Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 56

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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56.
***
“Wow, not again.”
Anthony whistled sharply as he stepped into the Residence, the sound cutting through the air. Corpses lined the path from the Garden all the way to the entrance.
At first glance, it looked like infighting among organization members. But the two men knew better.
“Is it him?”
In response to Anthony’s question, Hunter said, “Who knows.” He climbed to the second floor and stopped short again.
“What? What’s—wow.”
Anthony, following behind, let out a quiet exclamation. His expression grew uneasy.
“Eleven bodies total. You’re telling me one person did all this? There has to be an accomplice, right?”
Even as he said it, he knew it wasn’t true. The security footage showed only Hee-ju and a man whose identity remained unknown.
“Who on earth is this? Shouldn’t headquarters have identified him by now?”
Hunter murmured thoughtfully in response to Anthony’s question.
“Did you see that in the garden?”
“That? Oh, that.”
Anthony pushed the door open slightly and peered inside. He picked up a Fishing Line that lay on the floor.
“The corpse was shredded to pieces.”
“That looks like Grenade damage.”
Anthony waved the Fishing Line as he spoke.
“They covered their tracks, but I don’t think they used a Booby Trap. It’s too far from the Residence to throw a Grenade.”
“Did organization members storm the place? Why? And what’s the connection between this Residence and them? First—where’s the owner?”
As Hunter’s questions poured out, a loud siren wailed.
Wee-wee-wee. Wee-wee-wee.
Hunter stepped into a room and looked down at the Garden. Police cars pulled in one after another, their lights flashing. An ambulance was mixed in among them.
“Let’s find out what’s going on.”
Anthony went down the stairs first. Uniformed officers were climbing out of their vehicles.
Anthony flashed his ID to the highest-ranking officer present and exchanged a few words. It was the Police Chief of the local Police Department.
“Wait a moment. Let me clarify something.”
Anthony scratched the bridge of his nose, and the portly Police Chief nodded.
“So a nephew after Melpis’s fortune has been attempting her murder repeatedly. Tonight he brought associates with him, but at some point they turned on each other. In the chaos, Melpis and her knight—what was his name again?”
“Peter.”
“Right, Peter. They fled and called the police.”
Anthony paused here, his expression deeply skeptical.
“Do you believe that?”
“I know Melpis well. Her late husband was a pillar of this community and my high school classmate. He died in a car accident last year, but both he and she were people of principle—I’d stake my name on it. Besides, everyone in town knows James is trouble. The men he brought are no different.”
“Trouble?”
“Drinking, gambling, drugs. He did everything.”
“You say he attempted Melpis’s murder multiple times? So why didn’t she report him?”
“I advised her to report him so I could lock him up. But she was trembling with fear—worried about how long he’d spend inside and whether he’d really kill her once he got out. In the end, it came to this. Harsh as it sounds, it worked out well. There are people in this world for whom death is the better outcome.”
“It worked out well.”
Hunter repeated the words. Too well, perhaps? Melpis’s worries had vanished in an instant.
He looked at the Police Chief.
“Where is Melpis now?”
“At the Hospital with Peter. She needs rest, apparently. Those bastards—they roughed her up badly. Rope marks are still fresh on her wrists.”
Anthony glanced at Hunter, as if asking how much of this he believed. Hunter murmured quietly.
“We should stop by the Hospital.”
Only then did the Police Chief voice his lingering question.
“But why is the CIA showing up for this? The FBI, maybe, but the CIA? What kind of trouble did James cause?”
Hunter and Anthony didn’t answer. They left at once.
The Police Chief watched their departing figures with visible displeasure and shook his head.
A Detective who had been surveying the scene approached and spoke in a bitter tone.
“There are no survivors.”
The Police Chief smiled with satisfaction.
“That’s fortunate. The neighborhood’s gotten cleaner.”
***
Liam parked the car at the State Park Entrance Parking Lot. The air had frozen crisp in that moment just as the sun began to rise.
