Marius' Sweet Chapter 03-05
Overview
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Guide
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Script
Marius' Bedroom
Marius went home to rest. Go see how he's doing.
After a few days of rest, Marius is nearly fully recovered.
Of course, that includes both the exterior injuries and...
You: Your temperature and wounds are... both fine.
You: Do you still feel dizzy?
Marius: ...
You: What is it...? Why aren't you responding?
Marius doesn't reply. Instead, he looks at you with a bitter look.
Marius: I feel dizzy, very... dizzy.
He moves the hand you've placed on his hair down to his cheek, as if to prove what he just said.
Marius: See? I can't even sit properly without you helping me.
You: ...Really?
Marius: I really am dizzy... I need at least five... no, six company reports to feel better.
You: ...
You let out a long breath and suppress the explosive impulse inside of you. You put away your phone, look at him, and take back the hand he's holding onto.
You then pinch his cheeks and pull them in opposite directions.
Marius: Wahh! It hurts!
You: Are you still feeling dizzy?
Marius: I'm good now! I'm cured of everything. I'm in perfect shape.
After playing around for a while, he grabs your hands and holds you in his arms.
Marius: I'm just messing with you... See how wound up you are every day?
Marius: I would be really sad if you were to collapse as I got better.
You: Yeah, but that's all because of you! Have you heard of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf"?
Marius: I'm sorry... I won't do it again.
You: ...
Three days ago at the hospital...
After watching the doctor leave, you sit by the bed as Marius clenches on to your hand. He is immersed in the joy of not having been dumped.
You: ...Do you want some water? I'll go get some for you.
Marius: No, just stay right here and let me look at you a little longer.
You: You'll have all the time in the world to look at me. I told you - I'll always be by your side.
Marius: Forever and ever?
You: Yes, forever and ever.
Marius: Then can you take a few more days off and go on a vacation with me? You know, get some fresh air?
You: Of course.
Marius: Oh, and I heard that many restaurants are introducing new dishes. How about we try one out every day starting next week?
You: Next week... But we have to wait until you're recovered.
Marius: You just said that you'd be by my side forever and ever...
Seeing the disappointed look on his face, you have no choice but to give in.
You: Fine...
The hospital room door suddenly opens, and a man walks in with fast strides.
Before the two of you can react, he comes to a quick stop and turns around to leave the room.
Vincent Kim: Sorry, I forgot to knock...
You: It's fine! Come in!
Vincent seems to be burdened with hesitation. As he turns back around, he behaves as if his feet have been nailed to the floor.
Marius: It's fine. Come on in.
Vincent Kim: Yes, Master Marius.
You: (Oh, I should speak to Vincent about what we have to do next...)
You: (In Marius' current state, he's definitely not going to be able to make the press release in a few days, let alone deal with those shrewd geezers on the board of directors.)
You: (His father and brother aren't here either. What should we do...?)
Marius: Vincent, how are things outside?
You: ?
You aren't able to react fast enough at first. You can't help but come to a pause as you hear the calm words coming from his mouth.
The disappointment, sadness, and weakness that just filled the hospital room is suddenly nowhere to be found.
A strange cloud of suspicion slowly rises.
Vincent Kim: Yes, the person eavesdropping outside has already left.
You: Eavesdropping? What are you talking about?
Marius: The bad guys eavesdropping on our conversation.
You look at Marius in total shock. He looks to be back with his casual, cocky smile. The depression and disappointment from earlier were seemingly just an act.
Marius: But don't worry, both of us were very convincing.
Marius: Pax CEO is suffering from mental trauma and just rescued his relationship with his loved one... I'm guessing whoever's eavesdropping should be satisfied with that.
You: ...
You immediately understand what just happened.
The breakup, memory loss, and the strange lottery number...
You: Marius von Hagen!
Marius' Bedroom
You: Good thing you weren't seriously injured or lost your memories...
Obviously, at first, you're angry that you were kept in the dark.
But after Marius and the police explain all the details to you, your anger completely turns into worry.
You sit back down on the bedside after handing Marius a glass of warm water and his medication.
You: So, you and the police put on a show to catch the person who attacked us?
Marius: Yep. After all, we were lacking evidence to back up our previous theory. We didn't have a way of finding the bad guy behind it all either.
Marius: After talking to the police, I decided to use the ledger to lure them out of their caves.
Marius: However, not everything went according to plan... They were able to pin me down due to a blind spot in our plan.
He swallows the medicine with force, as if to swallow his dissatisfaction and anger.
He must find it frustrating for someone to find a vulnerability in his plan.
But even so, his tone remains calm and kind when he speaks to you.
You: But your plan worked in the end. The police were able to capture the attacker, and we got the ledger.
You: But... I'm actually worried about the eavesdropper. Is it really okay not to catch him right here and now?
