CHAPTER 34 — THE SECOND TRAITOR
807 Words
The room remained silent long after Hyun-woo spoke.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody knew what to say.
"Chairman Han killed him yesterday."
The words echoed inside Jungkook's head.
Again.
And again.
And again.
His manager.
Dead.
A man who had worked beside him for years.
A man who had watched him grow from an ambitious trainee into a global superstar.
A man he trusted.
Gone.
And somehow—
that wasn't even the worst part.
Because if the manager was dead...
Then someone else was feeding information to Chairman Han.
Someone still inside their circle.
Someone close.
Very close.
Jungkook slowly clenched his fists.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
Because betrayal was one thing.
But betrayal near Aarya?
Unforgivable.
Across the room—
Hyun-woo studied him carefully.
"You have your father's temper."
The comment immediately drew Jungkook's attention.
"My father."
The words came out cold.
Sharp.
"You knew him."
Hyun-woo smiled sadly.
"Unfortunately."
Aarya blinked.
"What does that mean?"
Silence.
The older man walked toward one of the windows.
Staring into the darkness outside.
For several moments—
he didn't answer.
As if gathering courage.
As if preparing himself.
Finally—
he spoke.
"Your father wasn't innocent."
Aarya froze.
The words hit harder than expected.
Because part of her still hoped.
Still believed.
Still wanted her father to be different.
To be good.
Hyun-woo sighed heavily.
"He wasn't evil."
A pause.
"But he wasn't innocent either."
The room became silent.
"He funded Project Aarya."
Aarya closed her eyes.
Because she'd already feared that answer.
Deep down.
She just hadn't wanted it confirmed.
"Why?"
Her voice barely worked.
"Why would he do that?"
Hyun-woo's expression softened.
"Because he believed what we all believed."
Silence.
"That we were helping people."
The room froze.
Not monsters.
Not villains.
Scientists.
Investors.
Researchers.
Dreamers.
People who thought they were building something extraordinary.
Until they discovered the truth.
"Chairman Han lied to everyone."
Hyun-woo's voice darkened.
"He promised medical breakthroughs."
A pause.
"He promised cures."
Another pause.
"He promised hope."
Then—
his eyes filled with regret.
"What he really wanted was control."
The words settled heavily over the room.
Because suddenly—
everything made sense.
Power.
Control.
Obsession.
That was Han.
Always had been.
Then—
a notification interrupted the silence.
A laptop sitting on the conference table lit up.
Everyone immediately looked toward it.
An incoming file.
Unknown sender.
Again.
Aarya's stomach tightened.
Because lately—
unknown messages always changed everything.
Always.
The file downloaded automatically.
Then opened.
Video footage.
Twenty-two years old.
The room froze.
Because the woman appearing on screen was instantly recognizable.
Aarya's mother.
Younger.
Terrified.
Pregnant.
Aarya's breath caught.
Because she'd never seen this version of her mother before.
Never.
The recording quality was poor.
Shaky.
Unstable.
As though it had been recorded secretly.
Her mother looked directly into the camera.
If possible—
she looked even more frightened than in the previous recordings.
"They know."
The room became silent.
Her voice trembled.
"They know I copied the files."
Aarya felt her heartbeat accelerate.
Because this wasn't a prepared message.
This was real.
Raw.
Desperate.
Her mother glanced over her shoulder.
As if expecting someone to appear.
Any second.
Then she continued.
"If something happens to me..."
Tears filled her eyes.
"...please protect my daughter."
The room stopped breathing.
Because she wasn't talking to Aarya.
She was talking to someone else.
Someone behind the camera.
Someone she trusted.
Then—
the camera shifted.
Briefly.
Just for a second.
But it was enough.
Enough to reveal the person recording.
Aarya's uncle.
Hyun-woo.
The room froze.
Because suddenly—
they weren't hearing a story anymore.
They were witnessing it.
Watching history unfold.
Watching the moment everything changed.
On screen—
Hyun-woo spoke.
"I'll protect her."
His younger voice sounded firm.
Certain.
"I swear it."
Aarya slowly turned toward him.
The older man stood motionless.
Eyes locked on the screen.
Watching a promise he'd made twenty-two years ago.
A promise he'd kept.
Even from the shadows.
Even at the cost of his own life.
Even when nobody knew.
Aarya felt tears burn her eyes.
Because suddenly—
she understood.
Why he stayed hidden.
Why he watched her.
Why he never approached her.
Because he wasn't hiding from her.
He was protecting her.
Then—
the video changed.
Static filled the screen.
The image flickered violently.
Then another figure appeared.
Chairman Han.
Younger.
Smiling.
Standing inside a laboratory.
The room immediately tensed.
Because something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Han wasn't alone.
Another person stood beside him.
A man.
Tall.
Familiar.
Painfully familiar.
Aarya frowned.
Jungkook froze.
Then—
his blood turned cold.
Because he recognized the man immediately.
"No."
The whisper escaped before he could stop it.
Aarya looked at him.
"What?"
Jungkook stared at the screen.
Unable to move.
Unable to think.
Because standing beside Chairman Han...
Smiling...
Shaking hands...
Was his father.
- Writer
