Chapter 171 - EXOTIC (III): The One Who Betrayed

Mirae slowly got up from the bed. She was still at the hospital and the doctors would not let her leave until she fully recovered. She was kept at the VIP ward and her men were keeping a strict eye on her but staying at the cabin was making her feel suffocated.

Shuffling through the door, one of her guards tried to stop her.

"Ma'am, you are not allowed to leave," the guard said in an apologetic tone. "I request you to go back in."

"I want to meet my friend," she said bluntly. "You can accompany me till her ward."

As the CEO of Abyss, she knew how hard these people were working to protect her. Even though the extra security was irritating her, it also made her feel grateful that her members were ready to do anything for her. Sneaking out from their grip will only make things difficult for them.

"Alright ma'am," the guard said with strict professionalism. "I will accompany you till the ward. I assure you, we will give you full privacy."

Mirae thanked him and the guard assisted her to walk towards Somi's room, which was only a few steps away from hers. Like her one, there was strict security put around Somi's cabin as well. She vaguely remembered Somi also collapsed alongside her. Since Somi was not injured, she could only guess that it was a psychological attack. She did not have to think far to guess why that might have happened. Upon reaching the ward, Mirae asked the guard to wait outside. She entered the room.

Somi was lying on the bed, facing the other way. Her eyes were glazed as if daydreaming. She did not even hear Mirae entering.

"Somi," Mirae called, gently stroking her head. Startled, she looked around to see her best friend standing there. 

Immediately she sprang up and hugged Mirae around the waist. 

"Mirae," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry to hear what happened…"

When Hyun Jung narrated the events of that night and what happened afterwards, she was in complete shock. Her best friend was betrayed by the man she had loved so much…

Her insides boiled upon thinking about it. The pain he inflicted will leave a lasting scar on Mirae. Somi wanted to find and kill that man. He had fooled them all for many years and did not even hesitate to shoot at his own friend. His actions caused his own child to die…

"Don't be," Mirae consoled her. The pain of betrayal had turned into something else for her. She was too naive. One momentary lapse of judgement cost her her own child. She had been a fool to love a person wholeheartedly like that and the betrayal was her own fault. 

But what angered her the most was that he did not even hesitate to shoot at his own friend. The friend who fought for him...the friend who almost died for him…

"He will pay for it, Somi," she vowed as she hugged Somi. "I will make him pay. And Teppei too."

Somi did not say anything but nodded. The two friends inwardly promised to punish those men who took everything away from them…

"What will you do next?" Somi asked as she let go. Mirae sat down beside her.

"First of all, I need to regain the control of Hann Constructions," Mirae stated. "I'll need KJ's help in this. The Cartel has a good hold over it thanks to Shun. Now that he's no longer there, they'll put another puppet there. We'll need to act fast."

Also, as a management member of Hann Constructions, I will have access to all their secret data, she concluded. She may even be able to recover the deleted files and investigate more into Grandpa Kwon's data. 

"Then, using Mystic Entertainment, we will directly eliminate the Cartel's hold in the media industry," Mirae went on. "We'll use...we'll have to use Teppei to capture Ziko…"

The mention of the name made Somi sweaty. Her heart palpitated and she was having difficulty breathing. Mirae quickly changed the topic. 

"Where is Hyun Jung?" she asked.

"He had to step outside to finish some work at the precinct," Somi said a little hoarsely. "He'll be here in an hour."

"Are you two back together?" 

Somi bit her lip. "I don't know," she finally said. "I want to forget everything and move on but it's just so...hard…"

She buried her head in her hands. "I want to be with him," she lamented.

"Somi…" Mirae started. "I've been betrayed by the person I loved. I was stupid enough to rescue a person who not only tried to kill me and my friend, but was also responsible for the death of my child. But you...you have a genuine shot at love. Hyun Jung loves you."

She reached out to pat Somi's hand. "I regret loving the wrong person," she said. "But you will regret not accepting the right guy. You loved him then and you love him now. Don't let anything come in your way."

Somi clutched her hand. "I'm not worried about all that now," she said. "I'm worried about you. Mirae...are you alright?"

"No," Mirae admitted. Tears began to swell up in her eyes, as she remembered what she lost. "I'll never...be...alright…"

She completely broke down. Somi once again hugged her, consoled her. She was at a loss for words. Mirae's pain knew no boundary. She clutched onto her friend, seeking some comfort but her heart would not stop bleeding.

"Cry." It was all Somi could say. "Just cry your heart out."

Mirae's wails echoed the silent hospital halls. The stoic guards outside could hear the heartbreaking cries of their CEO. Even though their expressions were neutral, inside, they could not help but shed a tear for their CEO.

….

KJ rushed into his apartment. Jade, who was asleep, woke up when he heard KJ's heavy footsteps.

"What's the hurry?" he frowned as KJ rummaged through his stuff. "What are you looking for?"

"The box!" KJ exclaimed. "I kept it in here!" 

He searched his drawers, going through everything. He tossed aside files, boxes and other stuff to search for Goo Soo Bin's box. But it was nowhere. Within minutes, KJ's neat apartment looked as if a storm blew by. Papers and other contents were scattered on the floor. Clothes were tossed around and furniture misplaced.

"I can't find it!" KJ exclaimed. 

"You must have left it somewhere," Jade suggested. He, too, was looking for the box, squeezing into the inaccessible places to find it. 

"No I didn't!" KJ said. 

"When was the last time you saw it?" Jade asked.

KJ racked his brains. The box...the last time he saw it was in…

He slapped his head. "I kept it in my jacket's pouch!" he recalled. "The night we went to Sunny Daze! I must have dropped it during the shootout!"

Jade's eyes widened in shock.

"KJ, what if falls into the wrong hands?" he questioned. "That'll be the end of our efforts!"

KJ sighed in frustration, cursing his stupidity.

I must find that box! He decided.

….

Sunye's eyebrows were knitted in a frown. This box...she thought. 

The last time she had seen Goo Soo Bin three years ago, he was carrying this box. She had traveled to Busan to look for him. He had the answers she wanted. But upon seeing her, the detective went rigid and escaped. Before he ran away, she had seen this box in his hands.

And that night...that night, the idol KJ had dropped this box. While he was carrying the injured CEO to the ambulance, his pouch fell off. It was slightly unzipped. Sunye was about to call him when she noticed the box inside.

She knew it was the same box. After all, Song Tam Lin's products had their own signature mark. The engraving and the lock system on the box matched with the one Goo Soo Bin was holding. If there was one thing Sunye was known for, was her photographic memory. Once she sees something, she can memorize it in seconds.

No doubt this box was connected to her past. Otherwise why would Goo Soo Bin flee upon seeing her?

"What are you hiding, Nation's Idol?" she wondered out loud.