Wang's Pov.
"Which station is he going?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady as I approach the officer standing by the car.
"You can drive behind us," he replies, his tone clipped but not unkind. Before I can respond, the driver slides into the car and starts the engine, quickly pulling out to follow the police convoy.
I watch them for a moment, my mind racing. Then, reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone. My fingers tremble slightly as I turn it on, the screen lighting up with a flood of notifications. Thirty messages from Dre. My stomach twists as I tap the call button.
The line rings twice before he picks up, his voice strained, like he's been holding back tears. "What happened?" I ask, anxiety gnawing at me.
"You need to run," he says, frustration lacing his voice. "They're on their way for Zhan. You need to get out of there."
I swallow hard. "They arrested him already," I reply the words leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. The situation is spiraling out of control.
Dre's voice hisses through the phone. "I'll kill him. I swear, I'll kill him."
My heart pounds in my chest as I try to keep the conversation under control. "Kill who?" I ask, confused.
"My boyfriend," Dre snarls. "I went through his phone early this morning to see who he was fucking because he's a chronic cheat but I found something else. A group chat. He, Black, Lusi, and Meng. They were talking about where you guys were going." His voice cracks as he continues, "I've been calling you for hours, trying to warn you. I'm so sorry."
I feel the floor beneath me shift, a wave of anger and betrayal crashing over me. The call my mom had made earlier, the one I thought was so ordinary, it wasn't. Dre's words echo in my head, and I can feel the weight of it all sinking in.
"Did he know you went through his phone?" I ask.
"No," Dre replies.
"Good. Don't let him know, I'll call you back," I say quickly, ending the call before I lose my nerve.
I sit there for a second, the world feeling like it's closing in. The police car is already a blur in the distance, and I can feel the panic rising in my chest. What had Zhan been thinking? What had they been planning? How deep did this go?
I pull out of my thoughts as I dial my brother's number, the urgency in my fingers matching the wild beat of my heart. It rings twice before he picks it up.
"What's going on?" he asks, his voice calm but laced with concern.
"Zhan's been arrested," I say, keeping my voice low but firm.
His silence stretches out, but I can hear him moving in the background. Where are you? He asks
"Following the police to the station," I reply, my grip on the phone tightening.
"On what charges?"
"Rape and murder," I say through clenched teeth.
He curses under his breath. "That's bullshit. Who's behind this?"
"Dre found out. His boyfriends, Black, Lusi, and Meng set this up. Lusi knew where we were going before we even left," I spit out, fury making my head pound.
A tense silence stretches between us before he speaks again. "Listen to me. I don't know who the fuck they are but if Lusi is involved. You need a lawyer, and you need one now. This isn't some small accusation, Lusi wants to teach you a lesson."
I glance out the window. The police cars are ahead, their lights flashing in the dark. Zhan is in one of them, alone, terrified.
"Send me the best one you can find," I say.
"I'm on it," my brother replies. "But you need to be careful. If Lusi is behind this, she won't stop. She might come after you next."
"Let her try," I growl. "I'm not running. Zhan needs me."
"You're playing with fire, Wang."
"Then let it burn." I hiss.
The driver speeds up as we near the station. When we arrive, I step out before the car even stops completely.
Inside, officers are already processing Zhan. He looks up as I enter, his face pale.
"Wang," he breathes.
I move toward him, but an officer blocks my way. "You can't see him yet."
"Then tell me who's in charge," I demand.
A man in a suit walks forward. "That would be me," he says, eyes cold and calculating.
I meet his gaze. "You've made a mistake."
"That's for the court to decide," he replies smoothly. "Now, step aside."
I clench my fists, forcing myself to stay calm. "I want to see my husband, please," I say.
"Then you better call a lawyer fast," he says before turning away.
Zhan, don't talk to anyone. I say and he nods.
I already called a lawyer. And soon, they'll regret this.
"Find out everything you can," I say, my voice tight with barely controlled rage.
"I'm on it," my brother replies without hesitation. "And Wang... be careful."
I hang up and take a deep breath, gripping my phone so hard my knuckles turn white. Black. Lusi. Meng. And Dre's boyfriend. They set this up. I can barely focus. My mind is spinning.
