Chapter 12
A moment of hesitation came first. Right, it was obvious that thinking too much would make things complicated.
“Uh, uh… just say you came in my uncle’s car.”
“My uncle?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, that uncle. Right. Didn’t you say you have an uncle too?”
Seeing Yerim light up at the mention of “uncle” made her chest ache. It was painful to think that her daughter had grown up thinking her father was an uncle, without even properly seeing his face. At the same time, resentment toward Filmo surged. Leaving a helpless infant at their doorstep, causing trouble until the end, and putting his daughter in danger—he was to blame.
A sigh escaped her lips, but she didn’t want to plant bad memories in her child.
“Y-yeah… just say it’s uncle’s car.”
“Okay!”
Yerim smiled brightly and returned to her drawing. Heeyeon, meanwhile, was lost in thought.
Her mind was entirely focused on finding a phone. She pondered ways to contact Youngsook without anyone noticing, when someone came to mind.
“I’m just doing some coloring.”
“Okay.”
Heeyeon immediately left the room and knocked on the farthest door. Minah, wearing pajamas, came out.
“Could I borrow your phone for a moment?”
“You have your own phone, though?”
“Well… um…”
Though Minah could clearly see she had a phone, Heeyeon couldn’t easily explain.
Even if she wanted to say she was being monitored by Seokwoo, that was a rule only between the two of them. In front of the others in the house, not a single word could slip. Filmo’s life was at stake, not Seokwoo’s.
“Oh, I see. Your plan is off then!”
“Ah, yes… yes. Something like that.”
Perhaps understanding that Heeyeon’s finances were tight and that she had ended up in debt, Minah nodded.
“I know. Here, use it.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Use it whenever you need. I’ll step out for some water.”
“Okay, just a moment.”
Minah stepped aside so Heeyeon could quickly enter the room and call Youngsook.
―Who is this…?
“It’s me, your niece.”
―Ah, Heeyeon. Are you okay? But this number…?
“I borrowed a coworker’s phone for a moment. I can’t use my regular phone anymore.”
―So you were caught then? No wonder your story seemed off…
“It’s complicated. By the way, is my brother okay? Has he recovered?”
―No, he hasn’t regained consciousness yet.
Weakness drained her body. He would have to regain consciousness to locate things, but there was no progress.
Heeyeon bit her nails anxiously. If Filmo died like this, it would be the end.
“What should I do? Shouldn’t he be moved to a hospital? If he dies….”
―The hospital would leave a record and his location would be discovered quickly. I can’t take him. If it gets really bad, I’ll find a way. I can ask some colleagues working in hospitals.
“Thank you, aunt.”
―Are you okay there? I’m really worried something might happen to you.
“Yes, I’m fine. But don’t call unless it’s urgent.”
―Understood.
Heeyeon quickly ended the call and deleted Youngsook’s number from her call history. A sigh escaped her. She had no idea where to even begin untangling this mess.
Moments later, Minah returned with water. Heeyeon handed back the phone.
After exchanging a few words of thanks, Minah returned to her room. Heeyeon looked at Yerim still engrossed in her coloring, her head throbbing.
Meanwhile, Minah explored her own phone. Even though Heeyeon deleted the number, the cloud automatically saved the voice record. She pressed play.
“What’s this sound? Brother? He’s looking for something?”
Listening to their conversation, Minah nodded.
“Did he borrow money and run? That’s why he got caught? Hmm… I guess he didn’t personally owe the debt.”
Although Minah had been gentle in front of Heeyeon, her real purpose in this house was different from the others’.
Soon, a call came to her phone. Upon hearing the commanding voice of a man she recognized, Minah’s face brightened.
“Yes, this is me! Sure, I’ll be there.”
After ending the call, she opened her closet and pulled out a red dress. Wearing a short dress and heavy makeup, she stepped out quietly at night, unnoticed.
Being Seokwoo’s personal keeper meant there was no fixed quitting time. Once Yerim fell asleep, a message arrived on Heeyeon’s phone.
Bring some snacks.
Checking the time, it was already past eleven. Since arriving here, she hadn’t slept comfortably a single day. Being summoned late at night like this made her even more conscious of the others.
Still, it was likely everyone was asleep. Heeyeon quietly prepared some snacks. She plated baked brie, vegetable sticks, and cheese sauce, then went upstairs.
The mansion, bathed in moonlight, was as quiet as a tomb, but even her footsteps seemed to echo.
The tension sent shivers down her spine. Just being in the same room with Seokwoo was enough to make every sense alert.
She knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
“Yes.”
The coldness of the room hit her as she stepped in. The sweet scent of wine hit her immediately. Seeing Seokwoo on the sofa, drinking, her mouth went dry.
Judging by the wine bottle, he had already finished half. Had he been drinking without snacks? She felt absurd worrying about him.
Heeyeon set the snacks on the table. His gaze landed on her cheek. For a moment, it felt sharp and invasive, as if he were inspecting every detail.
Why like this?
The man only seemed to be staring, yet it made her uncomfortable.
Seokwoo, who had summoned her for snacks, didn’t even touch them. He poured wine into an empty glass and drank.
“If it runs out, go get more while on standby.”
“Understood.”
“Don’t just stand there. Sit.”
“Eh?”
“It’s uncomfortable.”
“No?”
Standing felt far more comfortable than sitting here. He gave her a glance and a slight nod.
What should she do? She had no desire to sit and drink with him. She worried he might sense she was hiding something.
“Do you want me to sit?”
“Oh, no.”
Just to avoid annoying him, she perched sideways at the edge of the sofa. The cold leather against her skin sent chills down her spine.
It was June. Not yet summer, but the air conditioner was on. Only now did she realize the initial chill in the room came from the AC.
A brief silence. The stillness amplified her anxiety.
Her heart raced.
She only looked at him drinking.
His tie was loosened, shirt sleeves rolled up, revealing thick forearms. The fit of his shirt strained across his muscular arms, too thick for the sleeves.
It was obvious he trained hard.
After all, a man in Seokwoo’s position—a company with connections to organized crime—would rank high in the shadowy world behind J.M. Capital. Seokwoo was likely second-in-command even among those dark forces.
Her heart raced again.
It was only from tension, but it felt as though an inexplicable heat was radiating from him.
He held out his glass.
“Want a drink?”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You’d like to drink, right?”
“…Why do you think that?”
“Because you’re tense. Since So Filmo disappeared.”
“That’s…”
She didn’t answer.
“You seem too relaxed. Like you’re hiding something.”
His gaze landed squarely on her. The piercing look made her shiver.
The oppressive atmosphere made her stomach churn.
Trying to stay composed only seemed to raise his suspicion, but she maintained the same poise she had when she first arrived.
“Then you have to find a way.”
