Money Loving CEO's Detective Lover

Minho was calmly waiting outside the trial room for ten minutes when Gayoon came out of there. 

"Good, you're ready-" he began to say but upon seeing her, his words faltered. The peach colored suit complemented her fair skin. It fit her willowy built while her hair was tied into a bun, making her look every bit like a professional business woman. 

"So, does this look alright on me?" she asked nervously. Minho did not reply but stepped closer. Gayoon was blushing a little when he gently took off the clip holding her hair and let her long strands loose. He smoothed her hair, careful not to touch her but she felt as if small jolts of electricity were hitting her skin.

"You look good in anything you wear," he said. Gayoon gaped at him.

"But I should keep my hair tied," she said weakly. "It won't look professional if I let my hair loose like this-"

"I like your long hair," he mentioned. "It looks nice."

He said it in a casual way but Gayoon could feel her heart racing again. How did this man managed to say these things with a straight face?

"Uhh...er…"

"I've paid for the clothes already," he went on. "The store executives will pack your uniform in a bag and put it in my car."

Gayoon wanted to thank him but her lips would not move because she was still in a daze. Red in the face, she followed him out and got into the front seat next to him. 

"S-so where is this meeting taking place?" she asked, trying to distract her mind from his earlier words.

"At one of my hotels in Town C," he replied. "It's not far from here."

"What exactly is this meeting about?" she queried. "I might as well get some pointers from beforehand so that I don't miss out on any details."

"I'll be meeting up with a land owner from Country J," he replied. "He has ancestral land in this country and wants to sell it to us. I simply want to see what he has to offer."

"What's his name?" 

"Hyoui Kazuma," Minho answered. "Back in his country, he owns the Hyoui cafe chain which belongs to his family. It's quite popular there and they're looking into making an international chain."

"Then why can't he just use this current land to build his cafe?" Gayoon frowned.

"Let's see what he says," Minho replied. He pulled up in front of the hotel. A valet opened the car's door for them.

"This way, sir and madame," the valet said, ushering them ahead towards the lobby. They entered through the automated doors where the staff members immediately recognized Minho. They also noticed the stunning woman next to him who was walking beside him, emitting a quiet confidence. The sight of the beautiful couple was a treat to their eyes.

Gayoon scanned around, impressed by the lavish golden and rosy decor of the hotel. There was a large glass dome directly above their head through which she could see the sky. There were paintings of western artists hung on the walls while a small fountain stood in the middle of the lobby. It had a statue of a mermaid who was holding a pot through which the water was pouring out.

The duty manager came forward to greet his boss.

"Good afternoon sir," the manager greeted. "And madame."

"Manager Song, I believe the meeting room has prepared for us?" Minho asked.

"Yes sir," the manager replied. "If you would follow me."

They followed him towards a private meeting room which was set up for their meeting. A man in his thirties sat there, waiting patiently for them. Beside him was a woman of the same age. She wore a red suit and her hair was tied into a long ponytail. They stood up upon seeing Minho and Gayoon entering the room.

"Ah, you must be Hwang Minho," the man remarked. "My name is Hyoui Kazuma and this is my secretary, Ms. Kirishima Anna."

The woman flashed them a small smile which did not reach her eyes. Instead, she was studying Gayoon with intense scrutiny. The latter did not flinch from Anna's gaze and simply smiled back. 

"Nice to meet you," Minho said. "This is Jeon Gayoon. She will be joining us for the meeting today as my associate."

Kazuma nodded at Gayoon. "Shall we start?" he asked. 

They took their seats as Kazuma prepared the projector. The image of a land in the suburbs flashed on the screen. Minho glanced briefly at Gayoon who leaned in closer to see the image. She had spotted something awfully familiar and was about to speak up when she felt Minho gently squeeze her arm. 

"Please begin Mr. Hyoui," Minho requested.

"This is my ancestral land in Country K," Kazuma began. "As you can see, it is in the furthest part of D City which is the newest prize for all real estate owners."

He clicked the remote control and the image changed to that of a sketch depicting a metropolitan city. 

"The government has already handed out lands for development to many real estate and construction businesses," Kazuma went on. "I believe Hwang Constructions also made several bids for the lands and have won some. This land in particular is in the perfect spot. It is situated within the planned commercial hub and will be the golden spot for all business activities."

He showed them several pictures of the blueprints of the development works. The land was located right next to a spot where a skyscraper would be built while several businesses would be established all around it. Minho watched the presentation intently while Gayoon calmly took notes. 

"By buying this land, Hwang Constructions will get the upper hand," Kazuma claimed. "The value is currently at one hundred million dollars but very soon, it will increase. I already have several buyers up in my kitty but I believe that no one other than you can truly understand the worth of this land."

Minho smirked at his statement. "Indeed," he replied. "No one else can understand the value of this land."

He glanced at Gayoon, briefly meeting her eyes and nodded. 

"We know how valuable this land is for business, Mr. Hyoui," Gayoon spoke up. "And buying this land would no doubt bring our company a lot of profit."

Kazuma smiled, feeling triumphant that the deal was going to be made.

"But we would rather make this deal with the real owner," Gayoon added. 

Kazuma's smile faltered while Anna looked at Gayoon and Minho with interest. 

"What do you mean?" Kazuma asked. He was now feeling very nervous as sweat beaded from his forehead.

"The real owner of that land, Fukishi Rei, was murdered a year ago," Gayoon revealed. "I recognized that land because his body was found there right next to the red stone slab on the image. He had it built there when he was alive to mark his property. After his death the land belongs to his daughter, Fukishi Michi. Where is she?"