Marius: Yep. Besides, it's not time to capture him yet.
After putting down the glass, Marius leans in and holds you with one arm. He then grabs your hand and interlocks his fingers with yours.
After a slight pause, your fingers become tightly entwined.
Marius: I told Vincent at the very beginning that if the other side isn't showing clear signs of aggression, and if we're unable to ensure total security in a hospital...
Marius: Then we should avoid conflict in a place like this. We need to avoid injuring innocent people.
Marius: Besides... We've been thinking of ways to deal with their punches, instead of going directly after them. This is why they feel like they can do whatever they want.
Marius: Now, it's our turn to catch the big fish.
You: Catch the big fish...?
Marius' Bedroom
Marius seems to have a plan in mind. Go talk to him about the next steps.
You: By catching the big fish... Do you mean to find the person behind everything through the person who was eavesdropping?
Marius: Yes.
He lets go of your hand and reaches for the cell phone on the nightstand.
Marius: Captain Morgan got me up to speed on everything just a few days ago.
Marius: He said that although the attacker gave up his employer, there were no records of communication between them, and the money never arrived either.
Marius: Even though the person is his employer, he's nothing but a low-level grunt from the North Stellis Pharmaceutical Industrial Park.
Marius: Always going after the little guys will only make things even more complicated...
Marius: So, the police decided that they were going to let the eavesdropper go this time and use him to lure out the person responsible for all of this.
You: And you guys decided to put on a show in front of him as misdirection for when he relays what he heard to the others?
You finally understand what he's trying to do - you think back on Marius telling everyone that he was ill and wasn't seeing anyone, when he actually only suffered minor injuries.
You: You didn't leave the room at all for the following few days either, even skipping out on returning to the company to take care of things after such a big commotion...
You: What you intended on doing was to make your "illness" a reality?
Marius: You nailed it. I told the police a while ago that there was no need to keep you out of the loop on an operation like this.
Marius: If someone with your clear sense of logic was around, maybe the plan would've been even more perfect.
Marius: By now, they should be convinced that their plan has worked. They should be getting ready to wrap things up.
He opens the trending news on his phone and shows it to you.
You: "Pax's Xbone II Press Release in Danger of Cancellation"...
You: "Xbone II's Skyrocketing Price"?
You: Are they starting their smear campaign against Pax!?
Marius: Yes. After getting rid of the counterfeit products, lower-priced Xbone products basically vanished from the market.
Marius: Ordinary people don't have access to the counterfeit versions and aren't offered lower-priced second-generation products. They will naturally start to criticize Pax and accuse us of earning money through unethical means.
Marius: All they have to do is pay for a few trending news slots and the public opinion will begin to sway.
You: Umm... It's already starting to cause quite an effect.
You: These two trending topics are still getting more popular... It's going to be hard to salvage the situation from here, right?
Marius: This kind of speculation isn't big enough to affect Pax too much yet.
Marius: All these problems will take care of themselves if we're able to resolve the main issue in the next couple of days.
He smiles with great confidence and swipes his finger twice across his phone. He then shows you a series of video conference records.
Marius: The first day after returning home, I had a series of meetings with the board of directors.
Marius: It did take quite a bit to convince them... But the good news is that no one was against me this time.
Marius: The press release preparations are also still proceeding in near complete secrecy.
You: You... did all that in secret these past couple of days?
Although you were taking care of Marius the whole time, he was only able to look at various materials in bed due to how weak he was from his injury.
You didn't expect he was able to organize so much work while you weren't paying attention...
You: (He always makes it sound so easy when he talks about stuff like this...)
You: (He's never willing to let people around him see the amount of work he really puts in.)
You: Well then, it would seem that most of the company stuff that needs to be taken care of recently has all been done, right?
You: You haven't fully recovered yet, and we need to make sure you get enough rest.
Marius: It's... not time for that yet.
Marius' phone suddenly vibrates. A look of realization appears on his face as he looks down at the notification on the screen.
Marius: None of their retaliation against Pax or me would be a problem. Anything goes when it comes to business.
Marius: But they dared to set their eyes on you...
Marius clenches his jaw as he utters the last few words.
You: ...
At that moment, you shudder from the fear you felt when you were pinned down on the hood of the car with the metal pipe raised above your head.
Marius quickly notices your behavior and holds you even tighter.
The burning sensation of his breath sears your skin. You wet your dry lips and reach out to touch Marius' face that's buried in your neck.
You both know that their attack on Marius was for retaliation and to retrieve the ledger that could be used as evidence.
However, the attack on you was... not in the original plan. It just so happens that Marius was on the phone with you at the time.
After learning about the phone call, they included you as a part of their revenge.
You: These thugs... they really are despicable...
Marius: At the time, I saw you when I regained a part of my senses...
Marius: The only thought in my mind at the time was that if the pipe had hit you, that moment would've been the end of my life.
