“THE WOMAN WHO DISAPPEARED”
1956 Words
EPISODE 20 — “THE WOMAN WHO DISAPPEARED”
---
— THE WARNING
— THE FAMILY HOUSE, MANILA
Nobody speaks.
Marian is still holding the phone.
Her grandmother's final words echo in her mind:
> “The person who betrayed your grandfather is standing beside you.”
Marian slowly looks around.
Hye-rin.
Seo-yeon.
Jae-hyun.
Ramon.
Jae-ho.
Antonio.
And finally Dong-wook.
Dong-wook notices her expression.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Marian?”
She doesn't answer.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Are you thinking I'm the traitor?”
Marian immediately shakes her head.
MARIAN:
“No.”
He looks relieved.
Then she adds:
MARIAN:
“But I don't know who to trust.”
Dong-wook nods.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Then don't trust anyone.”
He takes her hand.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Not even me.”
Marian looks surprised.
MARIAN:
“Why would you say that?”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Because if someone is hiding something, we'll find out together.”
---
— THE INVESTIGATION
Jae-ho places the photograph on the table.
JAE-HO:
“Let's start with this man.”
Jae-hyun looks uncomfortable.
MARIAN:
“Dad.”
Jae-hyun looks at her.
MARIAN:
“Who is he?”
He finally answers.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“His name was Daniel Cruz.”
Ramon's face changes.
RAMON:
“Daniel…”
Marian notices.
MARIAN:
“You know him too?”
Ramon nods.
RAMON:
“He was one of your grandfather's closest friends.”
Jae-ho points at the photograph.
JAE-HO:
“Then why did you say he died twenty years ago?”
Jae-hyun doesn't answer.
---
— THE OLD BETRAYAL
Seo-yeon finally speaks.
SEO-YEON:
“Daniel betrayed us.”
Marian turns toward her.
MARIAN:
“How?”
SEO-YEON:
“He gave Victor information about your grandfather.”
Marian looks at the photograph.
MARIAN:
“Then why would Grandma be with him?”
Silence.
Hye-rin looks worried.
HYE-RIN:
“Maybe she wasn't his prisoner.”
Everyone looks at her.
HYE-RIN:
“Maybe she was working with him.”
Marian's expression falls.
MARIAN:
“My grandmother?”
---
— DONG-WOOK'S COMFORT
Marian steps outside.
Dong-wook follows.
She sits on the porch.
MARIAN:
“Every time I think I know my family, another secret appears.”
Dong-wook sits beside her.
MARIAN:
“Maybe my whole life is just one giant lie.”
He looks at her.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Then there's one thing that's not.”
She looks at him.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Us.”
Marian smiles.
MARIAN:
“You're really good at saying the right thing.”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“I'm practicing.”
MARIAN:
“For what?”
He smiles.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Marriage.”
Marian freezes.
MARIAN:
“What?”
Dong-wook laughs.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“I'm joking.”
She punches his shoulder.
MARIAN:
“Don't joke about that!”
He grins.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“So you wouldn't mind if I was serious?”
Marian turns red.
MARIAN:
“Maybe.”
---
— THE SURVEILLANCE
Across the street, someone watches them.
A black car.
Inside is a mysterious woman.
She holds an old photograph of Marian.
She whispers:
WOMAN:
“She looks exactly like her.”
The driver asks:
DRIVER:
“Should we take her?”
The woman shakes her head.
WOMAN:
“Not yet.”
She looks at Dong-wook.
WOMAN:
“First, we need him.”
---
— THE NIGHT ATTACK
That night, the house is quiet.
Marian wakes up.
She hears a noise downstairs.
She grabs a small flashlight.
MARIAN:
“Who's there?”
No answer.
She walks down the stairs.
Suddenly—
A man attacks.
Marian blocks him.
They fight.
She quickly realizes:
He's trained.
MARIAN:
“Who sent you?”
He doesn't answer.
He attacks again.
Marian disarms him.
He escapes through the window.
Dong-wook runs downstairs.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Marian!”
She turns.
MARIAN:
“I'm okay.”
He looks at the broken window.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Of course you are.”
He sighs.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Why is our relationship never normal?”
Marian smiles.
MARIAN:
“You're the one who fell in love with me.”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Best mistake of my life.”
---
— THE CLUE
Marian notices something left behind.
