Chapter 42

“Hae-gang.”

Hae-gang jolted awake at the sound of her name. Slowly, she turned her head and took in her surroundings. Unlike the dreadful place before, this one was cozy and peaceful. Through the window, she could see the sun just beginning to rise, and before her stood a man with a face that seemed genuinely concerned about her.

Shaking off her daydream, Hae-gang mustered a smile and looked at Woo-jin. “I’m sorry. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment…”

Hae-gang lay on her side and closed her eyes. The gentle touch that tidied up her tousled hair carried a tender affection, making her feel even more melancholic. Even if he were to find out that she was an accomplice in a murder case, would he still hold the same feelings for her? He had always been someone who stayed true to his principles and didn’t stray far from them.

“Are you tired?”

“A little. Min Woo-jin has been pushing me around today without any consideration.”

As Hae-gang spoke, Woo-jin stopped stroking her head, as if her words had pricked a sensitive spot. Instead, he climbed into bed and enveloped her tightly in his arms. The soft robe and the strong physique hidden within it came into view right before Hae-gang’s eyes.

She had always felt it, but physical contact with Woo-jin gave her a strange sense of stability. Since rejecting Geon-ho, she never thought she would find solace in someone else’s embrace.

“If you’re tired, you can rest for a bit. You can sleep like this until tomorrow morning, or if you prefer, I can wake you up for dinner.”

“And what about Min Woo-jin?”

“If he sleeps, he needs to catch up on the work he missed today. He hasn’t accomplished anything all day.”

Though his words sounded somewhat businesslike, they ultimately meant that he would maintain this state until she fell asleep. With that reassurance, Hae-gang chose not to resist and closed her eyes, allowing her heavy eyelids to stay that way. It had been an emotionally draining day, so ending it a little earlier wouldn’t be a bad idea.

****

In the dark room, ‘he,’ Geon-ho, entered the bedroom with slow steps. A spacious bed was placed in the middle of the room, perfect for one person. Although he had grown accustomed to the empty bed, he still couldn’t bring himself to use it. In the end, after gazing at the narrow bed for a while, Geon-ho went back outside and stretched out on the sofa. His untied robe cascaded down his body, unaffected by his indifference to exposing his skin. He raised his arm haphazardly to cover his eyes.

Today’s conversation with Woo-jin replayed in his mind, leaving no detail behind.

“You’ll have to gather your strength for that. It won’t be an easy task.”

In the end, it meant that he would have to take her along. Min Woo-jin didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding his feelings. Perhaps he had been waiting for this contact from the beginning.

“I don’t even know what’s going on in his head.”

The words burst out like a sigh, containing a hint of ridicule. Geon-ho genuinely felt sorry for him. He was well aware of Woo-jin’s reputation for his skills and integrity in the industry. He had transformed Soera, a mid-sized company, into a completely different entity, propelling it to the ranks of major corporations. When Charlie went public, he was only twenty-nine years old. Whether it was his youth or an exception, it was undoubtedly a remarkable achievement. Even the current rise was significant, and experts said that Woo-jin’s prime hadn’t arrived yet.

It was a reasonable argument. In a few years, Min Woo-jin would become even more astute and experienced. No one dared speculate how much Charlie, dressed perfectly in his own attire, would grow in size.

So, was there any reason to feel sorry? If things continued like this, there would be no chance for Min Woo-jin to take that seat. Seo Hae-gang’s husband needed only her. There was no way he would let anyone else occupy that position.

Then he would have to extract Hae-gang, who was hidden securely in Min Woo-jin’s home. How should he do it?

Lost in thought, Geon-ho was interrupted when the older-looking phone among the two on the table vibrated slightly.

There was only one person he could call on this phone. Yoon Sun-woo’s driver. Annoyed by the intrusive noise, Geon-ho furrowed his brows and brought the phone to his ear.

“Speak.”

Today, President Yoon Seon-woo and his wife met.

Geon-ho’s body tensed, breaking the languid posture on the sofa. He sat up straight and leaned in to listen to the voice on the other side of the phone.

“And?”

The voice on the other end conveyed the meeting as if it had been memorized in advance, smoothly relaying the details without interruption. Geon-ho, who had been silently listening, furrowed his brows in a displeased manner.

“Did you hit her?”

Perhaps sensing the anger laced in his voice, the person on the other end paused for a moment. Unable to contain his impatience during that brief silence, Geon-ho spoke again.

“I’m asking if you hit her.”

-… Yes. ”

Let me hear the same words come out of your mouth once again. I’ll make sure you never speak again.”

-I’m sorry.

Geon-ho stood up from the sofa and pulled the curtains aside. He couldn’t contain the anger welling up from deep within.

He, too, was someone who had never laid a hand on another person. He had kept her here, even fearing a single scratch on her small body, just to be subjected to her contempt.