Zhan was innocent. I knew that in my soul. But these people no, these traitors wanted him gone.
I clenched my jaw. They'd made a mistake. A huge mistake. They came for my heart. Now, I was coming for theirs.
I step outside, pacing the driveway as I dial my brother's number again. He picks up after the third ring.
"Tell me you found someone," I say without greeting.
He exhales heavily. "I tried, Wang. I did. I called every damn lawyer we know. The moment I mentioned Zhan's name, they backed out."
My grip on the phone tightens. "What the hell do you mean they backed out?"
"They don't want to touch the case," he replies
I run a frustrated hand through my hair. "So what, we just give up? Let him rot in jail?"
"Of course not. I'll keep trying, but... Wang, we need a backup plan. This might not go the way you want."
I grit my teeth. "No, I don't need a backup plan. I need a damn lawyer."
"I'll see what I can do."
I hang up, resisting the urge to throw away my phone.
The driver, who's been standing nearby, looks at me carefully. "Sir, do you need a lawyer?"
I nod sharply. "Yeah. Do you know a good one?"
He scratches his chin. "I don't, but my daughter might. She works as a legal assistant. She knows all the top lawyers in the city."
"Call her," I say immediately.
The driver nods and pulls out his phone, dialing quickly.
"Hello, sweetheart," he says when she picks up. "I need your help. Do you know any good criminal lawyers?"
There's a pause. Then she asks, "For what case?"
"An urgent one. A wrongful arrest."
She hums in thought. "I know someone. I'll text you his number."
Seconds later, his phone pings. He turns to me and shows me the screen.
"That's a good lawyer," he says.
Without wasting time, I dial the number, my hands gripping the phone tightly. The call connects after three rings.
"This is Zhuo Cheng. Who am I speaking with?" A deep, authoritative voice answers.
"My name is Wang, and I need your help. My husband was arrested at the airport on false charges. I need a lawyer who can handle this immediately," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
There's a pause before Zhuo Cheng replies, "Slow down. What are the charges?"
"They're saying he committed rape and murder," I say through gritted teeth.
Zhuo Cheng sighs. "That's serious. Do you have any proof of his innocence?"
"Yes. But it is complicated. It's a setup."
"Alright," Zhuo Cheng says, his voice firm. "Where is he being held?"
I turn to the driver, who quickly provides the name of the station. I relay the information.
"I'll meet you at your home first. We need to go over everything before I meet with him. I need to know exactly what I'm dealing with," Zhuo Cheng states.
"Understood. Thank you."
"I don't take cases unless I believe in them, Wang. If I see anything suspicious, I walk away."
"That won't happen," I say with confidence.
"Good. I'll be there soon." Zhuo Cheng ends the call.
I exhale sharply and turn to Zhan's family. "He's meeting us at home first I say as I text our house address to the lawyer."
Grandma nods, holding Mia close. Ji Li clenches his fists but says nothing.
The SUV moves forward, but the atmosphere inside is heavy. This wasn't the kind of relocation we had hoped for. Instead of settling into a peaceful life, we were fighting a legal battle before we even had a chance to start over.
When we arrived at the house, there was no excitement, no thrill of moving into a new, beautiful home. The air was heavy with tension, and instead of joy, there was only worry hanging over us like a dark cloud.
Everyone finds a spot and settles in. A few minutes later, the doorbell rings, and Zhuo Cheng steps inside.
"What happened?" Zhuo Cheng asks after greeting everyone and settling into a chair.
Grandma clears her throat, her hands trembling slightly as she folds them on her lap. The room falls silent, all eyes on her. She looks at Zhuo Cheng, then at me, and finally at Ji Li before speaking.
"You want to know why they're targeting Zhan?" she says, her voice heavy with emotion. "It's because they've used him before. And now they want to use him again, this time as their scapegoat."
Zhuo Cheng frowns. "What do you mean?"
Grandma sighs deeply, her gaze distant, as if she's seeing a painful memory play out before her.
"When Zhan was in school, Meng tormented him. She was obsessed with power, with control, and she saw something in Zhan she could use. He was soft-hearted, easy to manipulate, and she took advantage of that."
