Fortnight

Chapter - 8

Jaehyun is lost in thought, absently stirring the scrambled eggs on the stove. His mind races with questions about Theo and Kwang, trying to piece together a puzzle with too many missing pieces. He doesn't notice Taemin paddling into the kitchen until he feels a small tug on his pant leg.

"Dad... snowwwww," Taemin's doe eyes look up at him, filled with excitement and wonder.

Jaehyun smiles, his worries momentarily forgotten. He scoops Taemin up and sets him on the counter. "Tae wants to play in the snow?"

Taemin nods vigorously, a pout forming on his lips. Jaehyun can't help but pinch his cheek affectionately. "How about after breakfast?"

Taemin claps his hands excitedly, and Jaehyun ruffles his hair before turning back to the stove. Once breakfast is ready, Jaehyun makes sure Taemin is settled in his chair with a plate of food.

"Finish it all before Dad comes back, okay? Dad has some work, but he's gonna be back soon," Jaehyun instructs.

Taemin nods, already focused on his food. Jaehyun glances at the clock—almost time. He hurries to the bedroom, where he retrieves a keypad phone and a new SIM card from the locker. He leaves the door ajar so he can keep an eye on Taemin while he makes his call.

He dials Ethan's number, tapping his foot anxiously as he waits for the call to connect. Ethan picks up on the second ring.

"Did you find something?" Jaehyun asks, skipping any pleasantries. "No... and you?" Ethan asks, his sigh is heavy with frustration.

Jaehyun slumps down on the bed, holding his head in his hands. "Nothing. I went through Theo's past two call and text records, especially from the day the blast happened, but there's nothing suspicious."

He also tells Ethan how he had been tracking his phone too. When Ethan asked how he got hands on those details, Jaehyun told him about his little trap.

"There have only been two instances when Kwang and Theo were seen together," Ethan says, his voice steady. "First, the day at the conference, and second, on the day of the incident."

Jaehyun bites his nails, a bad habit he reverts to when stressed. "Does this mean it was a false lead?"

Ethan hesitates. "I think so."

"Damn it!" Jaehyun curses loudly, the sound echoing in the quiet room. "Only if that person had told us the full truth..."

It was Ethan who had come to Jaehyun with the critical information. "There's a witness who saw the person who planted the bomb," Ethan had said, his expression grim. They had acted quickly, tracking down the person. During the interrogation, the man admitted he had been paid to plant the bomb. His original target was Kwang; he had to ensure Kwang and the businessman were together when the blast occurred. But before Jaehyun could ask who paid him, the man found a sharp object and killed himself, taking the secret with him.

Jaehyun and Ethan had only taken their eyes off him for a few seconds.

Now, in the kitchen, Ethan speaks through the phone, his voice steady despite the gravity of their situation. "We have to try looking from a new angle, maybe from the start. Like why Kwang was in Paris..."

Jaehyun glances at Taemin, who is playing with his spoon. He says, "Hyung was there to study a case, right?"

Ethan hums in agreement. "You know how Kwang was actually a CBI agent, impersonating a reporter to work on a case. But the thing is, the case he was working on was confidential."

Jaehyun frowns. "There are no details on it?"

Ethan tsks in frustration. "Apparently, just the day after the bomb blast, the case file went missing, along with all his findings."