Vol 4 Ch 7

Uneasy days continued. I remained on high alert, like an insect sensing danger with its antennae, wary of my surroundings.

I had just finished a brief consultation with the doctor and was heading back to the hospital room when I noticed a small crowd gathered in front of the hall. Their eyes were all glued to the television mounted at the top. A news broadcast was playing on the large screen.

The report stated that two bodies had been discovered in a mountain. The location was near the house I had visited with CEO Jang last time. The bodies had been torn apart by wild animals while still alive, leaving them so severely damaged that their identities could not be determined by appearance alone.

“What in the world is that now?”

“I’m telling you, it’s the end times. This world is getting too scary to live in.”

People’s gazes clustered around the shocking news like moths drawn to light before dispersing again. Standing among them, I continued staring at the television, even after the screen had already changed. Then, as if fleeing, I hurried back to the hospital room.

…My uncle is dead? What the h**l is going on?

As I rushed toward the room, I noticed two men lingering near my mother’s hospital room from a distance. I froze in place. The caregiver was caught between them, answering their questions. Both men were exceptionally large, yet I could clearly sense the agility hidden within their frames. At a glance, I knew they were from that side of the world.

When the caregiver’s gaze landed on me, the two men naturally followed suit. I felt a cold sweat run down my spine.

“Are you Seo Yeowon?”

The interrogative tone made my heart leap, but I struggled to maintain my composure. The man pulled out a police ID and introduced himself as someone from a certain police station.

…Of course. Even though I had already sensed it, I swallowed dryly.

“Yes, I am. What is this about?”

The man tucked his ID back into his pocket and spoke.

“We need to have a word with you.”

I felt the stares of onlookers glancing this way. The caregiver interjected, asking what was going on.

“It’s okay.”

I forced a smile and followed the detectives. Avoiding the prying eyes and ears of the gathered people, we headed for the emergency stairwell. Once in the empty stairwell, one of the detectives flipped through his notebook and immediately asked,

“Your biological father, Seo Byeongjin, and your maternal uncle, Im Seoncheol, were recently found dead.”

The words spilled out in an official tone. My father… and now my uncle too? The unexpected news left me in shock, and as sharp gazes bore into my face, my palms grew clammy with sweat. I wanted to run, but I knew doing so would only make me look guilty.

I struggled to remain calm, replaying a certain someone’s words in my head. If something like this ever happened, he had told me not to try and deceive them clumsily—just state the facts. Following that advice, I nodded.

“…Yes.”

“The neighbors say you’ve barely been seen for over a year and a half. Where have you been and what have you been doing?”

“I’ve been living and working at a place called Royal Golf Course. I cut ties with my father and uncle a long time ago. I only heard about their deaths through the news and made assumptions from there.”

“Hmm.”

The detective let out a low hum before asking the next question.

“Where were you on January 25, 20XX?”

That day, I had practically lived in the hospital room all day.

“I was in the hospital all day. My mother is sick.”

One of the two men asked me,

“Can anyone confirm that?”

“I was with the caregiver almost the entire time. She can vouch for me.”

“Hmm.”

The detective flipped through his notebook again, dragging out the silence. He had probably already confirmed it with the caregiver beforehand. Even so, my heart pounded violently. I was afraid they could hear it. My thighs trembled. Then, shifting his weight onto his other foot, the detective asked,

“Do you know of anyone who might have held a grudge against your father or uncle?”

“There were so many, I wouldn’t know.”

The two detectives exchanged glances before closing their notebooks. They expressed their condolences for the deceased and thanked me for cooperating with the investigation. Handing me a business card, they told me to call if I remembered anything, then turned and left.

I held my breath, only realizing it after they were gone.

The thought consumed me—I needed to get home.

Through the hallway window, I watched the detectives exit the hospital before immediately leaving myself. A car parked at the entrance pulled away as if it had been waiting. I walked a good distance from the hospital before getting into another vehicle.

My heart raced uncontrollably the entire way home. I felt like I was being chased, glancing behind me again and again.

***

This had never happened before.

Yet, for some reason, the front door was wide open.

Through the open door, I saw an employee carrying out my safe. I quickly took a step back, watching the employee’s back before stepping inside without even removing my shoes.

Standing in the middle of the living room with his back to me was CEO Jang. His shadow stretched long in the fading light. His figure, exhaling cigarette smoke, looked darker than usual, sending an ominous chill down my spine.

I hurriedly ran to him, grabbing onto his waist. Lowering my voice to a whisper, afraid someone might overhear, I said,

“CEO, detectives came to the hospital today.”

“…….”

“They said my uncle is dead.”

Saying it out loud finally made the reality sink in—my uncle was dead. It was a sentence so terrifying my teeth clattered. The insides of my knees ached with pain as I tried to keep standing. But right now, what mattered more was whether or not this man was involved in my uncle’s death.

