**Kael's POV - 4:00 PM**
The afternoon meeting dissolved into chaos.
People on phones. Director Han barking orders. Attorney Kim pulling up criminal procedure documents. Crisis Manager Park doing damage control on social media in real time.
I sat there.
Phone still in my hand.
The police summons still on the screen.
Tomorrow. 9 AM. Formal questioning.
Everything was falling apart.
I looked down the table.
Sunshine was packing up her tablet. Professional. Efficient. Like this was just another crisis to manage.
"Sunshine," I said.
She looked up.
Our eyes met for the first time since the lunch photos.
"Can we talk? For a minute?"
She hesitated.
Then nodded.
---
**Sunshine's POV - 4:15 PM**
We stood in the empty hallway.
Everyone else was still in the conference room, strategizing, panicking, planning.
Just us out here.
"Are you okay?" Kael asked.
The question almost made me laugh.
Was I okay?
I'd spent the day watching him sit next to his ex-girlfriend. Watching photos of them leak everywhere. Listening to staff whisper about how I didn't belong.
"I'm fine," I said.
"Sunshine—"
"What do you need, Kael?" I kept my voice professional. Calm. "If it's about tomorrow's police questioning, Attorney Kim should brief you. If it's about the tour postponement, Director Han is handling the press release. If it's—"
"It's not about work."
"Then I don't think we have anything to talk about."
He flinched.
"I'm sorry," he said. "About the photos. About lunch with Hana. About all of it."
"Okay."
"Okay?" He looked confused. "That's it? Just okay?"
"What do you want me to say?" I met his eyes. "You made your choice. You chose who you needed to sit with. Who you needed to have lunch with. Who you needed to help you through this. I get it."
"It's not like that—"
"It doesn't matter what it's like." I adjusted my bag on my shoulder. "You have your police questioning tomorrow. That's what matters. Just focus on that. Everything else can wait."
"Can it?"
"It has to." I gave him a small smile. Professional. Distant. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck with the questioning."
I walked away.
Left him standing there.
And didn't look back.
---
**Kael's POV - 5:30 PM**
I sat in my office.
Staring at nothing.
That conversation with Sunshine—it felt wrong. Felt like a goodbye disguised as professionalism.
My phone buzzed.
**Attorney Kim: Prep session. 6 PM. My office. We need to go over everything before tomorrow. Do NOT be late.**
I stood up.
Grabbed my jacket.
Walked past Sunshine's empty desk in the assistant bullpen.
She was already gone.
---
**Sunshine's POV - 6:45 PM**
I sat in my apartment.
Changed out of my work clothes.
Put on sweats.
Ordered food I didn't want to eat.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I almost didn't answer.
Almost.
"Hello?"
"Sunshine Reyes?" A woman's voice. Professional. Sharp.
"Yes?"
"This is Detective Park Ji-young from Seoul Metropolitan Police Department. Corruption and Economic Crimes Division."
My heart stopped.
"I'm calling to inform you that you've been identified as a relevant witness in our investigation into the Park Min-ho case andsubsequent cover-up allegations."
"I—what? I don't know anything about that. That was nine years ago. I wasn't even—"
"We're not asking about the original incident, Ms. Reyes. We're asking about your current knowledge. Statements made to you by Kael Kim. Documents you may have handled in your capacity as his personal assistant. Conversations you've witnessed between him and his father."
Oh God.
"We need you to come in for questioning tomorrow. 11 AM. You can bring an attorney if you'd like, but this is not optional. Do you understand?"
"I—yes. I understand."
"11 AM. Seoul Metropolitan Police Headquarters. Don't be late, Ms. Reyes."
She hung up.
I stared at my phone.
They were going to question me.
About Kael.
About things he'd said. Things I'd seen. Files I'd organized. Meetings I'd attended.
They were going to ask me to choose between protecting him and telling the truth.
And I had no idea what I was going to say.
I took a breath.
Called Director Han.
She answered on the second ring.
"Sunshine? Is everything okay?"
"The police just called. They want to question me tomorrow at 11 AM. As a witness."
Silence.
"About what?"
"About Kael. About things he may have said to me. Documents I've handled. Conversations I've witnessed."
"Did they say what specifically—"
"The Min-ho case. The cover-up. They want to know what Kael knew and when he knew it."
I heard her exhale.
"Okay. Listen to me carefully. Do you have an attorney?"
"No. I don't."
"The company will provide one. I'll have Attorney Kim arrange it tonight. Someone will contact you within the hour."
"Don't say anything without your attorney present. Answer only what's asked. Don't volunteer information. And Sunshine—" She paused. "Whatever you say in that room tomorrow, make sure it's the truth. Don't lie to protect anyone. Not Kael. Not the company. Not anyone. Lying to police is a crime. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. I'll let Attorney Kim know about your questioning. He'll coordinate with your attorney."
