Unloved | tk

ch54

"Your honor, I apologize for the sudden interruption in your verdict," Attorney Ryu began, her voice steady yet urgent. "But I have here crucial evidence that we've been striving to obtain for a considerable amount of time." The judge fixed Ryu with a curious gaze before nodding for her to proceed. Across the courtroom, Mooyoung and his attorneys visibly tensed in their seats.

Attorney Ryu acknowledged the judge's permission with a grateful bow and continued, "Not only have we recovered this evidence, but we've also compiled the supporting documents and samples necessary to prove its authenticity. This evidence will not only save the court's time but also help you reach a swift and accurate verdict. May I proceed, your honor?"

The judge nodded again. "Thank you, your honor. I would now like to call Mr. Kim Mooyoung to the witness stand for questioning," Ryu requested, and the judge granted permission immediately.

Reluctantly, Mooyoung dragged his feet to the witness box, his glare fixed on Ryu. He settled into the chair, his eyes full of resentment. Ryu couldn't help but smirk at the displeasure etched across Mooyoung's face.

"So, Mr. Kim," Ryu began, her tone sharp and precise, "you claim that you did not kill Mr. Jung Eunyoung, Superintendent Jung's father, billionaire Jung Gicheol, the truck driver Kang Shingyuk, or any of the other individuals you're accused of murdering. Is that correct?"

Mooyoung relaxed slightly at the question, scoffing as he leaned back in his chair. He gave Ryu a bored look and replied mockingly, "Is that the 'crucial evidence' you want to extract from me?" His tone dripped with sarcasm, eliciting giggles and snickers from the courtroom spectators.

Unfazed, Ryu maintained her composure, fully aware that the smug expression on Mooyoung's face would soon disappear. She was ready to dismantle his arrogance with the undeniable evidence she had meticulously gathered.

The judge, displeased by Mooyoung's audacity to mock a public prosecutor, intervened sternly. "I advise the public prosecutor to get directly to the point. Repeating questions already asked is unnecessary and wastes the court's time. Proceed, Attorney Ryu."

Ryu nodded respectfully at the judge's advice and straightened up, her gaze locking onto Mooyoung. "Very well then, Mr. Kim Mooyoung," she began, her voice steady and resolute. "Let me get straight to the point. Did you murder Kim Sinyu?"

A ripple of hushed chatter swept through the courtroom, and even the judge seemed momentarily taken aback. Mooyoung's smug demeanor crumbled as he felt the ground shift beneath him, a cold chill creeping over his senses. He swallowed hard, visibly shaken. In all the 16 years that had passed, he never thought he would hear that name again.

"Can you recall who this person is, Mr. Kim?" Ryu asked, a smirk playing on her lips. She had gotten the exact reaction she was aiming for. Mooyoung, stripped of his earlier bravado, could no longer muster any insults for her.

"Must have forgotten. Everyone does, right?" Ryu continued, her tone dripping with irony. "It's been what... 15? No, 16 years? Right? My apologies for not being more direct with you, Mr. Kim. Let me rephrase the question for clarity. Sixteen years ago, did you kill your own flesh and blood, a mere 15-year-old boy named Kim Sin-yu?"

The courtroom plunged into a stunned silence, every eye fixated on Mooyoung as the weight of Ryu's words descended upon him like a heavy, dark cloud. He stood there, immobilized, as if time itself had stopped, unable to escape the shadows of his past that had been dragged abruptly into the glaring light of the present.

Mooyoung struggled to find a suitable response, his mind racing but coming up empty. His attorneys, equally blindsided, exchanged glances that betrayed their unpreparedness for such explosive allegations. Ryu, noticing the silence, scoffed, "No answers now? No mockery? Thought so." She proceeded to submit a birth certificate, along with several family photographs of Renee, Sin-yu, and Mooyoung. "Mr. Kim Mooyoung had a son with his late wife, Kim Renee," she announced, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. "This boy was rarely seen, hidden away from the world, so very few knew of his existence. Then, one day, he disappeared without a trace. What's even more startling is that the Kim family never filed a missing person's report or made any public attempt to find him, as if he never existed. Since then, Mr. Kim Mooyoung has only acknowledged Mr. Kim Taehyung as his son."