Marius: I regret... that I wasn't harsh enough from the very beginning. I should've been thinking of how I was going to get rid of them from the very start.
Marius: I knew from the jump that they were scum. They don't care about other people's lives and are only after money. But even then, I didn't finish the job.
You: But... aren't we working on bringing all of them to justice right now?
You reach out and press your hand against Marius' neck, closing the distance between the two of you while letting him feel the determination in your heart.
You: We're exposed, while they hide in the dark. If their plans have no boundaries, and we're going after them, it's expected for certain issues to take place.
You: Now, we need to return the pain and suffering they've brought upon all of us and make them think it over in jail.
You: So... stop blaming yourself, okay? We still have very, very important things to do.
Marius: ...
The violent heartbeat resonating from his back softens. You can feel Marius finally calming back down.
He then slowly lets go of you.
Marius: You're right. We do have important things to take care of soon.
Marius: If we can take care of what comes next... We will be able to bring all of them to justice.
You: What comes... next?
A knock comes from the door before you can finish your question.
Payton Way: Master Marius, Captain Morgan is here and waiting for you in the living room downstairs.
Marius: Okay, I'll be right there.
You: Why is Captain Morgan... Did he find something new?
Marius: Yes.
Marius shows you the message he just received on his phone.
Marius: From the group of indicted counterfeit companies, they've narrowed the suspects that are capable of getting to me and harassing my employees to a very small range.
Marius: I sent the police the most recent batch of leads this morning. They should be able to pinpoint the culprit in no time.
Marius: Let's go talk to Captain Morgan and find out what's new.
The von Hagen Living Room
Darius Morgan has arrived and is waiting in the living room. Go ask if he has any new leads.
Darius Morgan is waiting for the two of you as you arrive in the living room.
Marius: Thanks for making the trip, Captain Morgan.
Darius Morgan: It's fine. How are you? How are your injuries?
Darius Morgan raises his head slightly, gesturing to the wound on Marius' head.
Marius: I'm okay. I should be thanking them for allowing me to survive the attack.
Darius Morgan: Good.
After a short chat, Darius Morgan shares the reason for his visit.
Darius Morgan: The criminal who attacked you shared some more information with us yesterday during the interrogation.
Darius Morgan: After further investigation, we discovered a key person involved is also related to the counterfeit case that we worked on last time.
Darius Morgan takes out a file from the satchel placed on the sofa. He flips it open and shows the two of you the first page.
Marius: Troy Canes...?
You: Do you know this person?
Marius remains silent for a moment and shakes his head.
Marius: I have an idea of all the core personnel and legal representation in the factories, but I don't recall this person being involved with the case.
Darius Morgan: That's true, but only from the surface. It's also true that we didn't have to process him in the incident.
Darius Morgan: However, based on our investigations, we've recently discovered that Troy Canes is the core individual behind the group of counterfeit pharmaceutical factories.
Marius: No wonder our lawsuit went so smoothly...
Marius: It's because the real culprit cut his losses and ran.
You: Seems like this Troy Canes person... really knows how to protect himself.
Darius Morgan: That's right. Troy Canes is not a person with a grand vision. So even though he operates from the shadows, the success of his businesses can only be seen as mediocre at best.
Darius Morgan: However, he does have some tricks of his own when it comes to self-preservation.
You: The police have probably been investigating someone like Troy Canes since the very beginning, right?
You: But with the counterfeit products and everything that's been going on at Pax, you haven't had a way to arrest him.
You: Could it be that... he's never slipped up even with all that's happened?
Darius Morgan: Not entirely so.
Darius Morgan takes out another file from the satchel. He doesn't open it, but shows you the words on the cover - "Financial Investigation."
Darius Morgan: Something will eventually surface if there are any illegal or non-compliance activities connected to the money that he has earned.
Darius Morgan: The investigative team has actually been on his tail for quite some time. They've also gathered a large amount of evidence.
Darius Morgan: However, we're still waiting for key evidence that will put him away for the rest of his life.
Marius: So... the key to the problem... is still time.
You: (It's true... Whether it's the employees, Pax's product, or the citizens who are faced with danger at any time.)
You: (No one can afford to wait any longer.)
Darius Morgan doesn't respond immediately.
However, a confident smile appears on Marius' face after a brief moment of thought.
Marius: So, it would seem like I need to work with the police and "make some moves" of my own.
You: ...Huh?
Darius Morgan: Cases often require the cooperation of multiple parties.
Marius: Don't worry - an upstanding citizen like me will definitely do everything I can to cooperate with the police.
You: Does this mean... you guys are going to work together?
Darius Morgan nods and looks at you with a stern expression.
Darius Morgan: I'm very sorry, but that would mean I can only discuss what comes next with Marius alone.
You: Oh, okay... I'll go back to the law firm then.
Summary
