Chapter 74.1

Chapter 74.1

Lee Wooshin rolled down the window all the way, desperately trying to let out the heater’s warmth trapped inside the car.

As the snow, crumbling like grains of rice, touched his skin, memories of embracing her and kissing her lips came flooding back. It was an irritatingly persistent recollection.

The familiar alleys and walls were no different. He pressed the accelerator recklessly, thinking of the countless times they walked hand in hand during the day and stole kisses at night.

Despite the window being fully down, the man repeatedly pressed the button, furrowing his brow. It felt like the car’s scent lingered, even though the cold wind was rushing in.

Just then, light seeped from the phone screen that had been carelessly left on the console box. Not wanting to wake Han Seoryeong, he had set it to silent mode, and now, more than ten missed calls had piled up.

All the calls were from Na Wonchang.

As soon as he accepted the call on speakerphone, a voice, raised an octave in a desperate cry, pierced his ears.

―“Team Leader! Why didn’t you pick it up earlier? It was urgent, really urgent!”

Lee Wooshin didn’t bother hiding his exhaustion, resting his elbow on the window frame. His black hair fluttered messily in front of his eyes in the winter wind. His voice came out in a languid, tired tone.

“What’s going on this late, Wonchang?”

―“The Deputy Director called! And the Owl messed up big time!”

“How could the Owl mess up? I just dropped her off at home.”

―“I don’t even know where to start, but it’s Five billion won!”

“What?”

―“The Owl hacked into a VIP’s relative’s account and it’s Five billion won! But she left the signature as ‘Kim Hyun,’ Kim Hyun! Hardly anyone knows that name, and the IP address was all traced back to the Owl’s house.”

“…!”

His relaxed demeanor suddenly sharpened.

―“I’ve been so busy since then that I couldn’t contact you. The Deputy Director has been by my side the whole time.”

He could hear the sound of Na Wonchang scratching and tearing at his hair through the receiver.

―“Anyway, the IP wasn’t even properly masked, just hidden enough that anyone could find it with a little digging. Like breadcrumbs left by Gretel! Oh, but that’s not the real issue here!”

His mind felt like it was tangling in knots, even though he hadn’t had a drink. The scent lingering in the passenger seat only added to his confusion.

And now, after dropping such a bombshell and saying it wasn’t the main issue, what could possibly be more important? Just as his brow furrowed deeply.

―“The Deputy Director sent agents to interrogate the Owl at her home!”

Screech―! The brakes were slammed hard. Without realizing it, Lee Wooshin clenched his jaw and abruptly turned the wheel for a U-turn.

It had already been 15 minutes since he parted ways with her. If a male agent had ambushed and started interrogating her, she’d be caught off guard. And considering she’d been drinking, her reflexes would be slower than usual.

Even if he managed to cut the return time down to 7 minutes. The veins on his hand gripping the steering wheel bulged.

―“Team Leader, where are you going! I’m not done yet; the Deputy Director called you!”

Na Wonchang raised his voice in response to the sound of the tires screeching.

“But Wonchang, why do you think the Deputy Director gave such orders without telling me anything?”

His quietly muttered words silenced the frantic shouting.

“Damn it, who gave him the right to send people to her house, huh?”

The eyes reflected in the rearview mirror curved sharply like a shark’s tail.

―“Well, uh! That’s been bothering me too. But technically, Team Leader, you’re on a different mission right now. The Bird Box operation is already over. So the Deputy Director gave orders.”

After hesitating for a moment, Na Wonchang quickly and mechanically continued.

―“He said this is a completely different mission from Bird Box, so he wouldn’t share information.

“Ah—. Listening to this, I feel really disappointed as her husband.”

The man ran his tongue over his teeth, then pulled his lips into a tight smirk. Ignoring the red light, he pressed the accelerator even harder.

“If they wanted to ditch me, they should’ve done it properly. Why call me if they’re not going to make me do anything?”

His voice naturally lowered, filled with tension. He didn’t know where to direct his anger, so he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, only to feel his frustration surge again.

―”They said they made a deal with the Owl. One call for Five billion won.”