Chapter 156: Night of Korea-US (3)

The heavy door slowly opened.

As the hallway illuminated by soft lighting was revealed before my eyes, I caught my breath for a moment and then took a step forward.

One step, and then another.

Only the sound of heels clashing made the hallway echo.

My party following behind did not say a word.

They simply followed behind me.

In fact, no one had the courage to ask first.

The words that came out of the President's mouth a little while ago lingered in my ears.

‘President Lim Do-hyun of Taeseong Construction.’

Every time that name was repeated in my head, my heart tightened.

On the outside, I only had a somewhat stiff expression to the point that a person who did not know would not even notice.

However, Choi Seo-jun, who watched me from up close, realized how I felt right now.

That was why he did not say anything.

As we left the White House, a black vehicle was waiting.

Hong Jang-gun quickly opened the door.

I lifted my head before getting into the vehicle.

I saw the Stars and Stripes hanging in the night sky fluttering softly.

I gazed at it for a moment and then got into the car with a short sigh.

As the door closed, silence filled the inside of the car.

No one opened their mouths.

The lights of the Washington streets slid and passed by outside the vehicle.

Even that light felt distant to me, like something from a far-off world.

Upon arriving at the accommodation, I, who had kept silent until arriving at the hotel, spoke for the first time.

“I must meet my aunt.”

I was calm on the outside, but complex emotions were mixed in that voice.

At that one word, Choi Seo-jun's eyes flashed.

A moment later, Cho Hana made contact immediately.

“Representative, I have informed Acting Chairperson Lim Hye-seon. You may go now.”

I took off the coat I was wearing and removed the tie that made my neck feel suffocated and placed it on the sofa.

When I stood up from my seat after that, Choi Seo-jun and Hong Jang-gun followed behind me.

The place where Lim Hye-seon stayed was fortunately in the same hotel.

Of course, the floor was different.

The three of us boarded the elevator.

Soon the elevator door opened and we naturally moved our steps.

We walked to the place guarded by those who appeared to be security personnel.

Those who saw me straightened their posture and bowed their heads before opening the door.

As we entered, a conference table came into view under the warm lighting.

Lim Hye-seon was wearing a cardigan over the dress she had worn at the banquet hall.

Laptops and documents were spread out messily on the large table.

A few familiar Taeseong Group employees were looking at the documents.

When my gaze met Hye-seon's, her expression stiffened slightly.

Even though we only met eyes, we recognized it at once.

“Is that you, Hyunjun? Just a moment...”

She spoke in a soft voice and stood up from her seat.

And she spoke calmly toward the employees.

“Let’s end today's meeting here. Everyone, please organize and report again tomorrow morning.”

The employees looked at each other's moods and gathered the documents.

They bowed their heads to my party and quietly stepped out the door.

As the door closed, the room quickly became silent.

Hye-seon caught her breath for a moment and then walked toward me.

She asked while grabbing my hand.

“Something happened, didn't it?”

I lowered my head without a word.

She looked at me for a moment and then led me directly toward the drawing room.

“Sit down. Everyone, sit down. You must be tired, so let’s at least have some tea.”

Hye-seon began to brew tea herself.

Steam rose from each cup.

Having placed the teacup in front of me, she tried to smile, but it was not as easy as she thought.

An ominous premonition had already taken place in her heart.

“If you came to see me at this hour, something is the matter, right?”

I lifted my head.

I picked up the teacup placed in front of me and wrapped it with my hands.

My heart melted a little in the warm heat.

“Thank you, Aunt.”

Director Choi Seo-jun and Advisor Hong Jang-gun, who sat next to me, held their breath and waited for the words that would come out of my mouth.

I caught my breath for a moment while holding the cup in my hands and then slowly opened my mouth.

“Aunt... you remember what happened in Iraq, right?”

Lim Hye-seon's gaze wavered for a moment.

“How could I forget that? Everyone was so surprised because you were in a dangerous situation back then. Just thinking about it still makes me dizzy.”

The shock of that day still remained in Hye-seon's voice.

I nodded my head and opened my mouth.

“I personally informed the President when I visited the US before about who the mastermind who plotted that incident was. The fact that Al-Jahad's behind-the-scenes funding source is Onyx Crow.”

Lim Hye-seon's expression gradually stiffened.

“Onyx Crow? Isn't that the organization Elina Weston, who tried to kill you, belonged to?”

I let out a small sigh and then nodded my head.

“That's right. Elina Weston. It's the organization she belonged to. What I went through back then was not a simple accidental event. It was all planned and I came to know who was behind it.”

The expressions of the people in the drawing room, including Lim Hye-seon, stiffened.

Her fingertips holding the teacup trembled minutely.

She tried not to lose her composure while chewing over the meaning of the words her nephew heavily spat out before her.

“So... by any chance, is the reason the President called you also because of that matter?”

I closed my eyes for a moment and then nodded my head.

“Yes, that's right.”

Inevitably, sadness was mixed within the voice that answered firmly.

