THE PHILIPPINE CONNECTION”
1935 Words
EPISODE 17 — “THE PHILIPPINE CONNECTION”
---
— ARRIVAL IN MANILA
— NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
The automatic doors open.
Marian steps outside with her luggage.
She takes a deep breath.
MARIAN:
“Home.”
Dong-wook looks around.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“So this is Manila.”
MARIAN:
“Yes.”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“It's warmer than Seoul.”
Marian laughs.
MARIAN:
“You're complaining already?”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“No. I'm just trying to survive.”
Jae-ho walks past them carrying several bags.
JAE-HO:
“He's been complaining since we landed.”
Dong-wook looks at him.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“You're carrying my luggage.”
JAE-HO:
“Exactly.”
Marian laughs.
---
— THE FAMILY HOUSE
They arrive at Marian's old family home.
The house is surrounded by trees.
Marian stops at the gate.
She suddenly becomes quiet.
Dong-wook notices.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Are you okay?”
MARIAN:
“This is where I grew up.”
She looks at the house.
MARIAN:
“My grandfather taught me martial arts here.”
Dong-wook smiles.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Then I want to see where you became so dangerous.”
Marian raises an eyebrow.
MARIAN:
“Dangerous?”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Beautifully dangerous.”
She smiles.
MARIAN:
“Nice save.”
---
— THE OLD TRAINING ROOM
Marian enters the training room.
Her grandfather's old wooden practice weapons are still there.
She touches one.
A memory appears.
FLASHBACK
Young Marian is practicing.
Her grandfather watches.
GRANDFATHER:
“Again.”
Young Marian strikes.
GRANDFATHER:
“Again.”
She strikes harder.
YOUNG MARIAN:
“I'm tired.”
Her grandfather smiles.
GRANDFATHER:
“Then learn to fight while tired.”
Young Marian rolls her eyes.
YOUNG MARIAN:
“Grandpa, you're too strict.”
GRANDFATHER:
“Someday you'll thank me.”
---
— THE HIDDEN MESSAGE
Marian opens an old wooden cabinet.
A small envelope falls.
She picks it up.
Written:
> FOR MARIAN — WHEN YOU RETURN HOME
She looks at Dong-wook.
MARIAN:
“Another letter.”
Dong-wook sighs.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Your family really likes dramatic letters.”
She laughs.
MARIAN:
“Apparently.”
---
— GRANDPA'S SECRET
Marian opens it.
Her grandfather's voice begins from an old recording.
GRANDFATHER:
“If you're hearing this, then the Black Orchid has found you.”
Marian's smile disappears.
GRANDFATHER:
“I hoped you would never discover the truth.”
She looks at Hye-rin.
GRANDFATHER:
“I wasn't simply a martial arts teacher.”
Marian whispers:
MARIAN:
“I knew it.”
---
— THE FIRST BLACK ORCHID
The recording continues.
GRANDFATHER:
“The Black Orchid began here in the Philippines.”
Marian looks shocked.
GRANDFATHER:
“It was created to protect innocent people from criminals who controlled entire networks.”
Dong-wook listens carefully.
GRANDFATHER:
“But power corrupted the organization.”
He pauses.
GRANDFATHER:
“And I became its leader.”
Marian's eyes widen.
MARIAN:
“Grandpa...”
---
— THE NAME
The recording reveals his old name.
GRANDFATHER:
“They called me…”
A pause.
GRANDFATHER:
“The Dragon of Manila.”
Jae-ho looks stunned.
JAE-HO:
“The Dragon of Manila?”
He turns to Hye-rin.
JAE-HO:
“That's a legend.”
Hye-rin nods.
HYE-RIN:
“He was more than a legend.”
---
— DONG-WOOK'S SURPRISE
Dong-wook looks at Marian.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“So your grandfather was basically a crime boss?”
Marian looks at him.
MARIAN:
“Don't say it like that.”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“How should I say it?”
MARIAN:
“He was complicated.”
Jae-ho interrupts.
JAE-HO:
“That's a very polite way of saying crime boss.”
Marian glares at him.
JAE-HO:
“Sorry.”
---
— THE SECOND RECORDING
Marian presses another button.
Her grandfather appears again.
GRANDFATHER:
“I eventually realized the organization could no longer be controlled.”
