Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

"No, Jina," Gayoon said firmly. "You can't come with us."      

"Buy you two left me behind last time as well!" she protested with teary eyes and hid her face in her hands. Gayoon's heart was aching upon seeing Jina crying like that and she almost buckled in to the little girl's demands.      

"She's faking it!" Yumi's voice told her. "I know that kid very well! She's faking it!"      

Jina scowled at Yumi for selling her out. The ghost had spent so much time around Jina that she had learnt every trick the little girl used. Even Casper was frowning at her disapprovingly.      

"Jina!" Gayoon said sternly. "You can't go there."      

"But why?"      

Gayoon sighed and sat down, pulling Jina on her lap. The little girl pouted as Gayoon fixed her hair.      

"That place is not for you," Gayoon said. "The ghosts there aren't so friendly. If they see you, they'll stalk you everywhere and make your life a hell."      

"I have Casper to protect me!" Jina claimed. "He always saves me from the bad guys. He'll do anything for me."      

Gayoon bit her lip in worry. Yes, Casper and Yumi were there for her. But they would not be around forever. Jina still did not know that once their unfinished businesses were taken care of, they would move on to the afterlife, leaving the little girl behind. She would become lonely and must learn to survive on her own.      

Jina was too young to understand that and Gayoon did not have the heart to tell her this. It would devastate the little girl who was deeply devoted to her friends.      

"You still can't go," Gayoon said firmly. Jina was disheartened by her mother's order and got off her lap. Gayoon felt guilty for being so strict on her daughter but it was the question of her safety. She was already born with a cursed fate and Gayoon had to do everything she could to make Jina's life more bearable.      

She watched helplessly as Jina left the room and shut the door behind her. Yumk and Casper felt a little bad for the detective. Casper made some gestures at Yumi to interpret his message to Gayoon.      

"Umm…Casper is saying that children are very impressionable," Yumi stated. "They can be sweet but also stubborn. So you have to keep your heart strong when disciplining them. It'll hurt but you'll be able to stop them from being reckless and save their lives."      

Gayoon did not look up but was listening intently to the ghost who was trying to console her.      

"Thank you, Casper," she sniffed. She felt something cold touch her head as if patting her but the chilliness could not hide the warm affection behind that gesture.      

"He's saying that everything will be alright," Yumi stated. "Just do what you have to."      

Gayoon smiled and felt the two cold presence leave the room. Her daughter was lucky to have such amazing friends looking after her. Her earlier apprehensions about these ghosts were going away but what would happen once they move on?      

The memories of those spirits in her school were etched in her head. Some were good but most were very dangerous. They would hurt people and Gayoon was plagued by their presence.      

What if they realized that Jina had the same ability?      

"I can't expose Jina to them," Gayoon muttered. Taking a deep breath, she headed for the bathroom to get ready.      

It was time to go back to school and face her fears.     

….     

Minho had left the office early to pick up Gayoon. He was already dressed for the party, wearing just a simple black shirt and white pants. It was semi-formal so he ditched his blazer.      

Sung had sent him the package containing Park Seungjo's uniform and the button. He carefully put the button in his suit, planning to hand it to Kanji to probe into who it belonged to and repackaged the uniform.      

The moment he walked into the mansion, he noticed that Jina was sulking on the couch lying face down on the pillows.      

"What happened to you?" he frowned, putting the package aside.      

"Mom wouldn't let me accompany you to the party," she mumbled. She looked up to face her dad.      

"I want to go!" she insisted. "Take me with you!"      

Minho sighed. He had an inkling why Gayoon might have refused her and he, too, agreed that Jina should not accompany them to the ghost hub. He pulled his daughter closer and tried to make her understand.      

"She's worried about you," Minho said. "The place where we're going has some very bad memories for her. She's not going to a party but will go to confront her fears."      

"Why?" Jina asked. "What happened there?"      

"Let's just say that there were some bad people and ghosts there," Minho said. Jina was surprised to see the lines on her father's face harden. "They made your mother's life miserable."      

"Like that black shadow?" Jina asked.      

