Chapter 7 (Part 1)

“Is there a problem?”  

• Well… the art class was moved up by about two hours due to an event at the orphanage itself.  

Do-jin reflexively raised his wrist to check the time.  

If the class started two hours earlier than usual, it should have ended a while ago.  

• The manager in charge had informed me, but I was so focused on meeting Lee Hwa-woong’s driver that I didn’t check… it seems.  

“Let’s first check if she’s in the room.”  

• Yes, but Executive Director…  

“What is it now?”  

• Seo-hye’s phone is turned off. They say the class ended well, but I’m quite uneasy.  

“… Let’s go to the room and try contacting her again.”  

As soon as Do-jin hung up, he immediately left the headquarters building.  

He hoped that because of the article, Seo-hye was just struggling with not being honest with her feelings as she usually was.  

It would be better if she was fuming and cursing at him or her family with a grumpy face.  

He tried to ignore the rising anxiety and drove down the road more recklessly than ever.  

***  

On the way to the hotel, Seok-young contacted him. The bad news was that Seo-hye was not in the room.  

His breath caught at his own arrogance in thinking that she would be safe because the class was within the hotel.  

Upon arriving at the hotel, he couldn’t leisurely accept the staff’s greetings as usual.  

With a face full of coldness, he hurriedly went up to the room.  

As he swung the door open, Seok-young, who was in the reception room, quickly walked over.  

“Executive Director, you’re here just in time.”  

He promptly showed his tablet PC.  

Seok-young’s fingernail on the index finger pointing at the screen was bitten short.  

It seemed he had been nervously biting his nails. This indicated that Seo-hye’s situation was just as dire.  

“…At the time the class ended, we requested CCTV footage near the Creative Hall, and it arrived just a short while ago…”  

As Do-jin watched the screen without much response, Yoo Seok-young quickly pressed the play button.  

The CCTV showed Seo-hye walking while looking at her phone.  

Soon, as she turned the corner of the hallway to head towards the lobby, a man wearing a hat swiftly struck her on the head.  

Taking advantage of her losing balance, the man skillfully hoisted her up and walked out the hotel’s main entrance as if nothing was wrong.  

After the playback of the kidnapping scene ended, Seok-young couldn’t even meet Do-jin’s eyes as he shared his thoughts.  

“The perpetrator… covered their face completely… so there might be limitations in finding them on our end. It seems we should request footage from the main entrance CCTV and report the kidnapping to the police.”  

“It’s obviously Lee Hwa-woong’s doing. With the article already published, they can’t afford for things to go wrong, so they’re likely hiding her temporarily.”  

Do-jin was extremely rational.  

In contrast, Seok-young, who was holding the tablet PC, was trembling severely.  

“Wha…what should we do, Executive Director?”  

“Go ahead and file the report. We need to leave a record.”  

“Pardon?”  

Seok-young furrowed his brows, asking repeatedly as if he didn’t understand Do-jin’s intention.  

However, Do-jin didn’t answer and instead asked another question.  

“Did you check Director Park Dong-cheol’s schedule?”  

Seok-young briefly opened his mouth, gazing at Do-jin with a puzzled expression, as if questioning the relevance of Director Park Dong-cheol’s schedule in the current situation.  

“Secretary Yoo.”  

“Oh… yes. I checked. Fortunately, Director Park has several procedures today, so he’ll be at the hospital all afternoon.”  

Do-jin nodded in acknowledgment and signaled with a nod to leave the room for now.  

As Do-jin left the room and headed up to the office, he gave further instructions to Yoo Seok-young.

“First, Secretary Yoo, discreetly contact Mr. Kim and ask him to check if Seo-hye is in Cheongun-dong.”

“Yes.”

A brief silence followed until the elevator doors opened again.

When Do-jin stepped out first, Seok-young quickly followed and quietly apologized.

“…Executive Director. I’m sorry. I should have kept a better watch over Seo-hye…”

“No. It’s my oversight.”

