Page 79 of Lust & Lies

NOELANI

IN THE VIDEO, SEO-JIN was in a dark room with a plain white wall behind him. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail, his goatee scruffy.

“Mist... if you’re watching this, it means you’re alive. Because the dead can’t watch videos.” He smiled, that boyish grin of his. Only a few got to see his silly side.

I chuckled, only to have Aiden clear his throat and press pause on the video.

“Why are you laughing? He’s not that funny,” Aiden told me.

“You’re right,” I agreed, placating him. “He’s definitely not as funny as you, Mr. Limp Sometimes.”

Gertrude burst out laughing.

Aiden glared from her to me. Leaning into him, I kissed his cheek before facing the laptop and pressing play.

Growing serious, Seo-Jin continued. “I don’t know where you are. But I hope you’re safe. I’m assuming you’re with Aiden. Mr. Park suspects that, also, and he has teams trying to prove it. I’m sabotaging their results every chance I get. But it won’t be long before they find you.

I’m sending this through the backdoor channel you set up in case things ever went sideways. I found the leak. There are two. Scope and Viper. With you gone, I had to let Fuse in on what’s happening so he could help me keep an eye on those two.

Scope took a deal from Mr. Park. He was promised a bonus and early retirement in exchange for leaking your mission details to the enemy. Viper, she didn’t do it for money. She did it out of jealousy. She wanted your spot. She also wanted... me.”

I knew it! She betrayed one of her own, all for a man who didn’t want her. Silly bitch.

“Mr. Park promised her if she helped get you out of the picture, she’d be promoted to your spot. But that wasn’t enough for her. She asked for more. She asked for me.”

Next to me, Aiden sighed. “How could she ask for something my grandfather couldn’t possibly give her?”

“He gave you to Ellie,” I pointed out.

“Yeah... but...” Aiden went silent.

“And he tried to force Seo-Jin and I to be together. Now he’s recycling Seo-Jin, giving him to someone else.”

“Damn,” Aiden muttered. “What kind of man raised me?”

“A cruel kind who doesn’t stand for the same values the Watchdogs were created to uphold,” I told him.

Aiden nodded. “Yeah, he has to go.” We resumed watching the video.

In the video, Seo-Jin shook his head. “Mr. Park promised Viper that if she took care of you, he’d make sure I was hers.”

The Leader released a sarcastic chuckle, but I knew him well enough to notice how pissed off he was.

“We mean nothing to him. Just pawns on his board game. He moves us around whenever he wants. By the way, it was Viper who reached out to the Magnolia Gulf client. She’s the one who set you up that night.

But that’s not all, she roped in a driver from another team to help her out.

I don’t yet know what she has planned for him.

In her phone, he’s just listed as Drive.

But his real name is Dae-Jeung, and he’s worked on missions that look like hit-and-runs but were actually hits set up by our organization. ”

I paused the video to stare over at Aiden. “He’s probably the one who caused the wreck that led to my amnesia.”

“Could be,” Aiden agreed. “I need to find out who he is so I can put an end to him. Wait a minute. I’ve heard that name before.” Aiden turned to Gertrude. “Wasn’t one of the rogues Noe took out named Dae-Jeung?”

“Yes,” Gertrude replied. “And the other guy was her team member, Scope. Both are now dead. And the people you and your team took out that night were members of Dae-Jeung’s team.

With them gone, that leaves Viper to deal with.

No wonder she’s been looking antsy while she waited in the yard when Seo-Jin visited.

It was also her who tried to pressure Seo-Jin into forcing us to release you.

Luckily, Aiden’s men are protecting the house, or I think that wench would’ve tried to shoot her way inside to get you. ”

“That doesn’t sound like Viper,” I frowned. “She usually never loses her cool. I guess that cool and calm persona was just a facade.” I restarted the video to see if Seo-Jin had any more information for me.

“I’ll do what I can to keep Mr. Park from finding you. Reach out to me when you can. Even if you have no intention of coming back, reach out to let me and Fuse know you’re safe and well. Be careful. Don’t trust the Watchdogs blindly. The ranks aren’t clean. Signing off until I hear from you.”

As soon as the video ended, a screen popped up that read, This video is set to be permanently deleted after viewing. I watched the little shredder icon pop up. And then the video was gone.

I exited out of the site and closed my laptop. Gertrude took it from me and carried it over to the dresser, placing it on top of it as Aiden propped my pillows up behind me and eased me onto them.

Having him and her take care of me brought me joy and also reminded me of everything I had to live for. Family wasn’t always blood. It was the people who cheered for you when you were at your best, and who helped take care of you when you were at your worst.