"Kind of," Minho said. "There are probably very bad ghosts there. She's afraid that if you go there, they'll harm you."      

Jina thought for a moment. Her mother did seem worried.      

"I fought with her," Jina admitted. "Am I a bad person?"      

Minho ruffled her hair and smiled. "Apologize to her," he advised. "Otherwise, you'll end up dancing in public wearing a bunny costume."      

Jina winced at the thought. Whenever someone asked her if that was her dad in the viral video, she pretended not to know him.      

"Daddy," she began. "Don't ever mention that thing ever again. I'll disown you!"      

Minho blinked in surprise but could only shake his head in dismay. Kids!      

"Oh, mom is coming down!" Jina exclaimed, pointing at the top of the stairs. Minho followed her gaze and his heart skipped several beats.      

Gayoon stood on top of the stairs, wearing the black gown. She wore light make up, highlighting her rosy cheeks. Her innocent look was replaced with a mature one and her scarlet lips were slightly curved into a smile, making her look like an elegant seductress. Her long hair was tied in a bun with some strands hanging loose.      

"Woah, mom looks sexy!" Jina exclaimed.      

She did. Minho could not get his eyes off her and it was impossible not to admire her. His silly heart was acting like a child, thumping so loudly against his chest that he was afraid she would hear it.      

What was this feeling? It felt alien as if he was not himself anymore. But he did not hate it. Even all the money in the world could not make him feel the way Jeon Gayoon was making him feel.      

"I bet all the men in the room would go gaga over her!" Jina claimed. "Especially Jaewan oppa!"      

Her statement broke Minho's reverie into tiny pieces. Ahn Jaewan? He was going to the party as well!      

Gayoon descended the stairs and stopped in front of Minho, who also noticed that the gown was sleeveless. Ahn Jaewan was going to see her exposed arms!      

"H-how do I look?" she asked nervously.      

"Sexy!" Jina cheered while Minho did some quick thinking.      

"Wait here," he said. Gayoon frowned as he ran upstairs and within minutes, returned with a white blazer. He put it around her shoulders, covering her up.      

"Better," he said. "This looks better."      

"What are you doing?" Jina asked.      

"Yeah, I'm not that cold," Gayoon said. "There'll be a heater at the party."      

"No, it's a fashion statement," Minho lied. "This is the trend. Keep the blazer on you at all times."      

There is no way I'm gonna let that neat freak see her exposed skin! He gritted inwardly.      

With that, he headed out of the mansion to bring out the car.      

"I am never going to understand that man," Gayoon sighed.      

"He's probably going through puberty," Jina said. Gayoon frowned at her.      

"Do you even know what that means?"      

"No, but according to aunt Mina, whenever men act like that, they're going through puberty."      

Gayoon wanted to facepalm herself. What the hell was this girl learning?      

"And mommy," Jina began in a small voice. She widened her eyes to purposefully make herself look cuter.      

"I'm sorry for hurting you," she apologized. "I promise to be good."      

Gayoon giggled and hugged her daughter. "It's fine," she consoled Jina. "As long as you muster the courage to apologize, it's alright."     

Jina hugged her back, relieved that her mother had forgiven her. Suddenly, there was a loud honking of horns.      

"This man!" Gayoon said crossly. "Such a child!"      

She let go of Jina and kissed her forehead.      

"Be good," she instructed. "Listen to Ms. Kim and go to bed early. Alright?"      

Jina nodded and watched her mom leaving the mansion. She was about to go to her room when she noticed the package on the table next to the couch. It was the same package her dad was carrying.      

Curious about the package, she bent to touch it. Immediately, a jolt of electricity coursed through her veins, making her yelp in shock.      

The image of a pale boy wearing glasses flashed through her eyes. He was leering at her, his perverted grin widening.      

Trembling, she picked up the package and tore it open. Inside it was an uniform with a name tag on it. Park Seungjo.      

"Gayoonie."      

The cold whisper echoed in her ears, scaring her. It was for a brief moment but the image of that boy was more menacing than the black shadow they had encountered weeks ago.      

And this one was coming for her mother.