25. The Evidences

"Yes. Interesting, isn't it?"

“That brother of yours seems really stupid, huh.”

"He's just blind. That girl is very good at clouding his common sense. Sometimes I wonder what it is about that girl that makes Josh cling so tightly, as if he’s incapable of letting go—as if her presence is inescapable. Like it's impossible to let go of the shadow," Jason paused.

"That girl is like a leech, Mr. Lim. That's why your brother has a hard time letting go of her. Just like a person with a severe addiction, for him she acts as both a parasite and a source of opium."

Jason was quite impressed by the former journalist's reasoning and judgment. He couldn't disagree against it—because what she said was so true. Her words were disturbingly accurate.

"You sound like an expert. No wonder you used to be such a great journalist.”

“Used to be? What about now?” Jinah’s voice held a tinge of irritation.

"Of course you've become more skillful and professional. If you weren’t reliable, I wouldn't have reached you out and offered you this deal." Jason chuckled, praising her with a smooth voice and crisp laugh.

Min Jinah laughed back even harder.

“So, all I have to do is sell your brother’s scandal to your mother? Then what benefit do I have to share with you?”

"My mom just needs to know the truth—that Josh is still in contact with that girl. That's enough profit for me. But I do need you as an intermediary. You need to make sure my mother knows you as the source. And hide my involvement out of it."

“Looks like you have some pretty serious issues with your brother of yours, huh.”

“Yeah...” Jason exhaled heavily, "our relationship isn't that complicated, actually. It's just that there are certain things I need to straighten out for the sake of... let's say my own future survival."

“Hm,” Jinah hummed thoughtfully, "I don't think I can second-guess this one, Mr. Lim. I won’t pry. You’re too cryptic for me to guess. That's fine, you can tell me when you want to. Or better yet, when there's a good other project—you'd better involve me. Because as you said, I'm reliable. And in your case, I don't think there's anyone else you can rely on but me."

Min Jinah said with great confidence. Because she clearly knew her position very well——knew just how valuable she was in the tangled mess of the Lim family.

While Jason himself, again, could not deny it. 

That woman was indeed like a living bomb embedded in his family's affairs. One that could  either remain dormant to keep things peaceful, or could also explode at any time if they mistreated or handled her carelessly. And Jason had no intention of being the one to cut the wrong wire. That was certainly not something Jason or any of his family wanted to experience.

"By the way, how much should I ask from your mother? Or what if I want something else other than money?"

"Anything you want," Jason replied casually. "You can ask for whatever price you want—money, favors, whatever. That's your business. I won't interfere. All I'm asking for are these two things. Make sure my mom knows Josh is still seeing Sharon, and don’t mention my name."

“Easy,” Jinah agreed without hesitation..

Jason’s request was almost laughably simple. It was too easy for her. And on top of that, this deal really gave her a lot of advantages and perfect opportunity to negotiate something worthwhile from the arrogant Mrs. Lim.

The deal, right now, was enough to make her head suddenly dizzy as she had to think of what she could get later.

“So, deal?” Jason asked for a sign of agreement.

"Deal. I'll make my move immediately. I won't miss this exciting moment. Having an affair the day after the wedding?“ Jinah laughed out loud, ”Honestly, I really like your little brother’s craziness, Mr. Lim."

"You're such a real thrill-seeker, Miss Min. He may looks normal on the outside, but trust me, he’s the most troublesome of us all."

"Leave it to me. I’ll dig up everything you need.”

"Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you."

With that, they ended the call.

Jason then dialed another number soon after.

“Hello,” a heavy-sounding male voice from the other side finally answered after a few long rings.

“I'd like to ask a favor as soon as you possibly can. This is very urgent.”

“Yes, boss.”

"Check the CCTV footage from Casa Two Apartment. I want to know if Josh’s car was there, especially between last night and today. Report as soon as you have the record."

"Understood, boss. I'll find it for you right away."

Later that night, just as Jason was about to close his eyes, two pieces of good news arrived in rapid succession on his cell phone via message.

One was from Min Jinah, and the other was from a private informant—someone who worked for him in total secrecy. No one knew, even to his own family.

He opened the message from his private informant first, which was at the top of the list.

There were several black-and-white video recordings typical of CCTV loaded on his screen. He opened the video messages one by one and played them patiently. The things he requested were clearly displayed in the short video clips. A shot of Josh's car and Josh himself entering Casa Two Apartment—where Sharon lived—at a very odd hour last night. It was almost midnight. Then, in broad daylight today, he was seen leaving with Sharon in the passenger seat—they caught through the windshield. And coming back into that apartment just a few minutes ago.

All of that had confirmed everything he suspected. 

Although it was also a bit of a surprise because he almost didn't expect his brother to be so bold as to break the agreement with their mother. Ignoring the obvious consequences that he would have to face—remembering how strict their mother was. Moreover, he should know that their mother had a smaller portion of tolerance compared to a grain of rice.

After finishing watching the last video, Jason switched to Jinah's message.

The moment he opened them, his lips curled in satisfaction. His eyes were stunned with a look that was even more gleaming than this afternoon. Because this was even better than he had expected. He was really pleased and satisfied with Jinah's work. In less than half a day, she had managed to get what Jason wanted. 

Although he did want to receive Min Jinah's work as soon as possible, he actually did not expect to get it directly in such an express time.

He immediately commanded her to carry out their plan. To send all the photos—about two dozen of them—to his mother, and straightly ask her for whatever reward Jinah wanted.

He also asked her to send an additional message.

Miss Min, could you also mention that you saw someone who looked like Josh wandering around last night?

Just casually mention it—you don’t need to be certain if it was really him or not.