Apollo’s Heart - Chapter 4 - A Mysterious Death (2)

Chapter 4 – A Mysterious Death (2)
“The original?” Tae-jun nodded, and Jae-won jumped up.

“It is against the hotel regulation to take the original file. What if we get into trouble…”

However, Tae-jun just shrugged off the latter’s concern, “If something happens, refer it to the board of directors.”

This was getting worse and worse.

Refer it to the board of directors? How’d anyone dare to do that to Tae-jun Seo?

Jae-won contacted the security department immediately, holding back the desire to pull his hair out.

Jae-won’s request also flustered the security officer but soon tucked his tail as more quickly once he heard the name, Tae-jun Seo. While waiting for the security officer with the original footage, Jae-won checked Tae-jun’s mood

“So… who is this ‘Hye-yeon Jin’ you’re looking for?”

Instead of answering, Tae-jun pulled out a cigarette from his cigarette case and held it between his lips. Jae-won had to stop himself saying, ‘No smoking inside” as he watched the unruly man’s cigarette catch fire. However, no matter how hard he tried, he was not able to stop his curiosity.

“Is that the woman who died four years ago?”

Tae-jun stared at Jae-won fiercely. Jae-won flinched as if his insides were being twisted.

“… how do you know about her?”

“Grandfather investigated on his own.”

“The chairman has figured it out?”

“Yes. He also asked questions about her to me and your manager Mr. Lee.” Jae-won obediently and truthfully apprised him.

Tae-jun’s mouth holding a cigarette twitched.

“Yes, she is the woman,” Tae-jun answered, puffing out cigarette smoke, realizing that there was nothing more to hide.

“Oh my God!” Jae-won raised his voice as if it sounded nonsensical.

“Are you doing this because of a dead woman? You mean that the dead woman turned into a ghost and came to your engagement party? What desperate love!”

“She is neither a ghost nor desperate,” Tae-jun said as if blurting out. He looked at Jae-won with a fierce gaze; one laced with violence.

He then dropped his cigarette on the floor and stubbed it out with his foot. “I was a ‘curse’ to her.”

Yes, he was. To her, their one year together was nothing but a curse, a shackle.

One year. They were given one year. It was the same time when Jin Myung-Je, the CEO of Jinseong Construction offered his daughter and along with Hotel Jinseong.

❆❆❆

“You’ve read the death report her brother, Hye-Seong Jin, showed you. You’ve even seen the scene of the accident. Hye-yeon Jin is dead, boss.”

Tae-jun’s secretary, Mr. Jeong Jin-Wook, was having a good time with his family. It had been a long time since he had one, so when he got a sudden call from his boss, he turned solemn. His wife, who was bringing him a fruit plate, sensed his stiff face. She quietly just closed the door and left the room. A faint sound of the kid’s favorite weekend tv show was coming from the living room. When Jin-Wook checked the clock, it was supposed to be the time for the engagement party.

But the woman who died four years ago showed up? Jin-Wook furrowed his brows and felt like his mouth was drying up.

– I am aware of it.

Tea-jun’s voice coming from the phone was heavily low. This, as far as Jin-Wook knew, was not a good sign. It had already been twenty years since he watched Tae-jun by his side. Perhaps he could boast that he knew this man better than his family. However, Tae-jun’s obsession with Hye-yeon was hard to understand even for Jin-Wook. It was the same in the past when she was alive and still the same now since she died.

Five years ago, Tae-jun met her for the first time in Jin-Seong city where his father Jeong-Hun Seo spent his later years. Jin Hye-yeon was the daughter of Jin Myung-Je, president of Jinseong Hotel, and a college student taking a leave of absence at that time. It’s not clear what features of her attracted him so much, but anyway, Tae-jun wanted her. Soon, he managed to get her with a condition called ‘One-year contract.’

But Hye-yeon found the relationship with Tae-jun hard enough to vanish herself before the end of the contract and end her life in a way that disgusted him the most.

She threw herself into the flowing Jinseong River surrounding the city. The cause of death was drowning. And it was obviously a suicide.

“But it is a truth that she appeared before me.”

Tae-jun bit his lip slightly and looked down at his hand. The woman was right in front of him, a completely living human being.

“Is there any chance that the autopsy report is wrong?”

– I am not sure if the drowned body was not found, but the family found the body and cremated it. There’s not much chance.”

At that instant, the words that suddenly popped into his mind disturbed him deeply.

There’s something you’ve misunderstood… A mistake

That was what Hye-yeon said when she came out to reject his offer.

Tae-jun murmured what she said unwittingly. “Mistake.”

-A mistake?

“I do not know yet. I have to figure out what it is from now on. 30 Ga 12**, is the plate number of the taxi she took. Start looking for her from there.”

Yes, boss.

Tae-jun hung up and revived the meaning of the word.

‘Mistake’ that Hye-yeon mentioned.

At that time, I should have listened to her first and called President Jin. Tae-jun lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

What was that?

Her pure face amidst the thick smoke of a cigarette came to his mind.

T/N: Hello readers! A Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/ladyharriet?fan_landing=true] which houses advance chapters of Apollo’s Heart as well as Beatrice [https://wordexcerpt.com/series/beatrice/] was recently opened for all of you. Lady Harriet, the maker of the said Patreon and a co-translator of mine, is a public servant and is in need of support in this difficult time of the year. We will greatly appreciate your support regardless of its amount. Thank you so much and keep safe.