Chapter 11
The man had dark, smooth skin, sharp eyes, red-dyed hair, and torn lips, giving him a fiercely intimidating appearance.
Piercings hung from his ears, and a glittering gold watch adorned his wrist, gleaming in the sunlight as if to announce his wealth. He was clearly a man wrapped entirely in money.
“Executive Cha.”
Seok-woo’s words made her startle. Executive Cha was the person Min-ah had mentioned.
He was the only son of Cha Myung-hwan, the owner of this mansion. Her lips went dry from tension.
“Executive Cha? Shouldn’t you be called ‘young master’ at home?”
Cha Ki-heon looked at Hee-yeon’s chest. The way he stared, as if licking it with his eyes, made her uncomfortable. The person who should have been tense was Seok-woo, but she felt humiliated instead. Seeing this, Seok-woo moved slightly forward, as if to protect her.
“The only person I serve is the chairman. You really want to hear me call you ‘young master’?”
“Did you just think that pampering a dog made you human?”
“Hmph.”
“You’re laughing?”
He let out a short, mocking laugh.
“Of course. A rat with shit on it dares to criticize me.”
“You bastard. You won’t budge no matter what I say, huh? Don’t you have any pride?”
“As you can see, I’ve been through everything. Nothing affects me anymore.”
“I want to see how long you can act so boldly. When that old man finally steps down, the company will be mine. Then all your posing will be over. You’ll just be another pretty face, groveling to rich people.”
Hee-yeon’s hands trembled. She could feel the invisible tension between the two men.
It was obvious that their emotions were entangled.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“You should be. Do you know how many people are waiting for that face? They’ll throw money just to see it.”
“Well, I’m expensive. I can’t deal with just anyone.”
“Try living in the gutter. Eventually, in that world, you’ll have to take it all off—you know that, don’t you?”
Hee-yeon tilted her head in confusion. What was he talking about? That world… could he be referring to the entertainment or adult industry? Cha Ki-heon spoke shamelessly, but it seemed to have no effect on Seok-woo. On the contrary, Seok-woo opened his shoulders even wider. Muscles shifted under his back, as if a black tiger could burst through his skin.
She swallowed hard from the tension.
“I’ll earn money with my mind, not my body. Unlike someone else.”
“You arrogant bastard. Are you mocking me?”
Finally losing his temper, Cha Ki-heon threw something. But it sank into the water before it could reach Seok-woo.
“Did it sound like that?”
“We’ll see. And that pretty one, you’ll see her too.”
Hee-yeon shrank back. As Cha Ki-heon’s footsteps faded, Seok-woo turned around.
Seok-woo tousled his wet hair irritably.
“Be careful around that guy.”
“I heard from someone working here that the chairman’s son is rough with women. But since I was sold as a debt slave….”
“He won’t dare touch you. After all, you’re my personal keeper.”
“Huh?”
“Because he’ll think I take them all the way to the bed.”
“Oh… yes, that makes sense.”
Most people assumed a personal keeper’s job involved sexual services. Whether true or not, Seok-woo making the woman he liked most his personal keeper sent a clear warning.
Right now, the person Hee-yeon needed to be most careful of was this man, Seok-woo. From the atmosphere alone, it was obvious the two men were adversaries. If any secret between them leaked to Cha Ki-heon, it would be disastrous.
“You should stop swimming. That thug came earlier than expected.”
“I’ll bring a towel.”
“You should wrap it around yourself.”
As she tried to leave the water, Seok-woo’s gaze lingered on Hee-yeon’s blouse. The wet fabric made her underwear visible. Her face flushed with embarrassment. She didn’t notice the faint trace of jealousy in Seok-woo’s eyes.
“Ah….”
“…….”
“I’ll help you change and get ready to go out.”
Hee-yeon got out of the water, hastily draping a towel around herself. Seok-woo’s gaze followed her, but she couldn’t feel it.
Halfway through running, she nearly collided with someone.
“Hee-yeon,”
“Ah, Min-ah.”
“Phew, that was close.”
“You saw them?”
She hadn’t noticed anyone before, but Min-ah seemed to have arrived unnoticed.
“I was carrying drinks. I was so nervous. I wondered if they’d fight. I was really worried.”
“They don’t get along much, do they?”
“Not at all. The chairman trusts the representative more than his own son.”
“As I thought…”
Her guess had been correct. The two men were wary of each other—surely a power struggle. Any organization has internal conflicts over leadership. Especially between a crime boss’s son and the person trusted by the boss, such tensions were inevitable.
“They’re enemies. Absolute enemies. So be careful, even though you’re his personal keeper.”
“Thanks.”
“Let’s help each other.”
“Yes. I’ll go change my clothes now.”
She hurried into the building to change.
Around Seok-woo, it felt as if invisible black smoke had filled the air.
Even the chairman’s assistant and Seok-woo’s loyal subordinates were tense. Cha Ki-heon, who had traveled around the world, returned to Korea earlier than expected.
“Originally, he was scheduled to arrive later.”
“Indeed.”
“Could it be that news of the situation leaked out?”
“Do you not trust our people?”
Seok-woo shook his head.
“I do, of course. But after being caught off guard once, they’re more cautious…”
“Either way, we must be careful. If he takes an interest in this side, it won’t end well.”
“Understood.”
“By the way, where is that So Pil-mo hiding?”
“We searched everywhere. If he’s not here, he may have left the area.”
It was maddening. Every trace of So Pil-mo had vanished. Humans need water and food to survive, yet in the forest, there was no sign.
“How close is the nearest village?”
“…There’s a larger village nearby, but it takes time. Since it’s rural, there’s almost no CCTV like in the city.”
“One month. One month. We must find him within that time.”
“Understood. I’ll make them move faster.”
The assistant closed the door cautiously. Outside, the exhausted searchers could be seen.
But now wasn’t the time to worry about fatigue. Cha Ki-heon’s arrival in Korea posed a serious threat.
His attention was entirely on Seok-woo, determined to destroy him.
Every search had to be more secretive. Lives depended on it.
That evening.
Putting aside the confrontation between Seok-woo and Cha Ki-heon from earlier, Hee-yeon focused on her own worries.
Right now, it wasn’t time to worry about Seok-woo.
‘Who am I supposed to worry about?’
Being a hostage, she could only wait for Pil-mo to regain his senses.
Beside her, Ye-rim, coloring in a book, asked:
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“I like it here. Right?”
“Really?”
The large mansion provided good living conditions for the staff. Even the furniture matched the grandeur of the house. Though it was just one room, it was spacious enough for Ye-rim to play.
“Yeah, it’s amazing. My friends are curious because they come in fancy cars… What should I tell them?”
