Chapter 22: Ten Percent Discount

Minho was irritated beyond words. He was sitting on the couch, holding an ice pack to his eye. The female detective was standing in front of him wearing one of his oversized shirts and pants which were too long for her. She was red in the face and was almost dying of embarrassment. Not only was she unknowingly taking a leisurely shower at his hotel room but also had the galls to punch him.

"I really didn't know this was your hotel!" she exclaimed. "Mr. Kanji offered me this room since I smelt and-"

"I know," Minho gritted. That idiot had sent him a text message minutes after he woke up.

"Off to Mexico for the week! Will see you next Sunday! P.S. Jeon Gayoon is in your hotel room taking a shower. Hope you can sneak in too ;)"

Minho wanted to fling the phone at Kanji's face. That brat had planned all this to torment him and used Gayoon to implement his plan. Then he ran off to Mexico to escape Minho's wrath.

"I-I should get going!" Gayoon squealed. The vein on the money loving freak's head was visibly throbbing which scared even her. It was as if he was going to explode any moment.

"In that state?" he pointed at the large clothes she was wearing. Since Kanji never sent her any clothes, she had no other choice but to put on Minho's spare shirt but it was hanging off her shoulder, revealing her…

Minho looked away, feeling more irritated. "I'll ask one of the staff members to bring their extra shirt and pants for you!" he snapped.

Gayoon lowered her head, cursing Kanji in her mind. That scammer! He put her in this situation and now she was stuck in a room with the money lover until fresh clothes arrived. Minho ignored the intruder and sat on the couch, picking up a newspaper to read. He did not even glance at her way and pretended as if she was nothing but a wall. Gayoon tried not to look at him either but could not help but catch a few glimpses.

He was not that bad looking when he kept his mouth shut. The man was extremely handsome and if her grandmother ever saw him, she would probably push Gayoon into his bathroom all the time. The very thought of it made Gayoon blush harder.

No! She told herself. He's a selfish and heartless man! Looks aren't everything!

"What was that?" Minho frowned.

Gayoon realized she was muttering to herself. "Nothing!" she said instantly. "Nothing at all!"

He frowned and went back to reading the newspaper. Suddenly, Gayoon's phone rang. It was Junwan.

"Hello Chief," she greeted.

"Gayoon, where are you?" he asked.

"I-I came to a friend's house to change," she lied. "My clothes got dirty during investigation."

"Ah, you need to meet Lee Shawn of HM Traders tonight," he informed her.

"Lee Shawn of HM Traders?" she asked out loud. Minho froze midway while turning the page. Lee Shawn?

"Fraud?" Gayoon frowned. Her supervisor was ordering her to go on an undercover mission to keep an eye on Lee Shawn who was possibly committing fraud in the name of business.

"Yes," Junwan said. "He allegedly stole millions from one of his old partners after promising him to give a share from his new business. And now he's making a new building somewhere in the city. The building is going to be built on a property owned by his ex-partner who went missing after he confronted Lee Shawn. We still have not been able to track him down. So we need you to infiltrate his high profile party tonight and see if he's really a criminal."

"But I'm in homicide!" Gayoon protested.

"This is also our case," Junwan snapped at her. "His ex-partner Kim Joon might be dead. If Lee Shawn killed him, then it gives us a strong motive to arrest him. Just keep an eye on him. I promised the commissioner that I'll send my best detective for the work."

Gayoon groaned. How was she going to get access to such an exclusive party?

"I'll try but how am I going to enter that party?" she asked.

"Figure it out," Junwan ordered. "But gather as much information as you can and give me a report by tomorrow morning!"

"But-"

Junwan hung up on her. Gayoon gaped at the cellphone. The hell?

She was biting her nail when Minho stood up and put the paper on the coffee table. He calmly walked up to the intercom in his room and picked it up.

"Hello, Concierge? Could you please order a dinner gown for my guest from the hotel's clothing store? Black would do," he spoke on the phone. "And please do send the sales person upstairs with the credit card machine."

Gayoon was not paying much attention to him and was lost in her own thoughts on how to enter the party. After a few minutes, the doorbell rang. Minho opened the door and a salesman appeared, holding a long dress.

"Keep it on the couch," Minho instructed. He turned to Gayoon, who was confused by the turn of events.

"Hand me your credit card," he demanded.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Do you want to go to the party?" he asked her.

"You can get me in?" she asked in astonishment.

"I can if you hand me your card," he stated. Gayoon hesitated before fumbling through her bag to look for her wallet. Taking out the credit card, she gave it to him. Minho in turn, handed the card to the salesman who was standing nearby.

"My guest will pay for her dress," he announced.

Gayoon felt as if someone had thrown cold water on her face. She was paying for what?

Slowly her head turned towards the black dress which lay on the couch. Its price tag was attached to it and the number of zeroes on it was jarringly visible.

"One...two…three…" she counted. The dress was three thousand dollars!

"WHAT?" she yelled. "YOU'RE MAKING ME PAY THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THIS?"

"Don't worry, you have that amount," Minho said. The very confused salesman handed back the card and scurried away. He was unwilling to fall in the middle of the weird couple's fight.

"Besides," Minho went on. "I gave you a ten percent discount as gratitude."

"Gratitude for what?" she demanded. "Why did you swipe my card for this?"

"Because you're going to Lee Shawn's party," Minho shrugged. "As my partner."

"You're invited there?"

"I am and after hearing that he may be a fraud, I intend to attend the party and squeeze out all my money from him," Minho threatened. "But to attend, I need a date. And since you need to attend the party too and I know you won't get a chance to enter that place on your own, you can just accompany me."

"Well, then why didn't you just buy me a dress?" Gayoon pouted. "Or gotten something cheaper."

My money, she cried inwardly.

"Why would I spend money on you?" he scoffed. "You have your own money and I'm sure you can afford this dress at least with your savings. Consider the ten percent to be a gift from me. I've never given that high discount to anyone. You should be honored."

T-ten percent discount was a gift? She wondered in vain. Was this guy whacked in the head?

"Now get dressed," he demanded. "The party is in two hours. I'll wait in the lobby."

Without another word, he strode off. Gayoon was left speechless.

"Ten percent?" she moaned in despair. "He couldn't have given me a ninety nine percent discount at least?"

She could hear her poor bank account crying tears of blood. My money! She wailed silently.