You Have Been Defended [EN]: Chapter 348

You Have Been Defended – Episode 348

The best and second-best options we presented all crumbled, and we ended up with the least desirable one.

I had hoped that Kim Hwa-young and Go Sang-joon wouldn’t truly fall out, but the sudden appearance of the Umi Gallery employee ruined everything.

No, considering how things have turned out, it might be better to see it as resolving an inconvenience.

It was indeed inconvenient not being able to move actively, as I had been investigating quietly behind the scenes without revealing my presence.

Since I couldn’t thoroughly dig around and confirm things, I mostly had to rely on what Kim Chan-young and his mother said.

Also, now that the gallery employee has shown up like this, I can’t expose Kim Chan-young and his mother to the gallery employee any further.

Kim Chan-young was doing well, of course, but he was also a victim of a shocking incident.

His actions probably weren’t the best he could do either.

From now on, it’s better for me to deal with things directly rather than through Kim Chan-young.

“Chan-young, you still feel the same way, right? That you don’t want to be on bad terms with Go Sang-joon.”

Kim Chan-young nodded at my question.

His resolve seemed firm.

That’s why he remained composed with the lawyers while Kim Hwa-young was causing a scene at Taekwang, screaming and making a fuss.

At that time, Kim Chan-young didn’t even seem to consider that Kim Hwa-young would appoint Cha Joo-han, Go Sang-joon’s enemy, and acted as if he needed to make a good impression because Taekwang and he would have to continue meeting due to his mother’s case.

“Yes.”

“Once your mother appoints me, surveillance on you might increase a bit, to check if you’re also part of the scheme.”

“That’s likely.”

“For now, let’s mainly talk over the phone, and when we meet, we should make the meeting place more discreet. I’ll think more about that and contact you.”

“Understood. Anything else?”

“First, take good care of your mother and reassure her not to worry too much since I’ll be handling the case.”

At my words, Kim Chan-young chuckled and said,

“You said that everything won’t be resolved just because you’re handling the case.”

“That’s true, but it’s important for your mother to feel at ease. And give me the Umi Gallery employee’s contact information. I need to talk to that person and decide whether to request a postponement of the trial.”

“Are you saying you might not request a postponement?”

“If that employee quickly spills the evidence, there won’t be a need. Text me the contact information.”

“How are you going to manage without 400 million won?”

“I’ll tell you if I succeed. Now, dismissed. Go take care of your mother.”

Kim Chan-young left the hotel, saying he would contact me soon, and as soon as he left the room, Kang Min-jae slumped onto the sofa and sighed deeply.

“I take back what I said about things going smoothly when that gallery employee showed up. I take it back. I didn’t know things would get this twisted.”

“You could tell from the way the gallery employee was talking, right?”

He was only thinking about extorting money from Kim Chan-young.

The death of the housekeeper, who was supposedly his girlfriend, wasn’t a sad event for him; rather, it was just another opportunity to make money.

I’ve never seen things go well when a person with an evil heart gets involved.

“Kang, text Chan-young the necessary documents… No. It’ll be hard to meet Kim Hwa-young once she’s hospitalized anyway, so call her now, check on her condition, and get the retainer agreement. And the termination agreement too.”

“Ah, that’s better. Understood. I’ll leave my car here. I can ride with Chan-young. You take the car, Attorney.”

Kang Min-jae handed me the car keys and quickly got up to call Kim Chan-young.

Fortunately, Kim Chan-young seemed to still be inside the hotel, as Kang Min-jae quickly gathered his belongings and left the room.

“Hoo.”

I went to the table by the window and lit a cigarette.

Now that I’ve decided to take on the case, I need to sort out this tangled mess.

What we know now: the real culprit, and someone who witnessed the real culprit committing the crime.

What we need to obtain: the witness’s testimony and photos of the crime scene.

What we don’t know: the motive, and other information that has been passed on to the police.

For example, how much information the CCTV contains, what the employees at the detached residence testified, and the exact estimated time of the crime that they identified.

Of course, it’s not like we know nothing about these things.

