Chapter 23: The Defector’s Truth
Chapter 23: The Defector’s Truth
With Nova Harvest’s strategy shattered, a crack appeared within their hidden alliance. Late one evening, an unexpected visitor arrived at the backdoor of the foundation’s main kitchen in Seoul.
It was Daniel Cho’s former junior legal associate, a young woman named Sarah Kim, who had vanished from the public eye during the initial Park Group trials. She looked exhausted, her coat damp from the steady rain outside.
Audrey brought her a hot bowl of sujebi (hand-torn noodle soup) to calm her nerves. Sarah took a shaky breath, looking at Naomi with deep regret.
"I didn't know the full extent of what Daniel and Vivian were doing until it was too late," Sarah confessed, her hands tightly gripping the warm ceramic bowl. "When the Park Group collapsed, I took a hidden hard drive from Daniel’s private safe. I was too terrified to come forward because Helen’s old network was still tracking everyone."
Jae-min leaned against the kitchen counter, his eyes fixed on the black USB drive Sarah placed on the table. "What’s on the drive, Sarah?"
"The complete list of silent partners who funded Nova Harvest," Sarah said. "It’s not just old food executives. It includes three high-ranking officials within the National Food and Drug Administration who have been taking bribes for decades to look the other way while the Park Group imported sub-standard ingredients."
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Naomi looked at the drive. The snake had not just been hidden in the grass; it had burrowed deep into the very regulatory body meant to protect the public.
"This ends now," Naomi said quietly, the fire in her eyes burning cold. "We aren't just cutting off the branches anymore. We are tearing out the roots."
