Yi-soo resolutely kept her focus straight ahead, suppressing the instinctual urge to glance behind her.
“But, Prosecutor Seo Yi-soo, you’ve become an unexpected variable. Well, strictly speaking, not exactly a variable. I was aware of your engagement contract with Yoon Hyun-seong.”
Silence hung in the air, and Jin-won, now sans glasses, locked eyes with Yi-soo. His once warm and affectionate pupils now reflected a cold, lifeless gaze—a gaze that sent a shiver down her spine.
“Until the moment our paths crossed by chance, everything unfolded as planned. However, there was one unforeseen factor,” he paused.
“Your smiling face proved to be too captivating.”
“What?”
“When you smiled brightly, how should I put it? Though it sounds like a cliché… It was as if a light shone from behind Prosecutor Seo. I felt it for the first time.”
“At that moment,” Jin-won continued, “I pondered. Ah, what if this person… What if those eyes, which radiated happiness, were to fill with tears? What if they looked at me, their expression pleading for salvation and drowning in agony? I’ve envisioned it every day since I met you. Oh, the thrill of discovering a face begging for mercy, crying in pain after encountering you.”
“Attorney Kang, you’re really… insane!”
“You were the only variable that did not go against my wishes, Prosecutor Seo. I became intrigued by where this might venture, even feeling a sense of anticipation. So, I decided to see how far this would go.”
As Jin-won continued his monologue, he produced something from his suit jacket pocket—an object Yi-soo had safeguarded over the past few months, the USB.
The original should be securely stored in Hyun-seong’s safe, so why does Jin-won have that USB? She involuntarily furrowed her brows, her mind racing to make sense of the unexpected twist.
“That…”
“When Baek Su-jeong passed away, do you recall her final words?”
“…What?”
Yi-soo questioned with confusion upon hearing the name Baek Su-jeong. At that moment, it seemed as if all the scattered puzzle pieces had seamlessly fallen into place.
Jin-won, seemingly satisfied with Yi-soo’s reaction, nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.
“I heard… she resisted quite defiantly. Interesting, isn’t it? Ordinary people would plead for their lives in such a situation. But it appears that the blood running through Prosecutor Seo and her sister is quite unique.”
With closed eyes, Jin-won swayed his body slightly from side to side.
“But nevertheless… she cherished her family deeply. When I mentioned that if the police caught wind, her parents’ lives would be in jeopardy, she surprisingly complied.”
“You… You were connected to my sister…”
“Don’t misconstrue. I didn’t personally end her life. I have a touch of germophobia. I can’t stand getting dirty. Anyway… I stumbled upon this while searching for something else. Turns out there was nothing I needed, but you happened to have it, Prosecutor.”
The counterfeit USB quivered in Jin-won’s fingertips. Not only did he mastermind Su-jeong and Min-yeol’s murders, but he also revealed himself as a sinister individual who played with people’s lives.
Even though her body instinctively trembled in the face of his true nature, Yi-soo fought to maintain her composure. If the recording was successful, she needed a clear confession from Jin-won.
And Seo Yi-soo was a prosecutor more formidable than anyone in cross-examination.
“…That USB, it belonged to your secretary. Shin Min-yeol. Isn’t it tragic? There must have been a better solution than having someone else end his life.”
“Well, I don’t make a habit of taking lives. Initially, I attempted to negotiate. That’s what Yoon & Kang lawyers excel at. But… he sacrificed herself for a wretched cause.”
“The contents of that USB will be exposed to the world. I’ll ensure it.” With determination in her gaze, Yi-soo spoke resolutely, each word deliberate. While part of it was intended to provoke a reaction from Jin-won, the commitment to unveil the truth was genuine.
Jin-won, who had been toying with the USB, curled the corner of his mouth upward. His smooth and alluring whisper continued like a captivating serpent.
“Alright. Let’s go ahead with that. Expose everything.”
“…What?”
“But the one to shoulder the blame won’t be me; it’ll be Yoon Hyun-seong. I trust Prosecutor Seo to make it happen without a doubt.”
“What absurdity. Explain so I can comprehend…!”
The conversation’s control shifted in an instant. Yi-soo spoke with a hushed tone, digesting the new information. Yoon Hyun-seong becoming the focus of exposure.
“The mastermind behind all these incidents isn’t Kang Jin-won, but Yoon Hyun-seong. Did you grasp that correctly? To achieve that, we need your cooperation and testimony.”
“Do you think I would do something absurd like that? You’re the one who killed my sister!”
“While it’s true that familial ties are potent, I don’t believe anyone would willingly lose their only remaining family. So, how about this?”
Jin-won’s tone turned persuasive as he lifted the USB.