Chapter Fourteen: Next Target

[Author’s Note: Please, note that this book is rated Mature and is not meant for a young audience (under 17). There will be strong language used and some explicit scenes that will be throughout the book; reader discretion is advised. At no point in time will I allow my work to be republished or translated on the same or different platform and/or site, under any circumstances. This book is licensed by Webnovel and its affiliated company, AnD Entertainment. Copyright All Rights Reserved Lynnifer Ice. If anyone finds my work(s) republished on another site or platform, please, let me know immediately.]

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[ Webnovel ©Lynnifer Ice ]

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I was smiling, feeling accomplished, as I buttoned up my blouse. I looked over at a panting Namjeon; he had a completely fucked-out expression on his face. His hair was sticking to his forehead, his body covered in sweat. He was struggling to put his boxers back on. I couldn’t help but laugh at his failed attempt.

“Hey, come on, Mel… Don't laugh,” he pouted, looking like he was on the brink of giving up on the idea of getting the damn thing on.

“Namjeon, if you could see yourself right now, you would laugh too,” I grinned, stepping over to him. “Give them to me,” I stretched out my hand expectantly.

“I can dress myself, you know…,” he rolled his eyes at me.

“If you could, you would already be dressed by now. Now, hand over the underwear,” I calmly demanded.

Reluctantly, he handed over his boxers. I grinned as I twirled them around my forefinger, teasing him. He did not look amused in the slightest bit. I stuck my tongue out before kneeling down in front of him. I had to hold back a laugh when I saw his legs were shaking as I helped him get his boxers over his ankles. As I stood up, I guided his boxers up his legs to his hips. Our noses touched one another. I grinned again as he put his arms around my lower waist. I had only put my undergarments and blouse back on; I still needed to put my skirt and shoes back on.

“Are you trying to tempt me again, Mel,” he inquired with a devilish smirk as his hands reached lower and gently squeezed my ass cheeks.

“What if I was?” I jokingly challenged him.

“You are one hell of a woman; you know that?” He asked me softly before kissing me briefly. When he pulled back, he had a sad smile. “I miss this… I miss you.”

“Namjeon,” I sighed, “you know exactly why we got a divorce. We argued too much; it wasn’t a good atmosphere for our daughter. Speaking of which, how is our ray of sunshine doing?”

“She’s looking more like her mother each day. She has your eyes and your attitude,” he commented as he let go of me, “She misses you too. You should come to visit us soon.”

“I can make an effort when I have an available duration, but these men take up most of my time. Seven clients at once can be truly taxing at times,” I explained. “Getting away from that subject, though… Are you going to let me see my clients now?” I changed the subject as I pulled up his pants, zipping them.

“I think I could do better than that. I might be able to pull some strings to get them out of here entirely without the Chief's permission, but on one condition,” he casually told me, a spark of mischief in his eyes.

“Name it,” I replied as I got my skirt back on.

“Come over to the house this weekend,” he said in a hopeful tone.

I froze as I picked up his shirt, “This weekend?”

“That's right,” he nodded with a content expression.

As I started to put his shirt back on, I let every possibility race through my mind. When I got to the top button, Namjeon gently squeezed my hands, bringing me out of my daze. I bit the inside of my cheek, thinking of any possible consequences this could create.

“If you can pull this off, then we have a deal,” I stated, unsure of my answer.

“I will see what I can do then. Thank you, Melody,” he expressed as he pecked my cheek. He went behind his desk and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a towel. He used the towel to dry his face and hair. Then he tried to fix his hair to the best of his ability. He walked back over, placing a hand on my shoulder, “Stay here and fix yourself up. You still have sex hair,” he chuckled before pecking my cheek again. “Thank you for today, Mel,” he expressed his appreciation before leaving the office, closing the door behind him.

I have sex hair? Damn, how wild were we? Guess I better fix my look then before he comes back. Note to self, though… I’m going to need a new pair of panties when I get back and a hot shower. Thank fuck I’m still on birth control too.

I reached into my purse, pulling out a hand mirror, brush, and an emergency pouch of makeup. I looked in the mirror and observed how crazy my hair looked.

Wow. I really do look like shit.

