Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

"I don't know but I've been encountering some strange spirits lately," Yeeun revealed. "Spirits of people who were possessed before their deaths. It's really weird. But they've been coming to me and I found out that all of them were once possessed by the same entity. They could not tell what the entity wanted but it was repeating the same thing. Gates of hell are opening. Maybe…"     

She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Maybe it has something to do with the other realm. You know, the World of the Dead."     

Suna pursed her lips. Both Yeeun and Suna possessed special abilities. While Yeeun was capable of interacting with spirits in the living world, Suna could enter the dead world on her own and communicate with the creatures there. Unlike Yeeun's abilities which were carried on to the female members of her family, Suna's one was more narrowed down. Only the first born child of their family could carry this ability.     

"I haven't used that power in years," Suna said. "I really don't know what is going on with the creatures of the darkness!"     

"I know," Yeeun assured her. "But so many spirits are claiming that they have been possessed by the same entity which caused their deaths...It's not a coincidence. Maybe someone is trying to open the World of the Dead. Permanently."     

Suna was now worried. Why would someone try to do something as ridiculous as that? It made no sense at all. She had never encountered a spirit who would willingly open that world. On the contrary, most spirits avoided it. Who the hell would want to go to a cold and quiet place like that?     

"Have you told Minho?" Yeeun asked quietly.     

"No," Suna replied. "I didn't and to be honest, I don't want to. He's better off without that knowledge. He can live a long life not knowing that he actually possesses a quality like that and since Mina is the second born, I don't have to worry about her. They're fine not knowing."     

Suna had decided long ago not to burden her children with this power. She even hid it from her husband.     

"Promise me that you'll never tell anyone!" Suna begged her friend."I don't want my family to be tainted by that world. I really don't. If anything ever happens to me, don't tell Junho or my family about my powers. I know Junho very well. He'll not rest until he finds out the truth…"     

Yeeun bit her lip. She had hoped that Suna might have some answer to the dilemma she was facing but it turned out that her friend had her own issues. Asking her for help in this matter was not going to be good.     

"Alright," Yeeun promised. "I won't tell brother Junho about this. But still, I'd like you to be careful. There's something going on with the spirits in this town and it's not good. And in this state, you're very weak and vulnerable."     

"I know," Suna assured her. "I'll be fine. I'm resting a lot. In fact, I had to beg Junho to let me come and visit you today…"     

Then she clapped her hands together as if remembering something. "I almost forgot!" she squealed. "I bought something for our little Gayoonie!"     

She took out a small sized quilt from her bag and handed it to Yeeun.     

"I stitched it myself!" Suna said proudly. "It has a small protection charm attached to it so that spirits don't bother her when she's sleeping."     

"Oh my!" Yeeun cried in joy, touched by the gesture. "Her first gift from her auntie Suna...oh!"     

She touched her stomach and giggled. "What happened?" Suna asked.     

"Gayoon just kicked!" Yeeun exclaimed. "She probably likes it too."     

Suna also laughed with her and the two friends spent a fun afternoon chattering away. Even though Yeeun was smiling and giggling with her friend, she could help but feel that someone was watching them. She did not want to alarm Suna but her gut feeling was acting up.      

"I think you should get going now," Yeeun finally said. "It's getting late. Mina will be awake as well."     

"When are you coming to meet her?" Suna asked. "I want her to meet her auntie Yeeun! And to think, within two months she'll have a playmate!"     

"I'll drop by this week," Yeeun promised. "Mom is still arguing with my doctors over my care. I keep on telling her that the doctors know what they're doing but she calls them leeches. Also, she's been sending threatening letters to my ex. It's getting annoying."     

"Will you be okay? Raising a baby on your own won't be easy."     

"I'll be fine," Yeeun assured her. She did not voice it out but she was more worried for Suna. Something was stalking them and in her condition, she could not even confront it. But it was there, watching and biding its time.      

Suna smiled and bid her goodbye. Yeeun watched her friend leave, her smile stiff. Please keep her safe, she prayed.     

….     

An hour later, Suna entered the mansion to find that Junho was still in his study while Minho was in the living room, playing with an already awake Mina.     

"She's awake already?" Suna asked, picking the baby in her arms. Mina gave a tiny sneeze as she settled in her mother's arms.     

"Well, dad was screaming at his secretary so I brought her out with me," Minho said. "She woke up only a few minutes ago."     

"Ugh!" Suna groaned. "This man! How many times do I have to remind him that there's a baby in the house and he must keep it down!"     

"What did I do this time?"      

Junho sounded irritated as he came out of his study room.     

"I told you not to scream at your employees when Mina is asleep!" she scolded him. Junho scowled at his son.      

"Snitch!" he shot at him.     

"Miser!" Minho retorted. The father-son duo were expert at bickering with each other. In their words, it was their way of showing affection.     

"Stop it!" Suna scolded them. "Can't you two ever stop fighting?"     

"No!"     

"Well you have to!" she told them. "Minho's exams are nearing. Did you help him with his studies at all today?"     

She glared at her husband who instantly squirmed under his wife's gaze. The mighty lord of the business world was scared of his wife who had the uncanny ability to tame him. Whenever there was a crisis at the office, the employees first approached their lady boss so that she could placate the dragon. Even Minho pitied his father at times.     

"Go and help him study," she ordered. "Now."     

"Yes ma'am!" Junho squeaked and hurriedly led his son to the study desk at Minho's room.     

"Henpecked!" Minho teased as his father led him to his room.     

"Shut it!"     

Seeing them even Mina let out a little giggle. Suna could only shake her head and sigh. She cooed at her daughter.     

"It's time for our little angel's dinner!" she cajoled her daughter. "Right?"     

The baby squealed at her mother, playing with her hair while Suna headed over to the kitchen where the maid had kept a baby bottle full of milk for Mina. Checking the temperature and deeming it to be perfect, Suna carried Mina to the baby room and settled on the chair there.     

"Here you go," she cooed at her daughter, putting the bottle in Mina's mouth for her to drink. "You're gonna grow healthy and strong. Aren't you-"     

A low laughter echoed in her ears. Startled, she looked around only to see that there was no one around. Suddenly, Mina began to cry and dropped the milk bottle from her tiny hands. The baby was waving her arms as if swatting something away.     

Suna held her daughter close to her, instinctively protecting her while she searched for the mysterious laughter which reached her ears.     

"What happened?" Junho came rushing into the room with Minho in tow.      

"Why is Mina crying?" the boy asked.     

"S-she just dropped her bottle," Suna stammered. "Hold her while I prepare another bottle of milk for her…"     

Junho nodded and took Mina in his arms. "Aww little angel, don't cry!" he gently said. "Daddy will get rid of all the bad things for you!"     

"Elder brother will do it too!" Minho piped in. Suna quickly dashed out of the room and once out of sight, she slumped against a wall.      

What was that? She wondered. She had definitely heard laughter. Was it a ghost? But she could not communicate with ghosts in the living world!     

Maybe I was just imagining it, she told herself. Deciding to forgo of the thought, she headed back into the kitchen to prepare another bottle for Mina.