Chapter 34
Daniel's fingers tightened around mine hard enough that my grandmother's bracelet pressed into bone.
"That's not what it looks like," he said, and I heard the lie in it immediately—the way his voice went flat, the way he didn't use a contraction.
Agent Morrison pulled out a second photograph. This one showed Daniel leaving his apartment building two days after I'd been there. The necklace hung outside his shirt, catching the streetlight. "And this one?"
Richard leaned against the counter, his hand inches from my sourdough starter. "You see, Agent Morrison, I've been concerned about my nephew's judgment for some time now. When he started this arrangement with Ms. Chen, I thought perhaps it was just youthful impulsiveness. But then I noticed certain... irregularities."
"What irregularities?" The words came out sharper than I intended.
"Well, kiddo, let's start with the fact that you reported a family heirloom stolen in the insurance claim, yet here it is, being worn by my nephew." Richard picked up the photograph, studied it like he was examining a quarterly report. "Wouldn't you agree that raises some questions about the legitimacy of your entire claim?"
My stomach dropped. The insurance claim. The one I'd filed after the break-in at my apartment, the one that had helped me stay afloat when the catering business was hemorrhaging money. I'd listed my grandmother's necklace as stolen because it had been—I'd torn my apartment apart looking for it before I'd finally given up and filed the paperwork.
Except it hadn't been stolen. I'd left it at Daniel's apartment after that first night, the night everything had started, and he'd kept it. Worn it.
"I found it," Daniel said. His hand was still locked around mine, but his voice had gone somewhere else entirely, somewhere cold and corporate. "After Nora left. It was on my bathroom counter. I meant to return it, but—"
"But you wore it instead?" Agent Morrison's pen moved across her notepad. "For three weeks?"
"I can handle it," Daniel said, which was what he always said when he was drowning.
Richard smiled. The expression made my skin crawl. "Agent Morrison, I think we both know what this looks like. A staged theft, an insurance claim, a convenient arrangement between two people who both needed money. My nephew has been under considerable financial pressure—pressure I've tried to alleviate, but he's always been too proud to accept family help. Wouldn't you say this suggests a pattern of fraud?"
The word hung in the air like smoke.
"That's not—" I started, but Agent Morrison held up one hand.
"Ms. Chen, I need you to be very careful about what you say next." She pulled out a third photograph. This one showed me and Daniel at the farmer's market, his arm around my waist, both of us laughing at something. The necklace was visible on him, tucked just inside his collar. "We've been building a case about the insurance fraud ring that targeted your grandmother's restaurant. We believed you were a victim. But if you've been participating in fraudulent claims yourself..."
"She hasn't." Daniel's voice cut through the room. "The necklace situation is my fault. I should have returned it immediately. I didn't. That's on me, not Nora."
"How noble." Richard's tone dripped condescension. "But Agent Morrison, surely you can see the pattern here. My nephew enters into a fake relationship arrangement with Ms. Chen. Shortly after, she files an insurance claim for a stolen necklace that he's been wearing. They continue their arrangement, presumably splitting the insurance payout. It's textbook fraud."
"We didn't split anything," I said. My voice sounded strange, distant. "I never got the insurance money. The claim is still pending."
Agent Morrison made another note. "Is that true?"
"Yes." The word came out too fast, too desperate.
"But you did file the claim," Richard said. "And you did report the necklace as stolen, even though it was actually in my nephew's possession. That's filing a false police report, kiddo. That's a crime."
The jade bracelet dug into my wrist. I thought about my grandmother, about the way she'd pressed it into my palm the day before she died, about how she'd made me promise to keep fighting even when things got complicated. This wasn't complicated. This was a trap, and I'd walked right into it.
"Let's just—" I started, but Daniel interrupted.
"I want a lawyer."
Agent Morrison's expression didn't change. "That's your right, Mr. Park. But I should inform you both that we have additional evidence suggesting this arrangement between you may have been designed specifically to facilitate insurance fraud. We have records of your financial transactions, including several large cash deposits to Ms. Chen's business account that coincide with your supposed relationship milestones."
The catering payments. The ones Daniel had made to keep my business afloat, the ones that had saved me from bankruptcy. They looked like payoffs now, like evidence of conspiracy.
"Those were legitimate business transactions," Daniel said. "Nora catered events for my company."
"Events that, according to our investigation, never actually occurred." Richard pulled out his phone, scrolled through something. "I've been trying to protect you, Minho. I've been trying to help you see that this arrangement was a mistake from the beginning. But you wouldn't listen. You never listen."
Daniel went completely silent. His hand was still locked around mine, but the rest of him had shut down, gone somewhere I couldn't follow.
Agent Morrison closed her portfolio. "I think we should continue this conversation at the field office. Both of you."
"Now?" My voice cracked on the word.
"Now would be best, yes."
The FBI field office smelled like burnt coffee and industrial cleaner.
