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CH57 | DI
🕑 Added 2025-03-23 04:00:04 +0000 UTCThe appointment is on Sunday.
Though there are still three days left, I plan not to waste them.
There are numerous matters to handle before meeting Gerard’s father.
“It’s a bit tricky. The tasks I need to solve were clear.”
First, gather information on Theranos.
Second, stop Gerard’s redemption.
Both missions are daunting. Given that Gerard and his father both harbor significant suspicions about me, ‘It can somehow be managed, even then…?
Recently, another problem has arisen.
Problem three, Rachel has declared herself the patient rights advocate at the Castleman Foundation.
‘It’s only a matter of time before we get exposed…’
Our relationship being discovered is just a matter of time.
If so, it would be better to plan ahead to turn the situation in my favor when it’s exposed.
With that decision, I went to see Rachel the next day and spilled everything Gerard had texted me.
“Gerard wants to meet. On Sunday, at the Metropolitan Club.”
“What?”
Rachel’s eyes widened in surprise.
It meant she had no idea that her father and brother were plotting something against me.
“Exactly…”
No, she knew something.
“That’s… actually, I was worried that Dad might go see Sean soon. He suddenly asked me if I knew someone named ‘Ha Si-heon’…”
“Why does he want to meet me personally?”
I deliberately frowned to look serious.
Meeting parents of one’s peers is always stressful.
This usually prompts a tip.
Sure enough, Rachel hesitated for a moment before speaking cautiously,
“That… it might be better to hide the fact that we are close. Dad tends to suspect the people close to me, especially if it’s a man…”
Exactly, that was the case.
I had vaguely guessed it seeing Gerard, but it seems her father also preemptively repels any male approaching Rachel.
“Just an ordinary acquaintance, that’s what we should say…. It’s safest to say we just greet each other when we meet.”
Rachel suggested we hide our friendship.
However, I showed signs of unease.
“Are you asking me to lie?”
“That’s…”
Rachel flinched.
She really is averse to lying.
If necessary, even a princess would lie, but with that attitude, getting caught is obvious.
“It would be strange to hide it, wouldn’t it? It would look more suspicious if it came out later. Besides, if you're working with the Castleman Foundation, it can’t be hidden anyway.”
“That’s… true.”
Rachel sighed deeply.
Yeah, hiding it was already a lost cause.
“Have you mentioned anything about the foundation at home?”
“No, not yet… I think it’s something we need to discuss in person. Actually, we’ve decided to meet on Sunday evening.”
“Evening? What time?”
“Five o’clock.”
From the conversation, it seemed that Gerard had arranged to meet Rachel right after seeing me.
The intention not to give us time to exchange words was apparent.
Probably to compare and contrast what we say.
So, we need to align our stories beforehand.
But for this, Rachel, a principled person, must lie a bit.
‘It wouldn’t be good to openly ask, would it?’
Considering the princess’s personality, a blatant request for a lie isn’t a good idea.
Thus, I needed a bit of a detour.
I began cautiously while looking at Rachel.
“To be honest… I wish you weren't involved with Castleman.”
“……”
At the moment Rachel’s expression hardened, I quickly continued with an apologetic face.
“Of course, I’m not doubting your ability. It’s very kind of you to offer help. But honestly… it’s a selfish remark, but personally, it’s very difficult for me.”
“Why would you…”
Let’s look down with a bitter face here, like a character wrongfully accused.
“You knows how Gerard treats me as a scammer. In the meantime, if you donates two million dollars to the Castleman Foundation and takes a major role…?”
“But I’m not doing this because of you. It’s something I want to do...”
“Of course, I believe you. But I don’t think Gerard will believe it.”
Yes, even if Rachel says it’s her choice, Gerard won’t believe it.
He’ll interpret it as being tricked by a scammer like me.
That’s why drastic measures are needed.
I soon wore a somber expression.
“The Castleman Foundation is my only vulnerability. But I can’t hide this weakness. The moment I support the clinical trial costs, it will become public record. If Gerard finds this weakness…”
He won’t sit still.
After all the trouble I’ve caused, do you think Gerard will just let it slide?
The moment he realizes my weakness, he will definitely attack it.
“Even if he finds out, Gerard won’t do anything.”
Indeed, the princess is naive.
She clearly doesn’t see how Gerard could attack this weakness.
Then I must inform her.
“There are many ways to make trouble for me. Even now, he could offer more funding to the researchers and make them reject our proposal.”
“……”
“Of course, it might be an overreaction. But……. this time, the SEC investigation was unusually swift. Even though there were no legal issues, the funds were frozen.”
“……”
“I’m not suspecting Gerard, but….”
Let’s give a self-deprecating laugh here.
“No, actually, I am suspecting him. For someone like Gerard, with his funds and connections, it wouldn’t be difficult at all.”