MARIAN:
“So he tried to destroy it.”
Hye-rin nods.
HYE-RIN:
“Yes.”
The recording continues.
GRANDFATHER:
“I created the second generation to protect my family.”
Marian looks confused.
MARIAN:
“Second generation?”
The screen changes.
A photograph appears.
Young Hye-rin.
Young Seo-yeon.
Young Lee Jae-hyun.
And Marian's grandfather.
---
— THE FOUR FOUNDERS
Dong-wook steps closer.
He recognizes his father.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“My father.”
Marian nods.
The recording continues.
GRANDFATHER:
“We promised to end the Black Orchid.”
Then another photograph appears.
A baby.
Marian.
GRANDFATHER:
“But we realized something.”
The recording pauses.
GRANDFATHER:
“The organization would never truly disappear.”
---
— MARIAN'S DESTINY
Marian stares at the screen.
GRANDFATHER:
“So we created a final safeguard.”
Dong-wook looks at Marian.
GRANDFATHER:
“Marian.”
She freezes.
GRANDFATHER:
“You were that safeguard.”
Marian's eyes fill with tears.
MARIAN:
“Me?”
GRANDFATHER:
“Yes.”
---
— THE REAL PLAN
Her grandfather explains.
GRANDFATHER:
“We didn't raise you to become a criminal.”
Marian listens.
GRANDFATHER:
“We raised you to become someone strong enough to destroy the organization without becoming like us.”
Marian starts crying.
GRANDFATHER:
“If the Black Orchid ever returned, you would have the choice to end it.”
The recording ends.
Silence.
---
— MARIAN BREAKS DOWN
Marian sits on the floor.
Dong-wook kneels beside her.
MARIAN:
“Everyone knew except me.”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“You were a child.”
MARIAN:
“But my whole life…”
She cries.
Dong-wook gently holds her.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Your whole life wasn't a lie.”
She looks at him.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“You became a doctor.”
He smiles.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“You helped people.”
He wipes her tears.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“You became kind.”
Marian smiles weakly.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“That was your choice.”
---
— A ROMANTIC MOMENT
Marian looks into his eyes.
MARIAN:
“What would I do without you?”
Dong-wook smiles.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Probably get into less trouble.”
She laughs.
MARIAN:
“Maybe.”
He gently kisses her forehead.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“But then I wouldn't have met you.”
---
— THE VISITOR
Suddenly—
KNOCK. KNOCK.
Everyone freezes.
Jae-ho reaches for his weapon.
Antonio opens the door slightly.
An elderly Filipino man stands outside.
OLD MAN:
“I'm looking for Marian.”
Marian approaches.
MARIAN:
“Who are you?”
The old man smiles.
OLD MAN:
“Your grandfather's oldest student.”
Marian's eyes widen.
---
— THE OLD STUDENT
His name is Ramon.
He enters the house.
RAMON:
“Your grandfather knew this day would come.”
Marian asks:
MARIAN:
“What did he tell you?”
Ramon looks at her.
RAMON:
“To give you this.”
He hands her a small wooden box.
Marian opens it.
Inside is a dragon-shaped pendant.
---
— THE SECRET MAP
Ramon explains.
RAMON:
“This pendant opens the old headquarters.”
Marian looks surprised.
MARIAN:
“Where?”
Ramon points toward a map.
RAMON:
“Under Manila.”
Dong-wook looks at him.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“There's a headquarters under Manila?”
Ramon smiles.
RAMON:
“There used to be.”
Jae-ho asks:
JAE-HO:
“And now?”
Ramon's smile disappears.
RAMON:
“Someone has reopened it.”
---
— THE ENEMY RETURNS
A phone suddenly rings.
Hye-rin answers.
A distorted voice speaks.
VOICE:
“Welcome home, Marian.”
Hye-rin freezes.
Marian takes the phone.
MARIAN:
“Who are you?”
The voice laughs.
VOICE:
“You don't remember me.”
Marian becomes serious.
MARIAN:
“Then introduce yourself.”
The voice replies:
VOICE:
“I'm the man your grandfather failed to kill.”
Everyone becomes silent.
---
— THE NAME
The caller says:
VOICE:
“Victor Salazar.”
Ramon's face turns pale.
