Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 431: Investigation?

Dan-Han slowly raised his glass to his lips, his eyes surreptitiously observing Ki-Jun from the rim of the glass, while his mind pondered on how best to answer the question he had been asked.

There wasn’t any form of suspicion or hope in Ki-Jun’s eyes, rather, there was only despondence and sadness, and he fully understood why.

The knowledge of having a missing child was different from being aware of it being dead. And this knowledge would be the major feat in all of this.

It would have been easier had their child been missing than it being dead. At least, then, this issue would have taken a different turn.

Sipping from his glass, Dan-Han nodded. “I think she would have.” He replied after long-stretched seconds of silence.

Ki-Jun nodded despondently and sighed as he lolled into his seat. “I think so too.” He turned away from Dan-Han, and his eyes turned rueful as if looking upon a sad and distant memory. “She definitely would have looked like her.” He muttered under his breath.

He sighed when he realized how absent-minded and distracted he had become.

.....

He hissed.

He turned to Dan-Han again, his face slightly regaining its calm composure. “It makes me wonder why she looks so much like Sena. I must say I’m shocked. I never really thought anyone could share such an uncanny resemblance. It must have been a shock for you, too, right?” He asked.

Hearing his question, Dan-Han once again realized how blind he had been for months. He had been investigating matters about her birth when all this while, the answer was right before his eyes. What a fool he had been.

He shrugged non-committally. “Not really, but I guess something must make us believers.”

“Yeah,” Ki-Jun nodded. Indeed something must make one a believer. Eun-sun’s resemblance to his wife had made him believe some things were real.

“Had Sena had any living relatives, I’d have said she was related by blood. But even that isn’t possible.” He meaningfully sighed while Dan-Han maintained utter silence.

Ki-Jun sighed again when he realized he was talking too much about the girl. “Okay, enough about that. Let’s talk about what brought you. What’s this thing you wanted to talk to me about?” He asked, going straight to the matter Dan-Han had mentioned over the phone.

Dan-Han lowered his glass to the desk, and his countenance turned serious. “It’s about an investigation.” He replied, making Ki-Jun brows draw into a knot.

“An Investigation?” He asked, and Dan-Han nodded. “And what’s this investigation about?” He inquired with interest.

“It’s about a missing child born at the Kim hospital twenty-five years ago.”

“What?” Ki-Jun’s forehead creased with deep lines. “A missing child?” He doubtfully inquired, not sure he had heard well.

“Yes. And that’s why I’ve come to ask if you can help me with my investigation.” Dan-Han told him. His face turned a bit somber to inform Ki-Jun about the severity of the matter.

Ki-Jun intently stared at him. “But you know the hospital has been non-existent for twenty-three years. The fire incident destroyed everything, and for Sena’s sake, I didn’t rebuild it. It reminded her of the place we had lost our child. So how do you expect me to help you with this investigation you’re talking about? And who’s this missing child, by the way?” He curiously inquired, his brows perfectly cocked to reflect his curiosity.

Dan-Han intentionally hesitated. “My girlfriend.” He slowly replied, making the man’s curious countenance turn into a deep frown.

Ki-Jun intently gazed at him for a very long time. “What is going on, Lee Dan-Han?” The man confusedly asked. “What do you mean by your girlfriend?”

Dan-Han sighed and sat upright. “The thing is, Eun-sun had recently discovered her foster parent adopted her. And the investigation had led to several dead ends. But recently, I got a lead that she was born at the Kim hospital.” Dan-Han briefly paused as he observed the man give his rapt attention.

He continued, “I know the hospital has been lost for years now, but I wanted to know if perhaps you know anybody who worked there at that time. Like a doctor or a nurse, somebody that could be of help. This will go a long way, and it can help reunite her back with her family.” Dan-Han observed as the line on the man’s face deepened.

“So you’re saying she doesn’t know who are real parents are.” Though he had posed his statement as a question, Dan-Han knew it wasn’t one, but either way, he nodded.

“Yes,” He replied, and the man’s frown deepened again.

“So I guess the adoption wasn’t legal?” He inquired. If it was legal, he didn’t think Dan-Han would have to go through all the process of investigating as the adoptive parents could easily give them the required information.

“I’m afraid not, sir.”

