Vol 2 Ch 14

My vision swayed. I barely managed to pull my scattered thoughts together and grabbed onto his neck. Glancing at the watch strapped to his wrist over his shoulder, I saw that it had been nearly two hours since he took the d**g. He should be passing out by now, but for some reason, his eyes remained wide open, still pounding his hips into me.

“Hnnng! Hrrgh, ahh!”

He pried me off his shoulder, pushing down on my chest with his bear-like hands as he relentlessly pounded into me.

“Hoo! Ha…!”

Ragged breaths poured over my face. The arm that had been supporting him as he pounded away suddenly gave way, and CEO Jang’s heavy body swayed for a moment. Grabbing his temple, he let out a soft groan.

“Ugh…”

“Ahhngh, hhnngh, ha, haa, ngh!”

He continued thrusting his c**k in and out of me. Gradually, his pace slowed until he finally collapsed onto my body.

His large chest, pressed against mine, rose and fell slowly. Eventually, he let out a long breath and sank into me. I quietly called out to him.

“…CEO…”

He remained silent. I waved my palm in front of his face, but the man, whose senses were usually as sharp as a well-honed blade, didn’t budge. His wide, fan-like hand dropped limply onto the bed.

Finally, he was asleep!

I pushed against his chest with all my strength. His heavy body rolled halfway across the bed in response to my shove. The springs groaned loudly under the sudden pressure. 

Carefully, I got up from the bed, though my legs wobbled, barely able to support me. Like a newborn learning to walk, I moved slowly and unsteadily. My vision blurred. I hadn’t swallowed the d**g entirely, but enough had seeped through my mouth’s lining to make me feel its effects.

“……”

I needed to pull my scattered thoughts together. I chose to dig my nails into the inside of my wrist. The pain jolted through me, sharpening my mind, though the agony made me wince. The room came into clearer focus, and I quickly scanned it. My heart pounded violently, echoing in my chest. I forced myself to calm down, trying to control my erratic breathing.

First, I needed to find the s** tape he’d been hiding. 

There weren’t many pieces of furniture in the room, and he likely hadn’t touched many things here. I started with the TV cabinet. I opened each drawer, checking even underneath, but there was nothing. 

Next, I moved on to the decorative cabinet. I felt each bottle, lifting them just in case, but there was nothing here either.

Finally, I approached the desk. It had a few decorative items on top, and I opened the drawers one by one. The first, second, and third drawers opened smoothly, but they were all empty.

“……”

There was only one drawer left. I reached for it quickly. Rattle. All the drawers were unlocked, except for the last one. I had a feeling this was it. My eyes went to the keyhole on the upper right corner of the drawer. I needed a key to open it.

Where would he keep a key? I drummed my fingers on the drawer impatiently. The video didn’t just feature me—it also had CEO Jang and him. He was paranoid, so there was no way he would leave something like that in a room that cleaning staff might enter. He would likely carry it with him.

Something he kept with him every day…

My eyes landed on his wallet, sitting on the table. I quickly grabbed it and turned it upside down, shaking it hard. Business cards with his name fell out first, followed by plastic cards. With a more vigorous shake, something dropped out with a clink.

A small key, no bigger than my pinky finger.

I rushed back to the drawer and inserted the key. My hands trembled, causing me to fumble the key several times. I didn’t have time for this. I steadied the drawer with one hand and tried again. Finally, the key slid in and turned.

The drawer opened with a soft click. The first thing I saw was a pile of cash. I reached in, blindly rummaging through it. 

My fingers brushed against something—USB keys shaped like car keys. I grabbed it with a surge of excitement. This was it!

I stood up to head toward the TV, but something pulled my attention back to the drawer. Stacks of 50,000-won bills caught my eye.

There was a safe in the room—why wasn’t the money there? It could just be a matter of personal preference, but something felt off. I needed to leave quickly, yet I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling and found myself staring at the money. My hand moved slowly toward it.

“……”

I picked up a crumpled bill and examined it. Something rough clung to my fingers. 

Thud. Small, brown granules fell to the floor. Dirt. 

“…Dirt.”

