Fatal Devotion

"The sweetest venom is often served with a charming smile."

______________________________________

The quiet hum of the laboratory, a symphony of whirring machinery and softly glowing monitors, was disrupted as Genie stepped into Dr. Adam Kim's office. His usual smirk, a carefully calibrated expression of amusement and self-assurance, tugged at the corners of his lips. In his hand, he held a pen drive, small and inconspicuous, a mere sliver of polished metal, yet holding vital information that promised to significantly alter the course of their meticulously crafted plans.

Without a word, Genie proffered the device to Adam, who accepted it with an almost languid grace. He inserted it into a port on his workstation, the holographic display flickering to life. As Kang Taeson's detailed profile materialized, Adam leaned forward, his sharp, hazel eyes narrowing with predatory interest, absorbing the data with an almost palpable hunger.

The display presented a stark, clinical summary:

Name: Kang Taeson

Age: 24

Blood Group: O+

Heir to Kang Industry

Education: National University of Singapore (NUS) - Faculty of Engineering

Degree Obtained: Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Previous Study: Hanyang University College of Medicine (Left course midway)

Status: Current whereabouts unknown. Last known location: an abandoned industrial complex on the outskirts of Incheon.

Adam's grin widened, a slow, deliberate blossoming of cruel satisfaction. His fingers tapped against the polished surface of the desk, a rhythmic counterpoint to the soft whirring of the machinery. "Ah... Soohyung's son," he murmured, his voice a low, almost purring baritone. "A doctor in the making, or so he thought? How... exquisitely ironic."

With a flicker of dark amusement, he leaned back in his high-backed chair, the supple leather creaking softly. "And the prodigal son returns to dust. Tell me, Genie," he inquired, his gaze fixed on his son, "where, precisely, has the young heir run away to? Last I checked, such descendants of industry rarely embrace a vagrant's existence."

Genie crossed his arms, his posture exuding an air of casual confidence that belied the intensity of the moment. "It appears our young Taeson has chosen a... less conventional path," he explained, his voice smooth and urbane. "He seems to have liberated himself from the gilded cage of his family. My sources indicate his last known location is an abandoned industrial complex on the outskirts of Incheon—a veritable wasteland of forgotten machinery and broken dreams." Genie paused, allowing the information to sink in, a subtle theatrical flourish. "Hardly the environment one expects for the descendant of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate."

Adam's brows lifted slightly, his interest piqued. "Ran away?" he echoed, his smirk growing sharper, more predatory. "Our dear Kang Taeson has decided to embrace the romance of the destitute? How very... dramatic." He turned his gaze towards the assembled scientists, a silent audience to this unfolding drama. "Did you hear that, people?" he announced, his voice laced with theatrical incredulity. "The heir to Kang Industry, the future emperor of missiles and munitions, has abandoned his throne for the squalor of the streets. One can only imagine the old man's disappointment." A few nervous murmurs rippled through the room, whispers exchanged like furtive secrets in the hushed stillness of the laboratory.

Genie adjusted the immaculate cuff of his tailored suit, stepping forward, his movements fluid and graceful. "I've had my best people on it," he said, his tone precise and efficient. "The location is confirmed. He's there."