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CH58 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-03-23 04:05:01 +0000 UTCSunday afternoon at three o’clock.
The car carrying Gerard was stuck in the middle of a New York street.
He had planned to meet his father before his appointment with Ha Si-heon, but due to severe traffic, he was inevitably going to be late.
‘I’m going to hear it again…’
Gerard grimaced, imagining the nagging he was about to receive.
However, his expression soon darkened as he was consumed by another thought.
He kept remembering the conversation he had with Rachel yesterday.
‘There’s a rare disease organization called the Castleman Foundation, and I want to volunteer there as a patient advocate…’
Rachel had planned to bring this up with her father today, and asked for help in case he opposed.
‘Volunteering, huh?’
It seemed harmless at first glance.
After all, Rachel had consistently participated in various volunteer activities.
Yet, the unease in his heart stemmed from the fact that this was also a continuation of the sudden changes Rachel had been showing recently.
‘A rare disease, could it be related to that guy…’
Rachel had mainly been involved in activities related to impoverished or single-parent families.
Rare diseases were unfamiliar territory.
And yet, Ha Si-heon happened to be a biotech investor with a medical background.
Could it be that he lured her into a dubious foundation? Gerard had been indulging in all sorts of conspiracy theories, thinking of Ha Si-heon as some sort of cult leader.
“We’ve arrived.”
The driver’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
As he looked out the car window, a familiar building came into view.
It was the Metropolitan Club.
This building, designated as a New York landmark, had once been famed as ‘New York’s top luxury clubhouse’.
The entrance, adorned with marble columns and brass decorations, was still majestic, and the exterior, modeled after the Italian Renaissance, was well-maintained.
It was hard to believe that this 19th-century building had withstood the test of time so well.
Soon, doorman Chris, dressed in a neat uniform, approached and opened the door.
“Welcome.”
This was a familiar place for Gerard.
Led inside by Chris, the overwhelming grandeur unfolded before him.
The building had a nickname, ‘the marble palace’.
It was because the walls stretching up to the high ceilings of the three-story building were completely adorned with marble.
Instead of luxurious decorations, the elegance was achieved with fine stone alone.
“Mr. Gerard, please wait a moment.”
The reception staff warmly greeted Gerard.
Soon after, a uniformed guide approached and offered to escort him.
“This way.”
That was the club’s rule.
Non-members must always be accompanied by staff.
Even if they were family members of a member, they could not wander around the interior alone.
And then,
‘In such a place… Ha Si-heon is coming.’
The thought brought back an ominous feeling.
A few days ago, a ridiculous suspicion had crossed his mind.
Could all of Ha Si-heon’s actions have been meticulously planned just to meet his father?
Gerard shook his head from side to side, forcefully dismissing the delusion.
‘No, the meeting itself is meaningless.’
To benefit from a meeting with his father, he needed to build a good relationship.
However, today’s meeting was meant to test whether Ha Si-heon was a dangerous person.
It was a meeting that was utterly disadvantageous for him.
As he followed the guide, he soon arrived at the lounge.
The lounge had been used as a library a hundred years ago.
The walls were filled with stately wooden bookshelves, and the grand fireplace bore the distinctive ornate patterns and carvings of that era.
The guide led Gerard to a spot and then politely greeted the person sitting there.
“Your party has arrived.”
“Has he come?”
Gerard’s father, Raymond, first checked his wristwatch.
They were 15 minutes late from the scheduled time.
Gerard expected a severe scolding, but surprisingly, a different question came.
“You seem tense.”
“What?”
“You seemed deep in thought while walking here.”
He was indeed nervous.
However, he disliked admitting that his tension was due to Ha Si-heon.
“Actually, I’ve been worried about something.”
Taking the opportunity, Gerard opened up about the conversation he had with Rachel.
It seemed the concern was about Rachel, as he discussed while walking.
Of course, he casually omitted the parts related to Ha Si-heon and only mentioned that Rachel suddenly wanted to engage in activities with the Castleman Foundation.
“The foundation… Considering her nature, there shouldn’t be a problem, should there?”
“But she mentioned quitting Goldman if the workload becomes too much…”
“If that’s her wish, we can’t stop her.”
Raymond seemed unconcerned.
If it was unrelated to Ha Si-heon, Rachel’s decision didn’t seem to pose a problem.
‘Still, there’s no evidence yet that he’s involved with the foundation…’
The suspicion that Rachel might have been swayed by Ha Si-heon was merely Gerard’s hunch; there was no clear evidence yet.
Even if he found a connection, it was something he absolutely shouldn’t reveal to his father.
‘If their relationship gets exposed…’
The mere thought was dizzying.
Raymond would often pull out a Glock in front of young men circling his daughter, simply because they were male.
But Ha Si-heon was a cunning man who had preemptively figured out Raymond’s judgment.
If it became known that such a dangerous person had approached Rachel…
It could spiral into an uncontrollable situation.
‘That must be avoided at all costs. We need to get through this quietly.’
Today, at this gathering, any topic about Rachel should be avoided as much as possible.
Raymond was here strictly as Gerard’s mentor.
His intention was only to evaluate Ha Si-heon and offer related advice.
The execution of any alternatives would remain Gerard’s responsibility.
Despite repeatedly trying to steady his mind, the tension did not subside.
Gerard’s gaze repeatedly went to his wristwatch.
The appointment with Ha Si-heon was set for four o’clock.
