Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

VOTE AND HELP ME WIN!      

....      

Minho stooped to check Gayoon's state. She was losing her color and needed medical attention.     

"You should go," The girl suggested. "Mr. A might appear any moment and create another hurdle."     

Minho nodded and closed his eyes, putting Jina's image in his mind. He then drew another circle, opening a portal. He could vaguely make out four figures on the other side.     

"Come with us," Minho offered the girl. "You can find your parents and friends in the real world. I'll help you."     

He hated to be indebted to someone. The girl had aided him throughout this unknown world simply to protect her own home but he did not want to leave her alone in that cold and dark world.     

"This is my home, mister," she said. "I won't leave my home. There might be dangerous creatures here but I like it here. It's quiet and mostly peaceful. Most might think this place as purgatory. For me, it's comfortable."     

A soft smile appeared on her face and she felt a little alive again.     

"I'd hate it if I can't do anything for you," Minho murmured. Their time was short but he had made a good friend in that strange world. It would eat his conscience if he did not help her in any form. It was much easier to repay people back with money but what do you do for a person who was dead?     

"Remember me," the girl simply said. "If you really wanna help me and repay me then just remember me for as long as you can. That'll be enough."     

Minho sighed but he knew the significance of such a request. For her, something as small as being remembered was a big thing. She did not want to become a Mindless and was holding on to the little amount of sanity she had left. By remembering her, Minho would give her some hope of keeping her mind and sanity.     

"I will," he promised. Gently picking up the unconscious Gayoon, he stepped towards the portal. Glancing back at the girl, he smiled.     

"Thanks," he said. The girl smiled back and waved at them.     

"Good luck, money lover," she said as Minho and Gayoon began to disappear behind the portal. She kept on waving until they were gone and she was left alone once again.     

Only this time, there was a tiny hope renewed within her and she turned around to leave 12A.     

Behind her, Seungjo's torn limbs were moving but he was mumbling incoherently like a madman, trapped in his own insanity. Forever.     

....     

Red sparks were appearing in front of them. Junho immediately hid behind the curtains to move away from sight as Minho returned, carrying an unconscious Gayoon in his arms. He put her down as Jaewan and Shinjin came forward to help.     

"What happened to her?" Jaewan demanded.     

"The world of the dead affected her," Shinjin stated. "She'll be fine if you give her some saline and sweet stuff to eat. Just let her rest."     

"Where's Jina?"Minho asked. His eyes fell on his daughter who was stirring awake. Upon opening her eyes, she saw her dad and mom.     

"Dad!"     

Seeing them made her so excited that she sat up straight and immediately fell back due to her still weakened state.     

"She's just exhausted from the portal opening," Shinjin assured an alarmed Minho. "She'll be fine as well."     

Minho wanted to ask a lot of things but his girlfriend and his daughter were both in weak conditions.     

"I'll take them home," he declared. "But I have a lot of things to settle with you."     

He nodded at Shinjin. The shaman had a lot of things to explain. Shinjin sighed and nodded back.     

"What happened to Seungjo?"Jaewan asked. "What if he comes back?"     

"He won't," Minho stated. That ghost was in no condition to even remember himself forget about being obsessed with Gayoon.     

"But-" Jaewan began to argue but Shinjin held his arm.     

"Later," he suggested as he picked up Jina while Minho took Gayoon in his arms again. They took the girls towards Minho's car. Gayoon was stirring and her eyes fluttered open when Minho was buckling her seat belt.     

"M-Minho?" she stammered. "Am I dreaming?"     

She was no longer sure about anything. Her heart was beating fast because he was really close and she wanted to believe that it was not a dream. The last thing she remembered was Seungjo pulling her into a strange and cold world. After that, she felt as if she was recalling all the guilt and regrets she had in the past.     

"It's alright," Minho reassured her. "We're going home."     

He motioned to the passenger seat where Jina slept. Seeing her, made Gayoon jerk awake. Jina! Her daughter Jina!     

How did I forget about my own daughter? She wondered, feeling guilty. But her own head was spinning like crazy and she wanted to go home with her family.     

Junho watched from the window as his son put Gayoon into the car in a gentle way as if she was as fragile as china. Seeing him care for her so much made Junho proud of the man Minho had become. His son was undoubtedly a good person and that was all Junho wanted.     

"Are you seeing this, Suna?" he whispered. He hoped his wife was observing their children from heaven, beaming with joy. It was as if fate had brought Minho and Gayoon together so that they could bring out the best in each other.     

Jaewan was also watching them. He took out a sanitizer and sprayed it on his hands.     

"What happened after Gayoon was rescued that day?" he asked quietly. "Why did she take up surrogacy?"     

Junho was silent for a while.     

"That night, I returned home to find Gayoon had been hospitalized," he began.     

....     

*Flashback*     

Junho ran through the corridors of the hospital like a madman. He had just returned from his exorcism trip to find out everything that had happened with Gayoon over the past few weeks. Before leaving for the school, she had left a letter for him in his house, detailing the horrors Seungjo had inflicted.     

He burst into Gayoon's ward to find her unconscious. The doctors claimed she was merely in shock but Junho knew that Seungjo's mental torture had traumatized her.     

