Converging Hearts

CHAPTER THREE POINT THREE: POLICE STATION

"Mr. Moon, do you recognize this man?"

The officer's voice cut through the sterile air of the interrogation room, sliding a photograph across the cold metal table toward Oner. The dim fluorescent light flickered, casting harsh shadows over the image. Oner's brows knit together as he stared at the face in the photo, a knot forming in his stomach.

"Yeah," he said, his voice low and tight. "That's her boyfriend." His ex-girlfriend's new man. The bitterness in his words was unmistakable. "What's he got to do with this?"

The officer leaned in, his eyes sharp, unwavering. "We have reason to believe he was involved in the heist."

Oner's heart pounded in his chest. Involved? His ex's betrayal had stung enough, but now this? The man she'd left him for was tied to the chaos at the museum? It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under him all over again.

"You're saying... he was part of it?" Oner's voice was taut, disbelief creeping into his words.

The officer didn't blink. "We've reviewed the footage. He was seen near the vase before the lights went out. We're investigating his role and any accomplices."

Accomplices. The word hit Oner like a punch. His thoughts scrambled to piece it together—the chaos at the museum, the alarms, the thieves. Now, this? It wasn't just about the stolen vase anymore.

"And my ex?" he asked, his voice dropping, tension knotting in his throat. "What about her?"

The officer's silence was heavy, telling. "We're looking into her involvement. Her relationship with this man is suspicious. There's communication between them leading up to the gala."

Oner's pulse quickened, the betrayal he'd felt twisting into something darker. What he had thought was personal—a broken relationship—was now something far more dangerous.

---

Across the hallway, in another interrogation room, Professor Khynny Myggz Cuenca faced her own officer. The light above her was dim, casting a single beam across the photo placed on the table.

"Professor," the officer began, his tone steady but probing, "did you see this man at the gala?"

Khynny's eyes narrowed as she studied the image. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't quite place it. The night had been a blur of faces and tension. Had he been near the vase?

"I'm not sure," she replied, her voice calm but uncertain. "There was a lot happening that night."

The officer's expression didn't change, though his eyes sharpened. "He's under investigation. We believe he wasn't working alone."

Khynny leaned forward, her mind racing. An inside job? She had been so focused on the Goryeo vase—could there have been more at play?

"There were some irregularities in the security footage," the officer continued. "We're hoping you can help us understand what might have been missed."

Khynny's thoughts drifted back to the night—the flicker in the lights, the strange tension before the chaos. Was there something more she hadn't seen?

---

Meanwhile, Hye Jin sat in another room, tapping her foot nervously. The officer placed the same photograph in front of her.

"Did you see this man at the gala?" the officer asked, watching her carefully.

Hye Jin tilted her head, squinting at the image. "Yeah, he was with my brother's ex, right?"

"That's correct. We believe they may have been involved together."

Hye Jin's eyes widened. Together? The thought of her brother being dragged into something this dangerous made her chest tighten with worry.

---

The minutes stretched on, tension thick in the air as each of them sat in their respective rooms, trying to make sense of the fragments of a much larger puzzle.

---

When the interrogations finally ended, Oner, Khynny, and Hye Jin emerged from their separate rooms, their faces tight with tension. Oner's eyes met Khynny's first, his voice low and grim. "They think he was involved," he said. "They think she might've been too."

Khynny's expression darkened, the weight of it all settling heavily on her. "There's more going on here," she murmured. "We're missing something."

Hye Jin, standing between them, glanced from her brother to Khynny. "So, what do we do now?"

Oner's jaw tightened as he spoke. "We talk. Figure out what we know."

Khynny nodded. "But first, lunch. We missed our meal with all this."

Hye Jin perked up, nodding. "Lotteria's nearby. Fast, easy, and no one will bother us."

The three of them exchanged one last glance, a silent agreement to dig deeper as they stepped out of the station into the blinding midday sun. Though the light bathed the city in warmth, the shadows of suspicion and unanswered questions still hung heavy in the air, clouding their thoughts as they walked away.