I know that the CCTV footage was completely overwritten with other videos, and the only information remaining in the video is that Kim Hwa-young was the last person to enter after the housekeeper.

I also know that the employees testified that they weren’t home at the time and didn’t know anything.

The estimated time of the incident is when Kim Hwa-young was seemingly kicked out of the house by the housekeeper and then returned in anger.

‘There must have been a video showing Kim Hwa-young entering the house, committing the crime, and then leaving again. And the employees must have coordinated their stories, saying they hadn’t been to the house since there was no call after that.’

If they had gone to the Jo Yeon-dong detached residence after that, their continued claim of ‘We don’t know anything’ would lose credibility.

Anyway, the Jo Yeon-dong detached residence was recognized by the police as Kim Hwa-young’s villa, not her main residence.

In this situation, it’s understandable that Kim Hwa-young is being considered a strong suspect.

‘But with this much, Go Sang-joon could have easily stopped it.’

It’s true that she was the last one to enter and exit, but there’s no conclusive evidence.

All entrances to the Jo Yeon-dong detached residence are equipped with CCTV, so there are no blind spots, but it’s not impossible to imagine a way to sneak in.

Rather, if Go Sang-joon had used his power, he could have portrayed Kim Hwa-young as ‘a survivor who was almost killed like the housekeeper.’

‘It wouldn’t have been strange if things had gone according to our scenario. Go Sang-joon is the kind of person who could have ignored Kim Hwa-young to dramatically pressure her because he really has a bad relationship with her…’

Go Sang-joon already knew that Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min had killed the housekeeper.

I don’t know when he found out, but if he knew from the beginning, he would have prevented the body from being discovered in the first place to drive Kim Hwa-young into a corner…

‘No. If he knew from the beginning, he would have stopped the incident from escalating because the real culprits are his two sons, and the blame might fall on them.’

It’s more likely that he found out after the police filed charges.

The police would have asked for the CCTV footage after the charges were filed.

‘Wait, Go Sang-joon first tampered with the CCTV right after the missing person report was filed… Then he might have confirmed Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min’s crime at that time.’

But in this case, it’s strange that he didn’t completely get rid of the body after scolding his two sons from the start.

Go Sang-joon didn’t do that, and eventually, the body reappeared, bringing the housekeeper murder case to the surface.

This violates the solid assumption that Go Sang-joon would never let this incident become a ‘case.’

In this case, it’s natural to assume that Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min tampered with the CCTV after killing the housekeeper, hiding their crime from their father as well.

Then again, let’s assume that Go Sang-joon learned about Go Yoon-min and Go Yoon-ho’s crime after the body was discovered and the police filed charges.

To protect his two sons, someone has to take the blame.

At that time, Kim Hwa-young was the registered owner of the house, Kim Hwa-young and the housekeeper had a bad relationship, and there was even CCTV evidence that Kim Hwa-young was there at the estimated time of the incident due to an inexplicable ’employee’s mistake.’

‘Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min put Kim Hwa-young forward as a fake culprit because they were afraid the blame would fall on them?’

Just like he said he would have one of the employees confess to make Kim Hwa-young a fake culprit, Kim Hwa-young was a fake culprit to Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min.

And if Kim Hwa-young, who knows nothing, clings to him, it’s the icing on the cake.

Go Sang-joon can successfully pressure Kim Hwa-young and protect Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min.

Up to this point, everything fits together.

‘Then what about the body disappearing and reappearing?’

Assuming that Go Sang-joon recognized the murder case right after the body reappeared, then who hid the body in the first place?

Again, Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min?

Since they killed her, it’s understandable that they tried to hide the body.

But what about putting it back?

“Hmm…”

I lit a new cigarette and pondered.

I had a conversation with Kang Min-jae about this before.

Wasn’t the reason for putting the housekeeper’s body back to frame Kim Hwa-young?

Since Go Yoon-min and Go Yoon-ho hid the body, only those two would know the location of the body.

‘Go Yoon-min and Go Yoon-ho are the ones who can put it back.’

Besides, the CCTV.