"Thank you, Director Han."
"Sunshine? Are you okay?"
The question caught me off guard.
"I don't know."
"You will be. Just tell the truth. That's all you can do."
She hung up.
I sat there.
Phone in my hand.
Tomorrow at 11 AM, I'd walk into that police station.
And everything would change.
---
**Kael's POV - 8:30 PM**
Attorney Kim's prep session was brutal.
Three hours of going over every possible question. Every answer I should give. Every word I shouldn't say.
"Do not volunteer information," he said for the hundredth time. "Answer only what's asked. Keep responses short. If you don't remember something, say 'I don't recall.' Never guess. Never speculate."
"What if they ask about my father?"
"You say you were fifteen at the time. You were not involved in business decisions. You have no direct knowledge of any alleged payments or cover-up activities."
"But I do have knowledge—"
"You have what your father told you. Which is hearsay. Which is not admissible. Stick to the script, Kael."
My phone buzzed.
I ignored it.
It buzzed again.
"Check it," Attorney Kim said. "Could be important."
I looked.
**Director Han: FYI - Police just called Sunshine in for questioning too. Tomorrow at 11 AM. As a witness. Thought you should know.**
The room tilted.
"They're questioning Sunshine?" I said.
Attorney Kim's expression shifted. "When?"
"Tomorrow. 11 AM."
He was quiet for a moment.
"That's... actually a problem."
"What do you mean?"
"If you give one version of events at 9 AM, and she gives a contradictory version at 11 AM, they can use that against you. They can claim you're lying. That there's evidence of obstruction."
"Sunshine wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't what? Wouldn't tell the truth? Wouldn't answer honestly?" He leaned forward. "Kael, she's your assistant. She knows things. Things you may have said casually. Things you may not even remember saying. And if those things contradict your official statement—"
"I need to talk to her."
"No. Absolutely not. That's witness tampering.
You cannot contact her before her questioning. Do you understand?"
I nodded.
But every part of me wanted to call her.
To warn her.
To ask her—beg her—to protect me.
But I couldn't.
Because Attorney Kim was right.
That would make everything worse.
**Sunshine's POV - 9:00 PM**
I sat on my couch.
Staring at my phone.
The food I'd ordered sat untouched on the coffee table.
There was a knock at my door.
I opened it.
Min-ah stood there with a bottle of soju and a fierce expression.
"Okay," she said, walking in without waiting. "I heard about the police. I heard about the photos. And I see you are spiraling. So we're going to drink and talk and figure out what the hell you're going to do tomorrow."
"I don't know what to do."
"Do you still love him?"
The question hit like a punch.
"I don't know."
"Girl." Min-ah grabbed my shoulders. "Tomorrow morning, the police are going to ask you questions about Kael. About his father. About everything you know. And whatever you say could save him or destroy him. So you need to decide right now—is he worth saving?"
"He chose her. He sat with her in meetings. He had lunch with her while everyone took photos.
He—" My voice cracked. "He made me feel like I didn't matter."
"So destroy him," Min-ah said simply. "Tell the police everything. Let them crucify his father. Let Kael deal with the fallout. Let Hana have what's left."
I stared at her.
"Or," she continued, softer, "you tell them nothing. You protect him. You give him one more chance to figure out what he threw away."
"Both options feel like losing."
"That's because they are." She poured us both soju. "Love usually is. But you still have to choose."
We drank in silence.
And I still had no idea what I was going to say tomorrow.
---
**Kael's POV - 10:00 PM**
I sat in my apartment.
Alone.
Phone in my hand.
I wanted to call Sunshine. Wanted to text her. Wanted to ask her what she was going to say tomorrow.
But I couldn't.
Witness tampering.
So instead, I just sat there.
My phone buzzed.
**Dr. Yoon: I heard about tomorrow's questioning. How are you holding up?**
**Me: Not great. They're questioning Sunshine too. As a witness.**
**Dr. Yoon: How do you feel about that?**
**Me: Terrified.**
**Dr. Yoon: Of what she might say? Or of what you've done to make her want to say it?**
I didn't respond.
Because he was right.
Another buzz.
**Hana: I heard about Sunshine being questioned. This is serious, Kael. If she contradicts you, if she says anything that makes you look bad, it could destroy your defense. You need to make sure she understands what's at stake.**
I ignored it.
Another buzz.
**Father: Do NOT contact Sunshine before tomorrow. I mean it. Let her say what she's going to say. If it damages us, we'll deal with it. But do not make this worse by trying to influence her.**
I turned off my phone.
Sat in the dark.
And wondered if tomorrow would be the day I lost everything.
**END OF CHAPTER 21**