I laughed at myself as I started to brush my hair. Once I was satisfied, I grabbed my makeup and carefully refreshed my look. I winked at myself before putting everything back in my purse. I looked over at Namjeon's desk; papers were scattered everywhere. I decided to get up and put his desk back in order. Once I finished, I sat in his office chair, waiting for him to come back. However, when I heard an argument coming closer to the door, I hopped off the office chair and sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk. No sooner had I sat down, the door burst open. The Chief was arguing with the Captain. As soon as they were in the room, Namjeon slammed the door shut.

“Captain Min Namjeon-ssi, I have had just about enough of your shit!” Chief Kim boomed.

“Why can't you just have an open mind for once, Chief?!” Namjeon snapped back.

“Now you listen here, young man! I'm not the one who can't keep his fucking cock in his pants! You have some balls to try to go behind my back after getting laid in the office! You’re lucky you are the best Captain that I have ever had, or I would fire your ass on the spot!” The Chief roared before his eyes caught onto me, “So, your whore is still here?”

I watched as something snapped in Namjeon's eyes. Then, he landed a hard right hook to the Chief's jaw. “How fucking dare you! You might be my boss, but I will not tolerate you addressing my ex-wife and mother of my daughter in such a manner!”

The Chief stumbled back, almost losing his balance. I was expecting things to get ugly, but instead, the Chief went quiet as he looked between his Captain and me. He pointed his finger between the two of us, his other hand holding his jaw. Namjeon came to stand by me but just a little in front; he looked beyond pissed.

“You- That-… That’s her? The woman you always talk about,” the Chief inquired, sounding shocked.

“I take it you're Chief Kim. Yes, I am the Captain’s ex-wife. My name is Doctor Melody Marchesa,” I announced, holding out my hand, “It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir.”

The Chief looked stunned by my reaction, but nonetheless, he extended his arm too and gave me a firm handshake. “Oh, uh… Yes, of course. I apologize for my behavior, Doctor-nim. I shouldn’t have assumed-...”

“That’s right,” I interrupted him, squeezing his hand harder until I heard a small crack, “You shouldn't have assumed.”

“I really do apologize. I am genuinely sorry,” the Chief croaked, holding back a whimper, looking at the grip on his hand and back at my smiling face. It was faint and quick, but I saw a slim glimmer of fear in his eyes.

“Are you?” I asked, still smiling, tightening my grip even more, “Are you REALLY sorry? I don’t think you are, Chief.”

“Melody-ah,” Namjeon whispered, putting a hand on my shoulder, “you're going to break his hand.”

“Yes! Yes, I’m sorry!” Chief Kim whimpered, gripping his wrist. “Please, let me make it up to you. Anything! Just- Just name it, but please let go of my hand…!”

As soon as I let go of Chief Kim’s hand, he retracted his hand against his chest. It was evident that he was in pain, even as he stood up, but I could care less about how he felt after the way he just talked about me. As far as I was concerned, he was lucky that I did not break his hand altogether, and I would have if Namjeon had not stepped in. I crossed my arms in annoyance before leaning back against Namjeon’s desk.

“So, Chief,” I started off, wanting to hit him with a curveball, “Rumor has it that you’re dating your Lieutenant. Park, wasn’t it?” The edges of my lips lifted into a sinister smirk as the panic spread across Chief Kim’s face. Even Namjeon looked shell-shocked.

Now, I got you right where I want you.

“How did you-... Where did you get that information?!” He yelled, sounding frantic.

“Oh? So, it IS true!~” I sang in a glorious triumph.

“Who told you about that, Doctor-nim,” he asked hurriedly, “Please, at least tell me that!” His eyes were blown wide, and sweat droplets covered his forehead.

“Old Fool. You just confirmed it yourself,” I made a snarky remark, feeling proud of myself. “Now,” I continued as I tapped my chin, “Correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe that is a forbidden relationship in this line of work, no?”

“That’s correct, yes,” Chief Kim lowered his voice, his eyes trailing to the floor briefly before shooting back up at me, “-but so is what YOU’RE trying to do, Doctor-nim! I can’t just let those men walk out of here without having proper consequences!”

“So, you wouldn’t mind if I told the Police Commissioner about your little secret then, is that it?” I asked with a challenging smile with my head tilted just slightly to the side.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Chief Kim narrowed his eyes.

