Chapter 90 - Married...?

He knows me, she thought. But how?

It has been almost ten years since someone called her by her real name. Mirae. Sometimes, even she herself forgets her name. After living in oblivion for so long, someone uttered her name. Someone, who was not supposed to even know of her existence.

Mirae racked her brain to figure out how he could have known her name. She recalled her parents worked for the old man Kwon. But that was it. She never met KJ nor anyone else from their family. After her parents died, her existence was completely hidden by the old man.

She did not even know how her parents died for a while. Grandpa Kwon financed her through high school but one day when he fell ill, he called for her. He wanted to tell her something and was waiting for someone else. But the person in question never arrived.

During Grandpa Kwon's funeral, his secretary Mr. Lee took her aside.

"Mirae," he said. "What I am about to say will shock you to the core. But child, please bear with me."

He then revealed her the earth shattering truth: her parents' death was not an accident. It was murder. They were killed by the Santa Maria Cartel because they had proof against the Cartel. With their deaths, the Cartel ensure no one could oppose them. Mr. Lee also suspected that the Cartel was responsible for Grandpa Kwon's death.

After narrating all this to her, Mr. Lee arranged for her to train with the military. As the last hope of Grandpa Kwon to protect Mirae was gone, she had to be told the truth and get training to protect herself. For the next three years, Mirae went through intense military training at the army. She was deployed on missions, where she also risked her life to fight many enemies.

In a span of three short years, Mirae became an expert marksman and trained in Krav Maga. She can take out foes bigger than her in both weight and number. After three years in the army, she quit to scout out for other people who were wronged by the Cartel. Her parents left her quite a lot of money which she inherited when she turned 21. She used the money to build Abyss' network and carefully added members to it.

Her employees range from high profile government workers and celebrities to middle class people with immense talent to contribute to this cause. Her network includes hackers from different countries as well, who track down every movement of the Cartel. Over the course of the next seven years, she has built an indomitable organization while remaining in complete secrecy. Everyone in Abyss was tied together with one mission: to destroy the Cartel. Her hard work began paying off when they began to capture a lot of the inner members of the Cartel.

But all that was now put on risk. How did KJ know her name? Or was he referring to someone else who had the same name as her? She must find out.

Back in KJ's apartment, Jade was furious.

"What the hell was that?" he demanded. "Why did you call her Mirae?"

"Her eyes," KJ paced back and forth. "I know those eyes. That girl is Mirae."

"Don't be ridiculous," the cat scoffed. "You haven't even seen her face. Besides, many people have green eyes."

"But her touch was also familiar," KJ insisted. "I was Mirae's husband for god's sake! I would know my wife's touch!"

"Now you're just being ridiculous," Jade shot back. "It's been almost ten years! You've been with many women. It is nearly impossible to recognize someone just by their 'touch'."

"I know what I saw!" KJ argued.

"So you're saying your sweet, clumsy and optimistic wife from another timeline, had turned into a dark and sadistic mercenary in this timeline?" Jade rolled his eyes.

"Something must have changed when I messed with time," KJ concluded.

"Of course!" Jade snapped. "You removed your relationship by changing the circumstances. You two never met and hence, never got married. Did you seriously think that only your future was affected that time? Even Mirae's future was changed. While you went off to chase your dream of being an idol, she was also led towards a different path for her future. But that still doesn't mean that CEO is Mirae. You may never even meet Mirae in this timeline."

"What are the possibilities thought?" KJ asked. "What are the possibilities of Mirae and I meeting again?"

Jade gave him a sympathetic look.

"KJ," he said softly. "It is almost impossible for you to run into her again. Even if you do, she won't have any idea that you were once her husband. She is living her life. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?" KJ demanded.

Jade sighed. "Maybe, she got married to someone else in this timeline," he said quietly. "Had his kids and is happy in her life. Do you really want to mess up her life?"

KJ felt as if someone had stabbed his heart. He never thought of that. Mirae probably had a very different life now. Imagining her living happily with someone else made him irrationally angry. But even if he felt jealous, he knew he did not deserve her. Even when they were married, he was aloof from her except for the times when they had sex. Otherwise, he steered clear of her, never bothering to check up on her nor did he take her out on a date. Sometimes, he thought that Mirae did the right thing by aborting their child. Which kid would like to be raised in a loveless home?

But now, he was sure. He realized how much he missed Mirae after losing her. He'd do anything to reverse time once again.

"You can't reverse time twice," Jade said, reading his mind. "You ended up summoning me when you desperately needed guidance. What has been done, cannot be undone. It will create more time paradox."

"Yeah yeah," KJ snapped. "I know. I've gotta live with it. But..."

"But what?" the cat raised his brows.

KJ was in deep thought. He was almost sure that CEO was Mirae. He does not know what happened to her all these years. But that girl was Mirae. All he needs is a proof.

"I know she is Mirae," he declared. "I'm gonna prove it."

"Even if she is Mirae," the cat said. "What are you gonna do? Marry her again?"

KJ gave him a hard look. "I don't deserve her," he lamented. "But I will make sure she gets back all the happiness she lost. Even if she finds that happiness with someone else, I'll gladly support her. The only thing I will never do is make her cry again."

"And if the Cartel dares to hurt her again," he threatened calmly. "I will annihilate their existence with my own bare hands."

The cat gaped at him. The Santa Maria Cartel's murderous intent was nothing in front of KJ's burning determination.