𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡✦𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐱 𝐋𝐮 𝐒𝐢 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠

Chapter 25: Jiwoo Park

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A rebellion built on hopes.

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Rachel. She's missing, and it's all because
she followed that cold-blooded bastard.
The moment the clock hit noon, my entire world crumbled under the weight of the news from Lu Si Cheng.
"What the fuck, Lu Si Cheng?" I spat his name like venom, the words burning through my throat.
His response was calm, like the storm that follows destruction. "Who gave you the permission to call me by my name?"
"Cut the formalities," I snapped, closing the distance between us and grabbing him by the collar. My hands shook with rage. "If something happens to her, I'll kill you myself."
He pushed me off.
That fucking rich brat pushed me.
"Jiwoo Park," he said, smoothing out his suit, fixing his tie with that infuriating calmness. "I've been looking for her like a madman since last night." His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, the mask slipped. Beneath it was something dark, raw. Grief. Agony.
And something else.
Something dangerous, driven by a kind of obsession that twisted in his gaze.
It stopped me cold. I've never seen Lu Si Cheng like this. Maybe he was holding on by a thread, just like the rest of us.
I exhaled, trying to rein in my anger, the fury that bubbled up every time I thought of Rachel lost, possibly hurt, because of him. "Look," I said, my voice quieter now but still sharp, "I don't care what it takes. I don't care how you find her. She needs to be standing right in front of me. Safe. Do you understand?"
He didn't say a word. Just nodded, a small hum escaping him like he was agreeing to a simple request, not the life of someone we both knew was important.
But that was Lu Si Cheng—always too composed, too perfect. So much so that I wonder if he even remembers who he really is beneath all that smooth control. Before he could disappear back into his fortress of the office, I reached for his hand, stopping him mid-step.
"Is there... anything I can help you with?" My voice barely made it out, thick with guilt and fear.
He gently pulled his hand from mine, his movements slow and deliberate. "I'll let you know."
And with that, he was gone, leaving me in the storm of my regrets. If only I had stopped her. If only I'd said something instead of watching her slip into his shadow, into whatever dark place she's now trapped in. This is all on me.
Damn you, Jiwoo.
I collapse into a chair, its old frame creaking under the weight of my spiraling thoughts. My eyes trace the wooden patterns on the ceiling as if they hold the answers I'm looking for. Think, Jiwoo, think. YeeJin will call any second now, freaking out because she hasn't heard from Rachel in over 24 hours. I'm pacing, running my hands through files, searching for any single clue that'd help. But there's nothing.
Goddamnit.
I slam the drawer shut, heart pounding, head spinning. It hits me then. Something. I need to confront him. Again.
I storm into Lu Si Cheng's office, my patience hanging by a thread.
"Lu Si Cheng," I bark, the tension in my voice undeniable.
He doesn't even look up. "What now? I told you, I'm trying."
"Quit the shit," I snap, slamming down a stack of photos on his desk. "Tell me exactly what happened? And don't lie"
That finally gets his attention. His focus shifts from the screen to the photos. His eyes narrow, but I can see the flicker of something there. Shock, maybe even fear.
"W-where did you get these?" he asks, the usual confidence in his voice suddenly fragile.
"When Rachel got there, she sent me her location," I say, my words cut like glass. "Just in case you, of all people, pulled something on her." I let the venom linger in the air. "And wouldn't you know it, someone posted the pictures online. She was assaulted. Before those thugs got her."
He's quiet now, staring at the photos, his hand shaking as he picks one up. The sharp gaze of his pupils locks onto the image like he could burn a hole through it, like the truth is hiding just beneath the surface, and he's desperate to make it tell him the rest of the story. But the truth is already out there, lying in pieces on his desk. And now, it's up to him to make it right.
If he can.
"I don't know."
His words drop like dead weight, pulling me under. I don't know. He looks down, avoiding my stare. This damn fancy lawyer, with all his power, all his strings to pull—he doesn't know. Despite being right there, despite all those connections, he fucking doesn't know where they took her.
Rage claws its way out of me. "Aren't you the one who has all the pawns lined up, perfectly set in this goddamn game? Explain. Explain how she went missing right under your nose!" My voice is a wildfire now, spreading uncontrollably.
"Why does that bother you so damn much?" He deflects, shifting the focus like he always does, too much of a coward to confront the truth. It's pathetic, really.
Before I can tear into him more, another voice cuts through, sharp and urgent.
"Have you found anything about Rachel?"
I turn, and there he is. Lu Zheng Yue. Or just Lu Yue, as everyone knows him. The same aura drapes over him like it does his brother, but there's something sharper about him, something more dangerous in the way his eyes cut through the air—like he could rip a person apart with just a glance.