A small silver pendant.
She picks it up.
There is a symbol engraved on it.
A dragon.
But beneath the dragon is a small flower.
MARIAN:
“That's not the Black Orchid.”
Jae-ho examines it.
JAE-HO:
“No.”
He turns it over.
There is an inscription:
D.C.
Marian looks at Jae-hyun.
MARIAN:
“Daniel Cruz.”
Jae-hyun's expression changes.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“He's alive.”
---
— THE SECRET FILE
Jae-hyun takes out an old folder.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“I kept this hidden.”
Marian looks at him.
MARIAN:
“Why?”
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“Because I was afraid someone would use it against you.”
Inside are photographs of Daniel.
But one photograph shocks everyone.
Daniel is standing beside Marian's grandmother.
And beside them—
Marian's grandfather.
All three are smiling.
Marian whispers:
MARIAN:
“They were friends.”
---
— THE SECOND PHOTOGRAPH
Jae-ho finds another picture.
This one is dated several years later.
Daniel is standing beside Victor.
Marian's grandfather is missing.
JAE-HO:
“He switched sides.”
Ramon nods.
RAMON:
“Yes.”
Marian asks:
MARIAN:
“Why?”
Ramon looks down.
RAMON:
“Because Victor threatened your grandmother.”
Marian's eyes widen.
MARIAN:
“So Grandma was kidnapped?”
Ramon shakes his head.
RAMON:
“Not exactly.”
---
— GRANDMA'S CHOICE
Ramon explains.
RAMON:
“She went with Victor willingly.”
Marian can't believe it.
MARIAN:
“Why?”
Ramon answers:
RAMON:
“To save your grandfather.”
Marian looks at the photograph.
RAMON:
“She sacrificed herself.”
---
— THE REAL BETRAYAL
Jae-hyun suddenly speaks.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“No.”
Everyone looks at him.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“That isn't what happened.”
Marian looks at him.
MARIAN:
“Then tell me.”
Jae-hyun takes a deep breath.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“Your grandmother didn't sacrifice herself for your grandfather.”
He looks at Marian.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“She betrayed him.”
Silence.
Marian's face falls.
---
— WHY?
MARIAN:
“Why?”
Jae-hyun looks at her.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“Because she believed your grandfather was becoming too dangerous.”
Marian shakes her head.
MARIAN:
“My grandfather protected people.”
Jae-hyun nods.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“At first.”
He pauses.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“Then he started believing that only he could protect everyone.”
Marian realizes.
MARIAN:
“He became controlling.”
Jae-hyun nods.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“Yes.”
---
— THE LAST MESSAGE
Marian's phone rings.
Unknown number.
She answers.
MARIAN:
“Hello?”
Her grandmother's voice.
GRANDMOTHER:
“Marian.”
Marian's eyes fill with tears.
MARIAN:
“Grandma.”
GRANDMOTHER:
“I know what they told you.”
Marian asks:
MARIAN:
“Did you betray Grandpa?”
Silence.
Then:
GRANDMOTHER:
“Yes.”
Marian closes her eyes.
GRANDMOTHER:
“But I did it to save you.”
---
— THE BIGGEST SECRET
Marian asks:
MARIAN:
“Save me from what?”
Her grandmother's voice becomes quiet.
GRANDMOTHER:
“From your grandfather.”
Marian freezes.
MARIAN:
“What?”
GRANDMOTHER:
“He wasn't afraid of the Black Orchid.”
A pause.
GRANDMOTHER:
“He was afraid of what you would become.”
Marian's breathing stops.
MARIAN:
“What does that mean?”
Her grandmother replies:
GRANDMOTHER:
“Your grandfather knew something about your bloodline.”
---
— THE BLOODLINE
Dong-wook watches Marian.
She asks:
MARIAN:
“What bloodline?”
Her grandmother answers:
GRANDMOTHER:
“The Dragon bloodline.”
Marian looks at her black orchid ring.
GRANDMOTHER:
“But your grandfather wasn't the first Dragon.”
Marian's eyes widen.
GRANDMOTHER:
“You inherited something from someone before him.”
MARIAN:
“Who?”
The line goes silent.
Then—
GRANDMOTHER:
“Your great-grandmother.”
---
— THE COMEDY BREAK
Jae-ho overhears.