I had something Mr. Park would never have. I had people who loved me, not because they felt obligated to, but because they genuinely cared for me as much as I cared for them. That was worth more than money, fame, or anything else.

I wanted him to see that. I wanted him to understand that. I wanted him to know that he hadn’t won. I wanted to show him what real victory looked like. All he had to do was look at us to see it. Everyone in this room had been hurt in some way by Mr. Park.

Yet, look at us, smiling together, happy together, while he was hiding away in his mansion, fearing us. Looking at Aiden and Gertrude helped me decide how I wanted to handle Mr. Park and Viper’s bitch asses.

“How do you want to handle this?” Gertrude asked, returning to sit on my side of the bed.

“I have a plan,” I told them. “And this plan involves Mr. Park stepping down and handing the reins to Tristan.”

Aiden nodded, but I could see the relief in his eyes.

“We can make that happen,” he told me. “I’ll talk with my brothers later today. I’m sure after I tell Tristan about everything grandfather has done, he’ll be on board with forcing him to step down.”

“There’s more,” I told them. “My plan will require the help of others.”

“Say the name and I’ll make sure they’re on board,” Aiden told me.

“I need you, Tristan, and Ethan. Along with Gertrude and Sam. I also need my team members, Seo-Jin, Fuse, and Viper.”

“But Viper has already betrayed you,” Aiden pointed out.

“I know. I need her present for what's coming next. But she won’t know what’s happening.

Only Seo-Jin and Fuse will. I want to show Mr. Park that he hasn’t won.

I want to show him that we will destroy anyone who stands against us.

Though he gets to live, I want him to live the rest of his days knowing that we are walking our own paths, living our lives the way we want, not the way he’d planned them for us.

I want to show him that he no longer has control over us. That will be his punishment.”

Aiden leaned forward and kissed me on my forehead before whispering, “Thank you, love. I know letting him live isn’t easy for you.”

“I do it for you,” I told him. “Not him.”

He cupped my face, thumbs brushing my cheeks as he peered into my eyes.

“I love you, baby,” he whispered.

“I love you too,” I told him, unable to tear my gaze away from the man who’d stolen my heart so many years ago.

“I’m still here,” Gertrude muttered.

Oh, right. Clearing my throat, I turned her way as Aiden sighed.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.

“Mmmhmmm,” she hummed. “Tell us the plan, so we can know exactly what you need from us. And remember, Tristan and Ethan can’t come here.

The Watchdogs are preventing that. And according to Seo-Jin, Mr. Park has been informed of your memory loss and wounds.

Since your contract isn’t up yet, he wants you brought directly to him as soon as you’ve recovered enough to walk.

I may have told Seo-Jin to tell him that you wounded your leg. ”

“Good. That works in my favor. I’ll take two weeks off as you’ve suggested. During that time, I’ll work out and...”

“If you’re working out, that’s not taking two weeks off,” Gertrude interrupted me.

“Well, I’ll wait a week before I start working out to get my strength and stamina back. How about that?”

“A week is still too soon. You’re not invincible, Noe. You need to rest and heal. And you’re not in this fight alone. You have us. Stop trying to do everything yourself,” Gertrude told me.

“For once, I agree with Gertrude,” Aiden co-signed.

“And,” Gertrude added. “When I say rest, I mean rest. No sex either. I don’t need you pulling out your stitches.”

I looked to Mr. Co-signer to see his response.

“I mean, she’s no doctor, after all,” Aiden shrugged. “We can’t take her word on everything. I say we get a second opinion.”

I burst out laughing as the two of them bickered over Gertrude’s qualifications. Once they were done arguing, we got back down to business, and I told them my plan. Aiden took a little more convincing than Gertrude did.

“I don’t like this plan,” he told me, shaking his head. “Any plan that separates us doesn’t work for me.”

“I’ll be safe until you get there,” I promised.

“You don’t know that for sure,” he said.

“I have a handy gadget she can take with her so we can monitor her at all times,” Gertrude offered. “With it, we’ll be able to listen in on her conversations while we’re apart.”

“Great!” I beamed at her before turning to Aiden and grabbing his hand, stroking my thumb over his knuckles. “With her device, you’ll know that I’m safe. And if I encounter any danger, you’ll know that too.”

He took a deep breath. “If anything happens to you...”

“It won’t,” I rushed to assure him. “So, do you agree?”

He stared at me for a long time. For a second, I thought he’d disagree. Finally, he nodded.

“Let’s do it your way,” he told me.

“Yay!” I kissed him to thank him.