Chapter 301 - Jade (1)

The next morning, KJ was woken up by the ringtone of his phone. Irritated, he rolled over and put the pillow on his head but the phone would not stop ringing. He put his arm over to Mirae's side to hug her but there was no one there. Frowning, he tilted his head up and saw that she left a note which said she was heading for work.

They had returned quite late at night after inspecting the scene so he was quite surprised that she still had the energy to go to work. They had also picked up Jade on the way so it was almost past 4 AM when they arrived home. 

KJ rolled over to fall asleep again but something jumped on the bed and prowled over his chest. 

"Wake up!" Jade snapped. "The phone is driving me crazy!"

"Let the caller wait," KJ mumbled but Jade scratched him with his sharp claws.

"OUCH!" KJ cried out in pain. "What was that for?"

"Pick up the phone!" Jade exclaimed. "I wanna go back to sleep and it's irritating me!"

"Fine!"

Cursing out loud, KJ picked up the phone from his bedside table. To his pleasant surprise, it was Sunye. He dialed her back.

"Sis!" he greeted. "I'm sorry I was asleep. What's up?"

"Am I disturbing you?" Sunye asked apprehensively.

"No, not at all! What's up?"

"I just wanted to check up on you," she stated. "Mirae had just informed me what happened last night with the hitman."

"Yeah," KJ sighed. "He killed himself. We were shocked by the news. The guy was too traumatized about the fact that despite being an infamous hitman known for his bloody track record, he was caught by a bunch of teenagers."

"Angry fans can be dangerous," Sunye bemused. "Anyways, there is something I wanted to say."

Her voice turned serious. "Song Tamlin went to visit Ash on Mirae's orders last night," she said. "He tried to probe Ash into revealing what his plans were but the man was being cryptic. He keeps on saying that all he wants is his birthright."

"He wants to take over the Cartel," KJ guessed. "What else would be his birthright?"

"The President is keeping an eye on Ash," Sunye said. "There is something strange about their dynamic according to Song Tamlin. It seems that the duo don't trust each other at all. The President may actually be wary of his own grandson. Even fearful."

"And Ash?"

"Ash...is hard to read," Sunye admitted. "I've only met him a few times but he seemed too aloof and uninterested in Aroma Inc. His goals are not aligned at all. When 7A flopped, he did not bother to recover from the loss. Instead, the girls were given solo activities while Nida vanished. Now they're trying to debut another group sometime next year. But it's simply a ploy to keep the company afloat. It doesn't seem he's even remotely interested in the agency other than keeping it as a shadow company."

"And the President?"

"I haven't run into him yet," she said. "But Song Tamlin has been summoned to a top secret meeting and he wants me to be there with him."

"Be careful," KJ cautioned her. "Even though they don't know about our relationship yet, it's still too risky to be near them. If they get a whiff about you, the President won't hesitate to kill you on the spot."

"I have Song Tamlin's protection," she assured him. "The President won't be able to do anything to me as long as Song Tamlin is there. He is as powerful as the Cartel so if they mess with me, they'd be courting death."

KJ grimaced a little despite her assurances. Sunye worked too closely with the Song family and refused to divulge the reason. But Song Tamlin had kept his word to them and even treated Sunye like a daughter so he somehow tolerated the man.

"Be careful," he said. "If you get any inkling of danger, just escape. Or give us a call. Our men will be on standby."

"I will," she promised. "I'll have to go now. An important case's hearing is about to start in an hour and I have to be at the court on time. I'll talk to you later, alright? Bye."

"Bye."

KJ hung up the phone, thinking hard.

"Sunye is getting way too deep into their world," Jade commented.

"Yeah," KJ agreed, feeling worried. "She's Song Tamlin's right hand. He is using her in his plans against the Cartel. The man may rely on her but in his eyes, she might be disposable. We'll have to keep any eye on them. If the President gets any information on how she's related to me, he wouldn't wait around. He'll finish her off without a care."

"Would he dare to mess with Song Tamlin and create another gang war?"

"We don't know," KJ replied. "And that's what makes him more dangerous. As long as his thoughts remain hidden, he'll be dangerous."

"But he-"

Suddenly Jade broke off. He began to cough violently, spraying blood all over the white sheets.

"Jade!" KJ picked him up into his arms. The cat was choking, its pupils turning white in pain.

"Jade!" 

KJ was panicking. He had never seen Jade in such a state. Blood was dripping from his mouth and he was beginning to lose consciousness. KJ rubbed his stomach but he kept on coughing up blood.

I'll have to take him to the vet! KJ thought wildly. He did not bother to change. Wrapping Jade in a blanket, he headed straight for his car.

"Good morning sir, what would you like for breakfast-" Sejong was asking but KJ rushed past her. He was too preoccupied with saving Jade. He ran for his car and got in.

Hitting the accelerator, he sped off not caring about anything else. Jade was getting weaker and weaker with every second, his voice becoming hoarse. He could only manage to groan, his stomach hurting like hell.

"We'll get there," KJ consoled him. "The hospital is near! Stay strong Jade!"

He could not stop the tears falling from his eyes. Jade was his constant companion and friend during the darkest times. Losing him would be like cutting off his limbs. 

"Jade, don't give up!" he begged as he swerved the car. The veterinary hospital was up ahead. They were so close. Don't go, KJ prayed inwardly. Please, don't go.

"K...J…"

Jade mumbled before completely blacking out.