Chapter 341 - Clach of the Idols (7)

Mirae was leading her team through the tunnel Ash had showed them. Hyun Jung was close behind her while Riggs was heading another team through the passage under the gates. Song Tamlin's guards had already infiltrated the building and mixed the liquid into the food of the Cartel's men while Riggs worked to take down the remaining ones.

Hyun Jung's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out to see a text.

"CEO, this is from SD," he said.

"What does it say?" Mirae asked, her eyes on the path ahead.

"KJ is here," Hyun Jung replied. Mirae sighed. There was no stopping KJ from taking such a drastic step but she did not blame him. After what the President did to Dasom and Eli, there was no other way for him but to face the man who tormented them for years. KJ came to the mansion, putting great faith on her and she must fulfill her part now by saving him.

"Did we do the right thing by trusting Ash?" Hyun Jung wondered.

"Question is," Mirae began. "Is not whether we did the right thing or not. It is whether he would do the right thing."

Hyun Jung did not reply to that. They had to take the chance and Ash Park was their only option.

"There!" Mirae whispered, pointing at the secret door which led to the kitchen. She ushered her men to take their positions against the walls. Song Tamlin's men must have infiltrated the kitchen while poisoning the guards but they could not take any risk by opening fire. The sounds of the gunshots will attract the President's attention.

Mirae hid behind the door with Hyun Jung next to her. "Did Riggs manage to enter?" she asked him.

"He did not reply," Hyun Jung said. "We'll have to wait."

But they did not have time! KJ had entered the premises and was probably facing the President right at that moment!

As much as she loathed to do it, but she must pin her hopes on Ash and Song Tamlin. They were the only ones who would be able to delay the President until Abyss got there.

Don't betray me this time, Ash Park, she prayed.

…

KJ's eyes did not fall on the half burnt man who wanted him dead. Even though his worst enemy stood in front of him, KJ focused on the other person standing next to the President. Ash was staring at him with a hardened gaze, not acknowledging the presence of a former friend. Song Tamlin was there too, hiding his true feelings behind a poker face.

"We meet at last," the President said quietly. KJ slowly looked at him.

He was exactly how KJ had imagined him, nameless and faceless. How did one face such a villain who had no identity?

Junhyung was staring at KJ with contempt. He blamed him for all the misery in his life and was nothing short of ecstatic that his old enemy was finally about to die.

"Why?"

It was all KJ could ask the man in front of him. Why? Why did they choose to torment him? Why did they kill off so many of his loved ones? Why him? Why?

"You were just born in the wrong family," the President stated. "You happened to be the legacy of that woman who betrayed me."

KJ let out a sardonic laugh. His mother lost her parents, home and sanity because of that man but for him, she was the culprit?

"Maybe you were just reaping what you sowed," KJ retorted. "But I'm not even surprised at what you did. The person I am truly angry at is…"

He raised his finger, pointing at Ash who looked at him coldly.

"You," KJ said. "You're the real enemy here."

Ash did not reply but was staring directly into KJ's eyes. The dark ones met the grey ones as the two former bandmates confronted each other.

"The time we spent together as brothers," KJ went on. "The group we built. The two other boys we took care of and the friendship we had. Were they all a lie?"

Tamlin looked from Ash to KJ while the President was amused. His grandson had played his cards well by breaking the trust of Kwon Jiwon. It made his work easier in luring him.

"Yes," Ash stated. "It was all a lie. None of you mattered to me."

KJ did not know what happened at that moment. It was as if something in him snapped. The memory of the explosion flashed through his mind and before he knew it, his muscles worked on their own. He leapt forward and punched Ash with all his strength. His single punch held his pent up emotions of loss and grief.

Ash staggered backwards, his nose bleeding heavily. He spat out blood and glared at KJ. Song Tamlin did not dare to stop KJ because the President was there and if he did, then their ruse would be over. He glanced at the kitchen door. Why was Abyss not coming?

Before KJ cold throw another punch, Junhyung stepped forward and hit him with a poker stick. KJ, too, fell backwards and before he could get up, the President's heavy foot came crashing down on him, squeezing him to the ground while Junhyung held his hands at the back,

"That's enough," the President said. "I've let you live for too long."

Ash watched as the President took out a gun and pointed it at KJ's head. The latter was not struggling but glared at Ash with contempt. KJ felt nothing for the man who pointed the gun at him but he wanted to kill the man who was responsible for completely breaking the only family he ever had.

Ash mouthed something at which momentarily stopped his seeping anger. What? What did he just say?

"Good bye, Kwon Jiwon," the President said. KJ did not hear him but was still trying to process what he thought Ash had just told him.

When my song ends

I will disappear too

Will it be too late for us then?

Ash had just quoted EXOTIC's first song. Why?

The cold pistol pressed against his temple but KJ did not care. He was not afraid of death. But he was afraid of what was about to happen.

The sound of the gunshot echoed the room. KJ broke out of his reverie, realizing that he was unhurt and the President was thrown aback. The old man's palm was bleeding and he looked up to see Mirae pointing a gun at him.

Junhyung was also momentarily distracted and Ash leapt forward to knock him off KJ.

"We gotta get out of here!" he exclaimed. Song Tamlin also came forward to pull KJ by the arm but the latter was scared.

"No!" he yelled. "NO!"

"KJ, we have to leave!" Mirae yelled. The President was still alive and they had not managed to get rid of all the guards. Backup troops would arrive any moment and they would be trapped.

"Stop them!" the President screamed but Ash pushed him back towards the dark chimney situated on one side of the living room.

"Your men have been captured," Ash revealed. "Everyone is dead and there's no one to save you now."

"Stop him!" KJ yelled and tried to jump forward, but Song Tamlin held him back. KJ realized that it was Ash's plan all along. He was not merely leading them to the President; he was about to kill the man himself. 

Mirae, also realizing what Ash's intention was, dashed to stop Ash from whatever he was about to do but suddenly, there was a loud crack of electricity and a chandelier above their heads came crashing down.

Hyun Jung leapt forward to pull Mirae back in time as the blazing chandelier fell on the ground and a fire broke out. The whole living room caught on fire within seconds and heavy smoke engulfed them.

"We've got to get out of here!" Mirae yelled. Tamlin was trying to pull KJ back but the latter broke free, running into the flames to find Ash.

"KJ!" Mirae yelled, running after him. Smoke made her eyes tear up but she ignored her discomfort and ran after her husband who was still looking for Ash.

"KJ we've got to get out of here!" she insisted, pulling his arm but KJ was adamant.

"I have to save him!" he yelled. "This…this was his real plan all along! To-"

It all happened in a flash. Someone was pushed into the flames, screaming in pure agony. The body was ablaze and it came running at them. KJ pulled Mirae to the side as they watched the President being roasted alive in front of them. The man writhed on the floor, begging for mercy but he was not going to get any.

KJ watched the man who tortured him for years losing grip on his own life. Amidst the fiery blaze, he slowly looked up to see Ash towering over the man who had haunted both of their nightmares. Ash's own face was partially burnt in the process but he no longer cared.

The President was dead. It was over.