𝗘𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗦 | 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗺𝗶𝗻

Ꙅ

The following morning, Detective Mark Lee and Officer Lee Jeno sat in their precinct's interrogation room, the sterile, gray walls seeming to close in around them. Across the table from them sat the man who had turned himself in earlier that day, his hands cuffed in front of him, his face pale and drawn. His story, as he'd recounted it, was full of details that should have aligned perfectly with the evidence they had gathered. But something didn't sit right with either Mark or Jeno.

Mark leaned back in his chair, studying the man with a sharp, calculating gaze. "So, let me get this straight," he said, his voice calm but laced with skepticism. "You're telling us that you were the mastermind behind all of this? You coordinated everything, and now you're turning yourself in out of the goodness of your heart?"

The man shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting between Mark and Jeno. "I'm telling you the truth," he insisted, his voice shaky. "I didn't want to do it, but I was involved. I... I couldn't live with the guilt anymore."

Jeno, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, exchanged a glance with Mark before stepping forward. "Guilt, huh?" he said, his tone flat. "Funny how that guilt only showed up after we started closing in on Jaemin Na. And now, all of a sudden, you're here, ready to take the fall?"

The man swallowed hard, his hands trembling in the cuffs. "I'm not trying to cover for anyone, I swear. I just... I want to make things right."

Mark's gaze hardened as he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "And we're supposed to believe that Jaemin Na had nothing to do with this? That a low-level operator like you was running the show, while someone like him just stood by?"

The man's face paled even further, but he nodded frantically. "Yes, yes! Jaemin didn't know anything about it. I kept him in the dark."

Jeno let out a slow, disbelieving breath, shaking his head. "That's a load of crap, and you know it," he said bluntly. "We've been tracking Jaemin Na for a while now. We know how he operates, and we know he doesn't let anyone do anything without his approval. So why don't you cut the bullshit and tell us the real story?"

The man's eyes widened with fear, and he began to stammer. "I-I don't know what you want me to say. I'm telling you everything I know!"

Mark exchanged another glance with Jeno, both of them silently coming to the same conclusion: this man wasn't the mastermind he claimed to be. He was covering for someone—likely Jaemin Na—but the way he was going about it was clumsy, panicked, and desperate.

Leaning back in his chair, Mark folded his arms over his chest, regarding the man with a cold, calculating stare. "Here's the problem with your story," Mark began, his tone measured. "It's too convenient. You show up, just as we're getting close to Jaemin, and suddenly you're confessing to everything. It's almost like someone sent you here to throw us off the scent."

The man shook his head violently. "No, no! That's not it! I just... I wanted to make sure no one else got hurt."

"By taking the fall?" Jeno interjected, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Come on, man. You're not fooling anyone. You're scared, and you're trying to protect someone. But lying to us is only going to make things worse for you."

The man's breath came in quick, panicked gasps, his gaze darting around the room as if searching for an escape. Mark and Jeno remained silent, letting the weight of the situation sink in. Finally, the man slumped in his chair, defeated.

"Look," Mark said, his voice softening just slightly, "we can help you, but only if you're honest with us. We know Jaemin Na is involved in this. We know you're not the one pulling the strings. So why don't you tell us who put you up to this? Who told you to come in here and confess?"

The man hesitated, his fear palpable. "If I tell you... they'll kill me."

Jeno's expression hardened. "If you don't tell us, we can't protect you. Right now, you're just a pawn in their game. But if you cooperate, we can work something out."

The man's eyes flicked between Mark and Jeno, his mind racing as he weighed his options. The silence stretched on, tense and heavy, until finally, the man let out a shuddering breath.

"It was Renjun," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Mark's eyebrows shot up in surprise, though he quickly masked it. "Renjun Na?" he asked, his tone careful. "Jaemin's husband?"

The man nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. "He... he found out I was the one who talked to you. He told me to come here and confess. Said if I didn't, they'd make me disappear."

Mark and Jeno exchanged a look, their suspicions confirmed but with a twist they hadn't expected. Renjun Na, Jaemin's seemingly innocent and unassuming husband, was more involved than they had realized. This complicated things, but it also gave them a new angle to work with.

Mark leaned in, his tone more intense. "Why would Renjun tell you to confess? What's his role in all of this?"

The man shook his head, his voice trembling. "I don't know. I just know he's close to Jaemin. He's... he's not what he seems."

Jeno pushed off the wall, stepping closer to the table. "If Renjun is involved, that means Jaemin's got more to lose than we thought. This isn't just about business—it's personal. And that makes him more dangerous."

Mark nodded slowly, his mind racing as he processed this new information. "You're right," he said, turning his gaze back to the man. "But if Renjun was willing to send you in here to take the fall, it means they're getting desperate. They know we're close."

The man's fear deepened, his hands shaking in the cuffs. "Please... I don't want to die."

Mark studied him for a moment before speaking. "We can keep you safe," he said slowly. "But you have to give us everything. Not just about Jaemin, but about Renjun too. We need to know how deep this goes."

The man hesitated, clearly terrified of what he was getting himself into. But after a moment, he nodded, his voice trembling as he began to speak. "Okay... okay, I'll tell you everything. Just... keep them away from me."

Mark exchanged a final glance with Jeno, both of them knowing that they had just uncovered something big—something that could blow the entire case wide open. But it also meant they were stepping into even more dangerous territory. Renjun Na was no longer just the supportive husband; he was a player in the game, and that changed everything.

As the man began to talk, spilling details about Jaemin's operations and Renjun's involvement, Mark and Jeno listened intently, their expressions grim. They had come here to find the truth, and now that they had it, they knew there was no turning back.

The stakes had just gotten a lot higher, and as they walked out of the interrogation room, both Mark and Jeno were more determined than ever to see this through to the end. Jaemin Na, Renjun, and their entire operation were now squarely in their sights.