Ki-Jun heaved a sigh as he sank into his seat.

A short period of silence ensued.

Ki-Jun’s eyes darted to the door before staring back at Dan-Han. “I don’t know how I can help you with this. What you’re asking for is almost impossible. Twenty-five years is a long time, and getting hold of staff that might have worked then is going to be tedious. Some might have died, and others might not be reachable. And what’s the possibility of anyone remembering what happened long ago? I’ll be honest, but this seems like an impossible feat.”

“I know, but I have to do something. I want to marry her, but I can’t do that without fulfilling my promise of giving her this. A family.”

Ki-Jun, who was about to say something, stopped himself and sighed wearily. He pinched the space between his brows as he stared at Dan-Han.

“Why do you always come to me with problems that are too troublesome to handle?” He asked with mock annoyance.

“Because you chose to be my godparent. When I have a problem, you’re one of the people I can come to, and this also concerns you.” Dan-Han told him matter-of-factly.

“It concerns an establishment I once owned, not me. I gave up on that hospital many years ago. Your godmother had wanted it at a point.” He paused and sighed again, “She will not be happy to hear about it being mentioned.”

“I know,” Dan-Han told him. The hospital was one of the reasons they had left the country: it was where she had lost her child and every opportunity of ever having a child.

“Then why are you-” He paused and audibly hissed. He can’t count the number of times he has sighed already.

He glared when he saw the amused look on Dan-Han’s face. “You’re not even remorseful or guilty for the headache you’re about to cause me.”

“Not at all, sir. It’s either this, or you take the trouble of walking her down the aisle. I’m in haste to make her mine. A wedding before the year ends is all I think about, so if you agree to walk her down the aisle for me, then we can drop all this and focus on that.”

“You rascal!” Ki-Jun shot him a dirty glare, but his lips twitched and broke into a wide smile while Dan-Han chuckled.

“You love her, I can see.” He said with a pleased smile. He didn’t have to ask. It was written all over Dan-Han’s face. The word, wedding’ alone made his eyes sparkle. “Jun-Sun should come to see how his son has become a love-struck fool.”

“You don’t have to worry. He already knows that. He’s gritting in his sleep every day.”

Ki-Jun let out a peal of laughter. He could imagine his friend’s face when he wasn’t appeased with something. He knew how hard he had trained Dan-Han to take over their family legacy, and he had outrightly told him in the past not to be too smitten by a woman.

“I see you’re still a handful for him.” He laughed.

“What a man you’ve become. Your tales are being told even to this side of the world. At least this much should put old Lee to rest.” He reasoned out as his laughter died down.

“Let’s hope it does,” Dan-Han replied, even though he doubted his father ever allowing himself to rest. He claimed to be retired, yet he still interfered with his business. And not to mention his upheaval about Eun-sun’s presence in his life.

“So about the girl,” Ki-Jun said, reverting to the major topic of their discussion. “I’ll make a few calls. But what exactly do you know? To make a full investigation, we have to at least narrow down the period of her birth. A date will be preferable. Please tell me you know this much.” Ki-Jun expectantly gazed at him. He didn’t want to imagine the headache and stress he’d have to endure if Dan-Han didn’t know.

Dan-Han whipped out his phone from his pocket. “I was able to acquire her birth certificate from her adoptive parents.”

“That’s a start. So what day was it?” He curiously inquired.

“You should take a look at it.” Dan-Han passed his phone over to him. He watched as the man expectantly received it, and he couldn’t help but notice how his countenance suddenly changed, and his eyes narrowed when he saw the scanned copy of Eun-sun’s birth certificate on the phone.

Dan-Han held his gaze when he looked at him. “This...” The man slurred and looked back at the phone.

“It’s this really her birth certificate?” He asked, his voice filled with surprise and disbelief.

“Yes,” Dan-Han innocently replied, making the man look at it again.

He held the phone up and zoomed in closer. Dan-Han watched as he sprang to his feet and sauntered toward one of the bookshelves. He scanned through some of the files arrayed on it and pulled out one of them.

“It is the same day,” he absently muttered under his breath, but Dan-Han could make out his words.

The man peered at him, and Dan-Han calmly held his gaze. “What is the meaning of this, Lee Dan-Han?” The man asked in a somber tone.