Arc 3: The Rise of the Rival
Chapter 17: The Hunt for the Traitor
Jae-min's pulse raced as he sat in the dimly lit office, his mind still processing the revelation Elyra had delivered earlier. Seo Min-jae—the one person he had trusted most in the company—was the likely mole feeding critical information to Noah Corp. It seemed impossible, yet the evidence was stacking up. The worst part was that he had no idea why Min-jae would betray him. There had to be something more to it, something personal.
He pressed his fingers against his temple, trying to keep his emotions in check. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind. From the business takeover to dealing with competitors, it had all felt like an uphill battle. But this? This was different. This was personal.
"Elyra," Jae-min murmured as he activated the holographic interface. The AI materialized beside him, her usual calm demeanor matching the tension in the air.
"Yes, Jae-min?" she responded, her tone soft yet firm.
"Track Min-jae's movements today. Everything. We need to know where he's been, who he's been talking to, and who's been meeting him. I want to know everything," Jae-min said, his voice hardening.
Elyra nodded. "Understood. But remember, confronting him without solid proof could make things worse. We need to be sure."
"I know," he said, running a hand through his hair. "But I can't let this go on. I built this company with trust. If Min-jae is the one who's betraying us, then I need to end it now—before it's too late."
Elyra paused for a moment, before her hologram flickered and solidified again. "I'll continue to monitor him. But be cautious. Betrayal can come from the most unexpected places."
Jae-min stood up, his gaze hard. "I won't let AstraLux fall. Not like this."
The next morning, Jae-min walked into the office with a steely resolve. The atmosphere was tense—his suspicions had started to leak into his own behavior. His employees had begun whispering. Yeon-hee approached him as soon as he entered, a concerned expression on her face.
"Jae-min, is everything okay?" she asked, her eyes scanning his. She could tell something was off.
Jae-min gave her a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah. Just some personal stuff I need to deal with."
Yeon-hee raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue. "I need to speak to you about a few things in the marketing department. Do you have time later?"
"Of course," he said, brushing off her concern. "I'll meet you after the team meeting."
She nodded and left, but Jae-min couldn't shake the nagging feeling that the mole could be closer than he thought.
He walked through the office, observing his employees, each busy with their tasks. His eyes lingered on Min-jae's desk, but it was empty. Min-jae had yet to arrive, which was unusual. The head of development was never late—his presence was always punctual.
Jae-min couldn't help but wonder if Min-jae was already anticipating his next move.
As the hours ticked by, Jae-min kept his focus on the task at hand—monitoring Min-jae's every move. Elyra had managed to pinpoint a few oddities. Min-jae had been accessing files that were outside his immediate jurisdiction, files that he shouldn't have had clearance for. The most alarming detail was that some of these files had been deleted from the system right after being accessed.
Jae-min leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the desk in a rhythmic pattern. "It's only a matter of time before you slip up, Min-jae."
Just then, Yeon-hee's voice broke through his thoughts. "Jae-min, can I talk to you now?"
He looked up at her and nodded. "Sure, let's go to my office."
They moved to the quieter space, and as soon as the door shut behind them, Yeon-hee's expression shifted from professional to one of quiet concern. "Jae-min, I need to ask you something."
"What's up?" he asked, trying to mask the turmoil in his chest.
"You've been acting... different," she said, studying his face. "Something's wrong. I can tell. You've been on edge for days now. Is it the business? The competition with Noah Corp? Or something else?"
Jae-min hesitated. She was right. The strain of running AstraLux and handling everything that came with it was taking its toll. But now wasn't the time for personal confessions. He needed answers.
"Yeon-hee, there's something going on within the company," he said, his voice quieter than usual. "I think someone close to me is betraying us."
Her eyes widened, the concern in her gaze deepening. "Who?"
"I'm not sure yet," Jae-min said, meeting her eyes. "But I have reason to believe it's Min-jae."
Yeon-hee stiffened. "Min-jae? Are you serious? He's been with us from the very beginning."
"I know," Jae-min said, his voice tinged with frustration. "But the evidence is stacking up. I need your help to keep an eye on him. I can't afford to be wrong about this."
Yeon-hee didn't speak for a moment, her gaze shifting away as if thinking deeply. Finally, she nodded. "Alright. I'll help. But if you're wrong about this... it could destroy the trust of the entire team."
"I know the risk," Jae-min said. "But we can't afford to ignore it."
Yeon-hee's expression softened slightly. "Alright, Jae-min. I'm in. But promise me—if it's not Min-jae, you'll take responsibility for the fallout. You can't let suspicion ruin everything you've built."
"I promise," he said, his gaze unwavering. "We'll get to the bottom of this."
Later that night, Jae-min received a call from Elyra.
"Jae-min, I've found something. Min-jae is meeting with someone tomorrow night. They're planning something—something big."
His heart raced. "Who is he meeting with?"
Elyra's voice was calm, but there was a note of urgency. "I don't know yet, but I'm tracking their location. It's time to confront him."
Jae-min stood up, his hands clenched into fists. "This ends tomorrow."