JAE-HO:
“Wait.”
Everyone looks at him.
JAE-HO:
“So we're going back another generation?”
Marian looks at him.
JAE-HO:
“Because at this point, I'm going to need a family tree.”
Dong-wook nods seriously.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Make it large.”
Jae-ho sighs.
JAE-HO:
“I'm going to need a wall.”
Marian laughs despite everything.
---
— THE WARNING
Her grandmother continues.
GRANDMOTHER:
“Marian, listen carefully.”
Marian becomes serious.
GRANDMOTHER:
“Your great-grandmother created the first Dragon code.”
MARIAN:
“What code?”
GRANDMOTHER:
“A code that can destroy every organization connected to the Black Orchid.”
Marian looks shocked.
GRANDMOTHER:
“But it can also destroy the person who activates it.”
Dong-wook immediately steps forward.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“No.”
Marian looks at him.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Whatever she's asking you to do, you don't do it alone.”
— THE LOCATION
Grandmother gives Marian an address.
GRANDMOTHER:
“Go to Palawan.”
Marian repeats:
MARIAN:
“Palawan?”
GRANDMOTHER:
“Yes.”
MARIAN:
“Where?”
GRANDMOTHER:
“An old house near the coast.”
Marian asks:
MARIAN:
“Will you be there?”
Her grandmother answers:
GRANDMOTHER:
“I'll be waiting.”
The call ends.
---
— SOMEONE LISTENED
Nobody notices that Jae-hyun has stepped away.
He takes out his phone.
He sends a message.
> THEY KNOW ABOUT PALAWAN.
The recipient responds:
> THEN WE MOVE TONIGHT.
Jae-hyun looks guilty.
He puts the phone away.
---
— MARIAN'S PLAN
Marian enters the room.
MARIAN:
“We're going to Palawan.”
Dong-wook nods.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“I'm coming.”
Jae-ho raises his hand.
JAE-HO:
“Me too.”
Antonio smiles.
ANTONIO:
“Of course.”
Hye-rin and Seo-yeon exchange glances.
HYE-RIN:
“Then we all go.”
Marian looks around.
For the first time, she smiles.
MARIAN:
“Family trip?”
Jae-ho laughs.
JAE-HO:
“Please don't call it that.”
---
— ROMANTIC NIGHT
Later, Marian and Dong-wook stand outside.
The city lights glow.
Marian rests her head on his shoulder.
MARIAN:
“Do you ever regret meeting me?”
Dong-wook immediately answers:
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“No.”
MARIAN:
“Not even once?”
He smiles.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“I regret the first three times we bumped into each other.”
She laughs.
MARIAN:
“Why?”
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Because I didn't ask you for coffee sooner.”
Marian looks at him.
MARIAN:
“Then ask me again.”
He smiles.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Marian…”
He takes her hand.
LEE DONG-WOOK:
“Would you like to have coffee with me?”
She smiles.
MARIAN:
“Always.”
They kiss.
---
— THE SECRET BETRAYAL
Inside the house, Jae-hyun watches them through the window.
His phone vibrates.
A message:
> PALAWAN IS THE TRAP.
Another message:
> BRING MARIAN TO US.
Jae-hyun closes his eyes.
A tear falls.
He whispers:
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“I'm sorry, Marian.”
He walks away.
---
LATE NIGHT — MANILA
A black vehicle leaves the city.
Inside sits Jae-hyun.
He opens a small photograph.
It is Marian as a baby.
On the back is written:
> “PROTECT HER, EVEN IF SHE HATES YOU.”
Jae-hyun looks at it.
Then he opens another photograph.
It shows him standing with Marian's grandmother.
But behind them is a mysterious woman.
Jae-hyun whispers:
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“She found us.”
The driver asks:
DRIVER:
“Who?”
Jae-hyun looks frightened.
LEE JAE-HYUN:
“The real enemy.”
---
❤️ END OF EPISODE 20
NEXT EPISODE — “PALAWAN: THE TRAP”
Marian, Dong-wook and their families travel to Palawan to finally meet Marian's grandmother. But the beautiful island hides a dangerous secret. Jae-hyun's strange behavior raises suspicion, while Marian discovers that the mysterious woman following them may be connected to her great-grandmother—and Dong-wook learns a shocking truth about his own birth.
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