08

APART

✧

WHAT HAUNTED HER most was not what had happened, but what she could not see.

Even as the days passed--early mornings back at the office, hauling up equipment with Brandon at night, tracing the origins of Wyatt Han's gun, analyzing the strange words of Joey Quon's mourning family members--no one followed her. No one chased her.

All she could feel were phantoms: this lingering weight on her shoulders, as if someone was perpetually watching. She realized quickly that whoever had hunted her down was simply...waiting.

She had bidden her goodbyes to Mare Seo, glad to escape the scrutiny of high-class celebrities like Audrey and Celestia. The last Eris saw of Celestia was the flourish of her gleaming hair and the wink of her silver jewelry as she walked away, flanked by a dozen crew members.

Luke and Arjun had disappeared completely from set for interviews. When Eris had messaged them that she would no longer be working in Elysia, Luke had been strangely cool, as if he had expected this all along.

Yet these days were only the calm before the storm. Because suddenly, as the autumn cooled, nightmares resurfaced. It began when, a week after the night at Luke's apartment, she returned home to find her 아빠 (appa) drinking--

With Hope Jung and Elias Park.

✧

"I told her. There's more things to life than watching other people live it. But she never listens."

Washed in burnt amber light, the shadows hung thickly over the closed Cherub Proper as Eris stepped quietly inside. The pungent smell of oil and grease filled her senses, thickening the hot, stuffy air. A single lamp hummed as it bathed a single table in bright light. 

The door slammed shut behind her. Three heads turned.

Her blood turned cold. 

The first face she saw was Hope Jung's. It had been ages since they'd seen each other in person. He was short and stocky; yet he sat with perfect posture, leaning his forearms against the table with the thick black hair pulled away from his face. When he wasn't smiling, it was hard to see anything but his eyes--eyes of a hawk that scrutinized her the way he did all reporters. Eyes that could melt steel.

Beside him sat Elias, an easy smile on his lips, a shot glass catching the light in his fingertips. A rush of anger and fear filled Eris's body all at once, and she met her gaze squarely, face darkening.

Elias's brow arched, but he said nothing.

"Eris." Hope laughed, glancing at her dad with thinly veiled displeasure. "I thought your daughter came home after midnight. I would've saved some extra chicken."

Her dad grinned, as if this was funny. Even from here she could tell he was tipsy. "Why're you here so early, Eris?" 

Suddenly, a burst of hot fury boiled inside her. Had it been her brother's idea, to join her father and Hope for a drink, get him drunk enough to spill a secret or two? God, she was so sick of this. Sick of putting on a show of calmness for her father, sick of holding her tongue, sick of the worry that nagged her.

"I worked overtime yesterday, so I'm taking tonight off," answered Eris calmly. She schooled pleasantry onto her face as she looked to her brother and Hope. "I didn't you both would be here."

Elias smiled steadily. "It was on the way from the crime scene. I head back to the station in half an hour."

How about heading back now?

Her dad snorted and jutted his chin at an empty stool. "Don't just stand there. There's a seat next to your brother."

Eris cleared her throat. "Actually, I have stuff to take care of upstairs--"

Hope snorted with a brief roll of his eyes. "Always taking care of things, reporters. Especially when they work for Eddie Song."

Unable to play deaf, Eris paused pointedly. "That's my boss you're talking about."

"And he's a bastard," said Hope smoothly. "The way he dealt with what happened to Michelle was despicable. Isn't that right, Daniel?"

Her dad sighed, averting his gaze.

Elias laughed and shot her a wry grin. "The hell are you still doing, standing there? Sit with me. 아빠, don't you have beers in the fridge? She likes beer more than soju."

Her dad nodded his chin. "Hope--"

Hope sighed and retreated into the kitchen in silent obedience.

With no other choice, Eris slid onto the seat beside her brother and cracked open the beer can when Hope handed it over. A beat of silence passed over them, and she took a long sip, as if the burn in her throat would drown out everything that was happening. Even as their conversation sparked up again, she couldn't bear to look up, to see the gleam in her brother's eyes as 아빠 laughed, won over by his son's subtle, deceiving charm. 

