Swamp Murder

Swamp murder. 19

Wang's POV:

I had just spent two days soaking in the beauty of Jeju Island when I got the call. My father's voice was tight, urgent, something was wrong. Mother was hospitalized, and I needed to come back immediately. It didn't sit right with me, but I dropped everything and rushed home, only to find out it was all a setup.

Mother had orchestrated a surprise proposal. To her best friend's daughter—someone I had met only twice in passing. How she managed to pull this off, I still don't know. My father, usually a pillar of reason, seemed completely on board. But my brother Xichen? He wasn't having it. He was furious, his face a mix of disbelief and anger. But Mother, with her usual flair, gave him a million reasons why this was the best decision for all of us.

I stood there, caught in the middle of a situation that wasn't my choice, trying to process everything. How had it come to this?

Mother, I said, my voice sharp with frustration, but I had already made up my mind. I would give her a condition. "I'll only accept this if you allow me to spend six months in Jeju Island."

She didn't hesitate. "Agreed," she beamed, and just like that, I went along with the proposal. It was extravagant, almost over the top. Some people even mistook it for an actual wedding. But I didn't care. I left my mother and father to handle the press while I took the opportunity to step away. The next day, my supposed wife left for her final exams, and I made my way back to Jeju, relieved to return to a semblance of peace.

I was settling in, enjoying the quiet, when I decided to check the CCTV footage. And there he was. He looked terrified, standing inside the gate, his eyes wide and scared from the person on the other side. My heart clenched. Without thinking, I felt an overwhelming urge to protect him. Something wasn't right, and I couldn't just stand by.

I couldn't shake the image of his scared face from my mind, so I did what I always do when I want answers: I turned to the FBI database. It wasn't a routine I made often, but I had the access, and this time, my curiosity got the best of me. I slipped in a quick search. It didn't take long before I found him—Yu Bin. His father owned a private high school, so it wasn't exactly hard to track him down.

I decided to go to their house. When I showed up, Yu Bin looked completely surprised, like he never expected anyone to show up at his doorstep, least of all me. But when I played the footage from the CCTV on my phone, his expression shifted. He knew what I was talking about. Hesitant but willing, he agreed to follow me, and that's when he finally started explaining everything. His fear made sense then. It wasn't just some random encounter. His life was in danger.

I felt a sharp wave of anger rise within me, but I pushed it down. I promised Yu Bin I would protect him. He wasn't alone in this anymore. As I said the words, Yu Bin promised me he would let me know when his sister was around, and I was pleased. I knew one thing I wasn't going to let anyone hurt him.

We searched high and low for Zhan, but it was as if he had vanished into thin air. No one seemed to have seen him. We made our way to their house, only to find it sold. The place was empty, and it hit me hard. Something wasn't right.

I made a few inquiries, pushed for more details, and it didn't take long before the truth came out. His mother had sold the house to a certain dealer. In exchange? Drugs. The realization stung—I knew then that they were caught in something deeper than I could have imagined. I traced the dealer's identity, but I couldn't afford to waste time on that now. Zhan's safety was what mattered most.

I had the resources to dig deeper. I hacked into every corner of the CCTV network, hoping for a break. And then, I saw it. Zhan, with Dre. It wasn't much, but it was enough. I knew where he'd be. The pieces were finally coming together, and I wasn't going to waste another second. Zhan was out there, and I was going to find him.