Chapter 760: Lost Incident (1)

"Did you say Ms. So-Yeon lost the main event accessory worth a billion won?"

When Jin Ah-Ram asked in disbelief, Secretary Choi Hee-Seon corrected part of the statement. "Not the whole set—just the earrings."

The Butterfly accessory by Louis' Batton was a three-piece set consisting of a butterfly-shaped necklace, earrings, and hairpin.

According to Jang So-Yeon, she received the set onsite today, tried it on once, and then put it back in the case because the earrings hurt her ears. Later, she opened the case again just before the rehearsal and realized the earrings were missing.

"Secretary Choi! The Butterfly is a single set with the earrings, necklace, and hairpin. If even one is missing, we can't call it the Butterfly!

Ugh

, what are we supposed to do?"

Jin Ah-Ram pressed her temples, clearly distressed. Today was the official launch of Louis' Batton's new accessory brand, [LVS.ACC], with the new Butterfly front and center. If the launch show failed, the company could face massive compensation claims.

However, something didn't add up. In my memory, Jang So-Yeon wasn't the careless type. More importantly, Assistant Manager Lee Mi-Ri, who was responsible for Jang So-Yeon, had ample experience from New York fashion shows. That meant Lee Mi-Ri would never have overlooked a potential loss like this.

"Excuse me, Ms. Choi. Was there anything strange on the security camera?" I asked.

"There's no security camera in the waiting room."

Some fashion show venues had cameras installed just in case, but it seemed that wasn't the case today.

"Then wasn't there a designated staff member in charge of valuables?"

Whenever expensive accessories were showcased, a dedicated staff member was assigned to manage them closely. Since those items were worth several hundred million won, theft was always a concern.

"Louis' Batton did send someone, but only one person. That staff member stepped away for about ten minutes due to an issue with another sub-item. They think it went missing during that time, but it's not certain. The case was only opened a little while ago."

There was no way to uncover anything just by talking. It seemed like I would have to meet Jang So-Yeon in person and look for clues about how it went missing.

"Where is So-Yeon now?"

"She's still in the waiting room looking for the earring. And just in case, I've made sure no one leaves the room."

"Good job. Also, if we end up having to pay damages, the company will take full responsibility."

I wanted to ease the burden that would inevitably fall on Jang So-Yeon, so I made the first move.

Just then, Jin Ah-Ram firmly shook her head. "No. Since the item was lost onsite, Jinseong Hotel & Resort shares the responsibility. I won't let her shoulder this alone."

For once, Jin Ah-Ram's lightly pressed lips looked reassuring. Then again, she had also been my white knight during Hoop Entertainment's IPO.

However, Choi Hee-Seon said that wasn't even the main problem. "The cost of the accessory is a concern, but what's more serious is the lawsuit Louis' Batton might file. If the accessory meant for their Korean launch gets lost and the show can't happen, Executive Director Ryan Kim will demand massive compensation. When money's involved, that man is worse than a ghost."

Ryan Kim, the Asia executive director of Louis' Batton, had once filed a lawsuit over a similar incident in Hong Kong. At that time, actress Angelina Jang had lost a necklace also worth a billion won. He brought in a swarm of lawyers and ended up winning the case. That lawsuit alone brought tremendous publicity to the Louis' Batton brand. With daily coverage across Hong Kong's entertainment news, the brand name had spread like wildfire.

Still, I wasn't too worried. Because I, having returned from the future, knew that Louis' Batton always prepared a spare accessory set for emergencies like this without exception

I said, "Don't worry. There's no way the show won't go on."

"

Huh

?" Choi Hee-Seon tilted her head, clearly not understanding.

Yet Jin Ah-Ram took my words at face value. "If Mr. Jung says so, don't worry, Secretary Choi."

Watching Jin Ah-Ram's expression, Choi Hee-Seon shook her head in disbelief. "Got it, Ms. Acting President!"

I reassured Choi Hee-Seon once more, who seemed overwhelmed with worry. "Also, if the worst comes to worst, I'll handle it myself. For now, let's focus on finding the earring first. However it got lost, what's important is that we need to find it quickly. We can't have So-Yeon getting dragged into some scandal."

"I'll trust you, Mr. Jung. This way, please."

Choi Hee-Seon pointed down the corridor and led the way. Following behind with Jin Ah-Ram, I began planning how to respond. Even if I knew there was a spare accessory set, it was clear Ryan Kim wouldn't hand it over so easily. And even if I managed to get it and complete today's show without issue, that wasn't the end of the problem.

If word got out that an item had been lost, no company would ever ask Jang So-Yeon to model their product again. So we had to find it no matter what for the future Jang So-Yeon was just beginning to build as she spread her wings and prepared to bring her younger siblings along.

***

In the dressing room where the fashion show was being held, thirty vanity stations stood in neat rows, divided by low partitions. The models stood at their stations, checking their accessories one last time before the rehearsal.