Not much time was left.
Then, an employee approached Raymond and quietly said,
“The guest has arrived at the entrance.”
Gerard straightened up.
‘Finally…’
Ha Si-heon was coming.
Nervousness involuntarily clenched his fists.
Soon, a young man entered the lounge, escorted by a guide.
It was Ha Si-heon.
The gaze of about ten people in the room immediately focused on him.
His height and youthful appearance made him stand out, but there was another reason they paid special attention.
It was because he was Asian.
‘Come to think of it, this might be the first time seeing an Asian here…’
The Metropolitan Club only started admitting female members in 1988.
Despite this, encounters with women were rare here.
Those who frequented this place were mostly of one kind:
Middle-aged or older white men.
Except for external events, other races were rarely seen.
Of course, this wasn’t discrimination but merely a matter of membership composition.
There was simply no reason to invite outsiders to such a place with a long and illustrious tradition, similar to how women were seldom admitted.
In this context, a young Asian man in his twenties felt out of place and unfamiliar.
This point was again concerning.
‘Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have been able to come here…’
Yet, Ha Si-heon was stepping into such a place.
This fact was irritating, but Gerard soon shook off his worries.
‘After all, he’s not here for a good reason.’
Raymond was wary of him.
The purpose of this meeting was to assess Ha Si-heon’s danger.
“Right this way.”
Ha Si-heon, who had suddenly appeared close by, bowed briefly to Gerard.
Then he immediately turned his gaze to Raymond.
“I am Ha Si-heon. You can call me Sean.”
His face showed no disturbance.
He appeared very calm, as if Raymond’s arrival was expected.
“Raymond Mosley, Gerard’s father.”
“Pleased to meet you.”
“Have a seat.”
As Ha Si-heon sat down in the indicated seat, all eyes around them once again focused on him.
The murmuring stopped abruptly, replaced only by curious looks.
The pressure from those gazes was significant, but Ha Si-heon himself seemed unfazed, sitting calmly as if this place were rightfully his.
Raymond scrutinized Ha Si-heon with sharp, piercing eyes.
After observing him for a while, he finally spoke.
“You don’t seem surprised by the presence of a stranger.”
There was an edge to his words.
The test had already begun.
Ha Si-heon answered without any disarray.
“I anticipated that you would come.”
Gerard immediately frowned.
It wasn’t just because Ha Si-heon had anticipated Raymond’s attendance.
‘Shouldn’t he pretend he didn’t know at times like this?…’
By admitting he was aware, he only aroused suspicion.
Raymond’s face clearly showed his discomfort.
“How did you know I would come?”
“Metropolitan is a prestigious social club known to require accompanying a member for entry. It was unlikely someone of Gerard’s age would be a member, so I assumed you would be accompanying him.”
It was a logical deduction.
However, it felt off-putting.
Discomfort was evident on Raymond’s face.
“You’ve done your homework well.”
“I make it a point to thoroughly research any place I visit.”
“Then you must also scrutinize the people you meet, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
This too was an unsettling response.
It seemed as if Ha Si-heon was admitting to having investigated them.
“So, you’ve also figured out about me?”
“To some extent.”
Ha Si-heon replied briefly and then fell silent.
Raymond then twisted his mouth and spoke.
“I’m curious to what extent you’ve figured it out.”
“I heard you’re a partner at Crabson & Swaine, and Henry Kissinger’s lawyer.”
It seemed he had carved out his personal details with just a few words.
Raymond did not look pleased.
“It feels like I’ve been investigated, doesn’t it?”
“It’s not an investigation; I just heard some rumors at Goldman. If I had intended to investigate, I would have looked into which areas of law you specialize in. I don’t know that yet.”
What could be going through that man’s head?
His behavior was utterly baffling.
Then, a familiar line came out.
“To speak of all this, you are quite a candid fellow.”
“That’s my only virtue.”
There was a sense of déjà vu.
The conversation they had exchanged in the safe room vividly came back to life.
‘Right, he had definitely said something risky back then too…’
Even speaking recklessly about things that should be handled with care.
As this thought struck him, the color drained from Gerard’s face.
‘Could it be…’
He wouldn’t make outrageous statements here too, would he?
For example, saying things like ‘I covet Rachel’s wealth’ or ‘I’d end our friendship for 50 billion dollars’.
Such statements would bring Ha Si-heon no good.
Logically, such behavior makes no sense.
While Gerard was caught in these ominous premonitions,
Raymond brought up a prepared question.
“Are you close with Rachel?”
“Yes, we are quite close.”
At that moment, Gerard’s heart sank.
‘I thought I only needed to be careful…’
Gerard’s plan was based on the assumption that Ha Si-heon was a rational person.
However, Ha Si-heon was not rational.
As evidence, he nonchalantly admitted his relationship with Rachel.
Raymond’s face contorted.
Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Gerard awkwardly laughed and hurriedly interjected in the conversation.
“They are not that particularly close. Rachel generally mingles well with all her peers…”
Raymond’s gaze sharply swept over Gerard.
It was a silent warning to remain quiet.
As Gerard closed his mouth, Raymond’s interrogation continued.
“That’s quite different from what my daughter said. She mentioned that you barely know each other and only exchange greetings occasionally.”
“That’s right.”
Ha Si-heon responded calmly, not blinking an eye.
There was no further explanation.
“Are you saying that her statement was a lie?”