Isn’t it something that Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min, who had already tampered with the CCTV once, could easily do, leaving only Kim Hwa-young in the CCTV footage, which they claim was an employee’s mistake?

Go Sang-joon wouldn’t have checked all those CCTV footage one by one.

When they first tampered with the CCTV to hide their crime, they must have already bribed the employee who manages the CCTV, so leaving Kim Hwa-young’s video was nothing.

‘Go Yoon-ho and Go Yoon-min were going to frame Kim Hwa-young and get rid of her since they committed the crime.’

Then why?

Why would they try to make Kim Hwa-young a murderer?

‘Because she’s their father’s mistress?’

That’s not a new thing.

Go Sang-joon has been in a relationship with Kim Hwa-young since Go Yoon-min and Go Yoon-ho were very young.

It’s natural to assume that something happened to provoke them.

‘I think I need to find out the reason for assaulting the housekeeper first…’

To them, the Jo Yeon-dong detached residence was a place for Go Sang-joon and Kim Hwa-young’s secret meetings.

The reason they suddenly appeared at the Jo Yeon-dong detached residence was definitely not because of the housekeeper.

It’s clear that they came to meet Kim Hwa-young.

But then they got into an argument with the housekeeper.

‘First, I need to meet that gallery employee and question them in detail.’

There was some progress, but the motive is still not satisfied.

I looked at the ashtray already filled with cigarette butts and got up from the sofa.

It would be good to go home, sort things out first, and prepare for the next step.

* * *

“…So the conclusion is that Go Yoon-min and Go Yoon-ho framed Kim Hwa-young for a crime they committed for some reason?”

After organizing the case on the large whiteboard at home, the large whiteboard was completely filled.

Kang Min-jae, who was sitting in front of the whiteboard listening to the explanation, nodded and said.

“Wouldn’t it be enough to frame her even if there’s no reason?”

“Why?”

“Anyway, they killed someone, so they thought someone had to take the blame, and the detached residence happened to be Kim Hwa-young’s house, and Kim Hwa-young is their father’s mistress. So they framed her.”

“Wouldn’t it be much easier to tell Go Sang-joon and have him cover up the case?”

“…They didn’t want to get caught by their dad?”

“That’s like burning down the house to catch a flea [an extreme overreaction]. Those two knew that too.”

Kang Min-jae muttered, “I guess,” and nodded.

They probably learned enough from watching Go Yoon-sung, who was always causing accidents since he was young, and their father, who always covered up those accidents.

That when an accident happens, it’s better to confess quickly than to try to cover it up themselves.

“The case is very complicated.”

“Kang did a good job summarizing it? Go Yoon-min and Go Yoon-ho framed Kim Hwa-young for a crime they committed for some reason. The end.”

“But the internal situation is complicated. How much does Go Sang-joon know, is he really trying to pressure Kim Hwa-young, how will he react knowing that we’ve been appointed, etc.”

Kang Min-jae sighed and shook the cigarette pack in his arms.

“Let’s have a cigarette and talk more.”

“There’s nothing more to talk about. Go now. And did you get Kim Hwa-young’s phone?”

“Yes, I got it.”

“Use that to contact the gallery employee pretending to be Kim Hwa-young and ask to meet. Say you want to negotiate.”

“Ah, right. The gallery employee. How are you going to persuade the gallery employee? You said you’re not going to give him 400 million won.”

“Well, I’ll have to see when I face him. Go, quickly.”

“Ah, I don’t want to go home. Can’t I sleep over?”

Here we go again.

I put the board marker down on the whiteboard and grabbed the doorknob.

“Leave while I’m asking nicely.”

“What’s after asking nicely?”

“I’ll call the police.”

“…That’s too much.”

Kang Min-jae gathered his scattered belongings on the table and stood up.

“Oh, I’m getting a call.”

He really doesn’t want to leave.

Kang Min-jae, who was sitting back in his chair and slowly taking out the phone he had put in his pocket, suddenly opened his eyes wide and showed me the screen.

[Kim Yoon-hee]

The person calling was none other than Kim Yoon-hee, who was in charge of Kim Hwa-young at Taekwang.