Chapter 65.2

Chapter 65.2

Whose voice was that?

Was this a nightmare too?

Goyo forced her eyes open, trying to wake herself up, but the world still felt like a dream. Maybe even that effort was part of the illusion.

It was like she was trapped inside a Möbius strip, endlessly circling with no way out. A nightmare she couldn’t escape, repeating over and over. For all she knew, her body could still be lying unconscious in an ER bed somewhere.

Her strength vanished all at once. Her head spun, her knees gave out, and her body swayed.

That was when a hand reached out and grabbed her by the waist.

“Babe. You scared me.”

The scent of wood drifted toward her, warm and grounding. Goyo gasped for air, then slowly opened her eyes. Jae-heon was looking down at her, his smile gentle, his eyes curved.

“You disappear the second I look away. What am I supposed to do, carry you around in my pocket?”

One of Yi-taek’s bodyguards was lying near the open study door, groaning. He must have tried to stop Jae-heon from entering.

For a moment, the absurdity of the scene left her stunned. Then, quietly, she let out a shaky breath and leaned into Jae-heon’s chest.

Something settled inside her as she did. It was the quiet realization that this man, Kwon Jae-heon, was the one protecting her.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Yi-taek’s shout snapped through the room. His face was twisted in disbelief at the sight of Jae-heon standing there.

“That’s what I’d like to ask you,” Jae-heon replied calmly. “Senator, care to explain what’s going on here?”

His eyes fixed on Yi-taek’s arm. It was still raised in mid-air, the one that had been about to strike Goyo. It trembled, suspended, his fingers curled tight with fury.

“So. Is Yoon-gun’s habit of hitting people something he inherited?”

“Do you always enter people’s homes this way, Director Kwon?”

“I did try being polite. You didn’t seem to get the message.”

Jae-heon glanced briefly at the guard on the floor and gave a short, humorless laugh.

Goyo had disappeared from the ER while he was meeting the hospital director. He had only stepped away for ten minutes. No more than that.

Thankfully, she had taken her bag. Her phone’s GPS had made it easy to track where she went.

She had gone to Yi-taek’s house.

That confused him. She had said she never wanted to set foot there again.

Still frowning, Jae-heon had gone straight to the address. From the front gate, it was clear how tightly secured the place was. Cameras lined the perimeter. Armed guards were stationed all around. Even for a public figure, it felt excessive.

Of course it was. The man was like a snake, full of things to hide and even more to protect.

Many had tried to stop Jae-heon. Some he handled directly. Others, he let his own guards deal with. They were more than capable, and he expected them to earn their keep.

One guard stood blocking the study. When he lunged at Jae-heon with a kick, Jae-heon dodged effortlessly and punched him across the face. The man crashed backward, throwing the door open.

Inside, the scene that greeted him was grotesque.

Yi-taek had been about to strike Goyo.

Jae-heon didn’t yell. Instead, he let out a cold, disbelieving chuckle.

Even thugs didn’t lay hands on their own children. Maybe other people were different, but he hadn’t been raised that way.

Violence, when repeated, eroded a person’s self-respect. And without self-respect, no one could lead. Not even a beast.

If Yi-taek had even the smallest piece of genuine care for Goyo, he wouldn’t have lifted a hand like that. Now Jae-heon understood why she flinched every time he reached out to her.

“I have to say, Congressman, your hospitality leaves much to be desired.”

“What did you just say?”

“Even during Seollal, it’s customary to open your doors wide for guests.”

As a three-term lawmaker, Yi-taek should have been receiving visitors nonstop. Given his years in the prosecutor’s office, former colleagues would likely stop by as well. Yet the house was eerily silent.

Not a single guest in sight. Not even a hint that outsiders were welcome. Just an overwhelming presence of guards and surveillance cameras.

What exactly was he trying so hard to keep hidden?

“I don’t care for crowds,” Yi-taek replied. “I’m sure the elders feel the same.”

“My father loves a crowd,” Jae-heon said, smiling faintly. “His house is probably overflowing with people right now. And come to think of it, shouldn’t you be making the rounds yourself? I heard Speaker Han came by early this morning. You, on the other hand, seem to be enjoying a very quiet day.”

He looked over at the desk, cluttered with newspapers, and let out a dry chuckle.