ICE PRINCESS

“There has to be more than one person named Jung Yonghwa.” Joo looks at her vanity mirror.

The personal information envelope lay unopened in her living room sofa. She refused to open it last night.

The woman in the mirror looks back at her.  She was dressed beautifully – the rose colored silk top emphasized the lily white skin and lent warmth to her face.  Her makeup was flawless she’d learned to put it from the best makeup artists. Beautifully manicured hands cup her face.

But Joo couldn’t find comfort in her reflection.  She put on the pink diamond earrings absent mindedly. This was definitely one of the days that she was unsatisfied with herself. Sighing deeply she stands up from the vanity mirror and finishes dressing up.  The silk lily patterned short skirt made her legs even longer and her mind barely registered stepping into 3 inch heels.  It was all routine – dressing up whether it was for morning engagements or night time ones. Joo was on auto pilot.

Where was her mind?

It was in a hospital room in one of the most expensive care facilities on Korea.  An elderly gentleman was in a comatose state. 

Hold on please Appa.  I will fix everything.

Blinking her eyes and scolding herself for almost ruining her make up Joo picks up the bag on the foot of her bed.  She walks to the full length mirror and surveys herself dispassionately.

You look perfect – when were you ever not?

Sighing deeply she walks out of the bedroom of her penthouse.

“Kwanghee!” She calls out to the man who was near the window. “Let’s go! It’s late.  Lee Joon will point out that I’m late again.”

“Coming Joo!” Kwanghee sprints across the living room and grabs the door handle before Joo does.

“Don’t let anyone hear you call me that. It’s bad enough I get scolded for spoiling my staff but if one of my mother’s spies hear you – you’ll get fired.” Joo scowls at her secretary.

“Deh – alguessamnida – Sajangnim.” He opens the door for her.

They head for the private elevator with Kwanghee using the shortwave radio to call the driver and the bodyguards – telling them that Ms. Seo Joohyun was on her way down.

When they were seated in the limousine Joo turns to her secretary. “Are you certain his name is Jung Yonghwa? Are you sure Lee Joon’s corporate lawyers contracted his firm’s services?”

“100% certain Sajangnim – they are an international firm – they are sending him because he’s Korean.   William Feng and Associates are the best at what they do.  They’re based in New York.  Every Asian conglomerate knows