Page 24 of Damian & Jun, Episodes 5-8 (The Residency Boys #7)

Jun grimaced and nodded politely. Damian motioned everyone to the conference table. Collin hung back at the door.

“This is Collin Ryker,” Damian said.

“Family,” Jun said quickly. “I’d prefer he stay.”

Officer Eriksson cast a quick look over at Collin, then beamed. “Ah, yes. Mr. Ryker.” She extended her hand. “No problem at all.”

Jun shook hands with his lawyer. They all sat down together.

Officer Eriksson folded her hands together in front of her.

“I’m glad you could meet. I had a meeting in the city earlier today, and I’m scheduled to fly out in a couple hours, so it's fortunate we could get this done now. I’m going to record this meeting.

” She gestured to a device already on the table.

“What is your relationship with Bak Sahyuk?”

Jun pressed his fingers together, mirroring Officer Eriksson’s earlier posture. “Bak Sahyuk is my biological father as best I know. He handed me over to my former manager a few hours after we met for the first time when I was nine. I haven’t seen him since.”

Officer Eriksson’s face remained impassive. “So, you weren’t aware that he has been acting on behalf of your name, your US legal name, Jun River, for the last sixteen years or so?”

“I became aware he was using my name last week when our private investigator found property under my name here in the US.”

“As I understand it, you have not used your US name since you were nine.”

“No, ma’am. I didn’t realize until recently that I still had US citizenship.”

“Why would you believe you were not a US citizen?”

“My father tore up my papers in front of me when I was a child and told me he had gotten rid of my citizenship. Said I didn’t belong to the US anymore.

He gave me Korean papers. Afterwards, my manager sometimes asked me if it was weird to come back to the US knowing that I’d once belonged here but didn’t anymore.

I served in the South Korean military and traveled under a South Korean passport. ”

Officer Eriksson nodded. “We’ve only had time to do a very brief investigation, mostly checking Mr. Pearsen’s work. Your father is claiming that you asked him to impersonate you and handle matters on your behalf.”

Jun’s eyebrows rose. “He what?”

“He claims he’s been acting on your behalf while you maintained a career. He was carrying a great deal of undeclared nonmonetary valuables. He claims he was moving assets on your behalf.”

“My father is incapable of acting on my behalf. We haven’t spoken since I was nine years old. I saw him for less than one day.”

Officer Eriksson nodded. “Do you want to press charges yourself?”

Jun looked toward Damian.

Damian and Jun’s lawyer exchanged looks.

Damian spoke. “I assume that the State Department will be prosecuting Bak Sahyuk?”

“We are. Among other departments, it appears. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface.”

Damian inclined his head toward Jun, taking over. “We plan to press charges. There will be significant financial implications. What charges and where to file them isn’t something we’ve had time to reconcile.”

“Considering the size of the case, that’s to be expected. What evidence do you have at this time that Gang Junseo is Jun River?”

Jun pulled the pouch out of his shirt and opened it.

“I have scraps of my original birth certificate. I wasn’t able to save all of it.

If you compare photos of me in my first South Korean film, shot when I was ten, you can see the resemblance between me in the film and pictures of me taken in Seattle the year before. ”

“Do you have these pictures?”

“No, but I expect that my school and the theater advertisement would still have them.”

Officer Eriksson had more questions. She documented Jun’s early life in detail and clarified particulars on his mother. At the end, she turned off the recorder and stood up, offering her hand. “Thank you for your time. For what it’s worth, you’ve convinced me.”

Jun smiled, shaking her hand. “Are you supposed to say that?”

She grinned. “Not really, but when you’ve seen what I have, you get a feel for things. Get that documentation from Seattle. You’re going to have to prove who you are. And heaven help you figuring out finances. You’ll probably be in and out of court for the next seven years.”

Damian made a tired sound of agreement. He also shook hands. “Thank you for meeting here. The less media scrutiny, the better, at least scrutiny we didn’t plan for.”

Officer Eriksson flashed Damian a grin. “Tell your assistant the coffee was perfect. Believe me, I’m quite happy to be somewhere other than the office even if it’s someone else’s office.”

She stalked out with a smile and a wave. Jun’s lawyer also took her leave.

Jun crossed his arms and dropped back until his shoulders hit the wall. “Doesn’t feel fucking real.”

“Lots of things don’t.” Collin started putting the pens and pads on the table to rights, lining them up neatly.

Damian was studying his phone.

Jun frowned. Something was wrong.

Damian dialed a number and put the phone to his ear. “Yes, this is Damian Sathers. I’m returning a call.”

Color drained from his face. He turned away, pressing his forehead to the wall, the muscles under the back of his jacket bunching up until it pulled in lines across his back. His phone case made a creaking sound.

“Is there anyone else?”

The person on the other end said something Jun couldn’t make out.

“Where’s their grandfather?”

There was another bout of speech from the other end.

“I see.” Damian straightened his back, eyes closed, deep lines between his brows. The skin over his knuckles drew so tight his knuckles looked tan instead of brown. “I’m in the Loop. Where are they now?”

Collin grabbed a pen and pad and pushed them down the table. Damian turned around and grabbed the pen. He scribbled down an address.

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”

He hung up without saying goodbye.

“What?” Jun said.

Damian ran a hand over his face.

“My sister. Dalia. She’s been arrested. Child protective services picked up her kids. They need a relative to come get them, or they’re going to go into the system.”

Jun swallowed down a sense of horror. He couldn’t lose Damian, not now. Not when everything was spiraling around them. “What about your dad?”

“Pending investigation, he’s not allowed to be near the children. Any children.”

Damian dialed another number. “I’m calling Richard. Collin, please tell émeric.”

A sense of being on the outside washed over Jun. Was this it? Would Damian’s family take him away?

Jun pushed his dread deep into his belly, trying to make it so small it wouldn’t show on his face. He needed to stay present for Damian. His Alpha was there for him. He was going to be there for his Alpha.

This story continues in The Residency Boys: Damian & Jun Episodes 9-12. Available wide on August 1st, 2025.