05: SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET 02

"You may wear a mask to hide your face, but you cannot mask the appearance of your heart."

 - Joo Seok-hoon pov

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

05: SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET 2

Eun-Bi pov:

I put my eyeglasses down on the table and faced John.

"Did you find out where this message came from?"

"We tried tracing it, but we think it's from a burner phone so. . ."

"Message him and hand this phone over to him. Tell him to find whoever it is that sent this to me and fast."

"Yes, Ms. E."

I watched John, my most trusted bodyguard, leave and then go back to my table, looking at the screenshot of the message.

'I will make sure you regret ever sending me such a cryptic message, Mr. Anonymous.'

I breathed deeply before taking my coat and wallet to buy some groceries.

I can't keep eating out, and I'm gaining too much weight these days. My manager will kill me if I gain any more than I am allowed to.

I was browsing through my phone when the elevator opened, but before I got in, Joo Seok-hoon was slumped on the floor like a beaten puppy.

I immediately ran over to him and looked at his beaten body.

"Joo Seok-hoon?"

"Joo Seok-hoon?"

I called for him over and over again, but he continued to crouch and heaved deeply.

"Wait a minute."

I pressed the basement where my car was parked and also the private button that allowed the elevator to not open up for anyone else's.

I helped him up when we reached our floor and put him beside the driver's seat.

"No hospitals!"

"What!"

I turned to him, looking at him and asking if he was serious about that.

"I don't want to go to the hospital!"

"You're in so much pain, but you don't want to get checked? Are you crazy!"

"I SAID I DON'T WANT TO GO TO A HOSPITAL!!"

I glared at him back when he shouted at me and instead parked on the side of the road.

"Let me see your wounds!"

"NO!!!"

"Don't fight back!"

I tried grabbing his sweater down. We both fought for dominance over his clothes. I keep pulling it up, but he keeps on pulling it down.

"Let me see! Where is it painful?!"

"Let go of me!"

"Shut up!!"

I shouted back as I tried to see where his pain was coming from but what I saw in his back made me pull myself back.

"What are these?"

I pulled it further and saw his back full of purple bruises.

He pushed my hand away and immediately covered himself while glaring at me with pure menace.

"Is this your new way of getting my attention?! Forcing yourself to me!"

He shouted at me as he glared at me, like a cub baring his fangs on someone dangerous.

"What are you talking about?"

"What are those?"

"How many do you. . ."

"Who did this to you?"

I tried to take his sweater and shirt again, but he kept on fighting me. I forced more until his lower shirt ripped apart.

"I just want to see how it looks! You don't want to go to a hospital, so I need to see what I need to buy at the pharmacy!"

He pushed me away, banging me against the door while glaring at me.

"STRIP!!"

I glared back at him.

Our eyes fought dominance and control. He looked away and breathed deeply.

"You've become pompous!"

"Just let me see already!!"

I tried to strip him more, but he pushed me aside quite roughly.

"JOO SEOK-HOON!!!"

We glared at each other.

I somehow know what is going on and what those bruises are. I've seen them before, that wound, that color, and that pain.

It's the same as that boy.

The same wounds, the same bruise, the same color.

Everything is similar.

And if my guess is correct, the same person too.

. . .

Joo Seok-hoon pov:

She stopped forcing me and went back to driving.

She stopped at a pharmacy far away from Hera palace. I watched her from the window and remembered how she looked earlier.

It was the same pity and pain that I know of, but even so, I don't hate her for it.

'I don't hate her gaze of pity.'

'Why?'

'Why don't I hate yours, Ha Eun-byeol?'

The way she looks at me, it is as if she truly feels sorry for me. She's different.

The more I get to know this Eun-byeol, the more I feel like she's a different person.

Eun-byeol was never like this. She's not fierce nor kind; she's not defiant and powerful. She doesn't have the same fire and warmth in that girl's eyes.

And Eun-byeol doesn't have the same confidence as this girl.

There are many things this girl is that Eun-byeol is not.

She's like a person who looks like Eun-byeol but is not.

'So, who are you?'

'Why do you look alike with Eun-byeol?'

'Sisters?'

"Twins?"

I murmured to myself as she left the pharmacy with a paper bag. She opened her door and put the bag in the middle.

"I've bought things that I think will help, but I can't help you if you don't strip."

". . ." I ignored her, looking at her from the window glass.

I saw her sigh as she drove somewhere else. We arrived at the park, where there were not many people.

"Strip already. I won't look. I will just help."

