind us, Lisa. It can make us ignore the things we don’t want to see.”

“What is that?” Lisa asked, her voice trembling as she nodded toward the journal.

Kane pushed it closer to her. “This is a piece of Taehyung’s past. It’s not a document Aegis fabricated. It’s his own words, his own handwriting. A journal he kept during his time with us. I thought you deserved to see it.”

Lisa hesitated before reaching out, her fingers trembling as she opened the journal. The pages were filled with elegant, precise handwriting. She skimmed through them, her heart sinking as she read.

The entries painted a picture of a man torn between loyalty and ambition. They described missions, some of which were morally ambiguous at best, and moments of doubt about the organization he served. But what struck Lisa the most was a series of entries about a woman—someone named Eunha.

Lisa’s chest tightened as she read the words:

"Eunha believes in me. She sees a side of me I’ve buried for so long. With her, I feel whole, even in the darkness. But Aegis has other plans for her, and I can’t stop them. If I can’t save her, I’ll never forgive myself."

Lisa’s hands began to shake, and she looked up at Kane. “Who… who is Eunha?”

Kane’s expression was somber. “Eunha was Taehyung’s first love. She was another agent, someone who saw the good in him even when he couldn’t see it himself. They were inseparable for a time, but…” He paused, as if the memory pained him.

“But what?” Lisa demanded, her voice breaking.

Kane sighed deeply. “Eunha was captured during a mission. Taehyung tried to save her, but he failed. She was executed, Lisa. And Taehyung has carried that guilt ever since.”

Lisa shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “No. He would’ve told me. He would’ve said something.”

Kane leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers. “Would he? Or would he hide it, bury it deep because it’s too painful to face? Think about it, Lisa. How well do you really know Taehyung? How much of himself has he truly shown you?”

Lisa’s mind raced, memories of Taehyung’s guarded nature surfacing. He had always been careful with his words, deflecting questions about his past with vague answers or charming distractions.

Kane reached out, his voice soft and almost kind. “I’m not telling you this to hurt you. I’m telling you because you deserve to know the truth. Taehyung’s heart is haunted by a ghost you can’t compete with. He’s fighting for you, yes, but part of him is still fighting for her. Can you really trust someone who hasn’t let go of their past?”

Lisa pulled away, her head spinning. She didn’t want to believe him, but the journal felt too real, too raw.

Kane stood, his movements slow and deliberate. “Take your time, Lisa. Read it again if you need to. But remember, the truth doesn’t lie. It’s painful, but it’s better than living in a fantasy.”

He left her alone, the sound of the door sliding shut echoing in the empty room.

Lisa clutched the journal to her chest, tears falling freely. She wanted to believe in Taehyung, to trust the man she loved. But Kane’s words, combined with the damning evidence in the journal, were tearing her apart.

As the night wore on, Lisa sat in the dim light, her mind a battlefield of love, doubt, and despair.

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