Broken Cause [Book 1]

Chapter 2 (Part 5)

"Well then..." Seungwan closed the folder. "I guess you'll be going away for a long time. We're charging you with the attempted murder of two people including a police officer, assaulting a security guard and the murders of Lee Hwakyung and Choi Ilwoo." She stood up. "Good luck with that. I hope you'd still be able to walk on your own by the time you get out of prison." She gestured towards Yun-o who straightened up and headed to the door.

"I didn't kill Choi Ilwoo!" Yeonwoo yelled.

His lawyer immediately warned him. "Do not say anything, Mister Park."

"But I didn't kill him!"

"His blood is in the knife handle along with Lee Hwakyung's," Seungwan calmly said. "The knife we found on you, Mister Park."

"Like I've been saying for a hundred times, I admit to attacking that cop and Hwakyung but NOT Ilwoo!"

"The evidence says otherwise." Seungwan followed Yun-o towards the door.

"I TOLD YOU! I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ILWOO'S MURDER!

"Then how did his blood get on that knife's handle?" Seungwan asked - halting her steps. "Stop lying, Mister Park." She started to move again.

"I took the knife from Hwakyung's kitchen! Maybe he killed Ilwoo!"

Seungwan heard it but ignored him.

The man whispered something to his lawyer.

Seungwan was about to step out of the room when the lawyer spoke. "Let's make a deal."

"We don't need anything from your client," said Seungwan. She turned around - facing the two men still seated in their chairs. "We can prove everything we're charging him with."

"I know that but what if he could give you the person who's paying him to kill Hwakyung?"

Seungwan was surprised but didn't show it. She kept the skeptical look on her face - raising her eyebrows and folding her arms. "So you're telling me that your client didn't act on his own?"

"You know he couldn't have. He didn't have a motive," replied the lawyer.

Seungwan shrugged. "We don't need a motive. All the judges need to know is that he's guilty of murder." She wanted to hear what he had to say but she feigned nonchalance to make him feel more pressured to talk.

"I'm not going down for this alone!" Yeonwoo shouted angrily.

Seungwan looked at the man. "Let's hear what you have to say and then we'll see."

"Should my client's information be true, we would like the murder charges reduced to only Lee Hwakyung with a note to the judge informing him of my client's voluntary cooperation."

"We'll see about that," Seungwan replied flatly. "Ilwoo's blood is on that knife so your client better come up with one heck of an explanation."

The lawyer nudged the man.

"I was paid to get rid of Hwakyung," Yeonwoo explained. "And Hwakyung only!"

"By whom?" Seungwan asked.

"Kim Byungsang. Hwakyung's boss."

Seungwan raised her eyebrows. "And you expect me to believe that?"

"I'm not lying!" He shouted again. "Hwakyung was blackmailing him with emails he had sent to his mistress so he wanted me to get rid of him."

"Why would he take such extreme measures for a mere affair? And how did Hwakyung find out about those emails?"

"It's not just an affair. The woman he's seeing is the owner of a bigger publishing house - one that had tried to buy the company he's working for. If his bosses and the shareholders find out, he would be fired and all his shares will be taken away from him."