“Oh, but I would, and I shall if I don’t get what I came here for,” I spat back. “In fact,” I looked over at Namjeon, “Namjeon-ah, could I borrow your phone?”

“The one on the desk?” Namjeon inquired with a raised brow.

“Yes, the one on your desk.”

“Go ahead,” Namjeon raised his hands up in defeat, in front of his chest, before backing away to the side. “I’m staying out of this.”

“Oh, but Dear... You’re already involved. Thank you, though!~” I chirped as I slid behind the desk and picked up the phone. Chief Kim desperately put a hand down on the desk as Namjeon side-eyed me.

“No, wait. You have to be bluffing,” Chief Kim blurted out. “How could you know the Commissioner’s phone number? Even if you did, why would the Commissioner believe you over me?!”

“How do you think, Chief?” I winked at him, placing my hand above the keypad, “She was my boss’s mentor. So, naturally, I helped her get the position.~”

I watched as the Chief’s face fell. At first, it was despair, and then a look of horror before a hopeless look of defeat replaced it.

Checkmate.

“Fine... You win, Doctor Melody-nim...,” Chief Kim breathed before collapsing in one of the chairs. He bent forward toward his knees as he facepalmed. “I’ll do you as you ask. Just promise you’ll keep today’s conversation a secret,” he slowly raised his head as I put the phone back down. “I love Lieutenant Park. If our relationship got out, we would both lose our jobs, and that could tear us apart. He’s scared as it is for just keeping from everyone that he’s only into men. He’s been harassed about it severely in the past. That’s why he moved here from across the country. I don’t want him to go through that kind of pain again.” By now, the Chief’s eyes were watery, on the brink of bursting into tears. Namjeon looked nothing short of dumbfounded.

“Chief... I had no idea-...” Namjeon started before I tapped his arm, cutting him off.

“Don’t worry, Chief Kim,” I smiled as if I had just won the damn lottery, “I give you my patient confidentiality guarantee. Your secret will remain hidden as long as you keep your end of the bargain.” I stood up, gathering my purse from the chair beside the Chief. “Honestly, gentlemen. I don’t enjoy playing dirty, but I have strict orders to get my clients out of here with a clean record by any means necessary.”

“Hold on a minute,” Namjeon spoke, lightly touching my arm. “You said the Commissioner was your boss’s mentor, right?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Why didn’t I realize it sooner?” Namjeon asked himself as he smacked his forehead. “I remember the Commissioner talking about a Martha before. Martha Elk! Fuck, that means-...,” his eyes widened as he stared at me. “Mel, how the hell did you get involved with Five Pillars?! That’s one of the most underground government agencies that are out there!”

Welp. I have been discovered. So, much for keeping the agency name anonymous.

“I was recruited by Martha-Unnienim,” I coldly stated with an icy glare. “Don’t ever speak the agency’s name out loud outside of this office if you know what’s good for you, Namjeon-ah,” I whipped my head around to Chief Kim, who was staring at us in awe, “The same goes for you, Chief Kim-ssi. Make no mistake, gentlemen, if they find out that you even know the name, it will be more than just your asses on the line; it’ll be mine, our families, our friends, and the entire police department too! The agency may have good intentions toward a person’s mental well-being, but they are not above making people disappear.”

“Are you threatening the police, Doctor-nim?” Chief Kim stood tall.

“No, Sir,” I firmly responded, “I’m giving you the only warning you’ll need. Those people do not take things lightly. I don’t make any of the big decisions. I’m just trying to do my job.”

“Warning received,” Chief Kim nodded with a sigh before walking over to the door, placing his hand on the handle. “What happened and what was spoken of in this room today stays in this room. Are we all in agreement on that?”

“Absolutely,” I recited as I started to walk away from Namjeon, getting my heels back on.

“Wait, but, Sir,” Namjeon tried, his eyes screaming worry.

“No, Captain Min-ssi. This conversation is over. We need to keep our heads above water, not drown,” Chief Kim looked back at Namjeon before sighing at his expression. “I’m going to go start the process of dropping all charges against those boys. I’ll meet you two out there,” he stated before leaving the office, closing the door behind him.

I looked back at Namjeon, who wouldn’t take his eyes off of me. He looked worried and saddened. He stepped closer, taking hold of one of my hands, holding it between his.

