Chapter 5

5

At Marco's Residence

Axel, his aunt, and uncle sat at the dining table laden with Italian specialties - lasagna, pizza, spaghetti, ravioli, and minestrone soup.

"Aunt, why did you prepare so much food?" Axel asked, puzzled. It wasn't a holiday or special occasion.

"The first step was a success, and the next will be too. Consider this a celebration of your initial victory, Axel," the elderly woman who had raised him explained.

"Aunt, this is just the beginning. Don't celebrate before I've truly won," Axel objected, thinking she was getting ahead of herself.

"Let her be happy, Axel. Let's eat."

Axel nodded. Before the meal, they said a prayer - a family tradition of Marco's to show respect for the food.

After breakfast, Marco wiped his mouth with a napkin and studied his nephew's face, so similar to the young Maurer's.

"So, is it true Maurer's adopted daughter will be interning at the hospital in forensics?" he asked.

Axel nodded. "Yes, according to my informant, she recently applied and the hospital approved her internship request. Luckily for us."

Marco smiled widely, pleased by this auspicious news beyond their original plan. The target was coming to them. Axel would be Aurel's mentor during her cadaver research internship, and he seemed to have a devious idea brewing, though Marco didn't know the details.

"Uncle, Aunt, I have to go. There's something I need to take care of." Axel kissed and hugged them before grabbing his car keys and striding out.

At the Grumman Building

Axel and Le Yuna stood in the lobby.

"Ack! What?" Le Yuna coughed, spitting out bits of bread that sprayed onto Axel's face.

"Sorry, your crazy idea startled me," she said, covering her full mouth.

"Do you agree? If not, I won't force you," Axel said, wiping the crumbs off with a tissue.

"Is this the first step? But..." Le Yuna trailed off, looking pensive.

"I feel bad for that body. They say the soul suffers if the deceased's body is disturbed, let alone having a doctor reopen the abdomen for students to practice on."

"If you object, I'll abandon this plan."

Le Yuna shook her head. "No, it's okay. I agree to let them use my mother's body for practice."

Axel smiled widely. "Trust me, Miss Le Yuna. This is part of the first step towards getting back at Maurer."

While Le Yuna was uneasy about her mother's body being used for training, she went along with Axel's outrageous plan for the sake of vengeance.

"Sir, you have some crumbs in your hair," Le Yuna said, reaching up to brush them away. Their eyes met for a lingering moment.

"Pardon my impudence," she murmured, plucking the crumbs free. Axel stifled a laugh at her innocent expression.

"You'd better go in before Mr. Kang Chul scolds you for tardiness."

Le Yuna nodded and waved before entering the law firm.

Axel got into his car, grinning. "What an odd girl."

At the Djadiningrat Residence

As usual, the middle-aged Maurer sat behind his mansion, observing his pet lion Bobi savagely devouring its meal.

"Sir, I've heard Miss Le Yuna has been released from prison," Daniel suddenly appeared nearby.

"And?" Maurer asked gruffly.

"Le Yuna has been rehired at the Grumman Law Firm."

This news clearly startled Maurer. "The head, Kang Chul, recruited her back as a lawyer?"

Maurer fell silent, his icy gaze hardening as he processed this information.

"Contact the head of Grumman. Maurer will meet him in three hours," he finally ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"Daniel, make sure that woman doesn't cause any more trouble for my pharmaceutical company. If she interferes again, her fate won't differ from her mother's," Maurer warned darkly.

"Understood, sir."

Unbeknownst to them, Aurel had overheard their exchange. "Is Father eliminating people again?" she wondered.

Daniel turned, startled to see Aurel behind him. "Sir, I'll take my leave."

Maurer's expression softened upon seeing his daughter, preparing for her forensic internship.

"Your first day interning. Is my lovely daughter ready to examine corpses?" he asked with an indulgent smile.

"Aurel, why choose such a grisly field as forensics? Aren't you afraid the bodies will reanimate during examinations?"

Aurel shook her head. "I'm more afraid of you eliminating lives, Father."

Maurer's face drained of color at her blunt retort.

"I'm leaving now, Father." Aurel hugged him before departing for the hospital where Axel worked.

At the Hospital

It was the first day of the students' internship, overseen by Axel. Le Yuna's mother's body lay on the examining table.

Some students gasped upon seeing the corpse.

"No one touch it, just observe. This is a murder victim," Axel instructed, glancing sidelong at Aurel.

Thump!

Aurel's heart skipped a beat meeting Axel's piercing gaze. "Based on its condition, what caused this death?" Axel asked as the students examined the body.

Aurel raised her hand. "There's a stab wound to the abdomen, Doctor. That may have been the cause of death."

Axel nodded. "Correct, let's investigate further. But first, let's pray for the soul's peace."

The students murmured assent and bowed their heads briefly.

After the prayer, Axel reopened the sutures for the students to examine.

"What are the depth and width of the wound?" he asked.

"Twenty-four centimeters," Aurel answered.

"Very good, Miss Aurel," Axel praised her.

"What was the likely cause of death?"

Again, Aurel responded, "The stab wound penetrated the large intestine, causing it to rupture and likely bleeding out."

"How cruel of the killer to inflict such a deep wound," another student remarked soberly.

"What would you do if a family member was murdered?" Axel posed.

The students exchanged glances. "We would prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent, Doctor," the bespectacled student replied.

"And what if your father took someone's life?" Axel asked pointedly, his gaze boring into the visibly uncomfortable Aurel.

"Are you asking me, Doctor?" she cautiously replied.

Axel nodded. "Yes, just a hypothetical scenario to lighten the mood. What would you do if your father was proven to be a murderer?"

Aurel faltered, then answered, "I would be furious and unforgiving. I would report him to the authorities."

Her response made Axel smirk as he re-sutured the body after the practice examination.