Some time later, Hope reached across the table for a new soju bottle. The silver ring on his finger winked in the light, to which Eris's dad sighed. 

"Are you kidding?" her dad demanded. "When are you going to stop letting your wedding ring torment you every night?" 

Hope sent a dry glance over. "When Michelle comes back to me." 

Her 아빠 sighed through his nose, lowering his gaze heavily. "She's not coming back."

"Mhm." Sounding hardly bothered, Hope shot down his glass. "Exactly my point."

So Hope was still torn over the death of his wife three years ago. Michelle Jung, chairman of Lumens Broadcasting System. Eris recalled flashes of her photos in the papers--the strong tilt of her brows and gleam of her coffee brown hair, an ageless image. 

If Hope had truly caused everything, why would his own wife be a victim?

"Oh, that's right," her dad started, eyes widening in interest. "Hey, have you seen the news? It's crazy, I'm telling you. History's repeating itself, isn't it?"

A frown pulled at Elias's face. "History's repeating itself?" 

"It's LBS. There's always been something strange about that company." A flash of bitterness appeared in Hope's eyes. "I never wanted Guardian to be distributed by any channel belonging to LBS. But that son of bitch Judas Nam owns half the entertainment industry."

Her dad laughed and nudged his friend sharply. "Watch your language. There are kids here."

"Your kids are a reporter and police detective," said Elias with flat amusement. "Pretty sure they've lost all their innocence." 

"Speaking of detectives, tell us about what's happening, Elias," Eris broke in. She turned to him and smiled. "You have first-hand experience. Tell us about the mass murders."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why does everyone keep saying they're murders?"

"Is that a bad thing to say?" broke in Hope.

"That's right," agreed her dad, gesturing wildly with one hand. "The news is all over the place. You really can't tell what's what nowadays. Elias, what are they saying on your end?"

"Joey Quon committed suicide." Her brother's voice was smooth, and his face was entirely calm, devoid of emotion. "He overdosed on painkillers. It's depressing, but it's true, just like Wyatt Han's story."

Eris rolled her eyes. Her dad stopped blankly. "Who's Wyatt Han?"

"Does this have anything to do with Wyatt Han?" asked Hope, face unreadable. 

Eris met her brother's gaze with a silent challenge. "I've been interviewing families and friends of Joey Quon the entire week," she began. "They've been begging the police to investigate deeper. They've all said that Quon was happy with who he was, that suicide was the last thing on his mind. All of them."

Elias snorted in disbelief and stared at her. "Have you met a suicidal person in your life? Do they shout it to the world? Huh? Don't be ignorant."

"Hey," said her dad sharply. 

Elias's face darkened. Almost immediately, her dad eased the tension with a smile. "Hey," he said, voice softening as if he was stepping on eggshells. "Let's be civil."

Hope's eyes darted from Eris to Elias watchfully. "That's interesting," he said finally, sniffing as he took a drink. "No one mentioned Wyatt Han until you did."

Elias seemed antsy. "Everyone's been mentioning Wyatt Han."

Poison seeped into her voice as she laughed. "You're getting awfully upset about this," she said. "Are the people the ones who are wrong, or are the police just getting lazy?"

"What's wrong with you two?" asked her father with an uncertain laugh. "Stop acting like you're still at work. Sure, your life is boring without it, but enjoy one drink with your 아빠 ."

But Elias barely heard him. Eris was aware of Hope's attentive gaze as her brother's lips stretched into smile--the same smile he had given her when he'd called her selfish. That same condescending look of oh, Eris...you don't know what you're doing.

"Listen," he drawled. "I know it's very hard for you reporters to understand, but be satisfied with an easy answer for once." His voice cooled. "If you don't, people come after you."

✧

"And then you called me, so I was able to leave, thank God."

Two steaming bowls of ramen slid in front of them as Eris finished recounting her brother's words.

"Son of a bitch," Luke muttered, taking up his chopsticks. Then he paused. "Sorry."

Eris laughed and dragged in a deep breath. "Don't worry about it," she reassured him. "I've been thinking the same thing for the past hour."