I played the victim as best as I could.
Feeling oppressed by a chaebol heir, But I mustn’t portray Gerard as too much of a villain.
He is still precious family to Rachel.
“Of course, Gerard wouldn’t have placed much importance on freezing the funds. It was probably just a precaution to prevent a scammer from embezzling the money. But…”
Now with a gloomy face.
“This could delay the clinical trials by a month or two. In the meantime, some of the participating patients might have died from seizures.”
” . . . . . . !”
“Of course, Gerard doesn’t know that this directly affects the lives of patients. Not knowing it, he would disrupt it without hesitation. But….. a delay of just a month or two can mean the difference between life and death for terminally ill patients.”
It might not be malicious, but it effectively sends people to their deaths.
At this point, Rachel’s complexion grew paler. She soon clenched her fist tightly and said firmly,
“That will never happen. I’ll make sure of it. If he really does something like that… I will never see Gerard again.”
A fiery determination was evident in Rachel’s eyes. If Gerard really engages in sabotage, she seems ready to cut ties completely.
‘Poor Gerard.’ Trying to protect his sister from a scammer, he’s only earning resentment. Of course, this is what I want. If my vulnerability is going to be exposed anyway, it’s better to use Rachel as a shield.
But if you’re going to be a shield, you have to do it right.
It can’t just be nagging or verbal warnings. You have to go all out to block Gerard, even to the extent of cutting off family ties. That’s why I exaggerated the most dangerous situation.
But I can’t stop here. I then wore an even more woeful expression.
“The more you defends me, the more it will backfire. The more you do, the more Gerard will hate me…”
“No, Gerard still listens to me.”
“Maybe now, but……?”
After a long time, with a somewhat distant look, And give a bitter smile.
“Sooner or later, there will come a moment when you loses interest. As you live life, more important things will come up. Then, if you steps back….”
“Of course, I don’t think Gerard will keep an eye on me for years…….”
I trailed off, but Rachel would understand. Gerard holds grudges. Years later, he’ll still be watching me with a keen eye.
So, what I’m trying to say is this.
‘Once you step in, you can never get out.’
Later, more interesting things happen and you hand over the foundation work to a successor? The moment you do, Gerard will unleash the attacks he’s been holding back, and because of it, terminally ill patients will die helplessly.
Although there is some exaggeration, strictly speaking, it is not a lie.
“That’s why I’m telling you. If you’re joining based on a momentary decision, I’m sorry, but the damage on this side is too great. Your family is not an ordinary family.”
This is sincere.
If Rachel is going to take this position, she needs to feel the responsibility that comes with it. If it’s a casual decision, it’s better to step back right now.
“It’s not a light decision. I believe…. that a person who is merely there for the procedure should not occupy this position. It has to be someone who truly fights for the rights of the patients, and I think I am the right person for that.”
Now, I have a personal curiosity.
Why does this princess insist on taking on such a troublesome task? Well, whatever the reason, it doesn’t matter to me. Given Rachel’s personality, after carefully pointing out the risks, she likely won’t back out halfway.
Shall we move on to the next step then?
“Understood. But if you continue to be involved, it might be better to come clean with your family. About the foundation and our relationship as well.”
“Really… is that so?”
“Yes, because if it comes out later, it will only invite more suspicion.”
“But that’s true but… sigh…”
Rachel sighed deeply.
And she murmured worriedly, “What if I bring it up and it causes interference…. I’ll try to tell them to stop, but if they really snatch the researcher away, it could delay things by several weeks…”
Rachel lowered her head with a heavy expression.
I pretended to ponder for a moment, then spoke at the right time.
“There’s not absolutely no way. But…”
“What is it?”
Hmm, how should I put this?
Bluntly speaking, this plan requires the princess’s lies, but to ask outright from me might seem suspicious. How can I elegantly coax a lie without compromising my credibility too much?
Finding the method wasn’t hard.
I looked at Rachel and gave a meaningful smile. Feeling like a wise Eastern sage for a moment,
“Both you and I are involved with the Castleman Foundation, a fact that we simply cannot hide.”
Maybe using a visual aid would be good here.
So, I wrote two facts on a small napkin.
<Ha Si-heon – Funding Clinical Trials>
<Rachel – Foundation Patient Advocate>
I laid out the two napkins in order and looked at Rachel.
“These facts are undeniable. It’s a clear picture that cannot be hidden. Also, it can’t be fixed. A picture already drawn will only look awkward if forced to change. But…”
I switched the order of the napkins.
Rachel’s eyes gradually widened as she observed.
Yes, our princess is smart, she understands what this means, right?
I looked at Rachel again and gave another wise Eastern sage smile.
“That’s right. If we can’t change the picture, we change the narrative.”