He slung a Bag over one shoulder and walked to the back of the car. Opening the trunk, he handed Hee-ju a thick Fur Coat and Fur Hat.
“Put these on.”
“Where did you get them?”
“From Melpis’s room. Hunting clothes, it looks like. I thought they’d be useful. It’ll be colder once we head into the mountains, so wear them.”
“What about you?”
Hee-ju asked, eyeing Liam in nothing but a T-shirt and a light flight jacket. Liam gave a small, easy laugh.
“I’m fine.”
“But—”
“Or you could warm me up instead.”
“Isn’t that sexual harassment?”
As Hee-ju’s eyes flickered away, Liam feigned innocence.
“What kind of dirty thoughts are you having? I just meant make me a warm cup of tea.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Yes, I did. Come to think of it, the one who’s desperate to sleep is you, not me.”
Liam’s shameless reply came as he pointed toward the Diner.
“Should we grab something before the hike? Warm coffee will help us warm up. Better to move after sunrise anyway.”
“Sounds good.”
The two walked toward the Diner side by side. Liam opened the door and stepped back slightly to let her go first.
Once seated, a server approached. Hee-ju ordered pancakes and coffee; Liam ordered an omelet, bacon, and coffee.
Hee-ju slowly turned her head and gazed out through the large window at the landscape beyond.
Time seemed suspended yet clearly flowing, and the settled darkness gradually retreated. The colors of the forest grew more vivid.
The Diner was quite warm. After draping the Fur Coat over the chair beside her, Hee-ju turned her gaze to Liam.
“I still don’t understand. Why did my father take a Photograph at Melpis’s Cabin? What kind of relationship did they have?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think anyone could answer that question—at least not now.”
Liam’s words were accurate. Both her father and Melpis were no longer of this world.
“But we could make an educated guess.”
Liam’s eyes grew interested at her words. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.
“What kind of guess?”
“That the two were closer than people thought. But few knew this fact. Margaret never even heard the name Alan Smith before.”
“What’s your evidence that they were closer than expected?”
“My father treated that place as a Safe House. Even if someone was investigating him, they wouldn’t reach Melpis. That’s why he hid the Important Item there.”
Liam remained silent, signaling her to continue.
“If it hadn’t been a trustworthy location, he wouldn’t have kept something so important there. And then—”
“The Key.”
At his quiet interjection, Hee-ju nodded.
“Exactly. My father wasn’t the Cabin’s owner, but he had a Key. Melpis probably gave him a spare. Which means they were closer than people thought.”
“That makes sense.”
Liam’s eyes narrowed. This was the part he found captivating—the part he couldn’t look away from.
How it stumbled yet pressed forward, crumbled yet rose again.
Modern people were addicted to short videos. They watched thirty-second clips for hours.
Liam couldn’t understand them. Not just videos—he didn’t understand addiction itself.
Something one couldn’t control by sheer will.
Endless craving and yearning.
It was a world apart from Liam’s experience. He could control himself, could stop whenever he wished.
But Hee-ju was different. He’d begun watching her out of curiosity, but gradually found he couldn’t look away. His gaze kept seeking her out, and boredom never touched him.
Dopamine Addiction.
That’s why he craved her. He couldn’t stop by sheer will.
Then again, if you could break it by willpower, it wouldn’t be addiction.
“How’s your arm?”
Hee-ju asked with concern on her face.
“Shouldn’t you go to the Hospital? What if the wound gets infected?”
“This much is—ah, the wound’s throbbing a little.”
“See? We’re going to the Hospital right now.”
Hee-ju stood up abruptly. “Come on,” she urged, her voice laced with worry for him.
Liam gripped his forearm and furrowed his brow. Hee-ju’s face grew noticeably tense.
“Let me see. The Bandage didn’t come loose, did it? I told you to be careful.”
She moved beside him and rolled up his sleeve to examine the wound. Her tone was reproachful, but her touch was tender, her gaze meticulous.
That’s why he was being so uncharacteristically needy.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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