Victor sat alone in the small, starkly lit room adjacent to the courtroom, his mind racing. His usual calm demeanor was eroding under the pressure. He knew he was cornered. The evidence Ju-won presented was damning, and the cross-examination had done little to discredit him. He needed a new strategy—something drastic. The door opened, and Ms. Daniels entered, her expression grim. "Victor, we need to talk," she said, closing the door behind her. Victor looked up, his eyes filled with desperation. "What's our next move? We need something to turn this around, and fast." Ms. Daniels sighed, setting her briefcase on the table and taking a seat across from him. "Victor, the evidence is overwhelming. Ju-won's documents are authentic and verified. Discrediting him further might not be enough. We need a more concrete plan." Victor clenched his fists, his mind whirling with possibilities. "There has to be something. What about Enoch? Can we use him somehow?" Ms. Daniels shook her head. "En
Stephen bursts into the bathroom just as Mr. Lee raises the knife. Without hesitation, Stephen charges at Mr. Lee, grabbing his arm and struggling to wrestle the weapon away. The knife glints dangerously close to Stephen's face, and he can feel the sharp edge grazing his skin."Ju-won, get out!" Stephen shouts, his voice strained with effort.Ju-won, paralyzed by fear, snaps into action and dashes towards the door. Meanwhile, Stephen and Mr. Lee grapple violently. Mr. Lee’s strength is overwhelming, but Stephen fights with sheer determination. The knife slashes Stephen's arm, and he grunts in pain, feeling the warm blood trickle down."You're done, Lee," Stephen growls, his voice a mix of pain and anger.With a final, desperate surge of energy, Stephen twists Mr. Lee's wrist, forcing him to drop the knife. It clatters to the floor, and Stephen kicks it away. Mr. Lee, now disarmed, shoves Stephen hard, sending him sprawling to the ground."Stephen!" Ju-won cries out, frozen in the door
Victor stood speechless, his face drained of color. He stared at the camera replaying the recording of his damning conversation with Lee. His eyes darted around the courtroom, seeing the looks of shock and disdain on the faces of the judge, jury, and spectators. Stephen, with a confident smirk, locked eyes with the judge, who nodded solemnly. "Mr. Stephen," the judge said, his voice steady, "the evidence presented here is conclusive. You are cleared of all charges." Relief washed over Stephen, but he kept his focus sharp. The judge turned to Victor, whose expression had morphed from surprise to rage. "Victor King," the judge continued, his tone cold, "you are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and embezzlement, as evidenced by this recording. Your actions are reprehensible and will be met with the full force of the law. You are hereby sentenced to 25 years." The courtroom buzzed with murmurs. Victor's fists clenched at his sides, his mind racing for an escape, but there was
The next morning, Stephen was asleep on the couch, snoring softly, when a loud crash from the kitchen jolted him awake. He checked the time: 7:00 AM. Groggy and confused, he noticed the living room was immaculate, far cleaner than he'd left it."What's going on?" he muttered as he headed to the kitchen.There, he found Yuna throwing his whiskey bottles into the trash. He watched, stunned. "What are you doing?" he asked, struggling to keep his tone calm.Yuna looked at him with determination. "Drinking alcohol is bad for your health."Stephen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I know, but... those are expensive."She stood her ground, her small frame exuding surprising strength. "It's not good for you. My daddy said so."Stephen knelt down to her level. "Your daddy was a wise man. But sometimes adults need... a little help to relax."Yuna's eyes filled with tears. "I don't want you to be like my daddy. He got sick from drinking."Stephen's heart softened. He had promised Ju-won
Stephen sat in his car, stuck in traffic, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. The events of the day replayed in his mind, the miners' applause echoing in his ears. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard—8:45 PM. He had promised Yuna he'd be home early, but the unexpected tasks at the Empire had delayed him. The traffic finally started moving, and he maneuvered through the streets, his thoughts drifting to Yuna.By the time he parked in the hotel garage, it was 9:30 PM. Stephen sighed, thinking about Yuna probably waiting for him, or worse, already asleep after a long day of waiting. He entered the elevator, his mind heavy with guilt. The elevator dinged, and he stepped out, using his card to open the door to their suite.Darkness greeted him. The entire room was pitch black. Stephen's heart skipped a beat. "Yuna?" he called out, flicking the lights on. Silence answered him. He checked the bedroom—empty. The bathroom—empty. Panic began to set in as he searched every corner, ca
He looked at the phone screen, then back at Yuna, who was starting to stir in her bed.Yuna woke up, blinking at the sunlight filtering through the curtains. She called out, "Stephen?" There was no response. The entire suite was silent. She got up, rubbing her eyes, and walked to the living room. "Where did he go?" she sighed. This reminded her of her father, who was rarely around on her birthdays. Now, it seemed Stephen was doing the same thing.Yuna sighed again and took the elevator downstairs. She passed by the hotel staff easily; they were busy with customers or other tasks. Stepping outside, she looked at the morning sun and felt a pang of loneliness. She watched kids playing and making noise in a huge school bus. She had never been in one of those before. Back in her hometown, she used to walk to school. Since moving to the city with her father, things had changed. Her mother had left them for some rich man, leaving her and her father to fend for themselves.Lost in her though
They arrived at the hotel where Stephen had booked a suite. As he parked the car, he turned to Marianne, his expression unreadable. "Follow me," he said coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument. Marianne nodded silently, her heart pounding in her chest as she followed Stephen into the lobby and up to the elevator. The ascent felt like an eternity, each floor passing in suffocating silence until they finally arrived at the top floor. Stephen led her down the plush corridor to the penthouse suite. He stopped before the ornate double doors, his hand hesitating over the handle. "There are a few ground rules while you stay here," he began, his voice clipped and businesslike. "No touching or going through my personal belongings. And lastly, you shouldn't be harsh to Yuna." Confusion flickered across Marianne's face. "Who is Yuna?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion. Stephen ignored her question as he pushed open the door, his gaze immediately falling on the chaos that await
---Yuna stepped out of the building, clutching the money Marianne had given her. The city was overwhelming, its lights and sounds a stark contrast to the safety of the penthouse. She hesitated on the sidewalk, unsure of which direction to go. Her heart pounded as she tried to recall the way to the fries shop Marianne had mentioned, but everything seemed to blur together.Yuna wandered down the street, the noise of the city growing louder with each step. People brushed past her, barely noticing the small, anxious girl among the throngs of city dwellers. She looked around, searching for any sign that might point her in the right direction, but nothing seemed familiar.After what felt like an eternity, Yuna spotted a small shop that sold fries. Relief washed over her as she walked in and placed her order, using the money Marianne had given her. She clutched the warm bag of fries tightly, hoping that the smell of fried food would provide some comfort.But as she stepped out of the shop,