Desire

Chapter 24 – Room of Mirrors (4)

The photographs taken by the police were taken around the bed and floor, and Jiyeon didn’t know before that the rest of the room was covered in mirrors.

She came from forensics, but they couldn’t find any evidence because the site and already been cleaned up several times.

Ganghun checked the police case file he carried with him.

"All the employees that work at the villa said they all go home in the evening."

"There aren’t that many people that know the existence of the place itself."

"Why would he build a villa in a remote place like this? It doesn’t even have CCTV."

Jiyeon closed her eyes and Ganghun’s words faded to a murmur.

She tried to imagine what would have happened in this room on the day of Chairman Seo’s death.

Her voice echoed in her cave of consciousness, as if reflected in a mirror.

-Okay. It’s not just another drug, it’s Gentrix. Why would he take drugs to maximize his orgasm?

An explicit visual passed through her mind.

Old men and women with enough money could do anything...

Even things beyond drugs...

The truth was ugly.

"This doesn’t add up."

Ganghun’s voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Look at the statement from the housekeeper who found Chairman Seo’s body. And look at the scene photos."

According to the housekeeper who found Chairman Seo Geon-u, he lay as if he were fast asleep.

The photos of the scene also looked peaceful, to the extent that housekeeper could confused him for being asleep.

"There’s no sign of a meeting with drugs or women.

"So who cleaned up?"

"Let’s think this through. Let’s say there was a woman. Let’s say they took the drug together. When the chairman died in front of her, do you think she would have calmly placed the body on the bed, cleaned up the scene and left?"

This was unconvincing to Jiyeon.

"That’s true. So...do you think the perpetrator intended us to imagine the wrong thing?"

"Hmmm..."

Ganghun frowned.

"It could be. If she was around, she could have been drugged him from the start as a plan to kill Chairman Seo. If so, she would clean up after his death."

"That is possible."

"It wouldn’t make sense if he took the drug alone and died. Gentrix is the opposite of a hypnotic. It’s a stimulant, a stimulant. Do you think he’d take it by himself then fall asleep peacefully? No matter what I think, he didn’t spend that night alone."

"We’ll have to investigate under the assumption that someone else was here."

"That’s my conclusion."

They had to find her.

The woman who was with Chairman Seo Geon-u.

Jiyeon stared at the endless projections on the mirror room.

Who was the person reflected in the mirror that night?

*

After the autopsy, a joint service was held for Seo Geon-u and Seo Minho at a hospital funeral home.

All the influential figures from political and business circles attended the three day event.

Even celebrities who were worked as advertising models for Eunseong Group brought their condolences, and the whole hospital was bustling because of the competing television crews.

"It’s noisy here,"

Ganghun mumbled.

The two of them had come to the funeral as representatives of the special investigation team.

Even though it was the last day of the service , they had to wait in a long line to offer their respects.

The chief mourner was Minho — the brother of Minseok, whose mother was the third wife Jang Eun-a.

Sometimes, she saw young Ha-nuel wandering around the funeral hall.

It was their turn to pay their respects to the deceased.

Standing in a black suit was Seo Minho, who stood as firm as a statue to greet the mourners.

His appearance was a contrast to Minseok, who looked exhausted.

Jiyeon first spotted Jang Eun-ah meeting the funeral guests.

Even though she wore no makeup while in mourning, she still radiated beauty.

She looked unbelievably young for someone who was almost fifty.

If there were no big surprises, she could inherit the company even though she had no experience.

It means that the most to benefit from this... From that alone Jiyeon had to learn more about the widow.

"I’m sorry for your grief. I will do my best in the investigation."

Ganghun delivered his words of consolation.

"Thank you, prosecutor,"

Minho greeted with a bow on behalf of the family.

His eyes flickered to Jiyeon.

There were no words.

Jiyeon also couldn’t find anything to say.

She recalled when they met at the club Gomorrah a few days ago

"But we have the same pain, and we can become friends."

His touch on her hand still felt warm. The brush of his long pale fingers on hers still seemed to linger there.

He couldn’t take his eyes off Jiyeon as if he had something to say.

Jiyeon was the one to break eye contact.

She bowed once more, then her and Ganghun left the hospital funeral home together.

"Every time I come to this place I feel a little closer to death,"

he murmured as they walked to the parking lot.

"This place makes me feel melancholy, too."

"Death takes everyone equally, doesn’t it? The rich or poor."

Yes. Life was unfair from beginning to end, but death was completely equal.

Jiyeon looked up at the night sky.

It was nighttime when two men with enormous wealth and power left the world.

At that moment a shooting star drew an arc across the sky and disappeared.

"Thank you for coming."

Minho was approaching them. He was as silent as a cat in the night.

It seemed he must have stepped out in the middle of short break.

Ganghun bowed his head to him again.

"Not at all. I’ll pray that the deceased will go to a good place."

Seo Minho versus Hyeon Ganghun.

Two men who were similar in height, physique, and facial features.

They both were even dressed in black suits.

Jiyeon felt the air crackle between the two.

If Ganghun was a hunting dog, Minho was a wild beast.

When two males were confronted with each other, a dangerous balance was revealed.

"I wasn’t in a position to tell you this earlier, but I have something to say to you both."

Jiyeon was anxious for what he was about to say, but she kept silent for Hyeon.

"What?"

Minho slowly took a deep breath and turned to look at Jiyeon.

"I know who killed my brother."