Do-jin replied neatly, indicating that Seok-young shouldn’t feel burdened.

Then he entered the office, grabbed the materials Seok-young had previously gathered on Lee Hwa-woong’s family, and left the office again.

***

After finishing the golf meeting, Mr. Kim guided Hwa-woong to the car.

Just as he was about to open the backseat door, Hwa-woong paused, took out his phone from his pocket, and answered a call.

“Yeah. Keep a close watch since they run around like rats.”

The suspicious conversation content made Mr. Kim slightly furrowed his brow as he listened intently.

Seeing this, Hwa-woong gestured with his head for Mr. Kim to go to the driver’s seat, continuing his call.

Mr. Kim sharpened his hearing and slowly made his way to the driver’s seat.

Unfortunately, by the time he sat down, Hwa-woong had already finished the call.

What on earth was that call about? What was he supposed to watch?

“Mr. Hwa-woong, has Hyo-young come to her senses?”

Mr. Kim asked in a deliberately neutral tone, wondering if Hwa-woong had been talking to Director Park.

However, the artist remained silent and closed his eyes.

Although Hwa-woong didn’t know that he harbored feelings for Hyo-young, he seemed cautious about her because he knew they had been somewhat close as a servant.

So Mr. Kim continued the conversation in an even more composed tone.

“With all due respect, it might be best to remind Director Park several times to take good care of Hyo-young.”

As he glanced at the rearview mirror, he met Hwa-woong’s eyes.

“He’s someone who’s had quite a headache over neglecting patients. If Hyo-young ends up in trouble, we’re the only ones who suffer. We would completely lose the way to bring Miss Seo-hye back—”

“It doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve been too lenient until now.”

“……”

“That wench, who thought so much about her mother, ended up leaving holding a man’s hand. It means her mother didn’t matter.”

Mr. Kim hesitated to respond but quickly agreed.

“Yes. I think that’s true. You’ve been too lenient, Artist.”

“Right. A wench like that needs a beating. If I lock her up and make her paint, there’s nothing she can do. I’ve let her paint too luxuriously until now. She didn’t even know she was blessed and dared to run away.”

Mr. Kim felt a wave of nausea.

How can someone be so shameless while exploiting another’s talent?

“Did Miss Seo-hye come home…?”

As Hwa-woong didn’t answer, his heart rate began to increase.

Did he really bring Seo-hye back?

Whether they brought her to Cheongun-dong or not, it’s a problem either way…

If it’s the former, Seo-hye’s safety can’t be guaranteed until she’s helped to escape again.

If it’s the latter, it means Lee Hwa-woong’s trust in him has significantly diminished. It would mean he used someone else to capture Seo-hye.

His hands gripping the steering wheel began to sweat profusely.

Thinking he should head to Cheongun-dong to confirm the situation and then quickly contact Do-jin, he pressed down on the accelerator.  

50 minutes later.

Mr. Kim, who arrived at the house in Cheongun-dong, felt like his face would cramp from trying to act composed.

Chae-seon and Hae-mi were out of the house, and while Hwa-woong went to the bathroom, he checked the storage room, but Seo-hye was not there.

What on earth was the content of the phone call Hwa-woong had in the car, and why didn’t he answer when I asked if Seo-hye had come home?

For now, Mr. Kim set aside his anxious thoughts and entered the living room.

Fortunately, it was before Hwa-woong came out of the bathroom.

And at that moment, a text message arrived.

[Is Seo-hye by any chance at Cheongun-dong?]

It was a text from Do-jin’s secretary.

Mr. Kim’s pupils quickly shook.

Do-jin took Seo-hye, but now Do-jin’s secretary is asking about her whereabouts.

It really seemed that Hwa-woong had kidnapped Seo-hye.

[No.]

After replying, he took a deep breath, put his phone back in his pocket, and maintained a blank expression.

Upon reflection, it was not a situation where he could make a move.

All he could do was remain silent until Hwa-woong leaked information about Seo-hye to him.