It looked like dirt. My mind screamed with revulsion. *It’s not what you think!* I crushed the bill in my hand. A chill ran through my entire body. I turned my eyes toward the bed, where the man still lay motionless.

Flashes of him, unusually lenient with the small-time thief, flickered before my eyes. A man who never tolerated losing anything had even handed the thief a tip. It had puzzled me at the time.

Now the pieces clicked together. The thief had taken the blame for him, making the situation more entertaining for him. Bringing that guy in to play caddy and keeping him by my side—was it all for his amusement? What had he been thinking as I openly showed my hostility toward the man?

Cold, quiet fury surged within me.

“…You son of a b**ch.”

I wasn’t shocked or devastated. Deep down, I had suspected this all along.

I had just refused to face it, but now, with my own eyes, I couldn’t deny it any longer.

I crumpled the bill like a piece of trash and went back to the TV cabinet. I inserted the USB into the projector and selected the most recent, untitled video.

The screen flickered, and soon enough, the video of CEO Jang and me appeared, accompanied by pornographic m**ns from the speakers. I cranked the volume all the way up.

“Haa, ahh!”

“…Hoo.”

“Haa, ahh!”

“…Hoo, hoo.”

I glanced at the man, worried that the noise might wake him. He was still completely still, asleep.

I stared at him briefly, then turned on my heel and headed toward the terrace without hesitation.

Thud, thud. Rain pounded violently against the window. I opened it, and the heavy rain lashed against my face and body.

I stood at the edge, checking the ground below. It was clear. I climbed over the railing, but as I shifted my weight, my foot slipped in the rain.

“……!”

Whoosh, the wind and rain whipped through the trees, making them sway violently. I clung to the railing, swaying along with them as I fought to regain my balance. Finally steady, I leaped to the terrace of the adjacent room. 

Through the window, I saw Lee Hyewon pacing nervously. I knocked on the window with my fist, startling her into opening it. 

I rushed toward the safe and grabbed the sheets inside, clutching them tightly. Then I moved toward the tray Hyewon had brought into the room. She blocked my way, eyes glinting greedily at the sheets in my arms. 

“Give me the money you promised, now,” she demanded. 

Her once innocent eyes were now dark with greed.

“Not until I’m in the car,” I said. 

She bit her lip, and our eyes locked, tension thick in the air.

Just then, a knock at the door shattered the silence. Both Hyewon and I flinched. There was no more time to waste. She must’ve sensed the urgency, too, because she quickly grabbed the handles of the tray.

I hugged the bundle of money tightly to my chest and crawled into one of the several trash bins in the tray. The stench hit me immediately. Already queasy from the alcohol, my stomach churned. I clenched my abdomen and forced myself not to throw up.

The lid was placed over me, plunging everything into darkness. Trapped in the small, confined space, I could only trust Hyewon’s hands to guide me out of there. 

I heard the door swing open with a thud, followed by the rattling of the tray. It sounded like we had just stepped out into the hallway.

“Good evening,” Hyewon said. 

A rough voice responded, like sandpaper scraping against wood. 

“What are you doing in that empty room?” he asked. 

From his voice alone, I knew it was the guard who had been following me. I held my breath, terrified that even the sound of my breathing might give me away. I pressed my hand over my nose and mouth to muffle any sound. 

“I was just cleaning the member’s room,” Hyewon replied, her voice trembling slightly.

The tension was palpable.

“And who gave you permission to do that?”

“The client requested it directly,” she responded.

Between their conversation, the muffled sounds of a pornographic video being played in the next room seeped into the hallway.

“Haaa, ah!”

“Haa, haa…”

“Hngh, hngh!”

“Haa…”

The guard cleared his throat awkwardly, clearly flustered. Hyewon seized the opportunity.

“I really must get going now. I have another appointment,” she said quickly.

There was a long pause. In the silence, the ticking of my wristwatch felt like it echoed loudly in the cramped bin. I pressed my other hand against the watch, desperate to stop any noise from leaking out.

The moment stretched on, agonizingly long. 

