Chapter 27: The Diary

After reading the letter, Chin turned her attention to Taewoo, who was engrossed in examining the letter as if searching for any hidden clues within the text. Mark, on the other hand, focused his gaze on Chin and inquired, "Are you coming?"

Taewoo, still immersed in studying the letter, responded bluntly, "Yes, there is no other choice."

Chin directed her question to Taewoo, "What are you looking for? If you think you can deduce anything about the Devil's whereabouts from this letter, there's no need because the person sitting beside you already knows that."

Taewoo finally withdrew his attention from the letter to address Chin. "I have already informed you that I'm not interested in hunting the Devil without concrete evidence. I'm attempting to decipher why he composed this letter. Is he tired of hiding, is he contemplating surrender? The fact is, the victim has already been chosen, so we need to identify who the Devil intends to kill. Once we ascertain that, we can protect that person."

Mark, with a somewhat mischievous tone, chuckled, "What if you're next in line?"

Taewoo responded in a calm and charming manner, "Should I become the target, it's not of utmost importance. What matters is that I'm confident I'm not his next target. It could be anyone other than me."

Mark raised an eyebrow, pressing further, "How can you be so sure? Are you somehow connected to the Devil, his son, or a friend? Why do you assume he won't come after you? Listen carefully, Detective, the Devil can eliminate his associates without warning. How can you be certain of your safety?"

Taewoo replied, "Your issue is that you seek to find the person, whereas I strive to understand the psychology of the person, their weaknesses and strengths. It helps me predict their next move."

Mark couldn't resist a smirk, "Mr. Taewoo, no matter how well you study psychology, we all here know that we cannot save the next victim."

Chin, determined to preserve life, interjected, "At least we can try."

Mark, with a sly smile, remarked, "Oh, who's suddenly advocating for saving lives? Someone with a more sinister record than the Devil himself."

Taewoo was about to respond, but their conversation was abruptly halted as Elly entered Chin's living room. Oblivious to the others' presence, she approached Chin with a pink envelope in hand. Mark took it upon himself to school her in etiquette, "Teach your friend some basic manners, like knocking on the door and seeking permission before interrupting."

Elly, now aware of the two men in the room, bowed slightly, holding the pink envelope. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to intrude. I was just excited."

Chin reassured her, "You don't need to apologize, Elly. You shouldn't change who you are for others. Regarding the letter, we're also investigating it. We received the same letter."

Taewoo requested to examine the format of Elly's letter. After receiving it, he opened the envelope, and Chin asked if there were any differences. Taewoo took a moment to respond, "Yes, there are numerous changes. I'll explain later."

Mark, with a sense of detachment, rose from his seat and declared, "I'm going to leave." Elly, seizing the opportunity, implored, "Mr. Lawyer, can you please take me shopping? I need an outfit for the party, and I don't have anything special. Maybe we can match our outfits?" Mark, however, brushed her off with a cold response, muttering, "I think all the girls here are crazy." With that, he departed.

Elly, with a hopeful glance, turned her gaze toward Taewoo. "Mr. Detective, can we go for..." Her sentence hung in the air, unfinished, as Taewoo swiftly rose from his seat. The weight of Mark's earlier comments was evident in his decision.

He picked up the bouquet of flowers that Mark had brought for Chin and tossed it into the dustbin behind the door before exiting Chin's apartment.

Hazel, who was waiting for Taewoo, questioned Taewoo's absence, "Where were you? Miss Aimin sent us details about the woman who obtained the map. I suspect she might be linked to the murder of your parents. If she possesses the map, she could be involved in your parents' murder."

Taewoo, brimming with confidence, responded, "I believe that, right now, searching for my parents' killer is not the priority. What's essential is finding the map and leaving England."

Hazel leaned against the wall, arms folded, and questioned further, "So, are you saying you don't want to seek revenge?"

Taewoo met her gaze, saying, "I believe there are some things that are private, and there's a concept known as personal space. I think now you can understand."

Hazel narrowed her eyes and cast a sidelong glance at Taewoo, stating, "Mr. Taewoo, is there such a thing as personal space and privacy between us? We know each other better than anyone else. Is it because of that girl, Chin?"

Taewoo chose not to respond to her insinuation.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Jack was engrossed in reading Chin's mother's diary. She noticed that some pages were sealed with glue or something similar. In an attempt to separate the pages, she realized they were at risk of tearing. Concerned, she phoned Chin to inquire, "Chin, can you tell me up to which page you've read in the diary?"

Chin replied with an unfamiliar tone, "I've only read the first two pages."

Mrs. Jack continued, "It appears there are some pages glued together. Do you know the reason?"

Chin responded, her voice tinged with concern, "Are there other pages in the diary that my mom wrote?"

Mrs. Jack responded, "It appears that way. Let me attempt a technique from my childhood to separate the glued pages, and then I will update you. Chin, may I ask you one more thing?"

Chin agreed, saying, "Yes."

Mrs. Jack inquired further, "Where did you come to know that your mom killed the architects?"

Chin immediately replied, "It was written on the second page. My mom wrote those lines when she was in Korea."

Mrs. Jack pondered, "Chin, I believe someone has tampered with the writings in this book. There is no such content on this page, and the pages that are glued together seem to have been manipulated recently."

A heavy silence enveloped the room after this revelation. Mrs. Jack then voiced her concerns, "Chin, I'm afraid. What if there was information related to the map on those pages?"

Chin, her voice filled with fear, cleared her throat and replied, "Mrs. Jack, I'll reach out to you in a few days. It seems like this situation has shattered my final hope, the hope for revenge, the hope to obtain the map."