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Chapter 7 - The Ghost from the Past

The day after the swift aggressive takeover of Daejong Telecom, Arthur Sterling's long-anticipated retaliation arrived, not with a financial strike, but with a calculated legal assault. His lawyers formally filed suit for the annulment of Julian and Eliza's marriage, citing fraud, coercion, Eliza's alleged "documented mental instability."

"The claim weak," Julian said, scrolling through the legal filing in his secure office. "We have proof of the Sterling Group's fraud, the Goliath News memo a clear attempt at libel by Vicki, which strengthens our position. But Arthur's true strategy isn't legal; it psychological." He looked up at Eliza, his eyes serious. "The moment we successfully defend against the fraud claims, Arthur will pivot. He'll begin circulating rumors that I, Julian Seo, been exhibiting erratic behavior memory loss. He'll question the identity stability of Titan's CEO. That when Agent Kyung becomes a ticking time bomb."

Agent Han Kyung had been Julian's partner in his past life—the life Julian lived as a law enforcement officer before the fatal car crash. Kyung the only person alive who could look at the ruthless refined face of the CEO Julian Seo see the determined dedicated officer Julian used to be. "Arthur will find him use him to expose the discrepancy in your identity," Eliza confirmed, understanding the fatal flaw. "If the public even suspects you're not the Julian Seo you claim to be, the annulment suit succeeds, Titan faces a shareholder panic, our entire shield collapses."

Julian leaned over the desk, pulling up a digital file. "In 2017, when Kyung finally exposed the threat to the future Julian Seo, he working private security detail for a small struggling research firm called Bio-Helix. He took the job because he needed fast money for his mother's medical expenses, which he couldn't afford on his police salary." "His mother's illness," Eliza murmured, recognizing the vulnerability. "We don't need to silence him; we need to secure his loyalty. We need to locate him meet his price before Arthur Sterling even finds his name."

*The Hunt: Leveraging Fate*

The hunt for Agent Kyung a dizzying exercise in leveraging future data for immediate operational use. Julian, using his law enforcement memory, provided the personal details—Kyung's unique military service number, his mother's rare medical condition, his financial strain. Eliza, using her corporate memory, provided the location: Bio-Helix, a company that, in the present, still small enough to be under the radar.

Titan's security team quickly tracked Kyung down to a modest apartment building in the outer suburbs. "He working security for Bio-Helix's night shift," Julian confirmed, reviewing the surveillance photos. "He financially desperate deeply loyal to his mother. He exactly where he supposed to be in our original timeline, just before he got into serious debt."

Eliza realized the moral complexity of the task. "We manipulating a man's personal tragedy for our survival. We must ensure he genuinely helped, Julian. We're not the Sterling Group." "Agreed," Julian stated, meeting her gaze with sudden gravity. "We don't buy his silence; we buy his safety. We will secure the funds for his mother's treatment, fully anonymously, then offer him a high-level position that keeps him close, trusted, protected from Arthur." The operation required them to work together in a confined space for hours—a tense electrifying proximity that began to erode the professional barriers of their contract. Eliza saw the intense moral core of the former police officer in Julian, Julian saw the genuine compassion behind Eliza's strategic ruthlessness.

The Confrontation

They located Kyung at 2:00 AM, pacing the perimeter of the Bio-Helix facility, a weary man lost in thought. Julian chose to confront him alone, knowing the shock of seeing the CEO of Titan Investments would be too much for Kyung to handle in public. Julian waited in the dark custom-made vehicle until Kyung paused near a dimly lit service entrance. Julian stepped out, dressed in a simple dark suit, carrying nothing but an envelope.

Kyung froze, instantly recognizing the powerful imposing figure. "Mr. Seo? I… I don't know why you're here, sir." Julian walked toward him, stopping close enough for the emotional impact to register. He didn't use the voice of the CEO. He used the voice of the man he used to be—the voice Kyung knew.

"Han Kyung," Julian said, his voice quiet, steady, carrying the faintest memory of their shared camaraderie. "We need to talk about your mother's health the expenses for her treatment at the Gyeonggi Medical Center." Kyung's posture collapsed, his professional veneer cracking under the mention of his deepest vulnerability. "How do you know that? Who told you about my mother? I haven't told anyone…"

Julian opened the envelope placed a sealed bank draft for a staggering amount, enough to cover all current future costs of the specialized treatment, directly into Kyung's hand. "I know because you are my partner, Kyung," Julian said, the admission a terrifying risk. He didn't reveal the time travel, but he revealed the relationship. "The man you knew... he still here. But his life ended on December 2nd, 2023. I woke up in this body, bound by a purpose I cannot explain, fighting a war I cannot lose."

Kyung stared at the check, then back at Julian's face, searching desperately for the familiar eyes of his lost friend. The confusion, the exhaustion, the immense financial relief wrestled on his face. "You… you aren't Julian Seo," Kyung whispered, his breath catching. "You're…" "I am," Julian cut him off sharply, his tone regaining some of the CEO's command. "But I also the man you knew. And that man needs you now. I can't explain the how, but I know what the Sterling Group trying to do—they trying to destroy this life, this second chance. They will find you, they will use your knowledge of my past to discredit me."

Julian didn't ask for silence; he offered protection. "I need a security chief I can trust implicitly. You have a job offer waiting for you at Titan, with full benefits, a substantial salary, guaranteed anonymity. If you expose me, you lose the safety I offer, you destroy the man you knew for nothing." The look on Kyung's face shifted from confusion to dawning understanding, finally, to loyal acceptance. He knew his partner's eyes, even in a different face. He knew the threat real. "What do I need to do, Julian?" Kyung asked, tucking the bank draft into his pocket—the first true ally they gained who knew the gravity of their situation.

The Unbreakable Bond

By 4:00 AM, Julian Eliza back in the penthouse. The threat of Agent Kyung neutralized. He accepted the offer now a secured asset—a crucial counter-measure against Arthur Sterling's legal teams. Eliza watched Julian, seeing the toll the confrontation had taken—the raw vulnerability of having to expose a fraction of his terrifying truth.

"You took an enormous risk tonight," Eliza said softly, breaking the post-confrontation silence. "Revealing your partnership, trusting him with the funds… you could have just destroyed him." Julian turned, pouring himself a glass of water. "I was a good man, Eliza. He my partner. I will not compromise my moral line to survive, even against the fear of fate. And I know Arthur Sterling will try to track that payment. Kyung safe, but Arthur will know we moved to protect him."

He looked at her, exhaustion shared victory making his gaze intense. "We defeated the immediate threat to my identity. Now we must prepare for the next attack. Arthur will shift his focus to where he believes we weakest: our personal contracted relationship." He stepped closer, for the first time, the unspoken tension between them palpable—a mixture of fear, adrenaline, a growing undeniable emotional dependency. They two people who knew the other would die, but who fought every hour to keep the other alive. "Thank you, Eliza," Julian said, his voice husky. "You risked your safety tonight for me. That wasn't in the contract." Eliza met his gaze, holding it steady. "Neither was time travel, Julian. We past the contract. We in this for survival."

The next morning, Arthur Sterling's lawyers would be preparing their next move: proving that the marriage never real. Julian Eliza had to sell the world on their love, fast. The legal defense the corporate defense secondary to the overwhelming need to act like a truly devoted couple.

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