In the ramen shop tucked into the quieter corners of Downtown Seraph, clouds of steam shrouded the crowded sea of tables--thick blankets of it rising from bowls of piping hot broth and platters of sizzling meat, the air thick with aromas of spice and beef. The conversations of people around them faded into distant noise, and overhead, low lamps buzzed with electricity and washed across Luke's face in soft white. 

Steam billowed in Eris's face as her chopsticks pulled up noodles. "When did you get back from Riverside?"

"Just now," he answered. "Arjun dropped me off." 

She paused in surprise, then felt a teasing smile pull at her lips. "That eager to see me, huh?"

"I came for the food."

Eris scrunched up her nose in disdain. "What, you can't eat alone?"

Luke glanced up, meeting her eyes, and smiled at her look on her face. "Why would I do that when I can just eat with you?" 

She rolled her eyes. "Who did you eat with before you met me?"

"Lee," he answered. "But it's been a while."

The words left his lips so smoothly she nearly missed the slight falter in his voice. But Eris felt it, that hurt deep inside of him. It was a fragile wound that yawned open in his chest, the kind people special left behind when they were ripped from your life. 

Eris knew that pain well. It had followed her like a shadow ever since her mother left for riches. 

The teasing faded from her voice. "How long has it been?"

For a moment, Luke stayed silent. At last he looked up, and when he did, he was smiling once more. "I visit him once a month," he told her lightly. "It's better than nothing."

A haze of steam rose like a thin veil between them. She thought suddenly of the glass that separated him from his best friend in prison, this wall with only a cheap phone line to bridge the gap--and how in her world, her mother had sliced that connection clean so there would be no way to fill the hole in her heart.

She was suddenly aware of how Luke always seemed as if he was hiding something, whether in the strong warmth of his gaze or in the slight curve of his half-smiling lips. The public was drawn to Luke because of his charisma, but Eris began to wonder if she was drawn to him because of his pain.

Luke glanced up, noticing. A second later, he plopped his soft-boiled egg into her bowl. "Why aren't you eating?"

She blinked and waved her chopsticks indignantly. "You don't want your egg?" 

"I don't like eggs." 

"How did you know I liked them?"

He tilted his head in exasperation. "Just eat." 

"Okay, okay..." She blew out a defensive breath and tucked her hair behind her ears. Luke glanced up just to see her blow softly on the broth before nudging the soft-boiled egg into her spoon. His lips twitched.

It was just then that his phone buzzed. He blinked and glanced at the bright screen. 

"Petra should be here any minute," he told her, and she looked up in surprise. "She wants to meet you." 

Eris snorted. "I bet she thinks I'm exactly like my br--"

The clunk of a metal stool cut her off.

Beside her sat down a lean young woman her age, with long black hair and a gaze as cool as wintry metal. With hands tucked into a dark, thick-sleeved bomber, she moved purposely, dark lashes fringing her stark almond eyes. She reached immediately for the alcohol and poured herself a drink.

Glass full, elbow resting on the table, she smiled and arched a dark brow.

"What did I miss?"

✧

Everything about Petra Yun was bold.

Even in the startled silence, she let out a loud sigh, made herself comfortable, and reached across the table for the tub of kimchi. "Every celebrity I work with is so damn depressing. Either thirsty beyond belief or tormented into insanity."

Luke watched her warily. "Are you going to eat everything at this table?"

"Fight me on it."

"No thanks. I'm eating." 

"Shit, this is good." Mouth full of kimchi, she swiped a thumb across her lips and extended her clean hand towards Eris. "Petra. You must be Eris Park."

Eris took it with a knowing smile. "I take it you've been stalking me for the past week or two."

"I have. And that reminds me..." She tossed a dark manila folder onto the table between their noodle bowls. Eris's heart jumped, and her fingers practically shot forward to pull the documents closer. 

"These are...." Her eyes widened as she recognized names. "Text message records between Wells Han and Joey Quon."

Luke nodded, clearly impressed. "Dating back to September."

"Right up to the day before Han's death." Petra jutted her chin at a few papers streaked in orange. "There's a whole stack of them, but the ones I highlighted here are important."

