Vengeful Desires

33-

Mi-ok's phone rang as the memory of Soo-jin and Yura's heated confrontation replayed vividly in her mind. She quickly fished the device from her pocket, glancing at the unfamiliar caller ID with furrowed brows.

"Hello?" she answered cautiously.

"Hello, my name is Seul-hee Yun, also known as Seul-hee Park," the crisp feminine voice on the other end stated. "I work as a lawyer for Amirah."

Mi-ok stiffened, instantly on high alert. "Is unnie okay? Is Amirah okay?" she blurted out, panic clawing at her throat.

"Yes...Amirah is alright," Seul-hee reassured. "But I'd like to meet with you in the next thirty minutes or so if you can. There's something important I need to discuss."

Mi-ok exhaled shakily. "Of course, yes. I'll be there. Just send me the location."

Disconnecting the call, she waved off Diaz and Sola's inquisitive looks as she brushed past where they were poring over files with Dr. Lee and Mr. Cha.

What could Amirah's lawyer want to discuss so urgently? Mi-ok tried to tamp down on the spiral of increasingly dire scenarios flickering through her thoughts.

Thirty minutes later found her approaching a trendy cafe in one of Seoul's upscale shopping districts. Mi-ok scanned the bustling patio area until her gaze landed on Seul-hee, who rose smoothly to greet her with a polite incline of her head.

"Thank you for meeting me on such short notice," the lawyer murmured once they were seated. "I trust discretion is something I don't need to impress upon you?"

Mi-ok shook her head quickly. "Of course not. Just...please tell me what's going on? Is my sister really okay?"

Seul-hee studied her for a long moment, shoulders rising and falling with a controlled exhale. "Amirah is physically unharmed, yes. But there have been...developments, shall we say."

She paused, lips pressing into a terse line. "I'm afraid I couldn't reach out sooner. Things have been quite hectic."

Hectic didn't begin to cover the cyclone of chaos currently engulfing Amirah's world, but Seul-hee opted for discretion for now.

"It's okay," Mi-ok reassured quickly, leaning forward with naked concern etched across her features. "I just need to know she's alright."

Seul-hee inclined her head, a faint smile ghosting across her lips - there and gone in a blink.

"There are a few important matters I need to bring you up to speed on," she continued in precise, measured tones. "Things you need to be aware of moving forward."

Mi-ok's brows knit together. "Like what exactly?"

Elsewhere, Amirah stood motionless with hands braced on the wide porcelain lip of an industrial sink, eyes fixed unseeingly on the rivulets of water swirling lazily towards the drain. At her back, the sounds of Tae-sik's hushed conversation filtered through from the outer hallway.

"She's fine," he murmured. "No, he's not hurt too badly."

The bathroom door swinging inward drew Amirah's attention. Yun surged inside, eyes blown wide with naked panic until they landed on the other woman's impassive form.

"Amirah!" she gasped out in a breathless rush, already crossing the space to pull her into a fierce embrace. "Oh god, when I got the call about the ambulances—"

Yun broke off, pulling back to cradle Amirah's face between her palms as she frantically searched for any visible sign of injury or distress. "Are you hurt? Tell me you're not hurt!"

Amirah simply shook her head with the barest of movements, allowing her friend to fuss and fret without protest. Already the beginnings of an indelible calm had settled over her features once more.