The next morning, Suho stirred, yawning and stretching carefully. His legs still felt weak, but after yesterday's trauma, he was determined to continue his recovery.
He glanced over at Hauen, who was already there, sitting by the edge of the bed with her bandaged arm resting gently on her lap. Her brows were slightly furrowed, eyes scanning her phone, lost in thought.
"Good morning, dumpling," she said softly, without looking at him yet.
Suho smiled, despite himself. "Morning… and don't call me that yet. I'm still recovering from being embarrassed by it yesterday."
Hauen chuckled softly, finally turning to meet his gaze. "You're ridiculous." She set her phone down, walking towards him, but her mind still lingered on the messages she couldn't fully explain.
He noticed her distant expression, and his smile faltered. "You okay? You seem… worried."
She shook her head lightly. "I'm fine. Just… thinking about the day ahead."
He studied her closely. Her hand was bandaged neatly, but the way she was leaning slightly, the tension in her shoulders… something about her seemed off. He reached out, gently holding her uninjured hand. "You don't have to hide anything from me, you know."
Hauen's lips twitched, almost forming a smile, but she quickly masked it. "I'm okay. Really."
Suho let her words pass for now, but was silently not convinced by her words. Yesterday's attack had left him shaken, and seeing her in pain, even for a small cut, had hurt more than he could put into words.
Breakfast was quiet, filled with small chatter and the soft clinking of utensils. Bora had helped prepare everything, making sure Hauen's injured arm wasn't strained. Suho kept glancing at her every few seconds, almost as if he was making sure she was still there, unharmed.
After breakfast, Hauen quietly slipped away into the study room under the pretense of sorting through paperwork. She opened her laptop and her phone side by side. Her mind replayed every incident since their marriage: the controlled pills, the accident, the attack. Each event, each anomaly, suddenly seemed to form a pattern.
She typed a note: "Investigate: connection between past incidents. Who benefits from Suho being harmed? Check unknown contacts, deliveries, suspicious calls."
Her heart beat faster as she scanned old messages and emails, trying to remember anything unusual. There were moments she had dismissed as coincidence, but now… they gnawed at her.
Meanwhile, Suho wheeled himself quietly to the study door, watching her through the slightly ajar frame. He didn't speak immediately; he simply observed her. Something about the way she was leaning in, eyes intense on the screen, her fingers moving quickly… it reminded him that Hauen wasn't just his best friend or contract wife; she had become his protector in more ways than one.
"Hauen?" His voice was soft.
She jumped slightly, closing the laptop instantly. "Suho! You scared me!" She smiled, but her pulse raced.
"I know," he said quietly, wheeling closer. "I just… I know something's on your mind. You don't have to handle it alone, you know."
Her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to tell him everything, the message, the suspicions, the fear. But she couldn't. Not yet. She needed proof before she could bring him into it.
"I'm fine, really," she said, forcing a calm smile. "Just… checking some things."
Suho studied her a moment longer, then nodded, though his eyes betrayed his concern. "Alright… but if you need me, I'm here."
Hauen felt a warmth spread in her chest. Just hearing him say that gave her courage. She gave a small nod and turned back to her laptop, carefully keeping her investigation quiet.
The evening sky outside the penthouse had turned a deep shade of blue, the city lights twinkling faintly beyond the wide glass windows.
Suho was asleep in his room, exhausted from both therapy and emotions, his breathing finally even and peaceful. Hauen stood near the balcony for a while, arms crossed, the cool wind brushing her face as her mind replayed the masked attacker, the blood, and Suho's trembling hands.
Something about it all refused to let her rest.
Quietly, she walked back into the living room and picked up her phone. Her heart was pounding, not because she was scared, but because she didn't want Suho to wake up or overhear her. He had been through enough already.
She took a deep breath and dialed the number she had saved earlier, Officer Park.
After a few rings, a calm, professional voice answered, "Yes, Officer Park speaking."
"Hello, Officer Park," she said softly, lowering her tone. "This is Kim Hauen… Kim Suho's wife."
His tone immediately shifted to concern. "Yes, ma'am. Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine, officer," she replied, though her voice carried fatigue. "I just wanted to ask about yesterday's attack. Did you find anything?"
"The investigation is in progress, ma'am," he said, rustling papers on the other side. "We've already collected the CCTV footage from the surrounding streets. My team is reviewing it. I'll update you as soon as we have something solid."
"Alright," she murmured. Then hesitated. Her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve. "Officer Park… there's something I want to tell you, but I'm not sure if it makes sense."
He paused, then spoke with gentle firmness. "Please go ahead, ma'am. Is it connected to the attack?"
"I'm not sure," she said honestly. "But ever since I married into the Kim family… strange things have been happening. I ignored them at first, thinking it was just coincidences. But now, I'm not so sure."
There was a beat of silence. She could almost picture Officer Park frowning thoughtfully on the other side. "You suspect someone, ma'am?"
"I don't know who," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly now. "But there have been a few incidents that didn't feel normal. Someone once gave me pregnancy control pills without my knowledge… then came the car accident, where we lost the baby, and you know how much Suho was affected by the accident. And now this attack on Suho, again." She swallowed hard, blinking away the sting in her eyes. "I don't know if they're connected… but it's too much to be a coincidence, don't you think?"
Officer Park's voice turned firm, serious. "That's… very concerning, Mrs. Kim. And yes, it could be connected. These aren't small things."
He paused, then continued, "Thank you for trusting me with this. This is valuable information. I'll personally look into these incidents, one by one. In the meantime, please stay cautious. If you notice anything suspicious, any message, visitor, or movement around your place, inform me immediately. And don't step out without security, understood?"
"Yes, officer," she said quietly. "We'll be careful. And… please," she added after a pause, "don't tell anyone about this conversation. Not even my husband. He's already under a lot of pressure, and I don't have any proof yet. If someone inside hears about this, it could cause chaos."
Officer Park's tone softened. "Understood, ma'am. You have my word. This conversation stays between us."
"Thank you, Officer Park," she said, her voice lighter now.
When she ended the call, she let out a deep sigh she hadn't realized she'd been holding. The weight pressing on her chest for days eased a little.