Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 58

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

58.
Hunter paused the footage. There was nothing particularly striking about the scene—a middle-aged man filling a sedan at the pump, nothing more.
In front of it, a cargo truck was also fueling. The truck’s owner was nowhere to be seen, likely in the restroom.
“Play it again.”
The frozen frame resumed. The middle-aged man glanced around, then casually approached the cargo truck and tossed something into the cargo bed.
Anthony’s brow furrowed deeply.
“What did he throw in?”
“A cigarette butt, maybe?”
“It looks larger and heavier than that. Could it be a cell phone?”
Just then, the truck owner came walking back. The middle-aged man returned to his own vehicle as if nothing had happened.
“That sedan over there—the license plate’s not visible…”
In that moment, the middle-aged man’s face appeared directly on the CCTV. The image quality wasn’t pristine, but his broad features were distinguishable enough.
Hunter narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the man’s face, then shot a glance at Anthony.
“Doesn’t he look like Peter?”
“Great minds think alike. I was just thinking the same thing.”
A brief silence fell. The two men were surely arriving at the same conclusion. Anthony exhaled a curse. “Damn.”
Hunter quickly rewound the footage. The sedan’s license plate became visible as it entered the gas station—a rental car plate. The very one Hee-ju had rented in San Francisco.
“We’ve been played.”
“Peter took her cell phone all the way here, then tossed it into the cargo truck to make it look like they were heading east.”
“The highway CCTV caught the license plate, so we never suspected a thing. We fell for it completely. The cunning bastard!”
Anthony slammed his palm on the desk, his fury erupting. Bang!
Meanwhile, Hunter copied the CCTV footage and sent it to Headquarters. Anthony stormed out of the office, fuming.
“Peter helped them, then. Mrs. Melphis and everyone else—they’re all in on it.”
“But there’s one person missing. Emma. Where is she?”
“Leave that to the local police. We have our own work to do.”
At Anthony’s words, Hunter nodded and opened the driver’s door. “Right.”
“I’ll drive on the way back.”
“You’re going back?”
“If they made it look like they were moving elsewhere, the chances are high they’re still in that area.”
“You’re right. We need to go back.”
“Call Headquarters and have them dig deeper into the connection between Mrs. Melphis and Hee-ju. Include the late Mr. Melphis as well. There’s got to be a reason they stayed.”
“Will do.”
Hunter started to turn the ignition, then stopped and got out, heading toward a gas station attendant. He asked a few quick questions.
Returning to the car, Hunter stepped on the accelerator. Instead of leaving through the main exit, the vehicle turned onto a narrow side road.
Anthony looked at him with confusion.
“Where are we going?”
“This road leads past a farm and circles back the way we came. It’s a longer route, but it works.”
“Ah. Trying to lose those mafia thugs?”
“I have a hunch we’re about to meet those two. Better clear the obstacles out of the way first.”
“Good thinking.”
Anthony interlaced his fingers behind his head and chuckled, a stark contrast to his rage moments before.
Hunter glanced at him sideways and shook his head. For someone with such stable emotions, Anthony’s mood swings were incomprehensible.
Well, at least it’s quiet.
***
Thump-thump-thump.
The vehicle lurched with each forward motion. The unpaved dirt road warranted it.
Hee-ju, hands on the wheel, glanced at Liam in the passenger seat. He was scrutinizing a map with considerable focus.
Her eyes narrowed with skepticism.
“We’re going the right way, aren’t we?”
“Surely you’re not doubting me?”
Hee-ju turned her attention back to the road, past the GPS Navigation system that had gone silent. A low-hanging branch scraped the vehicle.
“I’m not sure this even qualifies as a road.”
“Don’t worry. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone better at reading maps than me.”
“Weren’t you the type who preferred asking friendly strangers?”
“Unfortunately, there are no kind ladies passing by out here.”
Hee-ju pouted at Liam, who hadn’t backed down, and he lowered the map from his eyes to respond.
“Since this is private property, they wouldn’t have bothered maintaining the road like a resort. Relax.”
“That’s certainly reassuring. Thank you.”