“Is that why you never contacted us even once since you left us?” Namjeon asked me, looking like a wounded animal.

“Namjeon-ah, it’s complicated,” I sighed. “It was for the best. As far as the agency knows, I don’t have any children, and other than Unnie-nim, I was never married. Working for a government agency has its perks, but it has many risks too. My job is supposed to be a safe one, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been in a gunpoint situation once or twice since joining. We deal with many different assortments of clients, which I am not at liberty to tell. Just know that some current and past clients can be quite dangerous to deal with.”

“I don’t understand, Mel...,” Namjeon whispered, “Why is Martha the only one that knows about your past marriage?”

“You remember how I told you that I was recruited?”

He nodded, waiting for me to go on.

“Martha-nim approached me the day we finalized our divorce, somehow already knowing that I was going to school for psychology. Once I obtained my Doctorates, I was officially inaugurated into the agency. It was her suggestion and guidance that I didn’t let the agency know about my divorce. She told me it was something private that should stay unknown to watchful eyes. Now, do you understand?”

“I understand,” he spoke softly before kissing the back of my hand and pulling me into a tight hug.

Rather than saying anything in response, I just hugged him back, reassuringly patting him on the back. Before he pulled back, he placed a light peck against my temple. Speaking with only his eyes, I followed him to the office door. He opened it and held it as I exited first with him right behind me. He led me over to where the interrogation rooms were. Chief Kim was already waiting between the two doors.

“Took you two long enough. I have everything settled, Doctor-nim,” Chief Kim held out his hand, “I put them all in the same room. All that’s left is for Captain Min-ssi to walk you all out. I trust you’ll honor our deal until the end of time?”

“You have my word,” I replied, looking the Chief in the eye as we exchanged a firm handshake.

“Very well. I’ll leave you to it then, Captain,” Chief Kim nodded in satisfaction. “Have a safe trip home, Melody-nim,” he bowed his head in respect before starting to walk away. He didn’t get too far before I called his name.

“Chief Kim!”

“Did you need something else?” Chief Kim turned back to me.

“I wanted to let you know that I’ll have new state-of-the-art tech in here for your department within the next couple of weeks. It’ll take a little bit to get that many computers ordered and delivered.”

“Thank you,” Chief Kim bowed more profound this time before walking away for the last time.

“You’re really updating everything we have in the department?” Namjeon asked me in a hushed tone.

“As thanks, yes,” I replied, sneaking a peck on his cheek, to which I received one the happiest smiles I’ve seen today.

Without further adieu, Namjeon pressed a button before the interrogation room door verbally buzzed, allowing him to open it. As we entered the room together, I was met with five forlorn faces. One of which almost instantly perked up upon seeing me.

“Noona-nim!” Jeongseok got up from one of the chairs, literally jumping into my arms as soon as the door closed. “I knew you’d come for us,” he suddenly started sobbing like a child, hugging me tightly.

Did these guys really think they had been abandoned? It’s only been a few hours, more toward half the day, but still-...!

I could feel Namjeon’s eyes on me, like a hawk. I felt a bit out of place. I could not recall any time where I ever had to hug one of my patients. Nonetheless, the crying man latched onto me needed comfort. So, reluctantly, I put my arms around him in a soothing hug with light taps to the back of his head, shushing him like a child who had fallen off his bike.

“There, there... I got you. I’m taking you boys home,” I reassured him as I addressed the others in the room at the same time, “-and before anyone asks... Namki and Hojeong are fine. They’ll be escorted back to the dorms tomorrow evening. They have to stay at the hospital overnight for observation.”

Everyone else but Yunjun got up, looking a bit on edge with Namjeon in the room. Yunjun avoided eye contact with anyone and everyone; he stayed sitting in the furthest corner of the room on the floor, his knees brought up to his chest. Once Jeongseok calmed down enough to just a hiccup, I gave them all a stern look.

“Now, as for the rest of you,” I placed my hands on my hips going into a maternal mode, “you better have a damn good reason for today, and you better hope that I not only like your answers but that I also believe them. As far as I am concerned, Doctor side aside, every single one of you is in the dog house.”

- End of Chapter Fourteen -

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[ Webnovel ©Lynnifer Ice ]

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