*Flashback*

Sunye was desperately waiting for SD's message. There were only ten minutes left and he still did not give her anything about the case. She was anxiously staring at the clock, her heart racing fast.

​​

Suddenly, her phone beeped and she quickly took it out. To her slight surprise, it was an email from Country I. Opening it, she was shocked to find well detailed records on the transactions carried out between Hyun and the former President of Country I. Rihan had mapped out how the money entered his country through Hyun's accounts and also the drug route. She quickly scanned the information she had in her files and all the records matched the one Rihan had detailed.

Another message popped up on her screen. This time it was from SD.

Did he find something more? She wondered. She clicked the message and groaned.

SD had sent a large selfie where he was doing a victory pose. He also added a caption.

"Think of my cute smile while you're in court," he wrote. "It brings luck."

Instantly hitting the delete button, she put her phone in her bag and headed straight for the courtroom.

….

*Present*

Hyun was fuming at Sunye who merely smirked. The Judge had written down all her points and the Defense lawyer also looked defeated. Hyun was infuriated that Sunye had bested him and his insides were boiling with rage.

"After hearing the arguments of both the sides, the court has come to a conclusion," Judge Jeon stated. "The defendant has substantial motive and opportunity to kill the victim. The payments made to the hitman along with the victim's tape where the defendant was seen to be an ally to the murder of the patients also holds significant proof that the defendant had proper motives to kill the victim. The hitman's admission that he was present at the crime scene also proves that the defendant had the opportunity to murder the victim inside the prison."

"While the drugs have not been found, from Country I's records, it is clear that drugs had entered the country via the defendant's activities. The court orders the police to find the missing drugs as soon as possible. And as for the defendant…"

He faced Hyun who was now sitting next to his lawyer, looking at his fingers.

"While holding one of the highest offices in the country, he has not only murdered a person but also betrayed the trust of the millions who elected him to that position," Jeon stated. "The Prosecution may go ahead and charge him with treason which is to be filed in a separate case. As for the murder of Lim Byungsoo, the court orders the former Finance Minister, Shin Hyun, to twenty years of hard labor with no chances of parole."

Jeon hammered the gavel on a block and concluded the session. The lawyers rose in respect and bowed at him as he exited the room. Sunye turned around to address her fellow lawyer when she noticed that Hyun was throwing dirty glances at her.

Ignoring him, she shook hands with Bae and said, "You put up a good fight."

"Not as good as you," Bae laughed. "Well done!"

Hyun was being led away by a group of police officers but he did not move his eyes off her. Bae noticed the exchange.

"Err, Sunye," he began. "I know I'm your opponent here, but it seems that the former minister has targeted you."

"Prosecution is always the target of criminals," she sighed. "Nothing new here."

"Be careful though," Bae cautioned. "Hyun might be in jail but his underlings are still roaming freely. I'm sure they'll target you for exposing them and for throwing their boss in jail."

"I'll be fine," she assured him. "Good day Mr. Bae."

She smiled and left the courtroom. As soon as she came out, the reporters swarmed around her.

"Ms. Han how does it feel winning this high profile case?" one reporter asked.

"Will you file the charges of treason against Shin Hyun?"

"Where are the drugs now?"

"No comments!" Sunye exclaimed and tried to push them away but there were too many of them. She felt suffocated in that limited space and no matter how much she tried to ward them off, they kept on swooping at her.

A strong pair of hands appeared out of nowhere and held her by the shoulder. Startled, Sunye looked up to find Jonghyun was supporting her. His bodyguards came forward to push the reporters away while Jonghyun led Sunye out of the herd.

He led her into the car where SD was seated in the driver's seat. Sunye got into the backseat followed by Jonghyun. He closed the door and signaled his secretary to drive. SD revved up the engine and they sped off.

"Well done at court today," Jonghyun complimented. "The verdict was truly a welcoming one."

He flashed her a smile which did not quite reach his eyes but Sunye did not comment. She simply mumbled a 'Thanks' and looked away. SD kept his eyes ahead, not making any comments. Sunye wanted to ask him a lot of things but with Jonghyun there, it was impossible.

"Hyun is probably going to Ivory Prison," Jonghyun said. "They have a solitary cell where he'll be kept, away from the society."

"Hmm," Sunye replied, not really listening to him. She wanted to glance at SD but he taught her that in the midst of a mission, they should not make any eye contact. By posing as Jonghyun's secretary, SD was clearly in the middle of some mission. She did not dare to ask what it was. If he was caught in some illegal activity, then the less she knew, the better it was for both of them. The last thing she wanted to be was a liability to him.

I can't believe I'm colluding with a possible criminal, she thought in dismay.

"Are you alright?" Jonghyun asked her.

"I'm fine!" she reassured him. "Just tired…"

"Are you still thinking about my confession from that day?" Jonghyun asked, taking Sunye by surprise. Why was he bringing up that issue here? That too in front of his secretary?

That night, Sunye wanted to tell SD about Jonghyun's confession but in her drunken state, she could not tell him. And after that, she barely got the chance to talk to him in person so he was still unaware of Jonghyun's proposal. But now that Jonghyun brought it up, there was no escape for her.

"I'm not thinking about it," she said. "You confessed your feelings to me. I appreciate it but I don't feel the same way. That's it."

"I hope you will return my feelings someday," Jonghyun stated. "And I know you're in love with someone else."

Sunye looked away but Jonghyun threw a sly glance at SD who pretended not to hear anything.

"But that doesn't mean I can't stop liking you," he went on. "You don't have to like me back but I can support you as a friend, right?"

"Uhhh...I guess," Sunye replied, feeling awkward. She was not keen to discuss this with Jonghyun. In fact, after spending the night at SD's house, she did not even think much about his confession. The workload from the case and the medicines she found in SD's cabinet threw away all other thoughts from her head. Jonghyun's confession was not even on her priority list.

But she also felt bad for turning him down in such a brutal manner. If he wanted to delude himself, she could not help him. She would just try to avoid talking about personal stuff with him.

Jonghyun smiled and unconsciously reached out to touch her cheek, but Sunye, not noticing his actions, turned to face the window. She was no longer interested in the conversation. Jonghyun froze midway and retracted his hand.

Unbeknownst to them, SD's fingers were clutching the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white. Hearing Jonghyun's words had sparked a fury in him which he had not felt in many years. It was in his brother's nature to chase the things SD cherished. Even though Jonghyun was unaware of his true identity, the man still had the habit of trying to snatch away those whom SD held close.

Kim San, you haven't changed have you? He wondered. They shared the same name, the same lineage and now, they shared the love for the same woman.

Sunye was nervous about SD's reaction. What was he going to do now?

But, why am I worried? She suddenly thought. Why am I worried about his reaction? So what if a guy confessed to me? Isn't that my own business? Why am I thinking about what he might feel?

For some reason, her heart was beating too fast and there was a strong desire in her to glimpse at SD. She wanted to see him and know how he was feeling. It was silly and made no sense to her but the urge just would not go away.

"Can you drop me off home?" she suddenly requested. "I don't feel like going to the office today. I feel a little sick."

"Oh sure," Jonghyun said. "Haein, you know the way to her house. Drop her off there."

"Yes sir," SD replied and stepped on the pedal.