Luke glanced at her. "Did you find these at the station?"

"A bit of digging, a bit of stealing. Nothing they won't notice." Petra rolled her eyes. "Our team barely glanced at these."

"Because of my brother." Eris smiled bitterly. "Right?"

Petra's face turned grim. "This isn't just about your brother anymore." She passed Eris a sheet. "Elias Park isn't a killer. But someone else might be."

Eris glanced at Petra, then at Luke, who met her gaze with a deepening frown.

She looked down.

WYATT HAN to JOEY QUON

I'm resigning tomorrow.

JOEY QUON to WYATT HAN

Huh? U found something?

WYATT HAN to JOEY QUON

You should resign too. It's dangerous at Lumens. Something else is going on. If you can meet tomorrow, I can tell you in person.

JOEY QUON to WYATT HAN

Tomorrow night at the bridge.

This is about Michelle Jung. Right?

WYATT HAN to JOEY QUON

She was killed. Someone wanted to take her power.

JOEY QUON to WYATT HAN

What?

How do you know? What power?

WYATT HAN to JOEY QUON

Her role, her fame, the spotlight. You know how it goes. I will be waiting at the bridge tomorrow evening.

I will get there early. I feel like someone's following me nowadays.

JOEY QUON to WYATT HAN

Well don't get too carried away with this

Eris froze in mid-chew. "Is this about Hope Jung?"

Petra smiled sardonically. "If you want to know, there's more information than the rumors surrounding Hope Jung. I've seen mention of your brother in there."

Eris stiffened. Noticing, Luke nudged the folder towards her. "Take it," he told her. "It might help you with your case." 

Petra's brows rose. "Case?"

"We're doing one on Quon's death," Eris explained. "Our whole team has a hunch it wasn't a suicide."

Luke's phone rang once more. Setting down his chopsticks, he turned away with a sigh to answer it and lowered his head to hear the caller against the noise. Eris dug her tongue into her teeth.

Petra scratched her brow, swigged the drink in her glass absently, and smiled. 

"You know how risky this is, right?" she said, meeting Eris's gaze. 

Eris laughed. "I was almost abducted last week. I'm fully aware." 

"No, not the investigation. This." She gestured between her and Luke. "Now, maybe you're both just partners in crime, but the press sees you once, and they'll jump on you for months. A good half a year, if you're lucky."

A small hint of fear stirred inside her, but Eris was quick to squash it.  

"I am the press," she replied with a dry smile. "I think I can take some of my own treatment."

Petra smiled, almost knowingly, and looked down. "That's what they all say," she murmured.

Luke reappeared. All traces of light-heartedness had left his face. "I have to leave. Celestia's manager wants to see me." He dragged a hand through his hair and tossed a twenty onto the table. "The press will leave once I leave, so the streets should be clear. Still, be careful."

Petra arched a brow. "Are you talking to me?"

"Hey," broke in Eris sharply, lifting up the cash. "What's this?"

A smile pulled at his lips. "Don't let Petra scare you off," was all he said. Then he turned away, wove through the steam-shrouded tables, and vanished into the night.

In the wake of his absence, Petra took the money still hanging from Eris's fingertips and rolled her eyes.

"What the hell?" Eris muttered.

"Money for the bill. The guy doesn't know how to keep the money in his wallet, but it works for me. Speaking of work..." Petra slid from her stool onto Luke's seat, pulling the ramen bowl close to her with an eager gleam of her eyes. "I have news." 

Still startled by the fact that Luke had simply left money behind to pay for the meal, Eris looked up with vague attention. "Yes?"

"Well, first--" Petra looked up and tilted her head from side to side. "Yeah. First, you can't tell Luke about this. Understand me?" 

Now Eris was listening. She nodded, narrowing her eyes warily. "Right."

Petra smiled, a small laugh humming from her lips. "See, I might know who chased you at Luke's apartment that night." Her lips curled into a grin. "And you and I are going to catch him." 

✦

REFERENCES

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thank you so much for reading! the next chapter is....intense. so stay tuned.