chaper 28: Mystery

In the morning, Chin woke up and began searching her wardrobe for a dress to wear to the party. Suddenly, there was a knock on her front door. Cautiously, she inquired :"Who is there?", without opening the door. A man from the other side identified himself as a delivery guy:"Mam , I have your parcel". Feeling a bit apprehensive, Chin asked him :" Can you leave the parcel at the doorstep, I will collect it later." The delivery guy followed her instructions and left the package before departing.

Once he was gone, Chin opened her door and retrieved the box. To her surprise, it was addressed from Taewoo. Inside, she found a letter from him, in which he instructed:"Wear the dress included in the box for the party. I am confident you don't own such a dress and aren't planning to buy one. I haven't purchased the mask yet, but I will provide it to you at 5 pm."

Chin smiled as she read Taewoo's letter, then set it aside and took a look at the dress. It was a full-length black gown adorned with embroidery and small flowers at the hem, clearly an exquisite and expensive piece. The box also contained shoes that complemented the dress. Chin placed the dress and shoes aside and proceeded to tidy up her apartment.

By 4 pm, she started preparing for the party. She donned the elegant dress, put her hair into a bun, and applied a light layer of makeup, including a subtle lipstick. This marked the first time in her life that she had worn makeup and such a luxurious dress.

Exactly at 5 pm, Chin received a call from Taewoo:" I'm waiting for you in the parking area, hurry up, we might get late today". Chin replied affirmatively: yeh, just coming , master."then she ended the call, slipped on her shoes, and rushed towards the elevator, preparing to join Taewoo at the party.

In that moment, Taewoo waited for Chin to arrive at the designated location. When she finally spotted him sitting in a car, she noticed his striking appearance. Taewoo was dressed in a sleek black suit, paired with a white t-shirt, and sported an exceptionally expensive-looking watch. His hair had been styled differently, resembling that of a movie hero on his wedding day. For a moment, she froze, then approached him politely, "Excuse me, sir. Can you please open the door? It's locked."

Taewoo opened the door of the front seat and replied coldly, "You can sit here."

Chin couldn't help but comment on his appearance, "You're looking very handsome and cool today. I bet you'll get wedding offers from the girls at the party."

Taewoo, unimpressed, responded, "I don't need to impress any girl at the party." Chin nodded in understanding.

As they arrived at the event, Mark stood outside the hall, appearing as if he had been waiting for someone. When he laid eyes on Chin and Taewoo, he paused, seemingly captivated by Chin's beauty and Taewoo's charm. Mark was also dressed handsomely in his black suit, with a black tie and shirt. For a moment, he couldn't take his eyes off them.

Chin, as she approached Mark, couldn't help but compliment him, "Mark, you're looking good." Mark, with his hands in his pockets, replied, "I'll take it as a compliment. But you look prettier than any girl here." He was about to continue with more compliments when Taewoo interrupted.

Taewoo questioned Mark's presence, "Why are you here? The event is about to start." Mark, with a bright smile, replied, "I was waiting for Chin. By the way, you're looking handsome, boy."

Taewoo, seemingly uninterested in the compliments, didn't respond and started moving towards the event. However, he noticed that Chin was still engaged in conversation with Mark. He turned back, approached Chin, and grabbed her wrist, saying, "Come with me, I want to tell you something." But before they could leave, Mark also grabbed Taewoo's wrist and said, "Mr. Detective, I also want to talk to you. Let Chin go inside."

Taewoo forcefully jerked his hand away from Mark's grip but simultaneously released Chin's hand. He addressed her, "You can go first; I'm coming." Chin looked at both men and then left the scene.

Once Chin was gone, Mark turned to Taewoo and asked, "Do you really care about her, or is this just because of the map?"

Taewoo replied coldly: "I'm not supposed to tell you about my intentions."

Mark stepped closer to Taewoo, urging him to leave Chin alone: "With this pretty handsome face, you can impress anyone here, so why Chin?"

Taewoo folded his arms and locked eyes with Mark: "Can I ask your intentions for getting close to Chin? But, wait, I'm not going to ask that intention because I already know. And I'm not among those men who try to impress other girls while already being with one." Mark smiled confidently: "You never know my intentions. I don't have any interest in the map now; I'm interested in her because she's a mystery and not just a girl. But you can buy such girls with the money you have; you don't need Chin." Taewoo responded with an aggressive tone: "A woman that can be bought is not worth having."

After this exchange, Taewoo left Mark standing outside the hall and entered the event.

When Taewoo entered the hall , Chin was standing alone in the corner , looking at everyone.Taewoo grabbed a cup of coffee from the nearby table and offered it to Chin :"Did something happen?"

Chin held the cup with trembling hands :"No, nothing. It's just a little cold here."

Taewoo pointed towards a chiller:" I bet if you stand in front of a chiller, you will feel cold."

Chin took a sip of her coffee :"No, I'm alright here."

Suddenly, Mrs. Jack entered the hall. Chin drew Taewoo's attention to Mrs. Jack: "Mrs. Jack, she's my psychiatrist. Did the Devil know her as well?"

He replied: "No, I think the Devil didn't call her because she's your psychiatrist but because she is my aunt."

Chin tried to process that information , and then responded: "Wait, what? She's your aunt?"

He nodded: "Yes, she's my mother's sister, but she doesn't talk to me anymore because she thinks Mom and Dad died because of me."

Chin still trying to accept the situation, then gathered the courage to ask: "Have you met her? Did she tell you anything about me?"

Taewoo looked toward Chin: "No, she doesn't talk to me anymore. But I'm planning to meet her because she's my only family member left."

Chin nodded hesitantly and smiled, as if her thoughts were wandering elsewhere.