Chapter 9.1

Unbeknownst to Hae-gang, Woo-jin was the one who had changed her into the hospital gown at the advice of the doctor. However, he couldn’t fetch a nurse at that moment as Hae-gang had tightly clung to him until she fainted. It was a medical procedure, and he didn’t have any s*xual feelings, so he saw no reason to complicate things.

Upon seeing her ridiculously thin body, he was afraid her bones might break if he mishandled her. Not only that but there were scars all over her body. He thought that she had been hurt by a regular attack or a big accident.

Woo-jin’s hand brushed his brows. It was a habit whenever he experienced a headache. What really happened? His gaze was fixed on the secretary’s call button. He could break his promise and perform a background check on her. With one single word, a sheet of paper containing the woman’s information will be placed on this desk, and it will barely require several days.

He, however, was not pleased. Woo-jin was worried for days because he couldn’t find an immediate solution.

* * *

His finger tapped the handle of the elegant chair. It sounded like he was counting down the minutes. Jae-min’s lips were dry. He knew exactly how to make his opponent shiver in terror with little effort. It didn’t mean that he knew hundreds of ways to do things, but that he scared everyone away with everything he did. His immense charisma frightened whoever stood before him.

“You haven’t found her yet.”

Jae-min quickly bowed his head deeply and said, “I apologize.”

“What is the reason?” he asked.

“I checked all of the CCTV footage on the nearby road,” said Jae-min. “She was only caught on camera at the back entrance of the hotel. According to the transportation department, it’s hard to pick out blind spots.”

“Difficult?”

He let out an icy laugh, and Jae-min’s lips quivered uncontrollably. Jae-min quickly bowed in response to his boss’s actions and left the president’s office, trying to hide how nervous he was. He did his utmost to calm the anger rising from within. He always visited Hae-gang when his stomach was boiling like this, but this time he couldn’t. He didn’t know where his wife was.

“Was that an instinct as well?” he muttered under his breath. It seemed Hae-gang’s desire to evade his gaze intuitively led her to a place with no CCTV. He couldn’t help but acknowledge her unusual feat.

That’s how the Hae-gang is, he reasoned. Considering her, it would be strange if she missed such a golden opportunity. But this was completely unexpected. He thought he had stopped her from running away by blocking all the exits.

He raised his hand and rubbed it nervously down his face. Despite his best efforts, ominous thoughts kept drilling into his head. Perhaps she had become frozen in the cold winter. Perhaps she had an accident while she escaped in a hurry. Danger could be anywhere, and Hae-gang had already encountered it once. It should not happen twice.

* * *

Hae-gang often imagined the most horrific scenarios when she was alone. How far has he pursued her, his prey? It wasn’t the first time she felt her body tremble in fear every time the hospital door opened.

As Woo-jin entered, her shoulders rose in fright. When she looked at him with wide eyes, Woo-jin spoke disapprovingly.

“How long are you going to be surprised?” he asked. “I’m afraid I’ve done something terrible.”

“I don’t get surprised because I wanted to be,” she retorted.

“Is that so?”

Woo-jin closed the door and entered the hospital room with a tray in his hands, plainly agreeing with her slurred speech. Hae-gang laughed weakly as she stared at the tray on the table.

“You don’t even need to prepare three meals a day for someone who doesn’t move all day,” she said.

Woo-jin’s hands, which were ready to take out his portion of food, were caught inside a paper bag.

“How does that make you feel?” he asked.

Hae-gang, who stared at him because she couldn’t understand the meaning of his question, assumed she had done something gravely wrong.

“I’m a little intrigued. It’s incredible that you know how to despise people,” Woo-jin added.

Hae-gang pressed her parched lips against her teeth. She made a very angry face at Woo-jin, muttered one word, and then turned her head away. She knew she was placing herself in shackles because she didn’t want to leave this safe place. When she left the hotel for the first time, she knew that she no longer had the courage to do it again.

What should she do if she runs into him again after leaving this place?

She didn’t know what else to say, but she wanted him to understand her fear. She knew it was selfish of her to want that without disclosing anything, but she couldn’t help herself.

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