Vol 3 Ch 14

Standing before the mirror in the dressing room, CEO Jang cursed abruptly.

“…f*ck.”

Midway through tying his tie, he pressed his temples firmly with his fingers. The lingering scent of alcohol from last night seemed unusually strong. It was clear he had drunk more heavily than usual, and the hangover was evident.

Ultimately, he decided to forgo the tie altogether. Wrapping the silk tie like a discarded tissue around his hand, he flung it into the living box with a somewhat irritable gesture.

I was no less affected by the aftermath of last night. Sprawled on the bed like a corpse, I couldn’t even lift an arm. Meanwhile, an unpleasant odor continually pierced my senses. The mingling scents of sweat and s**en filled the air. The stench emanating from my own body was revolting, making my temples throb in protest. I couldn’t help but gag.

I wanted nothing more than to crawl out of this room immediately. But instead, I merely squinted, watching the man’s back as he moved.

“……”

“……”

The man was now fixing his hair. He always slicked it back, which gave him an even sharper look. He seemed like someone who wouldn’t spill a drop of blood even with a knife to his side.

A stray lock of his jet-black hair slipped down onto his forehead, and CEO Jang frowned slightly, brushing it back with his hand. Even that slight movement made his shoulder blades shift dramatically under his shirt. The broad, triangular back muscles and the tightly packed musculature seemed less intimidating with clothes on than bare. But that didn’t mean he exuded any sense of safety.

Suddenly, CEO Jang turned around. I was so startled by the glimpse of his profile that I quickly shut my eyes.

“……”

“……”

In the darkness, the image of CEO Jang lingered. His languid presence invaded my senses. The faint rustling of fabric brushing against itself grew louder, signaling that he was drawing closer.

Even through closed eyelids, I could feel his hand reaching toward me. But it stopped just short, near the nightstand where his wallet rested.

A brief silence fell. The ticking of a clock, whether his or mine, was the only sound.

I felt a sharp gaze on my cheek and ear. He was undoubtedly staring down at me sprawled on the bed, his slit-like eyes likely dissecting me piece by piece. I lay there like a haphazardly assembled robot under his scrutiny.

…My heart started pounding painfully. Thump, thump. Could he have already realized it? That I had stolen his medication?

“……”

“……”

The front door slammed shut, the noise echoing through the empty hallway. Startled, I opened my eyes and forced myself up. With unsteady steps, I headed into the bathroom attached to the room. Opening the cabinet where the towels were stored, I checked inside.

CEO Jang had only taken the one on top; the others were untouched.

Reaching deep into the neatly rolled towels, I retrieved the hidden vial. It was exactly as I had left it earlier that morning.

“…Ah.”

Sitting on the toilet, I let out a soft groan. What on earth had I been thinking?

Even after arriving at the hospital, I spent the time filled with regret over what I’d done. While wiping my mother’s body, I occasionally let out silent sighs.

I had made a grave mistake.

If the cold and merciless CEO Jang discovered I had stolen his medication, he would undoubtedly retaliate. Nervous, I bit down on my thumb. A bitter taste spread on my tongue, reminiscent of an old bandage.

Nightmares always pushed me to my limits. Razor-sharp and relentless, they pierced my thin cerebral membrane, severing my thought circuits one by one. The recurring dream of my father’s shattered skull was particularly destructive.

That morning had followed such a nightmare. At that time, I was like a peeled chestnut, stripped of its hard shell, barely protecting my fragile core. A lost child, in essence.

“……”

On the island, I had always been alone. Waking from those dreadful dreams, no one had ever answered my cries for help, and the stifling silence always welcomed me instead. On bad days, I’d wake to find myself locking eyes with my father’s cold, wandering spirit. At those moments, I’d curl up like a ball, praying for dawn to come quickly and save me from the oppressive solitude of my tiny five-pyeong room.

…This time, however, it was different. CEO Jang had been lying next to me.

Yet, knowing how cold and unfeeling he was, reaching out to him would only invite his derision. I couldn’t bear to reveal such weakness, even to myself.