The vehicle lurched again. Hee-ju gripped the steering wheel tighter to steady it.
A shallow stream appeared ahead. As she tensed, Liam spoke in a casual tone.
“Cross it.”
“…You’re sure?”
“The water’s shallow enough. And the jeep has higher clearance than a sedan anyway. Melphis likely had a jeep here too.”
“What if we hadn’t switched cars with Peter?”
“We’d have crossed in the sedan.”
Hee-ju exhaled quietly and pressed the accelerator. The engine roared as the vehicle surged into the water.
The water was indeed shallow. The wheels barely submerged halfway.
Splash! Water sprayed in the jeep’s wake. Tall trees towered densely around them. The sunlight barely penetrated, casting the forest in twilight gloom.
The jeep climbed the dirt bank, jostling them once more.
“That must be it.”
“Where?”
Hee-ju narrowed her eyes, staring intently ahead. All she saw was a massive Oak Tree Forest.
It wasn’t until the vehicle passed between the dense oaks that
“Wow—”
a soft gasp escaped her lips. As if the forest had been a gateway, a vast clearing opened before them.
And standing in the center was a cabin.
The Oak Tree Forest surrounding it stood like an impenetrable fortress wall, allowing no intrusion.
Hee-ju pulled up in front of the cabin. Liam turned to her and spoke.
“It would be better to park around back.”
“All right.”
Without hesitation, Hee-ju restarted the engine and drove around to the rear of the cabin. Liam must have had his reasons.
Behind the cabin stood a small storage shed with a large padlock on its door. Hee-ju parked beside it.
As she killed the engine, Liam was already out, surveying the Oak Tree Forest. After walking its perimeter, he returned to the cabin.
“The trees are too dense. There’s no space for a vehicle to pass through. We’ll have to exit the way we came.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Good in that we can monitor for intruders. Bad in that we have only one escape route. Life is like both sides of a coin, after all.”
“Well, I never knew Sherlock Holmes dispensed life advice.”
Liam smiled softly and peered through a window. Heavy curtains blocked the interior from view.
He tried the front door handle. It was locked, as expected.
Liam nodded. Hee-ju swallowed hard, suddenly tense. She reached into her bag and withdrew the key.
Breathe.
She took a short breath and inserted the key into the lock. She turned it slowly, applying gentle pressure. Would it work? Or might this not be the right key?
……
Click. The door opened.
A wave of indescribable emotion washed over her.
The key her father had left was indeed the key to Melphis’s cabin. And somewhere inside, he had left something of importance for her.
What could it be? What secret had cost her father his life and made her a fugitive from the CIA and the Russian Mafia?
At last, she would have her answer.
“I’ll go in first.”
Liam stepped ahead of her. Hee-ju hesitated, watching his back.
It felt so familiar.
The thought struck her suddenly. She stopped in her tracks and slowly lowered her gaze.
Only then did she realize how many moments he had positioned himself in front of her—shielding her from danger, standing between her and every threat.
What am I doing?
She felt helpless. Terrified that her feelings were becoming genuine. Convinced that if his heart ever wavered, she would cling to him pathetically, unable to let go.
Maybe that’s why first loves are always so troublesome.
She had never let anyone close before. She wasn’t equipped to face goodbyes cleanly, nor did she have the strength to release her grip.
“It’s fine. There’s no one here.”
Liam emerged from the living room and saw her standing frozen. His brow furrowed slightly with concern.
“Hee-ju?”
Hee-ju lifted her head as if nothing were amiss and stepped forward.
The moment she entered, the living room revealed itself. The first thing to catch her eye was Deer Taxidermy mounted beside the fireplace.
She startled involuntarily and stumbled backward, bumping into Liam’s chest.
“I was just startled for a moment.”
She mumbled sheepishly and walked toward the fireplace, examining it thoroughly before turning back to Liam.
“That’s it. The fireplace from my father’s photograph, and from Mr. Melphis’s photograph. We found the right place.”
“What do we do now?”
At his question, Hee-ju turned her head slowly. Her eyes swept across the living room until they fixed on something.
Liam followed her gaze and let out a light laugh.
“Ah, a clock?”

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