LEARNING THE TRUTH

After entering the room, Mia began to look around curiously; she had never been in a man's bedroom who wasn't part of her family. She noticed that everything was tidy, as if it were a hotel room. This made her smile, as such a room did not seem compatible with someone like Robert's personality.

"It seems Robert is a fan of order," Mia murmured playfully.

Mia smiled when she saw the guitar in the corner, remembering the times she had heard him play. She approached it and ran her fingers over the wooden curves, feeling a coldness that gave her fingers a tingly sensation.

It wasn't a surprise to know that he could play the guitar very well. With everything that man could do, knowing how to play the guitar was something expected.

She walked over to the bookshelf full of books. Some titles were familiar to her, others not so much, as they were written in a language she did not understand. It wasn't surprising, at least now, that he could speak another language besides Korean and Russian.

She picked one book at random, and then another, flipping through each one, enjoying the aroma that emanated from the pages. Another thing she learned about her 'boss' was that he liked to collect books.

That did surprise her a bit, as she didn't expect someone like him, a guy who could break anyone's face, to have the habit of reading.

"Foundation Trilogy? ... A very strange name," Mia murmured as she tried to read the title of a generously sized book, making use of her budding English skills.

When she opened it, she found a dedication on the first page:

For Robert, who always seeks magic in the everyday. With love, Min-Ji.

Who was Min-Ji? Mia wondered, feeling a pang of jealousy.

She put the book back on the small shelf and decided to continue exploring.

She approached the desk, where a pile of disorganized papers caught her attention. Among invoices and notes, she found a sketchbook.

She opened it and was amazed by the drawings. There were portraits, landscapes, and caricatures, but one in particular left her breathless: it was of her.

Robert had captured her smile and eyes so precisely that it looked like a photograph.

Moved, she slowly sat on the bed, still holding the sketchbook. At that moment, she felt she understood Robert better, not just as the man she liked, but as a human being with whom she could connect. The room suddenly seemed more personal, more intimate.

She lifted her gaze and stared at the door. She wanted to go out and see him, to be by his side at that moment. She no longer wanted to deny these feelings.

However, her thoughts were halted by reality. While she might have been distracted while "investigating" the place, she had not forgotten what was happening outside.

Who had come to see Robert? And why did he make her hide?

Though she felt a bit bad about being treated like a mistress when the wife comes home, she knew she couldn't complain at that moment. Nevertheless, she couldn't stop wondering who had arrived.

Like a child, she walked on tiptoe and slowly pressed her ear against the door, but no matter how much she concentrated, she couldn't understand what she heard.

This frustrated her even more.

"Tch, I give up, I'll just wait for them to leave."

Mia pouted, walked back to the bed, and lay down on her back, staring at the white ceiling.

"Huh? Why is there a mirror on the ceiling?"

The girl was surprised to see her reflection. Only now did she notice this detail. She had been so focused on checking out the room's contents that she hadn't noticed what was on the ceiling.

However, she soon remembered some conversations the boys at her school had, about the meaning of having a mirror on a bedroom ceiling.

A slight blush tinted Mia's beautiful face.

"Idiot."

She murmured and turned over, trying to close her eyes and not think about that damn mirror on the ceiling. She felt uncomfortable, very uncomfortable, imagining Robert doing 'that' with another woman.

She felt betrayed by her own curiosity. Both the dedication in the book and this mirror on the ceiling reminded her that Robert had a life outside of what she knew.

A life full of moments shared with other women, some of whom seemed more than just friends.

Mia wondered if any of those women occupied Robert's heart, if he had shared with them the same intimate and personal moments that she was now discovering.

Sniff Sniff

"Mmm… his scent is on his sheets~"

Involuntarily, Mia closed her eyes and began to smell Robert's fragrance.

The aroma was warm and comforting, with subtle notes of citrus and a hint of woodiness that was unmistakably his.

She remembered smelling it on previous occasions when they were close. But this time, in the intimacy of his room, the scent was more penetrating, more intimate.

Mia bit her lower lip as her mind filled with thoughts of Robert.

She remembered how he made her laugh with his silly jokes and the way he looked at her with admiration when he thought she wasn't noticing.

Every little gesture and every kind word replayed in her mind, reconstructing his image in a clearer and more defined way.

Her jealousy and doubts slowly faded, replaced by a feeling of tenderness and connection.

She didn't know why, but this aroma, the one she always smelled when he hugged her in greeting, made her feel so relaxed.

Thus, her mind drifted between reality and dreams.

"Damn, he really does smell good,"

she muttered. After an indeterminate amount of time, Mia opened her eyes, grabbed one of the pillows, and hugged it softly.

"Huh? What's this?"

Suddenly, she noticed an iPad on the nightstand. "Oh… don't tell me, Robert must use it to watch forbidden things."

Mia smiled at the thought of why the iPad might be there, so she picked it up and turned it on. Maybe she could find something embarrassing to tease her new boss with.

However, her eyes widened when the screen lit up.

