Chapter 14: Worse Than Devil

Chin cautiously approached the Silent Graves, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and curiosity. There, she spotted a man in a black suit leaning against a sleek Mercedes, his back turned to her. Gathering her courage, she called out, "Are you Mark?"

Slowly, Mark turned, and the moment their eyes met, it was as if a strange kind of magnetism pulled them together. Mark's charisma shone brighter than the sun, but his cold, stoic expression contrasted with the gloomy graveyard backdrop. He remarked in a chilling tone, "You don't look as innocent as you did when I first saw you."

Chin, processing his words, managed a smile and replied, "I don't need to prove myself to anyone. How do you know about me? Are you Mr. Kate's son?"

Mark dismissed her inquiry, saying, "I don't think that's important right now. Just tell me, what do you know about the devil?"

Chin, growing more confident, retorted, "So, you are Mr. Kate's son, but he never knew about the devil. How do you know about it?"

Mark, arrogance dripping from his words, replied, "Do you really want to know me? I'm more complex than your tiny human brain can comprehend. Just believe whatever I say." Chin took a step closer, her determination evident, and challenged him, "Can you trust me to buy what you're selling right now? Give me what I need so that I don't have to see you again."

Mark, matching her step, said, "Do you really think I'm here to sell something? Let's cut the crap. Tell me where the devil is, and I'll give you the letter."

Chin, undeterred, fired back, "I wanted to ask the same question of you. If you're so good at your work, you must know where the devil is."

Mark's lips curled into a sinister smirk, and he cryptically stated, "Smoke and mirrors, never trust what you see. The devil has created a facade. All the daisies I picked to find the devil are dead, except you."

Chin's cold facade crumbled as Mark seemed to assert his dominance. She admitted, "I need the letter to find him. Will you trust me to give me the letter?"

Mark extended the letter towards Chin, but instead of handing it over, he tore it to pieces and let them flutter upwards. With a smirk, he laughed, and Chin's eyes welled up. "You are even worse than the devil," she muttered.

Mark, seemingly unfazed, responded, "Your mom's letter is saved inside my head. You can ask whatever you want."

Chin, clinging to the last thread of hope, inquired, "What was written on the back of the letter?"

Mark revealed, "She wrote a line stating: 'MAP IS IN A BOX UNDER THE SOIL OF GARDEN.'"

Chin pressed further, "Which garden?"

Mark replied coldly, "I'm not interested in that map. Find it by yourself and find the devil, because I'm not going to let him go, even if he's in hell."

After their tense encounter, Chin left the Silent Graves, her emotions in turmoil. She couldn't shake off the feeling that Mark held the key to unraveling the mysteries surrounding her mother's letter and the elusive devil. As she returned home, she discovered that the letter she was looking for was present on the table of her room. The message on the back mirrored exactly what Mark had told her. She couldn't ignore the strange connection she seemed to share with him. "He was right," she thought, "he's someone I can't quite understand. I think I'll need him."

Meanwhile, in a different part of the city, Taewoo had received word of Mr. Kate's son, Mark. Intrigued by the possibility that Mark might hold information about the map and his father's death, Taewoo decided to pay him a visit. Without hesitation, he entered Mark's office where Mark was engrossed in conversation with a client.

Taewoo stood before Mark, introducing himself, "Mr. Mark, I'm from the investigation department, and I'd like to discuss a case with you."

Mark, not bothering to make eye contact, retorted, "Mr. Taewoo, NIS never taught you to knock at the door."

Taewoo was taken aback, wondering how Mark knew about him. Trying to regain his composure, he replied, "I suppose if you know that, you know this is a serious matter. Just come with me."

Mark, seemingly unfazed, continued, "I don't think this is a serious matter. If you're here to inquire about the map, I don't know anything about it."

Mark abruptly stood up, shook hands with his client, and passed a sly smirk in Taewoo's direction. Without another word, he left his office, busy on a phone call.

Taewoo was left stunned by the encounter. He hadn't even shared his intentions with anyone, yet Mark seemed to have prior knowledge. The enigma surrounding Mark deepened, leaving Taewoo with more questions than answers.