Chapter 18
“Why the club?”
“Well, because Do Seung-jun’s main office is there. There’s something I want to take a closer look at…”
As Assistant Manager Kim answered as if it were routine work, Woo-kyung’s brow furrowed in real time.
“Uh, Prosecutor? Is there some kind of problem?”
Instead of answering, Woo-kyung stood up, slipped on his jacket, grabbed his car keys, and walked straight out of his office.
“Huh? Is the prosecutor heading out for a field investigation too?”
Assistant Manager Kim tilted his head, staring at the door Woo-kyung had just exited.
“Wow… What’s even fun about hanging out in a place like this?”
Eun-jae couldn’t stop marveling as she stepped into the club—mostly in a negative way.
The stuffy underground air mixed with hazy smoke, making everything suffocating, and the pounding music shook her eardrums unbearably.
And yet, people were enjoying the night far too enthusiastically.
The lights were blindingly flashy, making it hard to tell where anything was.
On top of that, way too many men were approaching her out of nowhere.
“Oh, hey. Are you here alone? There are two of us.”
“Ah, I—I’m alone…”
“Even better. Two-on-one is our specialty! Wanna hang out?”
Eun-jae waved her hands and hurriedly stepped backward.
“I need to get behind the stage as soon as possible.”
She took a breath and recalled the ‘Office’ sign she’d spotted earlier inside.
She wanted to find something—anything—quickly, and if there was nothing worth taking, she wanted to bolt out of the place immediately.
Steeling herself, she started walking again.
“Ah!”
“Hey! What the—!”
A heavily drunk woman staggered around the corner and slammed straight into Eun-jae.
“So cold!”
The woman’s drink sloshed violently, spilling its contents all over Eun-jae.
“Hey! Are you blind? Watch where you’re going!”
The audacity was unbelievable, but arguing with a drunk would get her nowhere.
Eun-jae shot the woman a resentful look as she shoved past, then pulled a handkerchief from her clutch.
“What do I do…”
Whether it was a cocktail or not, the sticky liquid had already soaked into her clothes and cleavage, giving off a sickly sweet scent.
Everything about this place was unpleasant.
Letting out a light sigh, Eun-jae gave up on fixing her clothes and headed toward the back of the stage.
The steel door labeled ‘Office’ had no one guarding it.
Eun-jae cautiously opened it.
“It’s completely quiet here.”
It was hard to believe that such a calm workspace existed just one door away from that chaos outside.
Click. As the door closed, even the noise disappeared, turning the space into a silent hallway.
Rooms labeled ‘PR Team,’ ‘Marketing Team,’ and the like lined both sides, just like an ordinary company.
Click-clack. The sound of her high heels echoed too loudly. Eun-jae took them off and walked softly down the dark corridor.
Soon, she reached a lobby-like area where the hallway split into two.
I just want to find out what kind of work that employee does.
If they were close to Do Seung-jun…
I should start near the CEO’s office.
The CEO’s office should be further inside.
She hesitated briefly between the two paths, then stepped into the right corridor—
“—!”
Someone suddenly lunged out from the left corridor and covered her mouth. It happened in an instant.
“Mmph—!”
“Shh.”
Pushed back against the wall, Eun-jae saw a man wearing a black cap pulled low over his face.
At the same time, a faint citrus scent mixed with a deep woody fragrance brushed her nose.
This scent was painfully familiar—
“…!”
“Get out. Now.”
Baek Woo-kyung whispered quickly as he removed his hand from her mouth.
“What were you planning to do, walking into a criminal den alone without any fear?”
Before she could steady her breathing, he grabbed her arm. Sounds came from the adjacent hallway.
“You bastards, what’s wrong with the floor tonight, huh? It’s empty!”
“S-Sorry!”
“You know what happens if you don’t meet today’s numbers, right?”
Then came dull thuds and faint groans. Eun-jae’s eyes widened.
“And you still want to stay here?”
“B-But I haven’t confirmed—”
“Do you think gangsters are a joke, or do you think I’m a joke? Which is it, Jung Eun-jae.”
Speechless, she followed his gaze toward the emergency exit at the end of the hallway.