Jang So-Yeon was seated at the station farthest from the entrance but closest to the stage. She looked completely out of it, and her expression was that of someone who had just lost her entire country.

"A billion won... a billion won..."

Just then, the Louis' Batton staffer in charge of the accessories lashed out at Jang So-Yeon. "Ms. So-Yeon! Stop repeating 'a billion won' and think! You really don't remember anything? If that piece is lost, I'm fired! I'm dead!"

Wearing a black suit, the staff member looked just as panicked as she did.

Jang So-Yeon answered with a tearful look. "I'm sorry. Really, I... I never even left my spot. Since it's worth a billion won, I was so nervous that I didn't even go to the bathroom. But now it's just gone, and I have no idea how or why."

The confident and charismatic Jang So-Yeon from last week was nowhere to be seen. Now, she looked like a seven-year-old who had lost her umbrella and didn't know what to do.

With a sigh, the staff member said, "

Sigh

...Let's look again. Thoroughly."

"Yes... okay."

The two of them began combing through the vanity and Jang So-Yeon's black bag again. Meanwhile, Lee Mi-Ri crouched down and began checking under the vanity, beneath the chair, and around the edges.

It was clear the priority now was to calm Jang So-Yeon down.

"I'll head over there first," I said.

Leaving Jin Ah-Ram and Choi Hee-Seon behind, I quickly made my way forward. Just then, I caught sight of three models behind Jang So-Yeon, clearly gossiping while clicking their tongues. And one of them was someone I had a bad history with.

"Did the accessory grow legs or arms? What if she hid it somewhere and is just pretending she lost it?"

Hong Hyun-Joo, second daughter of HK Textiles, stood with her arms crossed, gossiping just two meters away from Jang So-Yeon. She was a rookie actress and model who once dumped coffee on Oh Sung-Yeon during a shoot for

In the Name of God

. A royal family brat through and through, she once tried to improvise during filming and got scolded by both Ju Yung-In and Yoo-Jin. And now here she was, throwing around accusations and practically calling Jang So-Yeon a thief.

It was absurd, but she wasn't alone. Others chimed in.

"It must be tempting to hold something worth a billion won. But honestly, if you just sell the earrings alone, you wouldn't get that much..." That was Ban Hyun-Hee, a twenty-seven-year-old top model, clucking her tongue while eyeing Jang So-Yeon's worn-out bag.

"See? This is why we need stricter qualifications for models. What happens if today's show doesn't go on? Are we not getting paid?" The third was a twenty-eight-year-old top model Sung Hee-Min, who had clearly forgotten her own humble beginnings.

Hearing all that, Jang So-Yeon's shoulders began to slowly sink.

At that moment, Lee Mi-Ri, who'd been crouching and searching for the earring, suddenly stood up. She marched over and started confronting the trio.

"What do you think you're doing right now? Instead of helping or worrying about your fellow model, you're calling her a thief? Seriously? Who in their right mind would act suspicious if they were actually guilty?"

Hong Hyun-Joo nonchalantly picked her ear and replied, "Did you personally see her stay in her seat the whole time? There's no security camera. How can you just believe what she says? A billion-won piece could tempt anyone."

Then Ban Hyun-Hee glanced around and added, "But... I didn't see So-Yeon at her vanity earlier."

Sung Hee-Min quickly backed Ban Hyun-Hee up. "Yeah, she wasn't there. I didn't see her in front of her station either."

Jang So-Yeon flailed her hands in panic. "N-no! I swear, I didn't leave my seat!"

Three people make a tiger—that meant when three voices came together, even a lie could become a fearsome truth.

I was about to shout on Lee Mi-Ri's behalf. If a talent agent didn't stand by their talent in a moment like this, it was as good as branding them a thief. But before I could step in, Lee Mi-Ri stood up to Hong Hyun-Joo—the royal family brat—herself.

"Listen here, Ms. Hong Hyun-Joo. So-Yeon is not the kind of person who lies like you three!"

"

Hah

, what did you just say? Are you seriously accusing us of lying now?"

"If someone's lying, it's obviously not her. It's you three."

"You've got some nerve, old lady!"

"Old lady? Hey! Did you pitch in when I became one, huh? You wanna go?"

Hong Hyun-Joo was ready to charge forward with eyes blazing.

Just before a brawl broke out, I arrived on the scene. "Long time no see, Hong Hyun-Joo."

Hong Hyun-Joo turned her head toward me. "Wait... C-Chief Jung?"

'

I'm way too old for you to be speaking so casually.

'

I immediately shut Hong Hyun-Joo down. "Do I look like your friend? Who said you could talk to me like that? Want me to clip today's footage and hand it over to the press for a nice headline massage?"

Normally, Hong Hyun-Joo would have backed off by now. But today, she bared her teeth for some reason.

"Oh, yeah? Then I'll tell them Jang So-Yeon stole the accessory today. Let's see who breaks first!"

