Chapter 5
'Sparkling jewels that can kill. I have to agree that Min Su has a great sense of fashion.' Chae thought as she watched the girl who was helping her get ready.
"You do look stunning," the girl said with a smile, but Chae wasn't really paying attention. She was staring at herself in the mirror in a black gown that was embroidered with glittering emeralds.
"Yes, I guess you can say that." She agreed distractedly. Her thoughts were elsewhere.
"I forgot to ask what your name is!" The girl exclaimed suddenly, and Chae was startled out of her train of thoughts and turned around to meet her gaze in the mirror.
"Han Chae Hong." She smiled back at the other girl before turning back towards the mirror again. "And yours?"
The girl blushed brightly as she introduced herself. "Su Jinyo." Her voice sounded a little higher, and it sounded cute to Chae, and she smiled wider at her reflection.
"How old are you anyway?" Chae inquired after a moment.
"Eighteen." She answered, and Chae raised an eyebrow at her appearance; she looked like she was barely sixteen.
"How long have you worked here?" Chae asked casually.
"Six months. I have been working here ever since Mr. Kim and his team rescued me." She answered softly.
'So she is someone who has experienced the pain of being trafficked, but she still has such a beautiful personality? That's a rare combination.' Chae mused.
"I'm so sorry." She sympathized. "It must have been hard, she added.
"It was really hard, but I'm glad that I was rescued, and I'm sure Mr. Kim will help other girls." She assured. "And you are going to help him."
'Yes, I will." Chae sighed. A knock on the door made her lose focus on her thoughts again.
"Come in." Su said, and one of the maids opened the door and stepped in.
"Miss Hang, it's time to go." She announced.
Chae nodded. Okay, I'll be down in a minute." She turned back to Su with a small smile. "Thank you so much for your help." She told Su sincerely.
"'It's nothing. It's my job." She smiled shyly. "Please be safe."
Chae laughed lightly and walked out of the room, waving goodbye as she closed the door behind her. As soon as she did that, though, her face became serious. She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. 'God, I can't believe this is happening.' She thought to herself before sighing sadly. 'What a mess.'
"Are you going to keep wasting my time, Miss Hang, or do you want to back out because you are scared?" A voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she jumped a bit before looking up at Min Su.
His eyes were trained on her expectantly. "Of course not." She replied firmly, trying her best not to show the fear she felt inside. He could read her every move, and it was driving her crazy.
"You can't back out, even if you wanted to." He reminded her mockingly.
She shook her head resolutely. "No, I won't. We're partners now, even if I hate it." She told him firmly.
Min Su raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "Fine then. Let's go so we won't be late." He held out a hand, and she hesitated slightly before taking it.
When they arrived at the party, she immediately noticed some faces in attendance.
'Most of these people are wanted criminals.' She thought distastefully.
"Keep a straight face, Chae." Min Su warned her, and she glared at him.
"You don't have to tell me twice." She said it sarcastically, rolling her eyes.
The duo walked over to a man dressed in a white suit and tie who had a huge cigar between his lips while talking to another man dressed in a tuxedo.
"Ahhh, Min Su It's a surprise to see you here today. You never attend my parties.'' His words slurred together as he talked.
"Yes, I know I've said this countless times already, but please take care of your manners, Mr. Choi." Min Su admonished before holding Chae closer to him protectively.
"You are such a boring man." The man complained before shrugging dismissively and grabbing two drinks from a server, which he gulped down in one shot.
"Who is this young lady with you?" He asked with a smirk. "Is she your mistress?"
"Mr. Choi, don't joke about something like this in front of my girlfriend." Min Su reprimanded; his expression darkened, his tone changed as well, and it was more threatening than friendly.
"Oh, that's why you decided to attend my party just to show off. So you have a date." He grinned.
"Mr. Choi, please refrain from making some comments. I'm going to enjoy the party with Chae." Min Su growled menacingly before walking away. He pulled Chae closer to him and whispered in her ear. "That's your target, so keep a close eye on him. I have important things to discuss with a few others, so you'll have to handle this yourself." He instructed before letting go of her hand and stepping aside to give her space as he spoke with those nearby.
Chae stood there for a second before shaking her head and focusing on the crowd of people dancing. She was clearly annoyed because of how Min Su was ordering her around, but she knew she couldn't let her frustration show. She had to obey his orders, no matter what.
'Choi Seong Hyuk, CEO of Lee Enterprises He has connections everywhere, and he doesn't play by any rules or regulations, so it will be difficult to find information if he doesn't cooperate.' She mentally evaluated herself as she took a sip of the drink that a server had offered her earlier. 'But luckily I've got this.'
Unfortunately for her, she was so wrong because she lost sight of Choi Seong Hyuk within minutes. After a good ten minutes of searching, she finally spotted him surrounded by several men. He was laughing loudly as he threw his head back in an exaggerated display of joy, almost knocking heads with another man.
She breathed a sigh of relief, but it didn't last long.
'Is that? No...no way.' She thought in disbelief as she recognized two of the men who were talking to her target. They were members of the SPF, with higher ranks in their organization, but what are they doing here?
'I need to find out more about what's going on.' She concluded. The mission she was on didn't matter anymore because the only thing on her mind was one question. 'What in the world is going on here?'