He's Lu Si Cheng's brother, but from what I've heard, they couldn't be more different. Lu Yue is the one people talk about when they mention justice, the one who would go to war with this lawless city just to set it right. I didn't believe the rumors at first, but standing here now, I'm starting to.
"Lu Si Cheng, I'm asking you something!" Lu Yue's voice hits like a punch, rattling the room, and even I feel a bit shaken. If this guy's pissed, then shit, things must be worse than I thought.
"I told you, I'm trying, damn it, Lu Yue!" I catch the flash of rage in Lu Si Cheng's eyes—something I've never seen in him before. Normally, he's ice-cold, even when death's staring him in the face. That's what Rachel used to tell me, anyway.
"See?" I step closer, softening my voice, trying to ease the tension but not letting him off the hook. "You can't escape this. We're not going anywhere until you tell us what's going on. We'll help you, Lu Si Cheng. Just tell us the truth."
Lu Yue's attention shifts to me, his gaze sharp as a knife. "And you are...?"
The words catch in my throat. I stutter, like an idiot. "Oh, I-I'm Jiwoo Park. Rachel's... close person, you can say."
Shit. I'm screwing this up. But the way he's staring at me—there's no judgment in his eyes, just something unreadable.
He gives me a nod, quiet but reassuring, before turning back to his brother. "We'll find her, Jiwoo. Stay calm."
I can't remember the last time someone gave me reassurance that didn't feel hollow like they were just saying it to get me to shut up. But Lu Yue's words...they're different. They're heavy with something real, something I'm not used to. They feel like a promise. Like he's the kind of person who doesn't say things unless he means them.
I don't know about Lu Si Cheng, his mask is still too thick, too carefully in place, but Lu Yue? He might just be the one to get us out of this mess.
And for the first time in what feels like forever, I start to believe we might have a chance.
"Bro, she's my partner, which makes her my responsibility too." Lu Yue's voice thundered across the room as his fist came down on the table, making the coffee nearly spill. "So, drop this cool act and speak."
Lu Si Cheng, unfazed by the outburst, stood, closing the distance between them. His hand landed on Lu Yue's shoulder, a touch meant to calm, though beneath the surface, his desperation screamed louder. "Lu Yue, I will find her. Please, just trust me this once."
Lu Yue's laugh cut through the air like broken glass—sharp, mocking, and filled with disbelief. "Trust?" He spat the word like it tasted foul. "Pathetic, Lu Si Cheng. Have you forgotten what happened the last time this family trusted you?" His hand flew up, swatting away Lu Si Cheng's grip like it was nothing. "Only to get betrayed?"
I watched from a distance, but close enough to see the tension swirling between them like a storm. It was the kind of fight where words were just the tip of the blade.
"Lu Yue—"
"No." Lu Yue's voice dripped with venom as he stepped forward, towering over his brother. "Come on, speak, Lu Si Cheng. Where were your morals back then, huh? How cruel can you be?" His voice cracked, and for a moment, the room itself seemed to flinch. The words felt like they'd been buried for years, festering, waiting for this exact moment to explode.
Lu Si Cheng just stood there, his expression barely shifting, but guilt flickered behind his eyes. I could see it, faint as a shadow but undeniably there, creeping through the cracks of his facade.
"Answer me!" Lu Yue's voice fractured, and the rage that poured out felt like it had been pulled straight from a wound that had never healed. "How hungry were you, huh? So damn hungry for power that you nearly devoured them whole. Their lives, their futures—everything. For what?"
The room felt heavy, like the walls themselves were soaked in the weight of their shared history, their broken trust. As Lu Yue's words echoed, I could practically feel the scars they left behind, sharp and fresh. What the hell had Lu Si Cheng done? What sickness had gripped him so tight that his brother was willing to tear him apart for it?
I stood there, still, watching the way Lu Yue's voice ripped through the air, turning their shared pain into something visible, something that hung in the room like fresh blood on an open wound. The more he spoke, the deeper it cut, and with every word, it became clear that whatever Lu Si Cheng had done...it had broken something in both of them.
And yet, standing in the middle of this storm, there were no answers—only more questions. I had no idea how deep this wound went, how far back it stretched. But one thing was certain: the damage was already done.
Lu Si Cheng's breath was shallow, the weight of Lu Yue's accusations still hanging between them like a thick fog. His hand moved instinctively to his side, pressing down on the bruised ribs beneath his shirt. The pain was a reminder, a brutal echo of the night before. He sighed, his voice cracking through the tension.
"I don't know where she is." He finally spoke, the words heavy, almost swallowed by the room. "I was attacked too." His eyes darted toward the floor, like they couldn't bear to meet his brother's or mine. "By the time I realized what was happening... it was too late."