So, instead of reaching for him, I clung to this. The hypersensitive man would always fall into a deep sleep after taking it.

This impulsive decision had put a knife in my hands. The problem was, it was a knife poised to slit my own throat.

“…Hah.”

I exhaled a long, low sigh, burying my face into the hospital bed mattress.

***

The rest of the day passed as if I were standing before a guillotine. Even after returning home, I couldn’t hide my anxiety, pacing the room until the sudden chime of the doorbell froze me in place.

…Who could it be?

I checked the wall clock. 4 PM. Far too early for CEO Jang to return home. No one else had visited this house besides the housekeeper, who only came once a week. It couldn’t be her…

The doorbell rang again, interrupting my thoughts.

“Here on behalf of CEO Jang,” a voice called out.

…On his behalf? He hadn’t mentioned anything to me. Warily, I opened the door.

Through the narrow gap, I saw two faces. My lips tightened. It was the employees I’d seen at the shack.

One of them pushed the door open wider and propped it with a stopper before disappearing briefly. Unable to guess their purpose, I stood frozen, fidgeting with my hands.

A moment later, the two men returned, dragging something massive into the house. Alarmed, I stepped back as they hauled it into CEO Jang’s room. Even with the two of them, their grunts revealed its weight.

After finishing their task, the men dusted off their hands, walked past me without a glance, and left. Their demeanor made it clear they were only here to follow orders.

Dazed, I eventually followed them into CEO Jang’s room. Where once the space had seemed barren and empty, there now stood a new piece of furniture: a bookshelf.

“……”

The shelves were packed with books. Unlike his usual collection of business and economics texts, this one contained a wide range of genres, neatly categorized. It looked as if a bestseller display from a bookstore had been transplanted here.

Amid the muted brown furnishings, the bright white bookshelf stood out starkly, an odd mismatch. Moreover, it was one shelf shorter than the others, aligning almost perfectly with my eye level.

The moment I noticed this, an uncomfortable sensation spread through me. Coincidence, perhaps, but it felt as if something was lodged in my throat.

CEO Jang messaged me three hours later, saying he’d be home soon. As I debated what to do about the vial, my anxiety reached a peak. Now, I had to make a decision…!

I fetched the sugar jar from the induction stove’s lower cabinet and went to his room. Pouring half the sugar into the sink, I replaced it with a towel.

“……”

Removing the towel hiding the vial, I emptied the pills into the sugar jar. The white grains flowed softly into the container. Then, I poured sugar into the empty vial and slipped it into my pocket. Holding the sugar jar with the pills, I returned to the kitchen.

Creak.

Hearing the keypad sound from the front door startled me, making me freeze in place. I greeted CEO Jang in an awkward, hunched position. As I sharply turned my head to glance behind me, the man standing there caught me in his gaze, and our eyes inadvertently met.

Only when his gaze dropped to the sugar container in my hands did I snap out of it. Hastily, I shoved the container back onto the shelf and straightened my posture.

I discreetly let out a breath, calming my nerves. Had he arrived a moment earlier, he would’ve caught me in an embarrassing situation. I nervously rubbed at my sweater, greeting him in a faint voice.

“…You’re back.”

The words I barely squeezed out met silence. I desperately wished he’d say something, anything, but he simply stood there, scrutinizing me from head to toe with a closed mouth. I anxiously tried to gauge his mood, but, as always, his expression was unreadable.

The oppressive silence weighed heavily on me. A moment that felt like an eternity passed.

“…….”

“…….”

Suddenly, CEO Jang’s brow furrowed deeply, a clear sign he was displeased. His eyes flashed with irritation, and sensing the shift, I bit my lower lip, bracing for what was to come.

“…What on earth is that look?”

Contrary to my expectations, his comment was about my appearance. At his words, I glanced down at what I was wearing.

After my shower, I had hand-washed the shirt I’d been wearing. I wasn’t the type to sweat much, so wearing it for a few days hadn’t felt particularly unclean. Still, it had been bothering me, especially since I hadn’t even taken it off during… certain moments. After washing it, I didn’t have anything else to wear, so I’d resorted to the clothes I came here in.

