Chapter 04
At that moment, the sound of knocking snapped her back to her senses.
“Director Joo.”
“Come in.”
When the door opened, a man she had never seen before entered. He dismissed Hee-yeon as if she were nothing.
“You may leave now. Do the cleaning in an hour.”
“Yes… then I’ll….”
Hee-yeon turned around quietly.
As she walked toward the door, she couldn’t stop being conscious of her back.
It felt like he was still watching her.
That man…
Come to think of it, she didn’t even know his name.
Hee-yeon was both a hostage and, outwardly, someone with another job.
A keeper…
Seok-woo burst out laughing at Hee-yeon’s boldness. The man who had dared to hit him from behind and run away was no ordinary guy, but that man’s younger sister also had quite the nerve.
Fearlessness seemed to run in the family. Or perhaps the younger sister had even stronger resolve.
So Pil-mo hadn’t just run away with Chairman Cha’s mistress.
The mistress had also taken gold bars from the chairman’s slush fund and a USB containing confidential files. The money was one thing, but if the secret files in his possession were exposed to the world, they would all be as good as dead.
— Chairman Cha Myung-hwan of JM Capital, Korea’s second-largest financial company, is suspected of soliciting favors from government officials and money laundering. He has been detained due to flight risk, but due to lack of evidence…
Chairman Cha was under investigation for multiple charges, but he would likely be released soon.
Director Joo continued his report.
“We’ve tightly controlled information. Only a few people know the two ran away.”
Pil-mo running off with the chairman’s mistress was top secret. Chairman Cha trusted Seok-woo enough to entrust him with both his woman and his villa. He trusted him like a son—more than his own child.
But if word got back to him that Seok-woo had made a mistake here, even Seok-woo’s life wouldn’t be guaranteed.
Even with many followers, he ultimately couldn’t defy Chairman Cha.
“Good.”
“I trust our men, but I’m worried about Director Cha. He’s returning next week…”
Director Cha was Cha Myung-hwan’s only son.
A typical spoiled rich kid who did nothing but waste money.
Fortunately, the incident happened after he had left on an overseas trip with his new girlfriend.
“I’ll handle him.”
“Yes… but I still feel uneasy. Maybe it would be better to lock her in the villa. Especially since she has a child…”
“No.”
“……”
“She has to stay beside me to be a proper hostage.”
Seok-woo had already finished investigating Pil-mo.
The siblings had only each other in the world. Pil-mo cared deeply for his sister.
Even though he hadn’t even graduated high school due to causing trouble, he still sent her money every month. That meant he treasured her deeply.
If they kept her, he would definitely make contact eventually. Keeping the hostage where he could see her felt safest. Since Pil-mo’s life was on the line, she wouldn’t dare reveal she was a hostage.
Seok-woo recalled the man with the gunshot wound in his leg during the final moment.
“I’ve blocked the skies and the sea. There’s nowhere for him to run. He’ll definitely try to get help from that woman.”
From airports to smuggling ports, everything had already been sealed off. There was no way he could leave Korea.
“Once I fix this mess… I’ll kill him. With my own hands.”
When she returned to the room, Ye-rim had just woken up and was waiting for her.
“Our Ye-rim is awake.”
“Mom, where are we?”
Ye-rim looked around curiously.
“Where Mom will work.”
“Mom, you’re not selling tteokbokki?”
“Uh… no. For now, Auntie Grandma will run the shop.”
“…What about my kindergarten?”
“You still have to go.”
If Ye-rim suddenly stopped attending, someone might report it, so he would probably allow her to go. Even if it was far away, he must have calculated that too.
“I thought… maybe I’d go to a different kindergarten.”
“No.”
“Okay!”
“Our Ye-rim must feel uncomfortable with the change of environment… but…”
Only five years old.
Seeing how mature Ye-rim was for her age made her heart ache.
At an age when she should be acting spoiled, her daughter instead gave her strength.
“No! I like it.”
“Hm?”
“Look there, Mom. Wow… it’s really pretty.”
Though it was a basement room, beyond the window was grass. It seemed connected to a garden, with unknown flowers planted there.
“Ah… I see. You like it. But Ye-rim, this isn’t our house. So you shouldn’t wander around.”
“Okay! I know. I’m already five.”
When Ye-rim held up five fingers, Hee-yeon hugged her tightly.
Holding her daughter close, she took a deep breath.
My Ye-rim.
Mom will get you out of here.
Just a little longer.
Just endure a little longer.
Suddenly someone banged loudly on the door. Startled, Hee-yeon looked toward it.
“Ye-rim, read your book for a bit.”
“Okay, Mom!”
When Hee-yeon opened the door, several young women dressed alike stood there. All of them were glamorous beauties.
“Where were you sold from?”
“Excuse me?”
“Everyone here is from bars. Paying off debts with their bodies.”
They seemed to have come together out of curiosity about the newcomer. Shocked by their words, Hee-yeon stepped away from the door so Ye-rim wouldn’t hear.
“Ah… well… I also have debts…”
Since she was told not to reveal she was a hostage, she had no choice but to use the excuse of debt.
“So not from a bar? I told you. Someone who looks this naive couldn’t handle customers.”
“Excuse me.”
“I heard you even brought a kid? Single mom? Wow, how did they even accept that?”
“Listen…”
It was obvious they had come to judge her.
“You’re lucky. You got assigned to President Kang. Some people want that but can’t.”
“President Kang?”
“Are you wearing makeup?”
“No.”
One woman suddenly rubbed Hee-yeon’s red lips as if checking. Feeling disgusted, Hee-yeon slapped her hand away. The woman glared at her as if she wanted to kill her.
“Don’t touch someone’s face without permission. And don’t speak informally. We just met.”
“Hah, this one’s something else…”
“Looks like we’re all in the same situation. Are you trying to bully the newcomer? Coming in a group like this is ridiculous.”
“You…”
One woman tried to lunge at her but another stopped her.
“That’s enough. Let’s not make noise.”
“Unni!”
“Be quiet. Want to get kicked out like Aeri?”
“Ah… no…”
Aeri? Who’s that?
They had said the man’s personal keeper position was vacant. Maybe the previous one was kicked out.
The women left as suddenly as they came.
As Hee-yeon sighed and stood near the stairs, she suddenly felt someone’s gaze.
When she looked up, a man was looking down from above.
It was him.
The man whose name she didn’t know. Was he President Kang?
The faint smile on his lips seemed strangely provocative.
“I believe I told you to clean.”
“I was just about to.”
“Don’t forget the bathroom.”
“Yes.”
Hee-yeon walked upstairs.
Just as she passed him, he spoke.
“Kang Seok-woo.”
“Yes?”
“My name.”
“Oh. I don’t really need to know it. I can just call you President.”
“You should still know it. I’m the one holding your leash.”
Hee-yeon shot him a sharp glare.
The arrogance ingrained in him felt like the aura of a powerful predator. She had lived poor all her life, but she had never abandoned her pride. His words made her feel like a dog on a leash.
The humiliation burned, but if she needed to wear two faces to protect her family, she could do it.
“Be careful. Even a leashed dog can bite.”
His lips twisted.
Then slowly, he leaned closer.
Hee-yeon’s heart dropped.
His lips came close to her ear. As he whispered, her whole body felt strangely ticklish.
“Interesting.”
It felt like all her nerves were focusing on him. Feeling uncomfortable, she quickly stepped back.
“And even if we stay here, please let Ye-rim go to kindergarten.”
“Hah… do you even understand your situation?”
“Times have changed. If a child who attended regularly suddenly stops coming, they suspect abuse—even from parents.”
