Chapter 92.2

Chapter 92.2

Joo Seolheon, her face tense, dialed again. At the same time, she glanced up at the sound of dull thuds echoing above.

Though she was technically the one in control of the Owl, a chill crawled up her neck.

“Knight Park, where are you? Get down to basement level two immediately,” she ordered, suppressing her voice. She then called the department head and activated the prepared operation code.

“These people! All of them!”

As she finally passed the narrow stairwell, the exit door came into view, pinpointed like a beacon. Relief washed over her as her tense shoulders finally began to relax.

No matter how badly they wanted Kim Hyun, she wasn’t going to let them drag her away like this. With a crooked smile, Joo Seolheon flung the door open.

She inhaled the damp, musty smell of the underground parking lot, scanning her surroundings until she spotted her sedan with its blinkers flashing.

Just as she took a step forward, the driver’s eyes widened in shock. Before Park could even open his mouth, her head snapped backward.

“――!”

What the! She struggled, but the firm grip on her hair yanked her back into the stairwell. Bang! The door slammed shut, and the lock clicked into place. It all happened in an instant.

Her face turned pale, her heart pounded as if it would explode. Gasping for breath, she flailed, but it was no use.

Dragged into a corner, she glanced up to see the Owl’s jaw tightening with effort, moving slowly as she spoke.

“Get some rest for a bit. We’ll have a deep conversation later.”

“You! Ugh!”

Something sharp pierced her skin. As the cloudy liquid, resembling milk, entered her veins, her vision started to blur. Bang, bang! Knight Park pounded furiously on the door, but she couldn’t respond.

“Deputy Director, Deputy Director—! Are you alright?”

The doorknob rattled, and his desperate voice echoed in panic. But Seoryeong, her expression unchanged, hoisted the unconscious Deputy Director onto her shoulder.

At that moment, the emergency alarm in the parking lot blared loudly. She cursed under her breath. It must’ve been the driver who pressed it.

Once that button was hit, hotel security rushed in. Seoryeong scowled, realizing she was trapped. She sighed deeply, resigned to her situation.

Biting her lip, she looked between the door and the stairwell. Things never go exactly as planned, do they? But there’s always a second option.

Adjusting Joo Seolheon’s limp body on her shoulder, she visualized the hotel’s layout in her mind. She finally understood her instructor’s words from a past march: “If you walk well, you’ll escape well in an emergency.”

With that thought, Seoryeong began climbing the stairs once more.

“Huff!”

Her destination was the seventh floor, where the guest rooms were. As her thighs trembled and her back went numb from the strain, she briefly considered calling Lee Wooshin for help.

But no—this was something she had to do on her own.

When it came to matters involving Kim Hyun, she wanted to at least maintain a sense of dignity.

“Linen chute… linen chute…”

Sweat dripping down her face, she finally reached the guest room and opened the “STAFF ONLY” door to the pantry.

Inside, a large contraption, resembling the exhaust system of a barbecue restaurant, extended along one wall.

The linen chute was a slide-like tunnel used to send towels and clothes directly to the basement laundry room. Without a moment’s hesitation, Seoryeong dropped the Deputy Director into the chute.

“――!”

The sound of his body banging against the aluminum walls echoed. She gazed down the pitch-black, deep hole with cold eyes.

***

Lee Wooshin received yet another message that the plan had changed and headed straight for the linen chute located in the basement.

Dressed in a facility team vest, wearing a hat and mask, he pushed a large linen cart.

Something had clearly happened, yet there was no SOS signal. Lee Wooshin bit his lower lip in frustration. Still, he couldn’t help but think this was so like Han Seoryeong—unlike his wife, who needed constant care, Seoryeong would never complain, even if she was crawling through mud. The thought made the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.

Just then, the red light on the earpiece he wore blinked.

― “Team leader, it’s Wonchang. Can you talk?”

“I’m busy right now, hang up.”

He was about to cut off the call when—

― “You made me read through an entire terabyte of data, the least you can do is hear me out!”

“What?”

― “The re-investigation of the Owl case is finally done! Do you have any idea how hard it was to compile, analyze, and summarize all that? My vision must have dropped by at least 0.8! I’m sure of it!”