Landing in Your Inbox

79 - inheritors

March 1, 2021 2:15 PM
Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 Arrivals

Opening her phone was quite like opening a pandora's box with a flood of messages coming in various manners of alarm. Many were filtered by her phone's blocking feature, but those that managed to seep right in had her stopping on the way to the fast-track immigration lane.

The next hour was a blur as she answered a call from Manager Hong who was at the airport.

"I'm sorry Ms. Yoon but Ms Han kept calling to ask about your flight details and how you are getting to Seoul. I told her you made your own arrangements but she demanded more details about it and I couldn't answer. She was going to send a car to fetch you so I took the liberty to do so."

What? Did her mother think she was going to escape and not visit her father in the hospital? She didn't even quite understand what led to his confinement.

There were four men waiting with Manager Hong, bodyguards in case the media got wind of her current whereabouts and decided to mob her.

"What happened to my father?" Seri asked while they headed to a different exit.

***

March 1, 2021 3:55 PM
Incheon Airport Expressway

Manager Hong was not kept abreast of what happened, only that there was an emergency. What he knew was reported by the media where different stories were already circulating. Some claimed the Queens' Group chairman was already comatose, while some spoke of a heart attack. What Seri wanted to know was why that news was allowed to spread like wildfire. If her no-good brothers had the least sense they would pull the plug or pay a bribe if they at least cared about stocks plummeting.

The weather did little to lift Seri's spirits as rain battered the road and the fog obscuring her view. She was in the car, calling her mother who finally answered at the second ring.

"You're here. Finally."

Seri ignored the exasperation in her mother's tone. "What happened to my father?"

"The doctors are still running tests. Are you still coming?"

"Of course." Seri had to keep her own indignation in check.

"Don't use the main entrance. We'll talk here."

"Wait—" Her mother dropped the call. The hospital room was later sent to her by text message. She would at least like to know if her father was conscious.

That was when she saw the rest of her messages, mostly coming from Jeong-hyeok. She felt a stomach punch of guilt for not answering his calls and leaving ahead when they were supposed to go together. She thought of composing a message to be more discreet but decided she owed him a phone call. He answered immediately like he was watching his phone the whole time.

"Seri, where are you?"

"I'm on my way to Seoul. My manager prepared a ride." A retinue that consisted of a company car, and two more escort cars at the front and the back. "I'm sorry, there's been an emergency." Her grip tightened around her phone.

"I know. I saw the news. How is your father?"

"I don't know." She lowered her head. "They're not telling me anything yet."

"Are you all right?"

Trust him to detect the slightest tremor in her voice no matter how calm and composed she sounded. "Don't worry about me. Are you okay?"

"Yes. Kwang-beom and I are leaving the airport. Is there anything I can do?"

"No. I'll call you if I get more information. I'll talk to you soon."