"I also won't say anything to anyone, I promise."

I took my sweater and shirt off. I want to see how she will see this. I want to know how she will look at the ugly scars and bruises I have.

I look at her from the window. 

The way she looks at my scars.

The wounds that I just received.

She touched it lightly with my hands as she looked in pain as if she could feel the pain of the wounds.

"Do you pity me?" I glared at her reflection in the window and saw her stare back.

"Is it so bad to be pitied?"

She looks at me with a weak smile. Her hand patted my messy hair like how she did with Seok-kyung. It is as if she is touching something breakable; she pats me lightly and softly.

"You don't need to feel disgusted by being pitied. Instead, you should be happy that someone can see that you are in pain."

"It only means that someone is properly looking at you."

I watch her take medicine from the bag, open it and apply it in the cotton before tapping it to my wounds.

She taps it very lightly, and every time she does, she winces.

"Why are you wincing? It's not even your pain?"

"Because you're not."

"If you don't want to show your pain, then I will show it for you."

She smiles at me, a very sad smile that I've never seen from anyone before.

I'm not disgusted by it. I've never liked how others looked at me or my wounds, but I don't mind hers. 

I like it. 

I want to see more of it. 

The different expressions this person will show me.

I turned around and let her put my sweater on me.

I watch her curiously.

I smile inwardly.

"When did you learn how to drive?"

"I learned secretly."

I smirk at her answers.

'You're not eun-byeol. I'm sure of that now.'

I guess now that I know she's not Eun-byeol, I feel more comfortable with her.

I cupped her cheek and faced her toward me.

When she looks at me, I don't feel uncomfortable.

She doesn't look at me like those girls in the class or like Eun-byeol.

She simply looks at me and sees me as a person who exists.

'I like that she sees me like that.'

I caressed her eyelids that looked at me. 

I leaned in slowly and placed my lips on her eyelids, kissing it lightly. 

"Thank you for looking at me. . . ."

A face that belongs to Eun-byeol but is not Eun-byeol. I have to confirm it first but I have the perfect person to ask about you.

'I wonder what your name is?'

. . . .

Joo Seok-hoon pov:

I told Seok-kyung to go home ahead. She really didn't want to, but I told her it's a boy's thing, so she left frowning.

Eun-byeol also left early.

She didn't even spare me a glance the entire day. Another difference between the real one and her.

I've been observing her since that night.

I called Lee Min-hyuk here in a restaurant near the Hera palace. It has private rooms that are soundproof, so I invited him here for an afternoon snack.

"Yo!"

I smiled at Min-hyuk, who had just arrived. He seemed to be playing on his phone while walking here. After taking a seat, he called in a waiter and listed his order.

After leaving, he smiled at me and put his phone down. He took his laptop out and an external drive that he always carried around.

"So, what do you want from me?"

He smirked at me, already knowing that I called him for something.

Lee Min-hyuk, the low-key information broker. He has everything on everyone but never really reveals them. 

I heard he can even hack anything as long as it is digital.

'A reliable ally and a scary enemy.'

"So, what information are you looking for this time?"

He turned on his laptop and opened his drive.

"Of course, you know it all has a price, right?"

"Ha Eun-byeol."

He looked up at me and stared me straight in the eye. He squinted his eyes and looked at me seriously.

'He rarely does that.'

He immediately put on a poker face and closed his laptop. He went back to smiling playfully at me and crossed his leg.

"I don't think you need me for that? She's quite putty with you, isn't she?"

"Not this one."

"This one?"

"This girl is different. I know you've noticed it too. . ."

"I don't think so. You guys just never really properly see her, but Eun-byeol has always been like this."

I stared at him seriously. He's hiding something.

"How much do I need to pay for the information?"

He forced a smile and turned away.

"LEE MIN-HYUK!"

"Fine."

He jotted down the price and slid it to me. I caught it with my hand and looked at his price.

'This is a bit high.'

I sighed deeply.

"Fine, but it better be worth it."

He smiles before typing on his laptop while I transfer the payment to his bank account.

. . . .

Lee Min-Hyuk pov:

'He really is looking for her information.'

Flashback. . .

I was playing with my phone when I received a call from Eun-byeol, or should I say Eun-bi. I smiled at my phone and answered it.

"I'm in the car right now; come here."

"Look. . ."

"I'll pay you for coming here, so run now!"

Ha Eun-bi. 

The prodigal daughter of Cheon Seo-jin. 

I never thought I'd see her back so early. 

I knew she was in Russia for quite some time, I even visited her there. 

