CHAPTER -1- THE MAZE

A bright morning, a lovely day, perfect weather. A nice day for a family outing

A little girl was staring out of the windows of her father's car, smiling from ear to ear

"are you that happy In-ha?" asked her mother, In-ha nodded with a bright smile. Her father was silently enjoying this sweet time with his family. But little did he know that his happiness was to be scattered any moment.

CHOI MIN-HYUK, A well-known prosecutor in the country. He was a proud father and a righteous civil servant, once he started on something he would never give up until he had exposed all the corrupted people in the country. The case he had been handling involved the major conglomerate of the country 'SQ GROUP'.

SQ group is one of the most powerful conglomerates present in the country. Min-hyuk had taken the case on SQ group for investigating their slush funds and their corruptness, during which he had found out some very dark secrets of SQ group, these weren't any normal money-related secrets....but it had something to do with people's lives.

Min-hyuk's life was in danger from the moment he caught on to the weaknesses of SQ group....moreover the chairman of SQ, SHIN JAE-JOON, was a rather scary person. Once someone caught onto his weakness he'd either destroy them or make them join his side. He had tried to persuade Min-hyuk to join his side, but Min-hyuk was a person who'd never sell his conscience for money, he was not a person who could easily be swayed by money. He was a man of principles.

This agitated the chairman, if he couldn't get Min-hyuk to join his side..his company would be at the threat of getting destroyed. Chairman Shin was left with no other option..he decided to attack Min-hyuk on his weak spot...and that is his family. He lived for his wife and daughter...the two reasons that kept him from getting swayed by money or power, He thought that if he gave up on his principles he wouldn't be able to face his daughter as a proud father. Chairman Shin pressured Min-hyuk saying that if he didn't give up on revealing SQ, of course, Min-hyuk was shaken a bit, he loved his family more than his life, and losing them was his biggest fear.

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Even though he was smiling and having a good time with his wife and daughter he was scared inside about what chairman Shin would do to his family. **ring** Min-hyuk picks his phone up "b-b-b be careful..I don't think I can make it. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh"- "hello, hello detective Hong, can you hear me?" Min-hyuk looks at his wife with fear in his eyes, his wife knew something was wrong. He pulls over the car and tries to reach detective Hong..but couldn't reach him.

He took a turn and was rushing back home, "what is wrong daddy...why are you driving so fast,i am scared". "don't worry sweety....it's nothing, daddy just remembered that he had to do some work" her mother assured her while shivering. In-ha looks out of the window "daddy---"

*crash*

In-ha's vision is blurred...the first thing she sees is her mum and dad unconscious soaking in blood "mom~ dad~ wake up ....." she says with tears filled in her eyes.

*sirens* *In-ha slowly loses her consciousness*

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In-ha opens her eyes and finds herself in the hospital, she'd been unconscious for a month already. The doctors come in as soon as they heard In-ha woke up. "why am I here doctor uncle?..and where are my parents? I want to see them! please bring me my parents". The doctor looks at her with pitiful eyes, he didn't want to tell a little girl that she was left alone." they have gone somewhere far...somewhere nice.." "when are they going to come and take me? I want to go to them...." In-ha said with tears in her eyes "the doctor walks closer to In-ha and pats her " they have gone somewhere very far that-that..it will be hard for them to return". In-ha overheard the nurses and realized that she wouldn't be able to see her parents ever again.

In-ha is broken and refuses to speak and eat anything...she isolates herself from the outside world. She had gone through so much at the age of 10.she cried from time to time asking for her parents. The only thing the doctors could do was give her tranquilizers.

"doctor! doctor!...the kid in room 102 collapsed, we need to be there". The doctor rushed to In-ha, she was lying on the ground with her nose bleeding. She woke up a few hours later, but something unexpected had happened, her memories from the day of the accident were gone.

After some tests the doctor concluded that In-ha had forgotten her painful memories which were hard for her to accept, surprisingly she remembered that her parents had passed away but didn't remember how, when, and why.

She still refused to speak to anyone, her grandparents tried hard to bring her back to the old cheerful self, but In-ha wouldn't go back. Her childhood was already stolen, after having gone through so much...she couldn't find her way back to being the cheerful girl she used to be.

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will In-ha ever find out what had happened to her parents and why it had happened?

TO BE CONTINUED~

~OB