Swapped by fate

Chapter 7

Hyunjin’s POV

I was exhausted. The day's meetings with investors had left me drained, and I was looking forward to a quiet moment to gather my thoughts. I made my way down to the basement where Nami was being held. Felix was waiting, leaning against the wall, his eyes on the sleeping girl.

Nami, or rather, *Nami Yun*, was curled up on the mattress, looking peaceful despite the rough situation. Her hair was a tangled mess, and she looked vulnerable in a way that was almost disconcerting. I had been so focused on her being Kato Lara, the leverage I needed against Mr. Kato, that I hadn’t considered her actual circumstances.

"Hyunjin," Felix greeted me, his voice low, almost weary.

"Felix," I replied, my voice equally subdued. "How is she?"

Felix nodded towards Nami. "She’s asleep. I’ve been keeping an eye on her."

I walked closer, my gaze fixed on Nami. Her breathing was steady, and for a moment, she looked almost serene. Felix’s words from earlier came back to me. He had insisted that Nami wasn’t Kato Lara, that she was just a student caught in a terrible mix-up.

"So, what’s the story?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral. "You said she isn’t Kato Lara."

Felix nodded. "That’s right. Her real name is Nami Yun. She’s been consistent with her story, and I did some checking. Everything she’s said checks out. We have the wrong person."

I frowned, feeling a knot of frustration in my stomach. "So she’s not connected to Kato at all? How did we end up with the wrong girl?"

Felix sighed. "It seems she’s just a regular student. The name confusion was a mistake. I had to make sure before saying anything, but it’s clear now. She’s not the target."

I rubbed my forehead, feeling the weight of the situation settle on my shoulders. Despite Felix’s assurances, I wasn’t ready to fully trust Nami’s claims. My instincts told me that things were rarely as simple as they seemed. There was still a chance she was lying or hiding something.

"So, what now?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "If she’s not Lara Kato, what do we do?"

Felix looked back at Nami. "We can’t just let her go, not yet. Her stepfather is abusive, and we can’t send her back to that. Plus, we still need to find the real Lara Kato. Letting her go would be premature."

I nodded, processing the information. "You’re right. We can’t release her into an abusive situation. But if she’s not the real target, we need to reassess our approach."

Felix seemed to understand my hesitation. "I agree. We need to keep her here for now, but we must handle this carefully. Her safety is a priority, but we also have to keep our original objectives in mind."

I glanced at Nami, still asleep, and felt a pang of sympathy. This situation had escalated beyond my initial plan. What started as a tactical move against Kato had turned into a much more complex problem involving a young woman’s safety.

I couldn’t fully shake my distrust. The fact that she was a victim didn’t automatically clear her of suspicion. There had to be more to this. I couldn’t afford to be naive or let my guard down, even if it meant questioning every piece of information that came my way.

"So we keep her here until we find the real Lara Kato," I said. "But let’s not get complacent. I want to make sure we’re not being manipulated. We need to verify everything before making any decisions."

Felix nodded in agreement. "I’ll make sure she’s comfortable, and we’ll keep monitoring the situation. But we need to find Lara Kato as soon as possible."

I took one last look at Nami before turning to Felix. "I’ll be back later. We need to keep working on this."

Felix gave a brief nod as I walked towards the door. I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were tangled in something far more intricate than anticipated. Nami Yun was caught in a situation she didn’t deserve, but I couldn’t fully trust her story just yet. We had to find Lara Kato, but we also had to ensure Nami’s safety, and I had to remain cautious every step of the way.

This chapter is a little short but how cares