That day, the foreign woman we saw. I kind of knew that it would be her. 

I don't know until when she'll be here but now she's back, things will definitely start changing. 

'I don't know until when can I protect my parent's dirty secret nor do I even think I want to protect their dirty secret.'

I turned my phone off and walked to the parking lot, where I saw a black limo lighting at me. I looked around and then entered her limo.

She's drinking champagne while waiting for me. She turns to the driver, and he leaves the car as she offers me a seat.

"Your friend will look for you soon, and he will want my information."

"Whose?"

"Eun-byeol's or Eun-bi?"

"Me. . ."

"ooh. . . .kay."

"So. . ."

She handed an envelope to me and turned to me with a smirk.

"Make sure he knows nothing, okay?"

"Fine! Fine! But only because it's you, okay?"

End of flashback. . .

I had already sorted the information he wanted before he even called me.

All I need to do is to cover Eun-bi's background, but I shouldn't be too stingy with my friend.

'This also looks interesting.'

The moment I received his payment, I took the information he wanted and transferred it to the memory card and gave it to him.

"Everything about Eun-byeol is here."

. . . .

Joo seok-hoon pov:

I read the file he gave me. I'm not convinced, though. He's still hiding something.

"This is all?"

"Exactly what is it that you want to know?"

"Everything."

"That is everything."

"You're lying."

I gritted my teeth and glared at him.

I read the content again. It does say here that she has a sister, but there's no information about her. 

Not even a name.

"Then, tell me about her sister."

"That's a different information."

"I'll pay."

"Look, I'll give an overview for free. Her name is Ha Eun-bi. She's not in the country; she left home young, rebelled against her mother, and never returned."

"Eun-bi. . ."

I called out her name, and as it rolled on my tongue, I had this sense of familiarity with her name.

"Why? Do you know her?"

I looked at Min-hyuk, who noticed my reaction to her name.

"What does she look like?"

"How old is she?"

"Are they only sisters? or are they, twins?!"

"That's . . ."

"I will pay you. . ."

I gritted my teeth and glared at him.

He's lying.

He's covering the truth.

"Can you at least tell me why?"

Min-hyuk exhaled deeply and looked at me seriously.

"Only if you are honest with me."

"Sure."

Now it's my turn to exhale deeply.

"This Eun-byeol we know now is too different. I know that it sounds insane, but this girl right now is not Eun-byeol! They're too different!"

Min-hyuk peered at me before writing something down and sliding it to me.

"Deal."

"Ha Eun-bi. The eldest daughter of Cheon Seo-jin. And no, they're not twins. She's older than Eun-byeol and well. . . . . eccentric."

"She had a major fight with her mother, so she left home young."

"This is the only photo I have of her."

He's still hiding something.

He's not telling me everything.

If he's protecting her like this, it means something is really going on.

And I think Min-hyuk knew from the start that the one we're dealing with is not the real Eun-byeol.

'But why would he protect her? He'd even sell out his parents for the right price, but he's protecting this Eun-bi; why?'

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

"How can a young girl survive on her own! Why don't you start telling me the truth, Leon!"

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply and then looked at me.

"Ha Eun-bi is different, okay! She's. . . . how should I put this. . . . She's . . . Eccentric!"

"And who said about being alone! She might not be on good terms with Cheon Seo-jin, but she's really close with her grandfather, and he's the really powerful one in their family, you know that too!"

'Yes, I know.'

I only met him a few times, during the parties and on the opening of Cheong-ah, but his presence is no joke.

"She rebelled against the great Cheon Seo-jin, so she was sent abroad, and since then, no one saw her again."

. . . .

'Ha eun-bi.'

The faceless name. The way her name rolled on my tongue felt different.

"Eun-bi."

Is she the Eun-byeol now?

"How close is she with Eun-byeol?"

"Well, they're close, they're siblings after all, but they fought before she left the country, then as you have from your sheet, from medicine to opera."

"Why did Eun-byeol shift?"

Eun-byeol taking medicine is still foreign to my ears. It's not impossible, though. I can see it in the future. But it still doesn't explain her sudden character change.

"Probably because of her mother."

"Thank you for this."

"Yeah, don't worry about it."

'he's still hiding something, but I don't think I can get anything anymore from him.'

He started packing up, and then he left. I stayed reviewing the information I got from him. Her name sticks to me. As if it's a name I am very familiar with.

"Ha Eun-bi."

My eyes are fixed on the picture of Ha eun-bi.