'

Oh, you've got some nerve. But life is war, Hyun-Joo

.'

I shrugged. "Be my guest. Just be ready to get sued the moment a single article goes live."

Gossip was one thing, but a published article was a whole different battlefield. If she crossed that line, I would unleash every legal weapon at my disposal.

Hong Hyun-Joo faltered and trembled with rage. "

Ughh

!"

With nothing left to say, she eventually spun around and stormed off. Hong Hyun-Joo's vanity was near the entrance anyway.

Ban Hyun-Hee and Sung Hee-Min, now aware of the tension, followed close behind. The two top models were supposed to walk out in sub-items from today's show—right next to and behind Jang So-Yeon.

At that moment, Jin Ah-Ram arrived beside me with a small smile. "My, my. Mr. Jung, is there anything you can't do?"

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"You mean that as a compliment for being good at threatening people, don't you?"

Jin Ah-Ram smiled with a glint in her eye. "Better to be good at it than not at all, wouldn't you say?"

It was no wonder why they called her the Ice Princess of Jinseong. She could skewer you with a smile.

I gave a mock-defeated look and turned my attention to Jang So-Yeon. "So-Yeon."

Jang So-Yeon looked like she was about to cry. "Mr. Jung! I swear I didn't steal it! You know me, right? I have to bring my siblings here. Why would I ever do something like that?"

I nodded. "I believe you. That's why I want you to walk me through everything that happened. Tell me every detail and don't leave anything out."

Finally calming down, Jang So-Yeon began to recount the events.

***

Jang So-Yeon said she never left her seat after putting the earrings back into the accessory case. Around the time the staff member stepped away, a few senior models had stopped by her station, one after another. Since she was the main model for today's show, they had all come to shake her hand and wish her luck.

She specifically recalled Hong Hyun-Joo, Ban Hyun-Hee, and Sung Hee-Min each spending a few minutes at her station before leaving.

'

So she was hazed

.'

In the world of fashion modeling, it wasn't uncommon for veterans to haze newcomers. The problem was, the methods were often underhanded. They might pretend to trip someone and ruin their outfit or cause minor damage to accessories by "accident." If the product was harmed, the newbie model would be scolded by the organizers and face serious consequences. Because in a fashion show, the real star wasn't the model but was the fashion itself.

New models feared such incidents, so they treated their seniors with extreme caution. In contrast, veteran models were paranoid about retaliation and often lashed out at anyone who got too close.

Yet now they had a total rookie with no experience chosen to model for a luxury brand. And instead of jealousy or cold shoulders, the veterans had gone out of their way to greet her warmly. Not once in my past life before the regression had I ever seen anything like that.

It was obvious at a glance that this had been orchestrated. And if someone had set this up, there were exactly three suspects. They were Hong Hyun-Joo; the second daughter of HK Textiles, part of the royal family and organizer of her own small-scale fashion shows, and the top models Ban Hyun-Hee and Sung Hee-Min.

They were the only ones in a position to pressure other models into greeting a rookie first under the guise of seniority.

At the same time, I realized how the earrings had vanished. While Jang So-Yeon was distracted receiving greetings from the seniors, someone must have opened the accessory case and slipped out the earrings. It was one of the dirtiest hazing methods called "the drop."

Normally, the stolen accessory would be discreetly dropped somewhere out of sight, then later "discovered" and returned with an excuse like saying theyI found the item in the hallway when they came back from the restroom.

However, the one mistake they made was Jang So-Yeon hadn't left her seat for a single moment. This meant the three of them had lied and claimed she wasn't at her station in order to preemptively coordinate their story.

The plan was to later plant the earrings elsewhere and then act like they had stumbled upon them. The fact that the three all lied together about Jang So-Yeon leaving her seat now tied them together as accomplices;

'

So that's what this was

.'

I had the culprits and I had the method, which meant the missing earrings were very likely still in the possession of those three. But all of this was speculation based on experience. I couldn't just point fingers and demand a confession.

'

How do I get them to admit it?

'

Just then, the door to the dressing room burst open. Ryan Kim, Louis' Batton's Asia executive director, appeared. He had heard that the Butterfly earrings—the main showpiece—were missing, and had rushed in straight from the event floor.

At the sight of his thunderous expression, the models cowered and bowed slightly. "Good afterno—"

"Shut your mouths because I'm not having a good afternoon!" Ryan Kim barked.

At the same time, the models trying to greet him parted like the Red Sea.

Stomp, stomp.

Ryan Kim quickly stormed toward me and immediately raised his voice. "Mr. Jung! What is this nonsense? The earrings for the main Butterfly set are missing? Are you trying to sabotage the show on purpose?"

At first, I had planned to calm him down and negotiate. But the moment I saw his furious face, a way to get the culprits to confess flashed into my mind like lightning.

'

Mr. Ryan Kim, I'm going to need your help with this

.'