Chapter 01
Haa—
Haa—
The man and woman pushed through thick bushes, breathing heavily. Their bodies were covered in scratches. Then, the woman—who had been running until she could barely breathe—got caught on a branch and fell.
“Ah—!”
“Honey, hurry! If they catch us here, we’re both dead.”
The man helped her up, and they started running again. They ran toward a river covered in thick mist and quickly boarded a boat they had prepared in advance.
“There they are! Catch them!”
“Hey!! Stop right there!”
As a group of men in black suits came running after them, the terrified woman began trembling.
Despite the growing threat behind them, the man pulled the rope with all his strength.
Rumble—Rumble—
As the boat engine roared to life, someone pulled out a gun.
“Shoot—!”
Bang—
The bullet struck the man’s leg, but he widened his eyes and started the engine anyway.
Soon, the boat cut across the river at high speed, sending up violent sprays of water.
“Honey… your blood… your leg…”
The woman cried as she tried to stop the bleeding. The man gently stroked her hair as if comforting her.
“It’s okay. Don’t cry.”
“Can we really escape?”
“Of course. Just trust me.”
“Yes… I’d rather live even one day with the person I love than spend a lifetime with that bastard.”
The man nodded.
Their bodies were soaked by the rough waters, but nothing could stop their love.
This would become a historic incident.
JM Capital, the number-one company in Korea’s secondary financial sector, presented itself as a solid corporation. However, like many loan companies, its origins lay in a violent criminal organization. The chairman, Cha Myunghwan’s mistress had fallen in love with a low-ranking gang member and run away with him.
The men who had lost them looked utterly terrified.
“We’re screwed.”
Someone collapsed onto the ground in despair. Everyone shared the same look.
Failing to catch the fugitives meant…
They might be killed by the CEO.
CEO Kang Seokwoo.
At a gym somewhere in Gangnam—
Thud—
Thud—
The man showed no signs of being pushed back even while facing a giant nearly two meters tall and over 100 kilograms.
As he moved swiftly, the muscles in his arms rippled. His powerful punch landed squarely on his opponent’s jaw.
Smack—
The opponent staggered. Even with protective gear, the man’s attacks were devastating.
If this had been a real fight, that single punch might have been enough to keep his opponent from ever standing again.
Kang Seokwoo, CEO of JM Capital.
Sweat fell every time he threw a punch. Despite his face being handsome enough to seem carved by an artist, his body was rock-solid with muscle, and his movements were as agile as a beast’s. From his appearance alone, one would never think he belonged in the world of violence.
But in that world, he stood at the very top.
His foul mood showed clearly in the sparring match. The cold atmosphere felt like a scene from a thriller movie.
His subordinate Juheon watched with trembling fingers. A chilling tension filled the air.
Soon, another man ran over and whispered something into Juheon’s ear. Juheon immediately turned pale.
“…I see.”
Smack—
Thud—
With Seokwoo’s final blow, the opponent fell backward. As expected, the match ended in Seokwoo’s victory.
Seokwoo threw off his boxing gloves and looked at Juheon, waiting for an answer. His deep voice carried heavy pressure.
“The result.”
“…We’re sorry.”
“You think this kind of management is acceptable?”
“We… we’ll take responsibility…”
Just a few words made their legs give out.
That was the kind of man Seokwoo was—someone who never forgave failure.
“Lead the way. I’ll go myself.”
“Y-You personally?”
“Prepare it.”
“…Yes, sir.”
Seokwoo took off his sweat-soaked shirt. As his back was revealed, the black tiger tattoo seemed almost alive. The gang members immediately bowed deeply.
After changing into a clean shirt, Seokwoo walked forward without hesitation. The long line of men following behind him all looked as if they were marching toward their deaths.
Step. Step.
As they descended into the company basement, several men could be seen hanging in the air.
They were already beaten bloody and groaning in pain. They were members who had failed to catch So Pilmo—the low-ranking member who ran away with the chairman’s mistress. Those suspected of being close to him were on the verge of death.
When they saw Seokwoo, terror filled their eyes.
“Please spare us! CEO! We really didn’t know he would do something like this…”
Seokwoo simply stared at them silently. One man suddenly wet himself.
Until yesterday, they had been his people.
Not anymore.
Unable to watch any longer, Juheon spoke:
“Say anything you know. That’s how you live.”
“We really don’t know!”
“Anything is fine.”
“He never talked about himself… oh! Right! His sister runs a business!”
“A sister?”
“I don’t know which market… but it’s in Seoul… she runs a snack shop.”
Step. Step.
The sound of Seokwoo’s shoes approaching felt like the footsteps of the grim reaper.
Juheon quickly offered him a cigarette. Seokwoo lit it and blew smoke toward the hanging man.
The man choked in fear.
“Find her. Even if you have to search all of Seoul.”
Crash—
Crash—
Startled by thunder, Heeyeon hurried to close the window.
Swoooosh—
Rain pounded heavily against the glass, giving her a strange sense of anxiety. Just then, her phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
Is it my brother?
For five years, she had only known he was alive through money deposited into her bank account. But for some reason, she felt certain it was him.
She answered.
—Heeyeon, it’s me.
Her blood seemed to run cold.
She had resented him for years. Without a single call, he had only sent money, as if abandoning his own blood like baggage when she was just a child.
“Oppa! Isn’t that too much? How could you disappear for five years—”
—I had some things happen.
“What things?”
—Just wait a little longer until I fix it. The CEO isn’t actually that bad of a person… wait… I have to go. Aagh!
“Oppa! Oppa!!”
After his disorganized explanation, the call ended with a scream.
Heeyeon’s mind became complicated.
CEO? He kept sending money… maybe he really works at a company now?
Did he finally start living a normal life?
But… why did he sound like someone being chased?
Crash—
Thunder struck again. Lightning flashed through the dark house, making everything feel ominous.
She had a bad feeling.
After five years of silence, that sudden call… his nervous voice… everything suggested he had gotten into serious trouble.
“Oppa…”
Two days later—
Under faded striped awnings and among merchants bargaining with customers, Heeyeon pulled a large box on a cart and raised her voice:
“Excuse me, coming through.”
Her shop was located in the cheapest back alley of the market. Though the location was remote, the food was good, so students visited often.
From one end of the market to the other was about 500 meters. She checked her phone repeatedly while taking short breaks.
What on earth happened?
Considering what he said after five years of silence, something serious must have happened to her brother.
Her anxiety kept growing. She wiped sweat from her forehead.
Then she pulled the cart toward her shop alley.
Suddenly—
She stopped walking.
The quiet alley caught her attention.
“…What?”
Unlike the other busy areas she passed, this back alley was completely silent.
The neighboring shops had even pulled down their tarps.
That was strange.
It wasn’t even a holiday.
The entire alley was closed.
A bad feeling crept in. Especially after her brother’s call.
Her heart tightened.
Then she saw her aunt—standing in front of several large men in black suits, clearly terrified.
“Aunt!”
“H-Heeyeon!”
Her aunt quickly ran over. She was her mother’s close friend who had raised the orphaned siblings. Despite her difficult circumstances, she had cared for them like a mother.
Seeing her shaking made Heeyeon’s fear spike.
“Aunt, are you okay? What’s happening?”
“Those men have been sitting here since morning, not letting anyone open their shops… they look like gangsters… what do we do?”
“…!”