Left with no choice, Eun-jae followed him out of the office.
Back in the club, the two stood in a less crowded corner.
“Why are you acting on your own?”
“I’m investigating.”
“Did you forget? I’m your superior. Coming to a place like this without reporting—damn it.”
Woo-kyung rubbed his dry face and scanned the surroundings, soaked in pleasure and madness.
“Tell me properly. Why you’re moving alone and hiding it from me.”
“Hiding it? That’s not it!”
Eun-jae shook her head in protest, but Woo-kyung stared into her clear eyes, lost in thought.
The relationship between Oh Hye-ju and Do Seung-jun was a problem—but so was whatever tied Oh Hye-ju and Jung Eun-jae together.
He needed to know how deeply, and in what way, they were connected to decide how far to go after Oh Hye-ju.
Of course, it was hard to believe that such a pure, transparent kid could be part of something so filthy and shadowy…
No. That couldn’t be.
And yet, suspicion still crept in—especially after catching Eun-jae sneaking around behind his back like this.
“I came because there was something I needed to look into.”
When his silence dragged on, Eun-jae spoke again.
And what is that?
He asked with a cold gaze.
Eun-jae, intimidated, clenched the heels and jacket in her hands.
“I wanted to investigate further, and if I found something, report it properly. I didn’t want to confuse you unnecessarily.”
“Confusion or not, that’s for me to judge. Say it. Now.”
Woo-kyung snapped, finally losing his composure.
Damn it. A prosecutor letting personal feelings interfere with work—what a joke.
“Well…”
Eun-jae’s soft lips moved hesitantly.
As he forced himself to look away, his gaze instead snagged on her outfit.
The tight black dress made her pale skin stand out even under the flashing lights.
He didn’t like how her slender shoulders were fully exposed, and the circular cutout at the front irritated him even more.
“A person claiming to investigate—what the hell are you wearing, fuck.”
Eun-jae’s eyes reddened. Clicking his tongue, Woo-kyung took the jacket from her and draped it over her shoulders.
“You can’t exactly come to a club in a business suit…”
Woo-kyung let out a sighing laugh and ran a hand through his hair. Even he didn’t know what he wanted to do with this girl anymore.
The way she looked when she was on the verge of tears, when she frowned—it all looked beautiful, which made him think he’d lost his mind.
“Return to the district office.”
“…What?”
“That’s an order from your direct superior.”
After hesitating briefly, Eun-jae straightened her posture. Mentioning her superior had flipped her back into work mode.
“It’s not at the stage where I can officially report yet, but I’ll tell you anyway. Among the people Do Seung-jun keeps around him, there’s an employee from Chairwoman Oh Hye-ju’s foundation.”
Woo-kyung’s eyes narrowed instantly.
“Who is it? Why are they sticking close to Do Seung-jun? Did the chairwoman order it?”
“That’s what I was trying to find out. As of now, nothing has been confirmed.”
Just as Woo-kyung was about to add something—
“Ugh! S-Sorry!”
A staggering man crashed into Eun-jae’s arm.
Woo-kyung reflexively pulled her into his chest.
“Damn it, open your eyes when you walk.”
“Get lost.”
“Get lost? Me? Or you? Hahaha!”
Woo-kyung shoved the babbling drunk aside with one hand and pulled Eun-jae in even closer.
“…!”
Too flustered to push him away, Eun-jae found herself trapped in his arms.
What do I do…
The steady thump of his heartbeat made her dizzy.
She had been held against his chest countless times—solid yet warm, a place that always made her sleepy…
Her instincts kept reaching for the familiar, longed-for embrace.
This is dangerous.
Barely managing to push against his chest, Eun-jae lifted her head and spoke with difficulty.
“…Please let go now, Prosecutor.”
But he only looked down at her with eyes grown dark.
They were eyes filled with desire—something Eun-jae knew all too well.
He only ever revealed his emotions without restraint when he wanted her, when he craved her.
“Vanilla.”
“…!”
“You smell like vanilla, Jung Eun-jae.”
His low voice cut through the noise, far too sensual.
Eun-jae’s face flushed helplessly.