Gayoon's eyes flickered open when she felt a warm hand on her forehead.     

"Ahjusshi..."     

Seeing him, she began to cry hard. She got up and hugged his waist, seeking comfort from the old man who was patting her in a fatherly manner.     

"Ahjusshi, he harmed Minjung!" she sobbed. "And I couldn't help her! I don't know where she is! I..."     

She hated herself. This ability of hers brought her nothing but a cursed life. The ghost had used it to torture her and the people around her. If she did not have this darn power to see ghosts, she could have lived a blissful life without worrying. The ghost could not have harmed her and she could have been a normal person. Maybe she and Minjung could have been friends from earlier. No one would have called her cursed.     

"I'll get rid of him for you," Junho promised. He had already talked to Shinjin who was going to use his contacts in the police to sneak out Seungjo's possessions. All they had to do was lure the ghost somewhere and exorcise him.     

"You'll be alright," he said firmly. "Don't worry. I'm here. I'll get rid of him."     

"Minjung...ask him where she is!" Gayoon pleaded. "Please..."     

She would not be able to face herself if she did not find out where Minjung was. Her parents were worried for her and Seungjo must have done something awful to her. Gayoon was afraid what if she...     

No! She told herself. Minjung was fine. She'll return.     

Junho patted her head and helped her to lay back. Gayoon was still sobbing and with tears in her eyes, she fell into an uneasy sleep. Junho patted her until she was completely asleep.     

A cold fury brimmed within him as he thought of all the things that demon did. Ghosts like him were powerful and they way Seungjo had gained his powers, he was undoubtedly going to be a challenge.     

But no matter how powerful the ghost was, when it came to the people he loved, no one could dare to hurt them. Hwang Junho would not hesitate to kill if came down to that.     

He left Gayoon's room and called Shinjin. The latter picked up after one dial.     

"Hello," he answered.     

"We're doing it tonight," Junho said.     

There was a long pause. "This ghost is not an easy one," Shinjin warned.     

"Doesn't matter," Junho scowled. "We'll do it tonight. The sooner we get rid of him, the better."     

Shinjin sighed and said "Alright. Tonight then."     

Junho nodded and hung up. He went out of the hospital, determined to finish off that spirit.     

After a while, Gayoon woke up in the hospital room. Her grandmother was there, sleeping on the couch. Gayoon went over to put a blanket over her and kissed her forehead.     

She then headed towards a clothing stand to take out her phone from her pants to check on Minjung's parents when something fell out of it.     

Picking up the card, she saw that it belonged to a lawyer named Lee. She vaguely recalled the old lawyer who was looking for a surrogate.     

She stared at the card for a while, debating with herself. The only way to get rid of her powers, was to give birth to a baby. It was a simple method and Gayoon would surely lose her abilities that way.     

Recalling the horrors and trauma of the past few weeks, she could not help but contemplate this method. She was not going to sleep with anyone. Just go through a procedure and impregnate herself. The baby would go to the mysterious father anyway.     

Glancing at her sleeping grandmother, she quietly picked up her phone and dialed Lee's number.     

....     

Minho was in his hotel room, reading the newspaper when Lawyer Lee entered the room.     

"Sir here's a list of the surrogates I've received applications from," he said, handing Minho the file.     

Minho flicked through the amount each surrogate was charging and their background when his eyes fell on a particular one.     

"Zero?" he frowned. "This one wrote zero. Jeon Gayoon. 18 years old and is about to enter the police academy. Her family isn't poor and she's a star student. Yet, she's taking up the surrogacy for free. Why?"     

"I've asked her and she said that she simply wants to help out," Lee stated. "I'll reject her application-"     

"I want her," Minho said, rejecting all other candidates. "Hard working and earns her own money. Wants to help people by becoming a police officer and she's not asking for anything. Make an ironclad agreement but if she wants to meet her child after giving birth, then she's welcome to do so."     

Lee was a little surprised but did not question Minho much. Minho had a knack for understanding people just by seeing their profile. Which is why he had efficient employees at his workplace and made sound decisions.     

"Alright, sir," Lee stated. "I'll call her in tomorrow to do the exams and if everything is fine, we can start the IVF process."     

Minho nodded and returned to his newspaper. While he tried to remain indifferent, he was still wondering why that girl was opting for such a difficult decision.     

Oh well, he thought. This is going to be interesting.     

....     

*Present*     

"It took us three days to trap Seungjo," Junho recalled. "The school was shut supposedly for some maintenance work but the head of the security was one of Shinjin's acquaintances. He knew about our exorcisms and since he had witnessed some hauntings in the school, he allowed us to trespass. The head guard even sealed off the fifth floor to keep people away. Seungjo nearly killed Shinjin but I managed to lock him in a box with his uniform and button. Then I buried him in the school ground."     

"By the time I had returned, Gayoon had secretly gone through the procedure," he sighed. "She hid it for a few months so I didn't know. When I returned from another trip, she was well into her pregnancy and hid herself in the house. I was angry at her but ultimately, I realized why she did it."     

He broke off after that, unable to say anything more. Jaewan did not press any further and simply watched as Minho drove away.