In the quiet gloom of the bedroom, Soo-jin’s narrative continued, the initial infatuation phase giving way to a more unsettling reality.

"For a while," Soo-jin admitted to Jae-hyun, a bitter smile touching her lips, "their love story was so perfect it was sickening. He was so happy. I even started to think... maybe I was wrong about her. Maybe she wasn't the calculating person I thought she was."

But that illusion was fragile, she explained, and it began to shatter under the weight of Selena's insatiable need to be the center of attention.

"Everything was a competition to her," Soo-jin said, her voice gaining an edge. "I was looking for a part-time job, something to keep me busy. I was so proud when I got a position at a local florist. It was simple, honest work. But at the family dinner where I announced it, she couldn't let me have that moment. She had to immediately announce that she'd landed a big role in a movie. Just like that, the conversation shifted entirely to her."

The detective listened, his silence encouraging her to continue.

"And then there was the dinner," Soo-jin said, her expression darkening. "It was her idea. She insisted on cooking for the whole family at our parents' house—a 'proper' meal to thank them. She invited us all, and she made the entire menu vegan."

Soo-jin let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "And my brother, the good boy, accepted it without a word. He ate everything she put in front of him, smiling like it was the most delicious food he'd ever tasted. He praised her for her 'conscious and healthy' cooking."

She leaned forward, her eyes locking with Jae-hyun's. "I was clear, right then, that he was being drugged or something. Hypnotized. How is it possible? This is a man who loved meat and fish his entire life. Galbi, samgyeopsal, grilled mackerel... it was his comfort, his joy. And suddenly, he just... changes? He starts eating grass and pretending to love it? It wasn't natural."

But the most telling act, the one that cemented Selena's control in Soo-jin's mind, was yet to come.

"The stupidest thing, the thing that proved he was no longer thinking for himself," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper, "was his bike. I already told you how much he loved riding. It was his freedom."

She took a shaky breath, the memory still painful. "That man, my brother, sold his beloved motorcycle. The one thing that was truly, wholly his. He sold it to buy an engagement ring for her. He was so proud when he told me. He said, 'A bike can be replaced, Soo-jin-ah. But a woman like Selena only comes once in a lifetime.'"

Soo-jin looked away, her jaw tight. "He was right about that last part. A woman like her does only come once. And once was enough to destroy everything."