Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

When Jina woke up the next morning, Gayoon was still asleep next to her. She lazily rubbed her eyes and frowned at her mother's sleeping figure. Last night, Gayoon was murmuring in her sleep which made Jina alarmed but since her mother was sleeping, she did not wake her up. She yawned and got off the bed to head for the bathroom to freshen up. Once she was done brushing her teeth and combing her hair, she went downstairs for breakfast.     

Minho was sitting at the dining table, calmly reading the newspaper as he sipped coffee. Jina was delighted to see her dad and went over to hug him.     

"Jina?" Minho asked in surprise, smiling. "Why so much love for me today?"     

"I've missed you dad," she mumbled. "You've been so busy this month!"     

She pouted in annoyance. Her dad had been out of sight for the past few days. He headed for office early in the morning and returned really late at night after Jina had gone to bed. It was as if he wanted to stay out of sight.     

"I've just been busy dear," he explained.      

"Yeah yeah," she muttered and climbed onto her chair. "And you're going to the office again!"     

She pointed at his suit. He was dressed formally which meant he was going out for work.     

"I have an important event today," Minho sighed.     

"It's a Sunday!" she protested. "And I'm on summer break as well! Can't you stay for one day?"     

"No dear," Minho tried to explain. "I have to go to S Mall to inaugurate a shop. A very important person is also going to come."     

Jina drew a sharp breath and did not bother to listen to her father's flimsy excuses. No matter how much she tried to spend a day with her mom and dad together, Minho would slip away making some excuse while Gayoon would stay away from his sight. Even though they thought Jina had no clue, she had heard through the grapevine, aka Yumi, that Minho was very angry at Gayoon over something and refused to talk to her.     

She sighed and poured herself some cereal before remembering something.     

"Dad, do you know and Park Seungjo?" she asked.     

Minho frowned. "Park Seungjo? No. Why?"     

Her questioning slightly alarmed him. Was it another ghost? Was she seeing more of them?     

"Mom was muttering this name in her sleep," Jina replied. "She was mumbling, 'please no…' and 'Park Seungjo'. She kept on repeating that name and I even saw tears coming out of her eyes. I wanted to wake her up but she held onto my hand and curled up again."     

Minho raised an eyebrow. Park Seungjo? Why was Gayoon mumbling someone else's name in her sleep?     

"She must have been dreaming about some drama she had watched," Minho assured her. "It's nothing, really."     

Jina shrugged and began to chow on her cereal when an idea hit her. Should I ask dad? She wondered but then thought better of it. Let it be a surprise, she decided.     

Minho quickly finished his breakfast and kissed Jina on the cheek before bidding her goodbye to go off to work. He had an important inauguration of a fitness shop where the most popular celebrity of the country, Ahn Jaewan, was going to attend as the brand ambassador. If everything went alright, this would be their most successful venture which would fetch him over a hundred million dollars in a month.      

His mood was lightened by the thought of a hundred million dollars. Ahn Jaewan was an expensive brand ambassador but whatever the man touched turned into a profitable business. His face alone could earn millions of dollars and his fans would probably drink poison if he gave it to them with a smile.     

"A good day indeed," he happily said to himself. But then his smile faltered a little as he thought of what Jina had just told him.      

Park Seungjo. Who was this Park Seungjo and why was Gayoon mumbling his name in her sleep? An ex?     

For some reason, Minho felt annoyed at this mysterious Park Seungjo. Whatever, he tried to shrug it off. It's her life and she can do whatever she wants with it.     

Ignoring the slight turmoil in his heart, he started the engine and drove off, trying to focus on his hundred million a month revenue.     

....     

The press had gathered in front of the large sports' store at the H Mall. They were chattering excitedly as they waited for Ahn Jaewan's arrival. Fans also flocked to see their beloved idol, pulling and pushing at each other to catch a glimpse of him.      

Jaewan was in his tour bus with Woobin and his stylist team who were unusually rigid.     

"Umm...sunbae."     

Woobin crane his neck when the new stylist, Shin Sobin, whispered at him.     

"I thought our boss was a neat freak," she muttered.     

"He is," Woobin agreed.      

"Then how come he has that thing with him today?" she asked, pointing at the dog which was happily sitting on Jaewan's lap.     

It was a small pug dog with large and innocent black eyes. There was a black spot on its tummy while it wagged its tail enthusiastically while staring happily at everyone. It seemed excited to be out with its master and while it looked overly excited, it stayed calm.      

"That's Mona," Woobin sighed. "Jaewan's only companion."     

"But I thought the boss hated anything that would carry germs and dirt."     

"Well, let's just say Mona is an exceptionally clean dog," Woobin shrugged. "She picked up on her master's traits. Most dogs bark at intruders. Mona barks at people for not cleaning their shoes with the extra shine and polish Jaewan put out for guests who came to his house. This is why he barely has visitors."     

Sobin shook her head. Meanwhile, Jaewan was cooing at his beloved Mona.     

"Our Mona is happy today, isn't she?" he asked gleefully. The dog barked in excitement. She was a very well behaved dog and had adapted to Jaewan's lifestyle. Like its owner, Mona liked things neat and clean too. She never gave him any trouble with cleanliness as she wiped herself properly after finishing her business in the garden at his mansion and never dirtied the house with paw marks.      

Mona was lovable and even his staff members adored her for her cute demeanor. In fact, she was easier to take care of than Jaewan.     

"We're here boss," Woobin announced. Jaewan looked up and immediately, he found himself being bombarded by fans when he exited the car. The security team held the crowd backa s they cheered at him. He put on a smile and waved at them, walking past them like a supermodel. With his long jacket, three quartered jeans and ruffled hair, he looked as if carved from a special mould by the gods themselves.     

"OPPA!" the fans screamed. "OPPA WE LOVE YOU!"     

"Oppa loves you too!" he replied, throwing them a flying kiss. Woobin followed him, carrying Mona in his arms. Together, they headed straight for the ground floor where the new shop would be inaugurated.      

...     

"Wow, the place sure is crowded today," Gayoon said thoughtfully. Jina had insisted that they go to the mall because she wanted to buy new clothes.     

"It's fine!" Jina exclaimed. "Apparently a new store has opened up. Let's just go and look for clothes."     

Gayoon shrugged and led her daughter towards the apparel section, hunting for clothes. As they looked through the dresses, Jaewan passed by, his legions of fans surrounding him. He paused momentarily and frowned. Craning his neck, he tried to see something amidst the large fan gathering.     

"Is there something wrong, boss?" Woobin asked.     

"I just...I just thought I saw someone familiar," he muttered. But the fans were blocking his way and he could not see who it was. Shrugging it off he said, "Let's go."     

Woobin frowned and followed his boss towards the store.