They separated us immediately. Daniel went left with Agent Morrison, and I went right with a younger agent who introduced himself as Agent Chen—no relation, he said, like that was supposed to be funny. He led me to a small interview room with a metal table and two chairs bolted to the floor.
"Can I get you anything?" he asked. "Water? Coffee?"
"A time machine," I said.
He didn't smile. "I'll get you some water."
The room was cold enough that I could see my breath. I wrapped my arms around myself, felt my grandmother's bracelet slide down toward my elbow. The burn scar on my forearm looked darker under the fluorescent lights, the comma-shaped mark that I'd gotten in culinary school when I'd grabbed a sheet pan without checking if it was hot first. My instructor had said it would teach me to pay attention, to never assume anything was safe just because it looked harmless.
I should have paid attention. I should have seen this coming.
The door opened. Agent Morrison came in, carrying a folder and a bottle of water. She set both on the table, sat down across from me.
"Ms. Chen, I want to be clear about something. We don't think you're a criminal. We think you're a victim who made some poor choices under pressure." She opened the folder, pulled out a document. "Your grandmother's restaurant was targeted by a sophisticated fraud ring. They used her trust, her community connections, to steal from her. We know that. We've been investigating it for months."
"Okay so," I said, and heard the anxiety in my own voice. "If you know I'm a victim, why am I here?"
"Because victims can become perpetrators when they're desperate enough." She slid the document across the table. It was my insurance claim, the one I'd filed for the necklace. "You filed this claim three weeks after you started your arrangement with Daniel Park. You reported the necklace as stolen, valued at fifteen thousand dollars. But according to our surveillance, the necklace was never stolen. It was in Mr. Park's possession the entire time."
"I didn't know that."
"Didn't you?" Agent Morrison pulled out another photograph. This one showed me leaving Daniel's apartment, my hand at my throat where the necklace should have been. "You realized it was missing that night. You went back the next day to look for it. Mr. Park's doorman confirmed you asked about lost items."
My throat closed. "I thought I'd lost it somewhere else. I didn't know Daniel had it."
"But when you found out he did have it, you didn't withdraw the insurance claim."
"I never found out. Not until tonight."
Agent Morrison studied me for a long moment. "Ms. Chen, I want to believe you. But the evidence suggests a pattern of coordination between you and Mr. Park. The timing of your arrangement, the insurance claim, the financial transactions—it all points to a planned scheme."
"It wasn't planned. None of it was planned." My nails dug into my palms, left crescents in the skin. "The arrangement was just supposed to be fake. Just supposed to help us both with our families. It wasn't supposed to be real."
"But it became real, right?"
The question landed like a punch. I thought about Daniel's hand in mine, about the way he'd said "I can handle it" like he could somehow fix this, like he could take all the blame and make it disappear. I thought about the way he'd worn my grandmother's necklace for three weeks, kept it close to his skin like it meant something.
"Yes," I said. "It became real."
Agent Morrison made a note. "When?"
"I don't know. Somewhere in the middle. Somewhere between the fake dates and the real ones, between the performance and the truth."
"And the insurance claim?"
"Was filed before any of that. Was filed when I genuinely thought the necklace was stolen, when I was trying to keep my business from going under, when I was—" My voice broke. "When things got complicated."
"Complicated how?"
I couldn't say it. Couldn't say that my parents had declared bankruptcy, that they'd lost everything trying to save my grandmother's restaurant, that I'd been drowning in debt and desperation and the weight of three generations of failure. Couldn't say that the insurance money had felt like the only lifeline I had left.
"My family needed help," I said instead.
Agent Morrison closed the folder. "Ms. Chen, I'm going to be honest with you. Right now, this looks bad. The timing, the evidence, Richard Park's testimony—it all suggests fraud. But if you cooperate with us, if you tell us everything about your arrangement with Daniel Park and how it relates to the insurance claim, we might be able to work something out."
"Work something out?"
"Reduced charges. Possibly immunity, if your testimony helps us understand the full scope of what happened."
The room tilted. "You want me to testify against Daniel."
"I want you to tell the truth."
"The truth is that Daniel didn't do anything wrong. The truth is that I filed that claim before I knew he had the necklace, before any of this became real. The truth is—"
The door opened. Another agent stuck his head in, gestured to Agent Morrison. She stood, left the folder on the table.
"Think about it," she said. "Think about what's best for you and your family."
The door closed. I was alone with the folder, with the photographs of me and Daniel, with the evidence of everything we'd built and everything we were about to lose.
They kept me there for two hours.
When Agent Morrison finally came back, her expression had changed. Something harder, more certain.
"Ms. Chen, we've just finished interviewing Mr. Park." She sat down, didn't open the folder this time. "He's confessed to insurance fraud. He says the entire arrangement was his idea, that he convinced you to file the false claim, that he kept the necklace deliberately to create evidence of theft."
The words didn't make sense. "That's not true."
"He's provided a detailed statement. He's taking full responsibility."
"He's lying." My voice came out too loud, bouncing off the metal walls. "He's lying to protect me."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because that's what he does. He handles things. He takes care of people. He—" I stopped, heard what I was saying. "He loves me."