“This was not the first time I met with the President. I informed him last time that Al-Jahad's funding source was Onyx Crow. After that, we have been continuously tracking their true identity... and I also came to know the fact that one of the connecting links of that organization within South Korea is Taeseong Construction.”

Lim Hye-seon's expression stiffened.

Her voice trembled somewhat.

“Taeseong Construction?”

“The President spoke personally. The person who sent the funds to Onyx Crow is... none other than my uncle, President Lim Do-hyun.”

As those words were dropped, silence flowed as if the air had stopped.

Lim Hye-seon got up from her seat as if she could not believe it.

“Do-hyun? Was Do-hyun really involved in that matter?!”

The trembling in her voice did not stop.

Director Choi Seo-jun, who had been sitting and listening quietly, was also quite surprised and was only moving his mouth.

Hong Jang-gun firmly closed his lips.

I lifted my head and met Hye-seon's eyes.

“Clear evidence is being secured, but since the US government has stepped forward, it will only be a matter of time before it is revealed. And the fact that he directly mentioned my uncle's name probably means...”

Hye-seon covered her face with both hands.

A mixture of anger and shock rose like a whirlwind inside her.

The fingertips covering her face trembled more and more.

While her breathing became rough, she soon tried to force herself to calm her heart.

Steam was still rising from the teacup, but the air in the room had already cooled down coldly.

Hye-seon spat out in a voice mixed with despair.

“I never thought... Do-hyun would go that far.”

She continued her words while looking at me.

“Taeseong Construction is the first company Father established, but it is also the company he spent his whole life building. To think that child was ruining it.”

I quietly lowered my head.

“It was hard for me to believe at first as well. However, the President will not just let this matter pass. The US government is already moving. This is not simple corporate corruption. It is a case connected to an international terrorist funding source.”

Lim Hye-seon's gaze wavered greatly.

“That means...”

I continued my words in a low voice.

“The fact that he personally mentioned my uncle's name to me was to give a warning in advance that the entire Taeseong Group could fall into danger. If the US starts to move in earnest, it won't end at just punishing one individual. Money laundering, transaction records, and even overseas subsidiaries will all be thoroughly uncovered.”

Director Choi Seo-jun gasped.

Lim Hye-seon sat down on the sofa as if she no longer had the strength to stand.

A heavy voice flowed out of my mouth.

“Taeseong Group might collapse.”

As soon as she heard those words, Hye-seon squeezed her eyes shut.

Her shoulders shook greatly.

She tried to exhale, but her throat was tightly blocked, so even that was not easy.

The corners of her eyes turned red and the suppressed emotions burst out little by little.

“To think Taeseong might collapse...”

The voice coming out of her mouth trembled.

Within that trembling, a deeper wound than despair was buried.

“It is a place Father protected throughout his life. To think of Do-hyun... I simply don't know why Do-hyun committed such a thing.”

In fact, she did not know.

The reason Father had been uniquely strict with Do-hyun all this time was because he thought of him as the successor.

She just did not know that power could make a human being fall into such an abyss.

Humans have a line they must keep.

Hye-seon could not believe her younger brother who crossed that line so carelessly.

She only looked at me while brushing up her stray hair with her trembling hand.

Thinking about her brother who tried to kill his nephew for the sake of that bit of greed, it felt as if a large stone was heavily pressing down on her chest.

At that time, I slowly stood up from my seat and walked to my aunt's side.

I sat next to Hye-seon and said while looking at her.

“Aunt, now you must make a decision.”

Hye-seon looked at me.

Tears were welled up in the corners of her eyes.

I continued my words firmly.

“Now Taeseong Group is in danger. We must move first before the US government officially announces it.”

Hye-seon's fingertips trembled for a moment and then stopped.

She was lost in thought for a moment with her head lowered.

After that, she quietly opened her mouth.

“You are right. Running away doesn't solve things. It is time for us to correct it first before we suffer a greater disaster.”

She took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes.

After that, she lifted her head and looked at me.

I nodded and spoke.

“This matter will not end with just one person's fault. If we want to protect the name of Taeseong, we must draw the sword first ourselves.”

Hye-seon looked at me and then wore a sad smile.

“You really do resemble Father exactly.”

She continued her words calmly.

“That steady gaze that does not back down even when afraid. It's the same as your grandfather.”

My gaze wavered minutely for a moment.

However, I opened my mouth while wearing a firmer expression than anyone else.

“That is the same for you, Aunt.”

“Is that so? I think I'm still far off.”

“You protect Taeseong, Aunt. No matter what price you have to pay.”

At those words, Hye-seon slowly nodded her head.

There was no longer any wavering in her eyes.

It was not that the sadness had disappeared.

However, what came before that was responsibility.

The numerous employees working for Taeseong Group and their families.

If Taeseong were to be shaken, all of them would be shaken.

The air in the room changed.

Silence still flowed, but a new determination blossomed within that quietness.

Hye-seon took a deep breath.

After that, she closed her eyes for a moment and then slowly opened them.

Now she must not be shaken.

Her voice echoed steadily.

“Yes, Hyunjun. I must protect Taeseong. No matter what happens.”