“How dare he not know his place?

Clearly, he didn’t call Min Woojin today. Even if he had to break through the front gate of his house, he should have brought Hae-gang here. His escalating anger led him to throw the phone on the floor, which shattered into pieces when it hit the ground.

The thoughts that had been consumed with how to deal with Woo-jin quickly shifted to another person. Moreover, there wasn’t a hint of regret in his mind for that person.

Geon-ho threw aside the robe and put on the shirt that had been prepared for tomorrow. With the intact phone and car keys in hand, he stepped out of the room and approached

He asked the driver who was waiting outside, “Where is Yoon Sunwoo right now?”

“He’s at his mansion.”

Here, the mansion referred to Sunwoo’s personal residence, not the Moon-ik family estate. He was staying boldly at the place where he had killed his wife. Although it may seem horrifying to others, Geon-ho’s steps toward that place were devoid of any hesitation.

Yoon Sun-woo had laid a hand on Seo Hae-gang’s body. That was all that mattered to Geon-ho right now.

“Have the car waiting downstairs.”

Even as they headed towards Sun Woo’s house, anger continued to build up. Geon-ho’s fingernails made an ominous sound as they scratched the car seat, and his eyes reflected the passing lights outside the window, shimmering like broken glass.

He recalled the time when Hae-gang had been sleeping as if dead for months after the aerial accident. The emotions from that dreadful period seeped into his mind, corroding his thoughts.

“That child got hit.”

Young-Gil, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, glanced at Geon-ho through the rearview mirror and then turned his gaze back to the front.

“Should I take care of it?”

His tone was as calm as if he were asking, “Should I have some food?” With a slight nod that Young-Gil could discern, Geon-ho signaled his approval to proceed to Sun-woo’s mansion that loomed before them.

“I’ll be out soon, so wait here.”

As Geon-ho got out of the car, he coincidentally encountered people coming out of their homes. Ji-woo and a girl who seemed to be around Hae-gang’s age.

Ji-woo’s face turned pale, as if she had seen a ghost, when she spotted Geon-ho.

“H-Ha Yeon, do you want to go first today?”

Ji-woo, who sent away the girl who was with her, looked at Geon-ho with eyes full of fear. But she couldn’t hold his gaze for long and quickly averted her eyes.

“Park Ha-yeon, huh? Is that all you can settle for?”

A brief chuckle escaped Geon-ho’s lips as he instantly recognized the woman who had just passed by him, knowing which house she belonged to even without a second thought.

Staring at Ji-woo’s bowed head with icy eyes, Geon-ho entered through the open door, sparing no criticism.

“Are you planning to remove the mask of a grieving wife now? But I suppose you won’t be lacking in people to kill, like Lim Seyoung.”

Ji-woo’s eyes flickered aimlessly in response to Geon-ho’s reminder of Sun-woo’s past sins. Unconcerned about her reaction, Geon-ho walked into the house, still wearing his shoes, and stepped on the marble floor.

Sunwoo, surprised by Geon-ho’s sudden appearance, quickly stood up from the sofa.

“What’s going on? Why are you here?”

Ignoring Sun-woo’s words, Geon-ho approached without hesitation and struck his fist towards his face. With a loud thud, Sun-woo staggered back onto the carpet.

Ji-woo, who followed behind, couldn’t even scream as she covered her mouth.

“A despicable creature like you dared to lay a hand on her?”

Geon-ho’s shoe mercilessly struck Sunwoo’s right wrist, where a burn bandage was attached. A bone-cracking sound accompanied a short scream that escaped Sunwoo’s mouth.

“Ugh!”

Seeing Sun-woo endure the immense pain without giving in, just like a cockroach desperately trying to survive, Geon-ho couldn’t help but feel disgusted. A stubborn brat.

“I should have gotten rid of you a long time ago.”

If he had known that a day like this would come, he would have crushed every part of him from head to toe. He would have shattered that stubborn head, unable to think, and broken that neck that arrogantly looked down on the Moon-ik chairman position. That wouldn’t have been the end of it. He would have shattered those knees, preventing him from meeting Hae-gang, and destroyed those wrists, daring him to touch anything ever again.

“No matter how high you climb up the succession ranks with me, this is all you’re capable of. No matter what I do to you, you won’t be able to lay a finger on me.”

Ji-woo, who belatedly regained her senses, pushed Geon-ho away, telling him to stop.

Thinking that he had definitely won, Geon-ho nonchalantly removed his foot from Sun-woo’s wrist, which was in better condition than expected, and lightly licked his lips. He was even more ruthless than anticipated.

As Sun-woo staggered to his feet, his face covered in cold sweat, he chuckled.

“Why did you come here?”

“What?”

“If you know where Seo Hae-gang is, you should go find her. She’s your wife, after all.”

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