Vol 3 Ch 25

The stench lingered in the air. Through my hazy vision, I saw the table where the card paddles were laid. The person sitting across from me sent a desperate plea for help with his eyes. Meeting that gaze jolted me awake from my unconsciousness.

“Haaah!”

I bolted upright from the bed, gasping for breath. Haaah, hah. I dragged in the insufficient oxygen, forcing it into my lungs.

Lifting my trembling eyelashes, my gaze met CEO Jang, who was sitting by my bedside. He reached out with his long arm toward the nightstand and turned on the mood light. Soon, the orange glow chased away the darkness in the room. The reddish hue faintly illuminated the man’s face. He looked at me, his features cast in deep shadows.

How had I come down from the mountain? How much time had passed? How long had this man been sitting here watching over me? My mind was a mess, tangled in endless questions. Yet, nothing was clear.

I called out to him softly.

“…CEO.”

My trembling voice pierced through the silence.

“How did I get down?”

“I carried you.”

CEO Jang shrugged lightly as he replied.

“How much time has passed?”

“You slept through an entire day without waking up.”

“…Then, how long have you been here?”

“Since I finished washing up.”

The scene I had witnessed before passing out struck the back of my mind. CEO Jang, wearing black gloves, striking down on my uncle’s body.

“…What about my uncle?”

“He’s still in the mountains.”

I opened and closed my lips several times before forcing the words out, as if spitting out something bitter.

“…He’s alive, right?”

“I told you not to touch him, no matter what.”

Strength drained from my body. The last image seared into my retinas kept replaying in my mind. My uncle, with blood gushing from his gaping surgical wound. Left alone in an uninhabited mountain on a night as desolate as this, he would surely die.

“…CEO, can’t you take him to a hospital?”

“……”

CEO Jang’s face turned noticeably cold. His thick neck tensed, and the corners of his lips twisted cruelly.

“Why would I do that?”

His chilling expression made me tremble, but I still forced myself to speak.

“…He’ll die if he’s left there.”

Taking someone’s life brought far too many aftereffects. It haunted not only dreams but also moments of weakness. No one could predict when or how it would tighten its grip around one’s throat. A life I had severed with my own hands always felt like a blade brushing against my own neck.

“You’re scared of punishment?”

A slightly hoarse voice, lower than usual, rang out.

“Punishment?”

“The god who delivers retribution.”

I wasn’t even sure what I was saying. I rambled, babbling nonsense in an obsessive daze.

“He’ll punish me too.”

“……”

I suddenly glanced toward the corner of the room, wanting to check where the coat hanger stood. Was there really still nothing there? But before I could get a good look, a broad, fan-like palm blocked my vision. Turning my head, I looked up at the man.

“Seo Yeowon.”

He pronounced my name clearly, as if pulling me out of the lingering grasp of this nightmare.

“…Yes.”

“There’s no way such a thing actually exists…”

I stared at CEO Jang blankly, waiting for him to continue. For some reason, the man before me gradually blurred. I blinked, then opened my eyes again. My vision sharpened just a little.

Drip. Liquid drops fell onto the sheets. At first, I thought it was sweat, but it was tears.

“…Ugh.”

A hiccuping sob escaped me. Again, I cried in front of him. Stripped of all shame by fear, I wept like a child.

Suddenly, a hand touched my cheek. …Huh? Confused, I lifted my chin, tears still clinging to my face. The man brushed my eyes again with the back of his hand.

“I’ve done plenty of things myself, so I won’t be the only one punished.”

“……”

“But are you still scared?”

CEO Jang, speaking in a dry tone, rubbed my cheek once more. His touch was clumsy. It was an unfamiliar gesture for both him and me. I remained still, accepting it, then pulled off the sheet wrapped around my waist. Slowly, I crawled across the bed on my knees.

Reaching him, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my cheek against his solid chest. Only then did he finally encircle my waist with his arms, as if acknowledging the effort it took for me to come to him.

“……”

“……”

In CEO Jang’s embrace, I collapsed sideways like a tilting moon. My body settled onto the bed.

Trapped in his arms, I listened to the sound of his heartbeat. Thump, thump. The low vibrations gradually aligned with my own erratic pulse, calming it. His hand repeatedly stroked my nape and cheek. My eyes grew heavier with each touch. As drowsiness set in, my lips parted.

“…No.”

My voice, muffled and slurred, barely formed the word, but he seemed to hear it. His throat vibrated in response.

“Mm.”

Then, just as my consciousness began to drift, a low murmur resonated from the warmth pressed against my cheek.

“If you can’t bear it, then just forget it.”

I forced my heavy eyelids open and met his gaze. Dark as the abyss, his eyes bore into me. He spoke with weight in his voice.

“But you must remember this feeling of being in my arms.”

It was as if he wanted to engrave each syllable into me. And for some reason, it worked. Enveloped in an indescribable atmosphere, I responded as if entranced by his words.

“…Yes.”

His eyes narrowed. He sometimes smiled in ways that made no sense. At one point, I had thought his smiling face was as demonic as his unsmiling one. That belief hadn’t changed.

I buried my face in the embrace of this viper-like man, sinking completely into his hold. Soon, the quiet night arrived.

<To be continued in Volume 4.>