Episode 11 – Masks and Marble
Rain gave way to velvet night as CHIPER split to hunt truth.
A councilman's gala. A marble palace drenched in wealth and rumor.
One missing aide, one assassin still breathing somewhere in the shadows.
And each of them — detective, doctor, hacker, lawyer, chemist, driver — pulled tighter by the same invisible thread.
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✦ At the gala
Kevin adjusted his black tie, tux crisp against broad shoulders. The grand hall shimmered with crystal chandeliers and polished stone; laughter floated over clinking glasses. But Kevin's eyes were cold, scanning every face.
Dohee stood by his side, gown sleek black satin, eyes bright but wary. "Councilman Kwon always keeps his secrets behind a smile," she murmured.
Kevin's jaw flexed. "And smiles crack."
A waiter glided by. Kevin caught the glass mid-tray, not drinking. His gaze stayed fixed on the marble staircase where Councilman Kwon descended, white pocket square precise, grin painted in politics.
---
Alex's voice whispered in Kevin's ear: "Target on the move. He'll pass you in twenty seconds."
Kevin stepped forward, blocking Kwon's path.
"Mr. Kim," Kwon greeted smoothly, surprise barely showing. "Didn't expect you here."
Kevin dipped his head. "I like surprises," he said, voice low.
Dohee raised her glass. "And sometimes we like answers more."
Kwon's smile froze for half a breath, then returned. "I'm afraid tonight is just wine and music."
Kevin leaned closer, voice dark silk. "And dead aides, Councilman. Care to dance around that?"
Kwon's gaze sharpened, but he swept past. "I have nothing to say."
Kevin's hand twitched to grab him — but Dohee stopped him with a light touch on the wrist. "Not yet," she murmured.
---
✦ Elsewhere: the doctor
Under bright autopsy lights, Guen tugged gloves tighter. The body of a man in his late forties lay silent on cold steel. The congressman's aide.
Miran stood beside her, nervous but steady, handing over instruments, scribbling notes.
Guen lifted the scalpel, breath slow. "Cyanotic lips, petechiae. But let's see what he was really given."
She cut carefully, hands practiced. The chemical smell of formalin mixed with the sharper scent of death.
Miran measured, labeled, sealed samples. "Could this be a nerve agent?" she asked softly.
"Maybe," Guen said, voice tight. "If it is, it's high-grade. Military or government level."
Miran swallowed, glancing at the clock. Outside, the city pulsed on, uncaring.
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✦ The street: Minjae unleashed
Rain-slick alleys. Neon buzz. And Minjae moved like a knife through smoke, leather jacket open, boots splashing through puddles.
His gangsters — four men in black — trailed behind, silent, loyal. At the corner, Minjae lit a cigarette, smoke curling around a grin.
"Find me the shooter," he ordered. "Anyone whispers a name, you pay them. Anyone lies, you teach them respect."
A thug nodded. "Yes, boss."
Minjae turned, dark eyes glittering. "And if they run?"
"We run faster."
---
They swept through clubs and half-closed shops, chasing rumor, fear, the glint of a hidden rifle barrel.
Minjae's phone buzzed. Alex's voice: "Sniper may have ties to Kwon's old campaign team. Look for a merc named Kang Hyuk."
Minjae crushed the cigarette under his heel. "Kang Hyuk, huh? Let's drag him out."
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✦ Back to the gala
Kevin watched Kwon move from donor to donor, mask perfect. His own heart drummed like distant thunder.
Dohee murmured, "If we push too soon, we lose him."
Kevin's gaze stayed locked. "I'm not waiting until there's another body."
Suddenly, Alex's voice: "Kevin. Found something. Councilman's holding a secret meeting — south wing, lounge behind the golden doors."
Kevin nodded once. "Time to cut the dance short."
---
They walked together across marble and light, weaving through laughter and perfume. At the doors, a bodyguard moved to block them.
Kevin's fist shot forward, sharp as a promise. The guard crumpled, silent. Dohee slipped inside behind him.
In the lounge, Kwon stood alone, phone in hand. His eyes widened — not in surprise, but calculation.
"You shouldn't be here," Kwon said, voice low.
Kevin stepped closer. "You had the aide killed."
Kwon exhaled. "Do you know what happens to men who think they can touch power?"
"I know what happens to men who hide behind it," Kevin shot back.
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✦ The knife behind words
Kwon's lips curved, cold. "He was going to expose a list," he murmured. "Names, deals… things better buried."
"And how many more people die to keep your list buried?" Dohee demanded.
Kwon's gaze flickered to her. "As many as it takes."
For a moment, silence — heavy as wet stone.
Kevin's hand twitched toward the phone in Kwon's hand. "Give it."
Kwon's thumb moved. A single click.
Alex's voice exploded in Kevin's ear: "Kevin! Abort! It's a call to the sniper — he just gave the kill order!"
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✦ In the lab
Guen bent over a sample. The toxin spread on the slide bloomed like ghost petals.
Miran, breath shaking, held out a fresh slide. "Kevin just called. Sniper's still out there."
Guen's hand trembled, then steadied. "Tell Alex: if the sniper comes here, I won't freeze."
Outside, wind rattled the window. Somewhere beyond, death moved unseen.
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✦ Alley chase
Minjae caught sight of a silhouette on a fire escape: rifle, rain-slick coat. Kang Hyuk.
Minjae's gangsters surged forward. The sniper dropped, rolling to his feet, sprinting through puddles.
Minjae took the alley corner fast, boots skidding. "Don't kill him!" he barked. "I want answers!"
The sniper vaulted a low fence — but Minjae moved faster. A single flying kick slammed the man to the ground. The rifle clattered away.
Minjae knelt, grabbing Kang's collar. "Smile for me, pretty boy," he rasped, rain dripping from his hair. "Or I break your teeth."
---
Kang spat blood. "Too late," he hissed. "The list's already moving."
"What list?!" Minjae snarled.
"The auction list," Kang gasped. "Names for sale. Including… her."
"Her?" Minjae barked.
The sniper coughed, eyes dulling. "Your doctor. Guen Park."
---
✦ Cliff-edge
Alex's voice choked over comms: "Kevin… Guen's name is on the auction list."
Kevin's breath froze, heart slamming so hard it hurt. "Repeat that."
"Guen Park. Targeted. Someone paid millions."
Kevin's vision narrowed. Kwon's calm face blurred into rage-red haze.
Dohee's voice cut through: "Kevin! Don't—"
Too late. Kevin lunged, fist cracking across Kwon's jaw. The councilman staggered, hitting the marble wall, blood on his lip.
"Touch her," Kevin hissed, voice raw, "and you burn."
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✦ Back at HQ, hours later
Rain pooled outside the windows. Alex dumped the decrypted file on the table: the auction list.
Minjae flung the wet coat aside. "We got Kang. He's talking."
Guen, still in lab scrubs, froze as she saw her own photo in the file. Her voice dropped. "That's… me."
Kevin's voice, low as thunder: "They're coming for you."
Dohee's hand shook as she scrolled. "It's bigger than Kwon. Guen isn't the only target."
---
Miran clutched her mug, face white. Minjae sat beside her, smirk softer than usual. "Don't worry, kitten. You've got us."
She tried to smile, but tears pricked anyway.
Kevin looked up, eyes locked on Guen. His mask cracked, raw fear burning through. "I won't let them touch you," he said.
And for once, she didn't argue.