Silence filled the room, an oppressive silence that was louder than any scream. I clenched my fists, fighting back the urge to lash out again. I wanted to blame someone, anyone, but the exhaustion in Lu Si Cheng's eyes told a different story.
"Then what's our move?" I asked, my voice a little softer now, though still laced with frustration. My gaze flickered between the two brothers, searching for some semblance of a plan, a way to claw Rachel back from whatever darkness had swallowed her whole.
"We'll need to retrace her steps," Lu Si Cheng muttered, running a hand through his hair. "She sent Jiwoo her location. That's a start."
"It's not enough," Lu Yue bit back, pacing the room. "We need to do more than just follow breadcrumbs. Someone must have seen something, or someone must know something."
As we started piecing together a plan, my phone buzzed. The vibration cut through the tension, a shrill reminder of the outside world. I glanced at the screen, feeling the pit in my stomach sink further.
Yeejin.
My thumb hesitated over the screen for a second too long, but I knew avoiding her wouldn't make anything better. With a resigned sigh, I answered.
"Jiwoo? Have you heard from Rachel?" Her voice was shaky, every word dipped in a fear she couldn't hide. "I haven't been able to reach her all day. It's not like her to just disappear. I—"
"Yeejin," I interrupted, my voice low but steady, though my heart raced as I prepared for the bombshell I was about to drop. "Listen, there's... there's something you need to know."
The silence on the other end stretched impossibly long.
"What do you mean, Jiwoo?" Yeejin's voice was quieter now, softer, almost like she already knew something was wrong but was desperate for me to prove her wrong.
I swallowed hard, my eyes meeting Lu Si Cheng's for a brief moment before looking away. "Rachel's missing."
The words fell like a hammer, and the sound of Yeejin's breath hitching on the other end sent a cold wave of guilt crashing through me.
"W-what? What do you mean, missing?" The panic was starting to rise in her voice, trembling as the reality set in. "Jiwoo, where is she? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"I—" I started, but my voice faltered, my throat tightening with every second that passed. "We don't know where she is, Yeejin. We're trying to find her, but—"
"But what?!" Yeejin's voice broke, filled with anguish. "You're supposed to protect her! How could this happen? How could you let this happen?" Her words were like knives, each one cutting deeper than the last.
I closed my eyes, letting her words wash over me like a tidal wave. I deserved it. Every bit of it. I should have stopped Rachel. I should have done something.
"I'm sorry, Yeejin," I whispered, my voice hollow. "I'm so sorry."
But sorry wasn't going to fix this. Sorry wasn't going to bring Rachel back.
Yeejin didn't respond. There was nothing left to say. The line went dead, leaving me in a room that suddenly felt too small, too suffocating. The weight of it all pressed down on me, making it harder to breathe.
Lu Si Cheng glanced at me, his face pale, but there was no arrogance left, no cool facade. — Just raw, unfiltered guilt. "We'll find her," he said quietly, almost like he was saying it to himself.
"Yeah," I muttered, though the doubt in my voice was undeniable. "We have to."I swallowed hard, my mind racing. Once again, hours passed in a blur of trying to find any clues. The more time passes, the more Rachel's vitals are dropping.
———————    4:30 PM    ————————
I finally spoke.
"Well, she did send me her location before she disappeared," I muttered, pulling out my phone. "It's not much, but it's something. Let's just try this."
Lu Yue stepped forward, his eyes sharp and unforgiving. "You're right...We need to do something."
I nodded, pulling up the last message Rachel had sent me. Coordinates. Just in case. I hadn't even thought twice about it at the time, but now it felt like a lifeline, something tangible to hold onto in this chaos.
I showed the screen to the brothers, and Lu Si Cheng nodded, his jaw tightening. "Let's go."
But before we could even step out, my phone buzzed again. Yeejin. Her name flashed on the screen, and I knew she was about to shatter the fragile sense of hope we were barely clinging to.
"Jiwoo?" Her voice was shaky, weaker this time. "Please tell me you've found her."
My throat tightened, the words sticking like a knife. "Not yet. But we're close." I forced the lie, hoping it would give her some kind of peace, even if just for a moment.
"God..." Her voice cracked, and I could hear her trying to keep it together. "Just... find her. Please."
I didn't have the heart to say anything else. All I could do was promise myself—and her—that I'd find Rachel no matter what it took.

Keep breathing, Rachel. Please.