Scars of the Dead (9)
Scars of the Dead (9)
Did she drug me? He wondered. It was possible that she had slipped something in his food or drink to catch him unaware. But that was not possible. She would not have gotten any opportunity to drug his food. Moreover, he clearly remembered the events. Things were flying on their own in his tent. A mere girl could not do that alone. She had help from someone.
But who?
"Sir, we're here," the chauffeur said, raising his voice a little.
"I know!" Siwan snapped. "You don't have to tell me."
The chauffeur immediately hushed up. Siwan glared at him before exiting the car. Slamming it behind him, he marched towards the mansion which lay in front of him. He lived in one of the most upscale parts of the city. His mansion was built higher than the others in their neighborhood, overlooking the entire area.
Being one of the oldest and richest families in the country, the Kang's had built a distinct reputation for their charity and contribution to the medical field. His ancestors used to be the physicians of numerous Emperors. His own grandfather was a distinguished neurosurgeon and had discovered many medicines which were used to treat brain tumors in elderly. His father, Kang Danny, was the country's leading pediatrician and also the Chairman of Kang General Hospital, the top medical institution in the world. People from different countries went there for treatment.
He entered through the large mahogany door. Upon entry, several servants came forward to cater to him. One handed him a glass of juice while another one took off his shoes. Siwan did not acknowledge any of them and simply walked towards the living room where his father and mother were waiting for him.
"Siwan!" his mother beamed at him.
Kim Doyoung was a tall, elegant woman in her mid thirties. With short, blonde hair and blue eyes, she looked every bit like a model. In fact, she was once the top supermodel in the country and had been a showstopper for famous designers both home and abroad. Her fame was no joke and her beauty was praised by all media. Her fashion sense was distinct and she was featured regularly in magazines. After giving birth to Siwan, she had semi-retired from modeling but was active on commercials as an ambassador for children's clothing.
She got up to hug her son. Siwan's cold expression softened a little upon being hugged by his mother. His father, Kang Danny, was also smiling at him. In his late thirties, Danny was a sharp looking man with dark eyes and a friendly looking face. His jet black hair was smoothly brushed back and he peered at his son from behind his spectacles.
"Dad," Siwan greeted his father, bowing down. He then moved to sit on a couch opposite to his parents. Doyoung sat next to her husband but slightly inched away.
"How was camp?" Danny asked.
"It was good," Siwan lied.
"Did you make new friends?" Doyoung asked her son.
"Yes," Siwan lied. Truthfully, his prickly nature prevented him from making any friends. He always found the other children boring and their silly games irritated him. The ones who tailed him were more like minions than friends. Moreover, his trip this time was ruined by that brat. Thinking about her made Siwan fume but he did not react in front of his parents.
Doyoung sensed the anger in her son. The boy was too cold and isolated. Even though she barely got the chance to spend time with him, she could still tell when her son was hiding something. She glanced at her husband who was smiling at his son.
"These connections are very important, Siwan," Danny stated. "We don't send you to camp simply to teach you survival skills. The camp you attend is also attended by the children of the country's elites. Their parents are the top businessmen, diplomats, VIP's, celebrities. We might be richer than many of them but they have the connections which we can use to take our family name even further. You'll need their investment in the future."
"Are you a doctor or a money monger?" Doyoung muttered.
Danny pretended not to hear his wife's remarks. She did not know how hard it was to maintain a high class hospital without connections.
Kang Danny was a very calculative man. He had taken the reputation of their hospitals to new heights. Thanks to his ability to bring in the elite class patients, their hospital had been earning millions of dollars in revenue. To the public, he was a person who treated the impoverished people for free.
But little did they know, he was using the funds from his VIP patients to fund the treatment for the general public. It was a small price but it fed into his public persona as a messiah. He was preparing his son to follow his footsteps in the hopes that Siwan would also become a great asset to his hospital.
Siwan was quiet. He did not dare to interrupt his father. But his mind was pondering on the fact that Hwang Jina might actually be the daughter of some rich guy. The girl acted nothing like the other rich kids. She lived on a planet of her own, daring to challenge his authority. The girl had not grace and was an utter embarrassment. Yet, she had managed to beat him at his game.
It was unfathomable to him!
Just then, their butler entered the room, holding an envelope.
"Sir, there is an invitation for you," he stated. Danny frowned as he took the envelope in his hands. Taking out the letter, he read the contents carefully. Doyoung raised an eyebrow, noting her husband's grin was widening with every word.
"We have been invited to dinner at Hwang Minho's mansion," Danny stated. "Tonight."
"I'm afraid that I have a photoshoot," Doyoung replied. "And Siwan just returned from camp-"
"We're all going," Danny said, overruling her. "The card clearly said, Doctor Kang Danny and family. It's an opportune moment for us. We had been poaching Hwang Constructions for a long time with regards to our new hospital at B-City. Since he invited us for dinner, he must be interested in this project. Which is why, all of us will attend the dinner. Understood?"
Doyoung did not dare to argue further. Siwan was also silent. Once his father made up his mind, they must obey him. It was the unwritten rule of the house.
Danny stood up to leave. His wife stared at his back. There was an iciness between them which was not going to melt anytime soon.
Their marriage was an arranged one or to be more specifically, a business deal between their families. Even though she loved Danny, he was always cold and distant to her. His only duty with her was to produce a child. The distance between them grew so much that they had not been intimate ever since Siwan was born. She went off for her frequent modeling assignments while he was busy with work, leaving Siwan alone.
But the final nail in the coffin was Danny's wandering eyes. Despite her frequent trips abroad, Doyoung was aware of her husband's lecherous nature. He had been sleeping with many of his staff members and while Soyoung tried to turn a blind eye to them, she was inwardly crushed by the strange rumor that he had fathered an illegitimate child with one of the former nurses in his hospital. She was not sure whether it was true but no matter how much she tried to find out the truth, she could not find a single clue to that child's existence.
A warm hand patted her head. Startled, she looked around to see Siwan was trying to comfort her in his own way. Seeing her son, broke her heart. He was so young and yet, his father was burdening him with responsibilities way beyond his age. The boy was supposed to go to camp and have fun, not make business deals!
"It's alright, mother," he said in his deadpan voice. "We'll go."
Doyoung pulled him in an embrace and kissed his forehead. She inwardly wished that for once, they could all share a meal normally like a proper family, without thinking about wealth or status. If only Danny gives up his ego, she sighed inwardly. And acts as a father for once.
"My poor son," she mumbled, still hugging her son. "I'm sorry."
Siwan did not reply but hugged his mother and closed his eyes. He knew nothing would be fine but he had stopped caring a long time ago. Whatever his father said would become the law of the house.
And there was no way out of that hell.