Agent Morrison's expression softened slightly. "Ms. Chen, if Mr. Park is lying to protect you, that's obstruction of justice. That makes things worse for both of you, not better."
"Then let me talk to him. Let me—"
"That's not possible right now."
"Why not?"
"Because he's being processed for arrest."
The room spun. "You're arresting him?"
"Based on his confession, yes. Insurance fraud, filing a false police report, conspiracy to commit fraud. He'll be arraigned tomorrow morning." She paused. "You're free to go, Ms. Chen. But I strongly suggest you get a lawyer. This investigation isn't over."
I stood on legs that didn't feel like mine. "Where is he?"
"I can't tell you that."
"Please. I need to—"
"Ms. Chen." Agent Morrison's voice went firm. "Go home. Get a lawyer. Don't contact Mr. Park. Don't discuss this case with anyone except your attorney. Do you understand?"
I understood that Daniel had just destroyed himself to save me. I understood that he'd confessed to crimes he didn't commit, had taken the blame for my desperation and my mistakes. I understood that he'd said "I can handle it" one more time, and this time it was going to cost him everything.
"I understand," I said.
Richard was waiting in the lobby.
He stood when he saw me, his expression carefully arranged into something that might have been concern if I didn't know better. "Nora. I'm so sorry about all this. I never wanted things to go this far."
I walked past him toward the exit.
"Wait." His hand caught my elbow. "I know you're upset, but you need to understand—I was trying to protect Minho. He's been making terrible decisions ever since he met you, and I couldn't just stand by and watch him destroy his life."
I turned. Looked at his hand on my arm, at the expensive watch on his wrist, at the smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"You did this," I said. "You set this up. You had him followed, you collected evidence, you brought the FBI to his apartment. You destroyed him."
"I saved him." Richard's grip tightened. "He was going to throw away everything—his career, his reputation, his family—for a fake relationship with someone who was using him. I did what I had to do to make him see the truth."
"The truth is that you're a manipulative bastard who can't stand the idea of Daniel being happy without your permission."
Richard's smile finally dropped. "Careful, kiddo. You're in enough trouble already. You don't want to make an enemy of me."
"Too late."
I pulled my arm free, walked out into the night. The air was cold enough to hurt, sharp enough to cut through the numbness that had been holding me together. My phone was in my pocket, heavy with messages I couldn't bring myself to read. My grandmother's bracelet was still on my wrist, the jade warm against my skin.
Daniel was in custody. Daniel had confessed to crimes he didn't commit. Daniel had said "I can handle it" and then handled it by destroying himself.
And I had no idea how to fix it.
My phone buzzed. Not a message—a call. Unknown number.
I answered. "Hello?"
"Ms. Chen?" A woman's voice, professional and clipped. "This is Sarah Kim from Park Industries legal department. Mr. Richard Park has asked me to reach out regarding the situation with his nephew. He'd like to discuss a possible resolution that would benefit everyone involved."
"A resolution?"
"Mr. Park is prepared to make certain arrangements—financial support for your business, assistance with your legal fees, a recommendation that could help with the insurance investigation. In exchange, he'd like you to sign a statement clarifying that Daniel acted alone in the fraud scheme, and that you were an unwitting victim of his manipulation."
The trap closed. Richard wanted me to confirm Daniel's false confession, to seal his fate in exchange for my freedom.
"And if I don't sign?"
"Then Mr. Park will be forced to provide additional evidence to the FBI. Evidence that suggests you were not only aware of the fraud, but that you initiated it. Evidence that could result in charges against you as well as Daniel."
"What evidence?"
"Text messages between you and Daniel discussing the insurance claim. Financial records showing suspicious transactions. Witness testimony from people who heard you discussing the arrangement." Sarah Kim's voice stayed perfectly neutral. "Mr. Park would prefer not to use this evidence. He believes you made mistakes under pressure, and he's willing to help you move forward. But he needs your cooperation."
My grandmother's bracelet felt like a shackle. "How long do I have to decide?"
"Twenty-four hours. After that, Mr. Park will have no choice but to turn over the evidence to Agent Morrison."
The line went dead.
I stood on the sidewalk outside the FBI building, watching my breath fog in the cold air, and realized that Richard had won. He'd engineered this perfectly—Daniel in custody, me facing charges, and the only way out was to betray the person I loved.
My phone buzzed again. This time it was a text from an unknown number: "Nora. It's Daniel. They're letting me make calls. Don't sign anything Richard offers you. Don't protect me. Just tell the truth. I love you. I'm sorry I couldn't handle this better."
My hands shook. The phone screen blurred.
Another text came through, this one from Richard: "The offer expires in 24 hours. Choose wisely."
And then a third message, from a number I didn't recognize: "Ms. Chen, this is Agent Morrison. We've just received new evidence in your case. I need you to come back to the field office immediately. Don't speak to anyone. Don't sign anything. This is