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“She is at a home in South Korea. Yeoncheon. It belonged to an old maid of hers. After she killed the woman, she took the home and remodeled it. It’s a mansion now. The only one of its kind in the area.”
“A maid,” whispered Erica. “Yun-Je?”
“Yes,” he frowned. “How did you know that?”
“She helped us to escape. I just thought she was an old woman, not a maid.”
“I’m afraid not. She’d been a maid in our grandfather’s household for decades. If she helped you to escape, it was all planned by our mother and father. Everything was theatrical with them, a game to amuse themselves.”
“I am not amused,” said Erica.
“Neither am I any longer,” said Johnny.
“Uh, again, not to break up this very touching reunion and planning session,” said Pigsty, “but I thought you might like to know that Mata Hari has just landed in Washington, D.C. According to the news reports, she is hoping to get the cooperation and assistance of the president in securing her rightful place as president of North Korea.”
“She’s here,” whispered Erica with a fearful expression.
“She’s come to me,” said U-Jin. An entire group of men turned, staring at him. He chuckled to himself. “She’s come to us. It will definitely make it easier. But how do we get to her if she is meeting with your president?”
“Something you’ll learn about us, Johnny,” smiled Moose, gripping his brother-in-law’s neck, “we know a whole lot of people.”
It seemed the entire room was suddenly buzzing with planning their next steps. Wilson walked up to Johnny and handed him three pills. He stared at them with fear etched on his face.
“Relax. It’s ibuprofen. Just going to help with the pain and swelling.” He swallowed the pills then felt a stab at his arm. “That was an injection of antibiotics. I didn’t want to fight you. If Matthew and Irene say you’re a good soul, I believe them. But if you hurt my family, and everyone here is my family, I will personally dismember you.”
“I will harm no one,” he said to the big doctor. At least he hoped he was a doctor. Erica smiled at her brother, taking the seat beside him. He held tightly to Lucianna’s hand.
“I’m glad you’ve found love,” she said to her brother.
“It was unexpected, but I have this feeling that it was all for a reason, a purpose. It led me here to you. Believe me when I say this. I had no idea that you and I were twins. I was told that you were father’s bastard child.”
“I’m sure you were. I didn’t know that you existed, either. I’m glad we’ve found one another. This place is remarkable, and the people are truly amazing. They speak truth in everything they say, and no one will harm you here unless you harm someone else. They will watch over you and Lucianna. Maybe if you stay, we can begin anew. Become the siblings we’re supposed to be. I’ve needed someone.”
“Me too, sister. Me too.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
Yu-Chuen Park paced in front of the mirror in the presidential suite of the Mayflower Hotel. The historic hotel had housed presidents, kings, queens, and dignitaries, and she was among them. As it should be.
When her own son refused to answer her calls, she had no choice but to end his life. One more dead foreigner in America wouldn’t be detected, nor would anyone care. She looked down at her notes, rehearsing what she planned to say to the U.S. president. Known to be a man with great empathy, Yu-Chuen planned to play off of that as much as possible.
With both of her biological children dead, there was no one with claim to the head of her country except her. Staring at her reflection, she ran a finger along her reconstructed jawline, smiling at the still unfamiliar face. The surgeon had been quite skilled and did exactly as she asked. She still looked like herself but better. Younger. Tighter.
When she and Park married, it was for convenience and political motivations by her father. He knew that Park would be an iron fist needed by his daughter. He didn’t realize that they would plot to kill him, and their games would destroy hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.
At first, they played the doting husband and wife. Then, one night, after he’d come home late from another night of philandering, she threw a vase at his head, and the games began. He beat her senseless, but when she recovered, she discovered she craved it again. He’d raped her repeatedly, abused her body, yet the thrill and excitement drove her.
Discovering that she was pregnant was disappointing. She nearly ended the pregnancy until her husband convinced her it was important. They never expected twins. Almost immediately, her son left her side, going with Park.
Taking her daughter to America had been a plot twist with her father. Wi-Kym could not imagine why his daughter was leaving their country, but it afforded Park the opportunity to earn his favor and position his son for the presidency when Wi-Kym died.
It was a human chessboard. Move Hae-Won here. Slide U-Jin there. Manipulate Park over here. There were many times when she wanted to kill her daughter herself. She wanted the feeling of taking a life, a life that she created.
Instead, she manipulated her daughter, filling her with concern, uncertainty, hatred, and, most of all, fear.
“It’s time to leave for the White House,” said her assistant.
She’d selected him from a long list of possible candidates. Candidates that had nothing of what she needed politically. She needed someone to do her bidding – in the office, on the road, and in her bed. She needed someone to abuse her body without leaving visible marks on her face, neck, or arms.
