Unevitable | Ryeji |

Chapter 24:Echoes of Kinship

Yeji's pov:

Taking a deep breath, I dialed Ryujin's number, my hand shaking slightly. Each ring felt like an eternity, my anxiety building with each passing second. What would I say? What could I say?

Finally, the ringing stopped, and her familiar voice came through the line, calm and composed.

"Yeji? Is everything alright?"

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. "Ryujin, I need to talk to you. It's about my mother... and something that's come up in our investigation."

There was a brief pause on the other end, and I could almost hear the gears turning in her mind. "Your mother? Yeji, what's going on?"

"I can't explain over the phone," I said, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. "Can we meet? Now?"

Another pause, this one longer, more deliberate. "Alright. Where?"

I gave her the address of a nearby café, a neutral place where I could keep my guard up. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes," she agreed, her tone unreadable. "I'll see you soon."

The line went dead, and I found myself staring at my phone, dread gnawing at the edges of my mind. I didn't know what I was walking into, but I couldn't back down now. Too much was at stake-my family, my past, and maybe even the case itself.

With one last glance at my mother's empty house, I turned and headed for my car, bracing myself for whatever truth Ryujin was about to reveal.

*
*
*

I hung up the phone, the silence in my mother's house pressing down on me like a weight. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat, and my hands trembled as I stuffed my phone into my pocket. Meeting Ryujin felt like the only option, yet every instinct screamed at me that I was walking straight into something I wasn't ready to face.

What could she possibly know about my mother?Why did she call my mother, how does she know her. And why did it feel like this conversation might change everything?

I curse myself mentally because I had accidentally slipped the word "investigation" while in a call with Ryujin when I told her that my profession was corporate management.

I forced myself to move, grabbing my keys and heading out the door. The air outside was thick with the scent of rain, a storm threatening to break any moment now. My car was parked on the curb, and I got in, my movements automatic, robotic. My mind raced with thoughts of what Ryujin could reveal, but I couldn't piece it together. Not yet.

As I drove to the café, I replayed our conversation over and over in my head. Her voice had been calm, but something about it made my skin prickle with unease. Ryujin wasn't just a friend; she was someone I was drawn to in ways I couldn't fully explain. But now, the lines between us were blurring, and I couldn't tell if she was a friend, a foe, or something else entirely.

The café came into view, a small, nondescript place tucked between larger buildings. I parked and took a moment to steady myself, my fingers gripping the steering wheel as I tried to gather my thoughts. I couldn't afford to lose control, not when so much was on the line.

I finally stepped out of the car, feeling the first drops of rain on my skin as I made my way to the entrance. The place was nearly empty, just a couple of patrons hunched over their drinks, lost in their own worlds. I scanned the room, spotting an empty table near the back. It was as good a place as any to have this conversation.