Chapter 24: No Name And No Face Equals No Case.
Nana woke up the next day feeling grumpy. She had been unable to sleep all through the night until the early morning hours. Tan had been on her mind all through, with his easy smile and quick tongue. She had known she would miss him but hadn't expected to miss him so much.
She closed her eyes as the memory of their moments together flashed through her mind. Her phone rang, and guilt swamped her when she saw the caller was Ji-Tae.
"Happy Valentine's day, darling," He called out excitedly, waiting for a squeal of delight, but to his disappointment, he received a flat "Same to you" from her.
"Baby, are you still mad at me? I'm sorry. I was really busy. I'll make it up to you, I promise," He said.
"Step out of your door. I have something for you," He told her as he dropped the call.
Get a grip on your emotions, girl! Tan is only but a dream right now. This is your reality; face it. She told herself as she forced a smile.
She was wearing just her pink checked pajamas, and she had no desire to change into anything else. She was stepping outside her door, not going to a fancy restaurant or anything.
She quickly checked her face in the mirror to make sure she hadn't been drooling in her sleep again. She rushed into the tight little bathroom she shared with her father and splashed water on her face. Then wearing her soft indoor slippers, she opened the door to see what was happening outside.
A man stood by the door carrying a bouquet. "Happy Valentine's Day to you, Miss. I've been instructed to bring you along with me, ma'am," the man said, bowing politely as he handed over the bouquet to her.
"Uhm, I'll need to change into something more presentable," She said, turning back inside the house.
"That won't be necessary, ma'am. We'll take care of your outfit when we get there," The man said with a slight bow.
Her father, who had been out, walked up to them. "Is there any problem?" He questioned, looking from Nana to the man.
"Not at all, sir. We've been given orders to make today special for her," the man said to Mr. Lee, who gave a questioning look to Nana.
"I thought you said you both had no plans for Valentine and that he isn't around? Or are you seeing someone else?" He asked her disapprovingly.
"Ji-Tae sent him," She said, pointing to the car. She recognized it as one of Ji-Tae's cars.
She was used to Ji-Tae and his grand gestures. It was one of the reasons that she fell for him.
"Then you should be on your way already, don't keep the young man waiting," Her father said, leading her to the waiting car.
Her escort held open the car door for her to enter and then shut it after her. He drove off while she and her father waved at each other.
"Where are we going to?" She asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
"You'll find out when we get there, ma," He said as he drove on.
She suddenly remembered the statement the girls had made in the ladies' room at the wedding about the news being all over the Tabloids. She quickly went through the list of the most searched information on the internet, and true to their words, it was there boldly written 'Governor Kang Moon-Soo's Daughter Faces Public Humiliation.' She quickly looked through the pictures, and none of the cameras had caught her face.
Thanks to her hair which she had chosen to wear down, it covered her face pretty well; the camera had captured only her side view, which was covered by her hair.
Well, well. She had nothing to worry about then. No name and No face equals No case, she said, smiling. There was no way they were going to find her.
"We are here," The man said as he stepped down to open the door for her.
She could tell they were on private property; no one was outside, but the whole place was sparkling clean. A fountain flowed beautifully from a golden statue of a naked young lady carrying a bowl in the center of the compound. The glitter of the gold and water gave a serene beauty to the environment.
Once inside, she realized it was a spa, more like a super private VIP spa.
**********
The house had never felt so lonely and lifeless to Tan as it felt this morning. He stepped into the kitchen, and Mi-Ok gasped at the huge dark circles around his eyes.
"What were you doing all night? You look like a zombie!" She exclaimed as she pushed him into one of the kitchen seats and gave him a glass of water.
"You haven't been able to reach her, I suppose? Do you want me to call your mother?" Mi-Ok asked, knowing that would snap him out of his dazed state.
"No. Not necessary," He said, getting up to walk into Nana's room. He lay on the bed holding on to the party gown she had left behind. He needed to feel connected to her in any way possible.
**********
Mi Cha joined her mother at the dining table for breakfast, "Good morning, Mom," She said as she took her seat.
"Good morning, my darling. I hope you slept well," Mrs. Kim asked as she ate from her rice porridge.
"I did not. I think my body needs to adjust to the time difference between Korea and Los Angeles," She said, drinking from the soup as she avoided the other side dishes that contained fatty foods.
"Yea, it happens. It's great having you back at home. So what's your plan now that you're back? I'm sure you have one," Mrs. Kim said, looking at her with curiosity. She has always believed in allowing people to pursue their dreams. Her parents had always stopped her from doing all she wanted, and she didn't intend to be such a mother to her children. She wanted them to live their lives to the fullest. What mother would not want that for their children?
"I will move to Seoul to start my modeling career there. But first, I need to get a good realtor to help me secure a very nice and comfortable accommodation," She said as she ate.
"That's fine. You could ask your brother for his girlfriend's number. If I remember correctly, she said she is a realtor based in Seoul," Mrs. Kim said with a smile.
"Oh really? That's just great, then. I'll have to visit him later in the day, so I can see and talk with her in person," Mi Cha said excitedly.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone