The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

31: Meeting With the Therapist

Sungmin and Soonyoung sat across from Ethan's therapist, a middle-aged man with a gentle yet firm demeanor. The room was filled with soft lighting and shelves lined with psychology books, creating an atmosphere of calm and introspection. The two officers, however, felt anything but calm. The pieces of the puzzle they were trying to put together were dark, and the story they were uncovering was much more twisted than they had anticipated.

"So," the therapist began, folding his hands on the desk in front of him, "you're here to ask about Ethan Lee, correct?"

Sungmin nodded, his brow furrowed. "We've recently learned about some past trauma Ethan may have been dealing with, and we need to understand what's been going on, especially his connection to his supposed brother, Jisoo."

The therapist's expression shifted, becoming more serious. "I've been treating Ethan for quite a few years now. His trauma stems from the life he lived with Jisoo, but I have to make something clear. Jisoo is not his real brother. From what Ethan has shared over the years, their relationship is far more complicated."

Soonyoung leaned forward, sensing that they were about to get some crucial information. "What do you mean by that?"

The therapist took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "Ethan has always spoken about how, after moving to Australia, things began to change drastically. Jisoo, the man everyone thought was his brother, wasn't who he seemed to be. In fact, Ethan has mentioned that Jisoo once tried to murder him."

Sungmin and Soonyoung exchanged a glance, the weight of the revelation sinking in.

"Why would he do that?" Soonyoung asked, his voice low but urgent.

The therapist sighed. "It wasn't immediate. At first, they were like any other family—well, as close as they could get to one. Joshua and Seungcheol had given them a large sum of money to move abroad, and the plan was for Joshua to take on the identity of Jisoo. From what Ethan told me, it was all arranged so that Joshua could be 'Jisoo' in front of Seokmin, who is now Joshua's husband. The real Jisoo, the one who's Ethan's brother, was supposed to stay hidden in Australia."

Sungmin frowned. "So they were paid off to disappear?"

The therapist nodded. "Yes. It was meant to be a new start for Ethan—though at that time, he was still with Jisoo. The idea was that by moving to a different country, they could escape their past, live quietly, and let Joshua take over the role of Jisoo. But it wasn't that simple. Over time, Heesung—the one who became Ethan—started noticing something was terribly wrong with Jisoo. Day by day, Jisoo was becoming more erratic, more controlling."

Soonyoung crossed his arms, trying to piece it together. "You said Jisoo tried to murder him?"

The therapist nodded grimly. "Ethan told me about a night where everything came to a head. Jisoo had grown increasingly violent, especially when he felt threatened. Ethan said that, on more than one occasion, Jisoo would accuse him of wanting to expose their secret or run away. And one night, Jisoo attacked him. He tried to strangle Ethan in a fit of rage, claiming that Ethan had ruined everything."

Sungmin felt a chill run down his spine. "How did Ethan survive?"

"According to Ethan, he managed to escape that night. He fled and eventually sought help, but he never fully recovered from the psychological damage. He's been battling with the trauma ever since, and his relationship with Jisoo—was completely severed after that."

Sungmin let out a long breath. "This is... beyond what we expected. We were just looking into Ethan's trauma, but this... this could blow everything wide open."

The therapist nodded solemnly. "It's a complicated and tragic situation. Ethan has been carrying the weight of this secret for years, trying to rebuild his life while living with the constant fear that Jisoo might find him again."