“You told me you wouldn’t do anything beyond this. You said you wouldn’t.”

“He escaped from the hospital, gambled from place to place, and drowned in debt he couldn’t repay. That’s how he died.”

It was such a fitting death for my uncle.

I had been trembling in fear, wondering if the words “I did it” would come from his lips. Hastily, I asked,

“Then… you had nothing to do with it, right?”

A brief silence followed.

Unable to endure the pause, I asked again.

“You’re not involved, are you?”

It was closer to a plea.

Please, just say no.

“He probably died because his body had weakened.”

Because I gutted him.

He added those terrifying words without even twitching an eyebrow.

I was left speechless, my lips opening and closing soundlessly. My vision darkened. I didn’t know what to do.

CEO Jang let out a low sigh, rolling his neck before turning to me and changing the subject.

“I’ll set up a place for you near the hospital. You should move there.”

“…What?”

Still puffing on his cigarette, he kept spewing nonsense. Without waiting for a response, he pulled out several checks from his wallet and placed them in front of me.

I didn’t even glance at them as I spoke.

“How can you act like this doesn’t concern you? This is my business.”

This happened because of me.

“No, this is my business. Im Seoncheol failed to repay his debt, so I stepped in and collected the price of his life.”

…That again!

The abrupt situation. The man’s unexpected words.

Despite the chaos he had just thrown in my face, his eyes remained eerily calm, as if he had foreseen this outcome all along.

I suddenly recalled the image of him standing on the terrace, chain-smoking for hours just days ago.

Had he known even back then?

Flustered and anxious, I struggled to find words.

Then CEO Jang, seemingly misinterpreting my silence, muttered something strange.

“Anyway, Seo Yewon has an alibi, so you’ll be cleared of suspicion soon. You don’t have to worry about it.”

He was the one who had insisted I show myself to the hospital staff. Had he anticipated that all suspicion would eventually be directed at him? My vision darkened. …For what reason, exactly?

“You’re not the type to suffer losses because of someone else, CEO.”

The man didn’t answer. He only kept smoking his cigarette. As I faced him, I sensed movement behind me. A third party’s voice came from the back of my head.

“The car is ready.”

The man gave a silent nod toward the person behind me, indicating me.

“…I don’t want to go.”

“If things get tangled because of you, it’ll only make it more complicated.”

“…….”

His snake-like eyes turned to me. His gaze curved as if he’d just thought of something amusing. A hint of amusement, completely unfitting for the situation, surfaced on his face as he spoke.

“Wouldn’t it be better for Seo Yewon if things got more twisted? You wanted me to be miserable, didn’t you?”

“…….”

“You got exactly what you wanted. So what’s the problem?”

The words I had once spoken to him flashed through my mind. I hope you become miserable. My heart plummeted to the pit of my stomach. Unlike him, who laughed with his lips stretched in a wide grin as if he had just cracked a joke, I was utterly shaken. It felt as if the ground beneath me was collapsing.

I hadn’t meant those words sincerely. I had only said them because I needed to—because I had to—so that I wouldn’t hate myself for falling into his arms. That was why I had cursed him. I hate him. I hate him. I had hypnotized myself. But I had never truly wished for him to be dragged into the mud.

“…No.”

I kept shaking my head, repeating that I didn’t want to go. CEO Jang signaled to the staff behind him with a j**k of his chin. A staff member grabbed hold of me. A large hand covered my forearm in one motion.

“Let go.”

I struggled to shake off his grip, but my strength was nothing compared to someone whose job relied on physical power. I cast a pleading glance at the man, but his eyes remained indifferent. A chilling realization struck me—if this continued, I really would be dragged away. …Then what about him?

Fear overtook me. Desperate, I clung to CEO Jang’s arm, burying my face against it. My nose pressed into his skin, firm like it could withstand even a needle.

“…I don’t want to go. I’ll just stay here.”

Just a few nights ago, I had refused him, unwilling to sleep by his side. And yet now, I was clinging to him, begging to stay. His narrow, feline eyes stared down at me before slowly filling with something unreadable. An unidentifiable, complex mix of emotions surged within him. The previously dry gaze became thick with an unspoken intensity.

For the first time, he showed a flicker of hesitation. Then, he seized my wrist and fastened something around it. It was the wristwatch I had removed when going to the hospital.

His gaze wavered as he spoke, his voice carrying a clear warning.

“No matter what happens, I’ll come for you. So don’t let your guard down.”

Then, he let go of my wrist and gave his order to the staff.

“Take him.”

As if everything up until now had been a joke, the two staff members applied real force. Gripping my shoulders tightly, they dragged me out of the house.

“Let me go!”

CEO Jang stood with his back turned to me. Another wisp of smoke curled up from him. The dark cigarette smoke coiled upward, filling the ceiling. That was the last image I had of him.