Zhuo Cheng clenches his fists. "What did she do to him?"
Grandma hesitates before answering. "She forced him. She forced him to do unspeakable things."
The room grows colder. My chest tightens. "What kind of things?" Zhuo Cheng asks getting impatient.
Grandma swallows hard. "She made him hurt people. Rape them."
Mia gasps. Ji Li curses under his breath. I feel like the ground has been pulled from under me.
"She would pick people from their classes, girls, boys, it didn't matter. She would beat them first, and when she was satisfied, she would force Zhan to finish it. If he refused, she would punish him. Burn him. Beat him herself and he would eventually do what she wants. And when she was done, she'd make him push them into the swamp on the outskirts of town."
I grip the edge of the couch, trying to process her words. She had told me before and every time I heard it, it annoyed my soul.
"The swamp?" Zhuo Cheng echoes, his voice hollow.
Grandma nods, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "If you ever wonder where all those missing students went... they're at the bottom of that swamp."
"Didn't you report it to the school or the police?" Zhuo Cheng asks.
"Her father owns the school," Grandma sighs. "And every time we went to the police, they acted like nothing ever happened."
Zhuo Cheng sighs, rubbing his temples. "So she was untouchable."
Grandma nods her face tight with suppressed anger. "Exactly. Meng's father had power, and she knew it. She did whatever she wanted, and no one dared to stop her."
Zhuo Cheng leans forward, his expression serious. "But why didn't Zhan tell anyone outside of Jeju? Why not reach out to a lawyer, a journalist, someone who could expose this?"
Grandma shakes her head. "He was scared. Every time he tried to resist, she made things worse. She threatened him, and his family, and his mother was collecting bribes. He had no way out."
A heavy silence settles over us.
Ji Li speaks first, his voice shaking with rage. "Why didn't you tell us.?"
Grandma looks at him with sorrow in her eyes. "Because I was trying to protect him. I wanted to believe it was over. That he was finally free. But we all knew Meng wasn't finished with him."
Zhuo Cheng exhales sharply, rubbing his temples. "This... changes everything. If they have evidence linking Zhan to those disappearances, they'll bury him under life sentences."
"No," I say firmly. "We're not letting that happen."
Zhuo Cheng looks at me. "Do you have proof he was forced?"
I shake my head, my mind racing.
Grandma hesitates before speaking again. "There might be one person. Someone who they didn't take to the swamp."
I sit up straighter. "Who?"
She looks directly at me. "A boy named Xue Yang. But he is among their click, I doubt if he will tell the truth."
"What about Yu Bin?" I ask.
"He's her brother," Grandma sighs. "Their parents might not allow him to speak."
Zhuo Cheng leans back in his chair, rubbing his chin. "This is tricky. There's no evidence that he was forced to do these things."
Grandma sits upright, her hands folded in her lap. "No, but I can tell you everything Zhan went through. He never wanted to hurt anyone. Meng controlled him, she forced him, beat him, and made him commit those crimes."
Zhuo Cheng sighs. "The problem is, without proof, the prosecution won't care. They'll paint him as a willing participant."
"Can you get him out on bail?" I ask, my patience running thin.
Zhuo Cheng hesitates. "It'll be hard. Given the severity of the charges, they'll argue he's a flight risk."
"He was also accused of using a fake passport," I say.
Zhuo Cheng straightens. "Did he?"
"No, God no," I answer quickly. "At first, I thought about it, but I told him to use his English name and my surname as his last name. Everything was legal."
"That's good," Zhuo Cheng replies, nodding. "It means at least one charge won't stick. But his main trial will happen in Jeju, where the crime allegedly took place."
Grandma frowns. "We don't know anyone there who could prove his innocence."
Zhuo Cheng sighs again. "That's going to be a problem. The more character witnesses we have, the better."
"I'll see what I can find out," I say.
"Good. We'll go see him tomorrow," Zhuo Cheng replies before leaving.
Grandma sighs, her voice heavy with sorrow. "Oh, my poor baby..."
"He'll be fine," I promise, determination firm in my voice.