Then, thankfully, I felt the tray begin to move again. The wheels rolled with a soft clattering sound. Hyewon walked quickly, her heels clicking against the floor. The tray rounded a corner, and then, with a heavy clunk, I felt it being lifted.

We must have gotten into the elevator. A soft whirr followed as the doors slid shut. Above me, I heard Hyewon let out a sigh of relief. It seemed like we had passed the first hurdle.

Then suddenly—

“Aah!” 

Hyewon gasped, startled. The elevator doors slid open again.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” the guard said, his voice carrying over to me. 

Hyewon’s voice wavered with barely concealed panic.

“W-What is it?”

The guard cleared his throat, clearly uneasy.

“Would you mind if I checked inside?”

“Hngh, haa…!” 

The explicit sounds from the video continued to echo in the hallway, in stark contrast to the uncomfortable silence in the narrow elevator. 

I tried to imagine the scene outside. The guard, wearing his black suit, blocking the elevator doors with his hand, his suspicious eyes trained on Hyewon. Her gaze darting around as she stalled for time.

“…Can I ask why you’re doing this?” Hyewon finally asked, her voice steady but tight.

“I just have something I need to check,” the guard replied gruffly.

“…Haa,” Hyewon exhaled softly.

I could hear her lifting the lid off a nearby bin. 

“These are just trash bins collected from the rooms,” she explained, her tone exasperated.

A tense silence followed. 

“Hm,” the guard muttered under his breath. I imagined him scratching his head, unsure of how to proceed. 

“Let’s see what’s in the other one,” he said.

D**n it. I squeezed my eyes shut. The guard wasn’t as big as CEO Jang, but he was still a wall of muscle. I’d need a burst of strength to get past him.

I mentally rehearsed the plan. As soon as Hyewon lifted the lid, I’d leap out, push the guard with all my might, and sprint toward the emergency stairs. I’d run as fast as I could until I reached the exit. But the moment I stepped outside, I’d likely face another guard. Or two. Maybe more.

A cold shiver ran down my spine, dampening my already soaked body. There was nowhere to run. 

Overhead, I heard Hyewon’s voice again. 

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.”

The guard grunted, clearly displeased. Hyewon continued, speaking quickly to justify her refusal.

“I’m not sure why you’re asking, but these bins contain members’ personal belongings.”

“If it’s just clothes, there’s no harm in showing me, is there?”

The guard was relentless. He seemed convinced something was off.

Hyewon sighed again, louder this time. She was no longer trying to hide her frustration.

“There are also personal items belonging to female members in here. I don’t think it would be appropriate.”

Another silence followed, heavier this time. As the two of them went back and forth, I heard footsteps approaching from a distance. Panic surged through me as I whipped my head toward the sound.

Who could it be?

My mind quickly narrowed down the possible answers. The staff, a guest staying on the same floor, or the other man in a black suit. If none of these, only one possibility remained… that man.

I was consumed by fear, trembling down to my eyelashes. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my neck, as if the man’s tie was still tightly strangling me.

Step, step. As the footsteps grew closer, the pain in my neck intensified. Step, step. Only two steps left now. I curled up even tighter. The ticking of the clock in my hand echoed. Each second pounded painfully in my palm. I desperately wished for this moment to pass safely.

“Good evening.”

Lee Hyewon’s familiar, polite voice cut through the silence. I immediately realized that the person approaching wasn’t Mr. Jang, which was a relief. But then, who could it be?

“Aren’t you going down?” 

It was a woman’s voice I hadn’t heard before. Judging by her tone, she was probably another guest staying on the same floor. I pressed my hand hard against my chest to calm my wildly beating heart.

Lee Hyewon delivered the final blow.

“If you’ve lost any valuables or items, please inquire at the front desk. Our staff will assist you.”

Her words were convincing, and inside Mr. Jang’s room, groans continued to escape, sounding more intense than before, almost as if he was reaching a peak. And there was still the VIP customer waiting.

“……”

Step, step. The sound of retreating footsteps reached my ears. The man had finally decided to back off. Unaware of the situation, the guest muttered to herself, “Some people are just strange.”

Clank. At last, the cold metal door closed with a metallic sound. Whirr. The elevator descended towards the lobby.