Chapter 29.1

Chapter 29.1

Eventually, Seoryeong returned to her hospital room and plopped down on the bed, patting her buttocks. She glanced indifferently at her bandaged arm.

Lee Wooshin’s words about compensation were not lies, she surmised.

For some reason, he had issued a stern warning disguised as concern about how she would live her life from now on, and her bank account was generously filled with hazard pay and personal consolation money. It was truly enough to not worry about making ends meet for a few months.

But…

It was a company she had entered solely to do something bad for Kim Hyun. To be chased away like this, an unavoidable frustration started to crept in.

She stared at the TV blaring loudly on its own.

“Park Mo, the son of Congressman Park Kwang-doo, received approximately 5 billion won in severance pay from Company A, which is embroiled in controversy over special favors in the development of Seorim-dong. Park Mo, who worked for the compensation team at Company A for five years, held the position of assistant manager at the time of his resignation… the excessive amount of severance pay compared to his experience and position has sparked controversy…”

Seoryeong shrugged her shoulders, barely registering the rhythmic voice of the news anchor coming in and out of her ears.

The path she had stretched out towards her husband suddenly hit a dead end. Just that fact alone drained her energy, leaving her mind and movements sluggish.

In such a situation, with her right arm injured as well, her husband’s absence became even more pronounced.

She couldn’t help but think of Kim Hyun’s meticulous care and affection, now vanished like an illusion. These days in the hospital were agonizing. She would occasionally let out a longing, melancholic sigh.

“――!”

At that moment, the door to the hospital room opened without a knock.

The first thing she saw was a sleek black cane. The cane, especially adorned with an eagle motif near the handle, looked expensive at a glance.

The man in his forties who appeared first burst into a wry smile as soon as he saw Seoryeong.

“Miss, your eyes seem brighter even after such a difficult ordeal.”

“…Who are you?”

Instead of answering, he entered the room with a crooked smile.

Seoryeong felt as if the man sitting on the sofa was saying, “Why aren’t you sitting down? What are you doing?” with his gaze.

The man seemed accustomed to such unspoken commands and pressure. Or perhaps people around him automatically responded before he even mentioned anything.

She felt compelled to sit facing the man.

“I’m Kang Taegon, CEO of Blast.”

“…!”

Seoryeong’s eyes widened momentarily. Why would someone like him be here? Did her puzzled thoughts show on her face? He spoke as if he had read her mind effortlessly.

“We stopped by to see Channa and got curious of who saved her.”

“Oh, I see…”

Though the title felt a bit uncomfortable, she nodded in understanding. As Seoryeong didn’t show much reaction, the middle-aged man’s eyes, which had been piercing through her, began to show interest.

“We almost lost a really valuable asset. You managed to hold onto our Channa until the end…”

“…”

“This is truly unexpected.”

He stroked his chin, scrutinizing Seoryeong thoroughly. Perhaps due to his background in contract work, his gaze was both dry and sharp when observing people.

His gaze swept through her quickly, yet it felt like he scanned her height, weight, and size in an instant.

“I’ve come to personally express my gratitude. Channa is a key figure in our company, someone I’ve brought over with great care. If he had been assassinated in Thailand, our side would have suffered significant losses. There are many contracts we couldn’t fulfill without him.”

“Channa… She is a giant, Seoryeong just didn’t know.”

But why would Lee Wooshin ask me to abandon such a giant?

If the person she spoke to over the communication was the CEO, Seoryeong felt like he would’ve ordered her to bring Channa back, even if it meant risking her life.

It seemed like the people in this company valued some lives more than others, and the lady who sent her away asking for food or chores was easily replaceable at any time.