There was nothing bad or embarrassing, none of that. Instead, there was an open tab showing a live CCTV video.

What surprised the girl was that the video showed the living room where Robert was currently talking with several men dressed in military uniforms!

"What is this? Is this a security camera?"

She couldn't even finish being surprised when her eyes caught the oldest of those men speaking in a very deep voice, one she had heard on several occasions on television during the Gwangbokjeol (National Liberation Day).

Now she knew her eyes and ears weren't deceiving her; that old man seemed more familiar than ever because he was one of the most well-known men in the nation!

He was the famous General Commander Kim, the supreme leader of the Korean army, second only to the president himself!

What was someone of such high rank doing in Robert's apartment?

[… Well, that concludes our conversation. I hope Brigadier General Cho is satisfied. If everything goes as planned, we will be able to eliminate the trash plaguing Korea.]

Mia didn't have time to continue being intrigued and surprised, as Robert's voice resonated in the video.

[Haha, this really was something surprising! You were right, Geun-joom, this kid really has guts.]

The so-called Brigadier General Cho, a man with a rigid build, smiled slightly as he patted General Kim on the shoulder.

[I told you, this boy is worth what we're investing in.]

General Kim smiled in response to his comrade's pat. However, the pleasant moment was interrupted when one of the men behind General Kim approached and whispered something in his ear.

[Ah, well, that old Byung-hong has started to move. His agents are already returning to this place. I think we'll end today's meeting.]

When the general spoke, the rest of the men nodded without protest, stood up, and began walking toward the door.

[Then, we take our leave, General… I hope to see you again, young Lee.]

Each of the officers bid farewell to General Kim and gave a salute to our protagonist. Slowly, everyone began to leave, except for four people.

Robert and General Kim remained seated, along with the general's two bodyguards.

[Although I know I don't need to remind you again, you know you must return to the Panmunjom barracks next week. We need to proceed with the second phase of the experiment. Monsters have started appearing at the northern border again, just like when the storm happened a year ago.]

The general's tone became a bit more serious now that they were alone.

[I know, old man, you don't have to remind me every day. It's not like I forget that I have to go kill some of those things.]

Robert responded calmly, as if he were talking to anyone and not the General Commander of the Korean army.

The mention of monsters and last year's 'storm' made Mia's heart tighten. She knew many people had tried to give thousands of explanations for the horrific meteorological event, and some of those explanations were as crazy as thinking about paranormal events, things from other worlds, and extraterrestrials.

Moreover, the news circulating on the internet about the number of paranormal events occurring in Korea since that phenomenon had drastically increased, with reports of monsters everywhere.

She believed all of that was just part of collective hysteria, but now her thoughts began to shift.

If someone at the level of the General Commander of the army tells you that monsters have indeed appeared, it's logical to think that, no matter how crazy it sounds, there might be some truth to it.

[I also have to say, you have some real guts to talk about embezzlement when you yourself did that with part of the budget you took from Colonel Moon to pay for the medical treatment of your girlfriend's parents. You're making a lot of noise, leaving many Achilles' heels. You know that having someone close could be a vulnerability. They could use her against you.]

"!"

Mia was startled to hear these words. Although they didn't mention names, she knew they were talking about her.

Mia felt a knot in her stomach upon hearing her own name. She wondered what it all meant. She felt bewildered.

[You won't care about what I say, so I won't waste my time justifying myself. However, I'm telling you now, Mia is mine, and if anything happens to her or any of my other girls… everything will go to hell, you know that, right, old man?]

Mia felt a surge of warmth in her face upon hearing Robert's words, hearing his firm voice say that she was his. However, her excitement was interrupted when she realized he didn't just mention her but also other girls.

[Hahaha, I know, kid. I'm just saying it so you keep it in mind. Ah, damn it, you really are a headache… almost all the female recruits will go crazy knowing you're so protective of your girlfriends.]

Mia remained motionless, her heart pounding as she listened to the conversation between Robert and General Kim. Every word she heard made her feel like she was on an emotional rollercoaster, full of unexpected twists and steep drops.

Hearing that Robert not only cared for her but also had feelings for other women, she felt a knot in her stomach. A mix of jealousy, insecurity, and pain washed over her, but what surprised her the most was the clarity that began to emerge from those tumultuous emotions.

[Well, I'm off. I hope everything goes according to plan. Here's what you asked for; this is also courtesy of Colonel Moon. Just moderate yourself, a lot of important people frequent those places.]

General Kim stood up and walked towards the exit, not without first taking a black card out of his pocket and giving it to Robert.

[Don't worry, old man, I'll use it wisely.]

The bodyguards followed General Kim and left, leaving the room in complete silence. Then, Robert stood up and walked towards the direction of the room, disappearing from the recording.

Clack

The doorknob turned and Robert entered his room.

Mia was still sitting on the bed, holding the iPad, completely motionless, giving him a complicated look.

"Mia, what are you doing my iPad…? oh" – Robert murmured.