The traffic was heavy that morning. Cars were barely moving thanks to the riots which were occurring in front of the Embassy of Country R and everyone was getting agitated. Ever since Mikhael went missing, the protestors continued their vigils, disrupting daily lives. Many people were already fed up with the riots and were eager for them to end.
"What a waste of time!" one man was shouting. He honked his horn loudly but it did little. Many of the cars were honking, the noise filling the whole street.
"Bring him out!" The protestors were chaniting. "Bring him out! The nation wants answers!"
While everyone else was busy with the traffic issues, Sunye was sitting in her car, calmly counting.
"One....two...three...four…" she was counting under her breath. Even though SD did not tell her who her guards were, she had noticed several men who followed her almost everyday. They were almost always disguised. They followed her in two different cars, keeping a distance but never letting her out of sight. They would be there when she went to work in the morning and still be present after she was done with the office late at night. She had to admire their diligence but for today, she would have to ditch them.
Sorry for the trouble, she winced. She hated to create a huge mess for the guards who were simply doing their jobs but she had little choice. For her plan to go well, she must plant the seeds of doubts between Jonghyun and the Choi's.
But she had to be patient. If she acted suspiciously, the guards were going to alert SD ahead of her plan and she could not risk it.
I'll have to wait till afternoon, she decided. The traffic police arrived and began to clear up the roads for the cars to go. Sunye revved up the engine and began to drive away while her guards followed.
All throughout the morning, Sunye was drowning in her work but her eyes were on the clock. Jonghyun was scheduled to go to a meeting at exactly 3 PM and once he entered it, he would be unavailable until almost 7 PM. She would have to act before that.
As soon as it was 1 PM, Sunye got up from her desk.
"Aila."
She called the intern who had just joined the company. An energetic girl with a round face and pleasant smile came rushing in.
"Yes ma'am!" Aila squeaked.
"If anyone looks for me, tell them that I've gone for lunch with a friend," Sunye instructed her while picking up a shopping bag from beneath her desk. "I'll be back in a while."
"Yes ma'am!" Aila said as Sunye left her office. She put on her coat and walked along the walkway. She did not take her car but was casually strolling in her heels, very well aware that her guards were tailing her on foot. They would not take the car lest they attracted attention.
Perfect, she thought. Sunye casually walked along the footpath, pretending to look at her watch. The guards following her were in civilian clothes. They were keeping a distance but were spread all around her. There was one who was on the opposite end, pretending to be on the phone but was glancing at her every few minutes. One of the guards was a girl slightly younger than Sunye. She was carrying a briefcase, pretending to be a businesswoman but Sunye knew that she carried guns in that case.
The guards were tailing her well and were alert for any vehicle which might get too near Sunye. They were fully trained to take anyone down and would not let anything happen to her. Their dedication only made Sunye feel guiltier but she had to carry out her plans.
She was now walking further away which confused the guards. Sunye was seemingly aimless but she continued to walk along the walkway, crossing several roads in order to keep her guards on their toes. Turning a corner, she saw that the protests were still taking place.
"Team, close in on her!" one of the guards was saying but Sunye already entered the heavy crowd. She was still casually strolling pretending that nothing was wrong. People around her were crying and shouting. Many were demanding the government to step down and the protests seemed to have gotten thicker. There were more people now who had joined and were demanding for answers regarding Mikhael.
Sunye glanced behind her to find that the guards were pushing past the thick wave of people to reach her.
"Bring out Mikhael!" the protestors chanted. "Bring out Mikhael!"
The police were trying to negotiate with the protestors but they were adamant on wanting answers. Sunye pushed past several of the protestors who did not seem to have noticed her. The guards were blocked by the people while they desperately searched for Sunye in the sea of people but they could not spot her anywhere. Sunye took off her coat and threw it on the road as she emerged from the crowd while her guards were stuck in there.
She hailed a taxi and got into it.
"Galaxy Residence, uptown!" she instructed the cabbie. He nodded and drove towards her old apartment. Sunye checked her watch. It was 2:30 PM and she must call Jonghyun at exactly 2:55 PM.
But would her plan go as she hoped? Her heart was beating fast. Her plan completely relied on luck. Even a single misstep could put her in danger and SD would never be able to find her. Would he get the hint and come to her?
"We're here," the cabbie announced. Sunye paid him the fare and got out of the car. She felt a wave of nostalgia hit her as she stared at her old home. There were so many memories attached to the place. It felt as if someone had cut off her arm.
No time for nostalgia, she told herself. Sunye was standing in front of the building, alone. From the corner of her eye, she saw a car stop a little further away from the apartment.
She checked her clock. It was 2:54 PM. Taking out her phone, she dialed Jonghyun's number.
….
"Haein, what's our status on the Choi's?" Jonghyun demanded.
"Choi Taek has been quiet," SD replied. "He's out of town and won't return till tomorrow. I've sent our men to tail him. But as per my information, he killed Mikhael and already hid his body somewhere."
"As I had hoped," Jonghyun said. "With this, the PM and Choi Taek will begin to think of each other as enemies. We just need-"
Jonghyun's landline rang up. He pressed the speaker button.
"Hello," he greeted.
"Jonghyun, this is Sunye!" Sunye's voice came from the other line. SD briefly paused. Why was she calling the landline?
"Listen, I came to my old apartment to grab some case files," Sunye went on. "But they're not here. Do you have the file on the Yan extortion case? I'm-What? Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Sunye?" Jonghyun frowned. SD raised his eyebrow as they heard Sunye's desperate pleas.
"You're with the Choi family, aren't you?" she shrieked. "HEL-"
WHACK!
Sunye let out a sudden scream and there was a sound of someone getting whacked. Jonghyun sprang to his feet in alarm.
"Sunye!" he yelled. Jonghyun picked up the receiver and was frantically calling out for Sunye but the line was disconnected.
SD did not move but was listening carefully to the phone call. His hands went cold and his brain was already working out the details of what was going on. Sunye had gone to her old apartment to grab case files whereas he had everything removed from there. She had all her case files at his house then why would she go to the old house?
"Choi…" Jonghyun fumed. "They're going to harm her for ruining their slave trade. I'll have to rescue her!"
"I'll alert our men," SD said. "But we can't break into the Choi mansion without a proper plan, sir."
"We? You're coming with me?" Jonghyun asked, feeling a little grateful.
"I'll go wherever you go, sir," SD stated. "And right now, Ms. Han needs us. We'll have to hurry up and save her."
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