This outfit had been my usual attire on the island. But now, standing before him in it, I felt embarrassingly shabby. The sweater’s neckline was stretched out, the cuffs were frayed, and the sides were pilled from constant friction with my arms. My jeans were worn and faded at the knees. I hadn’t even bothered with an apron to protect my clothes since the ones in this house were worth more than my entire outfit.

I lifted my gaze back to him. His unbuttoned shirt revealed a glimpse of his long, thick neck and sharp collarbones. As he shifted his throat, the Adam’s apple at its center moved visibly.

“There should’ve been plenty of clothes for you to change into inside.”

…Those are all your clothes. The words lingered on the tip of my tongue but remained unspoken. His clothes were far too big for me—too long in the arms and legs, and made with quality far beyond what suited me.

CEO Jang casually shrugged off one side of his jacket. I lowered the stove’s heat and approached to take it from him. He handed it over as though he’d been waiting for me and looked down at me. I met his eyes and spoke softly.

“…Go freshen up.”

As he deftly undid the buttons of his shirt, he asked, “Your hair’s w**. Which bathroom did you use?”

“…The one in the bedroom.”

He raised an eyebrow and headed toward the bedroom. I followed him. Stripping off his clothes one by one, he returned to his natural state and stepped into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water filled the air.

Clutching his jacket, I glanced at the white bookcase built into the wall. He hadn’t spared it a glance on his way into the bathroom, despite having brought it into the house himself. Slowly, I turned my gaze back to the bathroom door. The sound of water continued.

“…….”

I slid my hand into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out his wallet. Taking the small vial I had hidden in my pants pocket, I heard the sugar-like substance inside shift with a faint rustle. Before he could come out, I quickly poured it into the wallet’s buckle compartment.

After hanging his jacket neatly on the standing rack, I dusted off the shoulders out of habit. Then I tidied the clothes he had left in front of the bathroom door.

Leaving the room, I returned to the kitchen and busied myself preparing his meal again.

***

I had suspected for some time that CEO Jang was acting strangely. More specifically, I felt something was subtly off about the way he treated me.

The first change I noticed was in his tone. He no longer used vulgar words like “trash” or “idiot” when speaking to me. It wasn’t that his naturally sharp tongue had disappeared, but the edge of it seemed somewhat dulled compared to before.

Once I realized that, I noticed his gaze had also softened. While still intimidating, the condescending, disdainful look he used to give me had completely vanished at some point.

…What on earth is he scheming? As questions ran through my mind, his unfamiliar gestures only added to my confusion. Out of nowhere, he had brought in a bookshelf. It happened a few days after I had fallen asleep while reading.

“…….”

…Could it be? No, it couldn’t possibly be because of me. I briefly entertained the thought before shaking my head, trying to rid myself of such ridiculous ideas. Waving my hands as if performing an exorcism, I dismissed the notion. A man as cold-hearted as him would never do something like that for someone else.

Yet, the suspicion swelled within me like a balloon.

The pristine white bookshelf still sat untouched, not even bearing his fingerprints. He hadn’t even given it one of his characteristic icy glares. He must’ve spent a small fortune on it, yet he seemed entirely indifferent.

In truth, he was too busy to read books. Weekdays, weekends—it didn’t matter. He left at dawn and returned in the evening, sometimes even later due to social obligations. So why had he brought in a bookshelf? I couldn’t help but ponder.

…It must be for me.

As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I had to acknowledge it. He had become kinder than before. The realization sent a chill down my spine.

“…….”

Even in this spacious room, large enough to accommodate four or five adults comfortably, the bookshelf made the air feel stiflingly heavy.

Despite its luxurious appearance, the cost of the watch I was wearing could buy several of those bookshelves. Still, the weight pressing down on me felt far heavier than the watch. After all, this was the first time he had given me something I hadn’t asked for.

And, contrary to my fears, he still hadn’t said anything about the pills. It felt like carrying around a ticking time bomb, unsure when it might go off.