RAMON:
“No…”
Marian asks:
MARIAN:
“Who is Victor?”
Ramon looks at her.
RAMON:
“The first traitor.”
Hye-rin adds:
HYE-RIN:
“And your grandfather's greatest enemy.”
---— THE WARNING
Victor continues on the phone.
VICTOR:
“You have something that belongs to me.”
Marian answers:
MARIAN:
“What?”
Victor laughs.
VICTOR:
“The Black Orchid.”
Marian looks at the black ring.
MARIAN:
“You can have it.”
Everyone looks at her.
MARIAN:
“If you can take it from me.”
Victor laughs.
VICTOR:
“Your grandfather taught you well.”
The call ends.
---
— DONG-WOOK'S CONCERN
Dong-wook looks at Marian.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“You shouldn't have challenged him.”
Marian looks at him.
MARIAN:
“Why?”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Because now he'll come for you.”
She smiles.
MARIAN:
“He was already coming.”
Dong-wook sighs.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“That's exactly what worries me.”
She touches his arm.
MARIAN:
“Don't worry.”
He looks at her.
MARIAN:
“I have you.”
He smiles.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Unfortunately for me, that's true.”
---
— THE SECRET HEADQUARTERS
That night, Marian, Dong-wook, Hye-rin, Seo-yeon, Jae-ho and Ramon stand outside an abandoned building.
Ramon holds the dragon pendant.
He places it into a hidden slot.
CLICK.
A massive underground door opens.
Cold air escapes.
Marian looks inside.
MARIAN:
“This is where it began?”
Ramon nods.
RAMON:
“Yes.”
Dong-wook holds Marian's hand.
They enter.
---
— THE WALL OF NAMES
Inside, hundreds of names cover the walls.
People who served the Black Orchid.
Marian walks slowly.
Then she sees:
LEE JAE-HYUN
Dong-wook stops.
His father's name.
Beside it:
ANTONIO DEGUZMAN
Marian looks at Antonio.
MARIAN:
“Lolo?”
Antonio looks away.
Then another name appears.
SEO HYE-RIN
Another:
HAN SEO-YEON
Marian realizes all of them were connected.
---
— THE FINAL ROOM
They reach a giant metal door.
Ramon looks at Marian.
RAMON:
“Only the Dragon's bloodline can open this.”
Marian puts her hand on the scanner.
Nothing happens.
Dong-wook looks worried.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Maybe it doesn't recognize her.”
Marian notices the dragon pendant.
She holds it against the scanner.
BEEP.
The door opens.
Everyone stares.
Inside is a huge room.
At the center sits a chair.
Behind it—
A giant black orchid symbol.
---
— THE MESSAGE
A screen activates.
Her grandfather appears.
GRANDFATHER:
“Marian.”
She steps forward.
GRANDFATHER:
“If you've reached this room, then you are ready.”
Marian cries.
GRANDFATHER:
“You have two choices.”
The screen shows two buttons.
DESTROY
and
CONTROL
Marian stares at them.
Her grandfather continues:
GRANDFATHER:
“Control the Black Orchid…”
He pauses.
GRANDFATHER:
“…or destroy it forever.”
Marian looks at Dong-wook.
He doesn't tell her what to choose.
He simply holds her hand.
---
Marian approaches the console.
Her finger hovers over the two choices.
Suddenly, the lights turn red.
An alarm begins.
SYSTEM:
“WARNING.”
Everyone looks around.
SYSTEM:
“INTRUDER DETECTED.”
Jae-ho raises his weapon.
JAE-HO:
“Someone's inside.”
A figure walks out of the darkness.
Marian turns.
Her eyes widen.
It's a man she has never seen before.
But Dong-wook recognizes him.
His face turns pale.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Dad?”
The man smiles.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“Hello, son.”
Marian freezes.
Her supposed dead father is standing before them.
And behind him—
Victor Salazar appears.
VICTOR:
“Now we can finally finish what your grandfather started.”
❤️ END OF EPISODE 17
NEXT EPISODE — “THE FATHER WHO NEVER DIED”
Marian finally meets her biological father, while Dong-wook struggles with the shocking return of his own father. Victor reveals that the two families were connected long before Marian and Dong-wook ever met—and someone in their group has secretly been working for him all along.
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