I tried to see many similarities, but there were none. This photo and the Eun-byeol I saw that night are two very different people.

I closed my eyes and the image of the eyes that cared for me yesterday and the touch that held me softly. Is that really eun-byeol?

"Who are you?"

. . . .

Eun-bi pov:

I was in the car near the restaurant where Min-hyuk and Seok-hoon met.

I turned the bug off and watched Min-hyuk face my direction with a smirk.

He then raised his hand that held the bug I put in his bag. He smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

I smiled at his reaction and rolled the window down.

I mouthed, "Thank you" to him.

He nodded and left me smiling at him.

. . .

I was listening to some opera songs while going to my pad when I received new photos from my beloved sister.

My sister regularly sends me her current situation. I think she's enjoying her school break too much.

'Should I prepare her place in Boston? She will need a place there once she goes to Harvard.'

When I entered my pad, I stepped on a letter that I think was slid under the door. I cautiously opened it and saw a picture of my ballet practice in Russia. The picture is more clear. My face is clearer.

"You're even entering the building freely now."

I crumpled the photo in my hand while glaring at it.

"Fine! I'll humor you!"

I called someone to get a copy of the entire CCTV for the entire day, from all the cameras and bring them all to me.

. . . . .

Joo seok-kyung pov:

"Oppa! If you don't want to play with Eun-byeol anymore, let's play with someone else."

My brother stares at me.

"What are you planning this time?"

"Rona. . . . play with her!"

I smirked at him as I picture Eun-byeol's jealous expression when she saw my brother courting another girl.

I know all about her threats and bullying of the girls my brother gets close to.

I smile in glee as I think about the expression she'll make if she sees my brother and Rona together.

"Seok-kyung. . ."

"Oppa! I already promised dad to win the trophy. If I don't win it, who knows what he'll do."

"We need to distract both eun-byeol and Rona. If you play with Rona, Eun-byeol will definitely target Rona!"

"We hit two birds with one stone, Oppa!"

I smile widely at my brother as he looks bored as usual.

. . . .

Eun-bi pov:

I had Min Seol-ah investigated.

From the moment she was born till her death.

There's nothing really special about her, aside from being an orphan being adopted by a billionaire in the states and being deported back from stealing, then taking GED, impersonating, and pretending to be a college student.

"Why?"

According to this, she was caught stealing something, so they returned her to the orphanage, but it's odd.

"Why would she steal something when they're already treating her well?"

It doesn't make sense.

"I should have this family checked, just in case."

I called in again to have this family investigated and continued my scan on the files. While I was reading something, my doorbell rang, and when I checked outside, there was a huge box on the floor.

I tried carrying the box. It's heavy, but somehow I don't think it's a bomb, so I took the box inside. Cautiously, I opened it and saw a bunch of papers and a photo album inside.

I got shocked at the content, but either way, I think I have an idea of what my stalker wants from me.

'You are really getting annoying!'

'I'm sorry, but I don't plan on doing your assignments!'

. . . .

Zeon Hotel:

I had one of my men deliver the box to her pad, and I was informed of her receiving it. I know she will not disappoint me.

"Come to me, Ha eun-bi!"

I sip on my wine as I wait for results. I even left a number there for her to call me. I also received news that Shim Su-ryeon is missing.

She abandoned her child and is leaving with someone who potentially killed her daughter.

"Seol-ah! I promise you, I will avenge you!"

. . . .

Eun-bi pov:

I was going to bed when I received an email from the person I asked to check something from the satellite for me.

I opened the file and saw a video of Min Seol-ah falling from the heights of Hera palace and crashing down to the statue of Hera.

I immediately sat up and replayed the video. After finishing it, I called him and sent him more cash to find out more.

"I need more. Can you zoom in more? Can you find out the real culprit?"

"Yes, that will be fine. I also don't want you getting caught."

"I can wait."

After our phone call ended, I watched the video again and again.

This is enough proof that my sister didn't kill her. According to my sister, She struck her at the back of her head and caused Min seol-ah to lose consciousness, but here, she is wide awake and is falling from the heights.

I couldn't stop myself from letting a tear leave my eye when I saw Min seol-ah's state.

"Did she really have to die like this?"

"Is pretending to be a college student and being placed first such a big crime for her to die like this!"

"Why did she have to die like this?"

"What exactly did she do to deserve a death like this?"

"Who killed you, Min Seol-ah?!"

I called the number that guy left for me.

"I'll meet you!"

. . . .

TO BE CONTINUED . . .