Chapter 27

It was a so-called *taming*.  

Being ordered to come and go was just an annoyance, but his father—his father was vicious.  

He knew exactly how much Taeheon didn’t want to leave the hospital right now. That’s why he was doing this.  

The information must have leaked from Park Gyeongju.  

What the hell was she thinking? Taeheon bit back a curse.  

“Sungwon, make sure Director Park doesn’t come anywhere near this place.”

‘Director Park’ referred to Gyeongju. Depending on whatever position Sungwhan felt like tossing her, her title constantly changed. But one thing she had never been—not even once—was *Mother*.  

There was only one place for him to return after finishing this conversation: Yaein’s hospital room.  

Taeheon passed by the two subordinates standing guard outside the door and stepped inside. 

Unlike the last time he had visited his father’s hospital room, he felt something entirely different.  

The white walls looked like a blank canvas, and his wife seemed like a painting trapped inside it.  

Yaein was curled up, her head buried between her knees. 

A fleeting thought crossed his mind—it was a shame he couldn’t see her face. 

Taeheon sat on the edge of the bed.  

“Director Park wants to visit you.”

Yaein lifted her head just enough for her eyes to be visible, but she said nothing.  

“I have no idea how she even found out you were here.”

“…”  

“Did you call her?”

“I had to do something.”

Her voice was firm.  

She looked as if she could break at the slightest breeze, yet at moments like these, she refused to yield.  

She always stood her ground when she was trying to protect someone.  

“She’s not coming.”

The color drained from Yaein’s face.  

She had already looked pale, but now she seemed almost like a wax figure, devoid of life.  

“She won’t take your calls anymore either.”

Taeheon sealed the statement like an iron lock.  

A sick satisfaction slithered through him.  

‘I am the only one who gets to see this beautiful thing.’

Even if she was just a shell of herself.  

At the very least, she hadn’t been completely taken from him.  

“Why do you have to go this far?”

Yaein, still curled up, grabbed at the hem of his clothes, her fingers trembling.  

“I said it was our child… I even said I’d prove it. Then why—why do you have to do this? Why are you doing this to me and the baby?”

What answer could he possibly give?  

Taeheon’s mind drifted first to his childhood.  

His mother had permanently damaged her leg giving birth to him.  

His father sneered, claiming he *couldn’t sleep with a cripple*, while his mother came to believe that Kwon Taeheon himself was the root of all evil.  

Yaein, at least, wouldn’t be like that.  

His mother and Yaein were completely different people.  

But Kwon Taeheon…?

The child that would be born, feeding on Yaein’s life—just how much would it resemble Taeheon?  

How horrifying would it be to witness his own newborn face, one he had never seen before?  

He had never given much thought to having children. At most, he had vaguely acknowledged that he might need one someday.  

Just as Kwon Sungwhan had used Taeheon to manage his business, others saw a spare as a symbol of stability.  

Even if the core was rotting and crumbling, as long as it outwardly resembled a family, it could withstand many trials. That was why he had needed Yaein—at first.  

“Taeheon, please.”

Yaein clung to him. 

He did not push away the arms wrapped around his waist.  

The first miscarriage.  

The sight of his wife collapsing in a pool of blood, unable to regain consciousness.  

The  doctor’s words—*Even if the pregnancy had continued, it would have been difficult.*  

Everything had fallen into place then.  

Of course, his child could never be a normal, innocent baby. It would inevitably destroy its mother.  

He could not allow Yaein to give birth to Kwon Taeheon’s child.  

But then… could he tolerate her carrying another man’s child?  

Taeheon sneered.  

Was he supposed to just sit back and watch her be bound by blood to someone else?  

“Get some rest. You need to take care of yourself.”

The light faded from Yaein’s eyes.  

As her strength gave out and her arms slid down, Taeheon caught them.  

He did not trust her.  

Just as he did not trust anyone else.

***

She couldn’t sleep. 

There were brief moments when her consciousness flickered off, like a blackout. Each time she blinked back into awareness, the colors outside the window had changed—from deep navy to blue, then to a pale shade of ivory.  

With every tick of the clock’s hands, she felt her breath tighten. Taeheon’s men were still outside the hospital room.  

Yaein paced the small space like a caged animal.  

She felt like a wounded creature caught in a trap, bleeding out. The more she struggled, the deeper the steel jaws dug into her flesh, crushing down to the bone.  

Gripping the window ledge, she looked down.  

‘What would happen if I jumped?’

From this height, the ground seemed impossibly far away.  

If I die, the baby dies too.  

She stepped back from the window.  

She wouldn’t let her hands be the ones to take the baby’s life.  

“Ms. Yaein, we need to move you for a moment.”

The nurse’s entrance felt like the arrival of an executioner.  

Before Yaein could say anything, the nurse stepped closer and lowered her voice to a whisper.  

“Follow me.”

It wasn’t the usual, indifferent tone of a nurse simply escorting a patient for treatment. There was a cautious urgency, an air of secrecy.  

Yaein held her breath.  

She obediently followed the nurse out of the room. Taeheon’s men immediately moved to follow. 

“We’re just taking her for some painkillers and antibiotics. After the injection, she’ll need to wait an hour before returning to her room.”

The nurse blocked their path. 

Maybe it was her professional authority, or maybe it was the mention of time, but for now, they didn’t press further.  

Yaein followed the nurse down a floor and into the injection room.  

Once the door shut, the nurse glanced around cautiously before handing her a bag.  

Yaein’s bag.  

Her wallet. Her phone.  

How was this here?  

She had been wondering what was going on since the moment the nurse spoke, but now there was only one possible answer.  

Her mother-in-law had done something.  

Yaein clutched the bag tightly.  

“Where’s the emergency exit?”

The nurse hesitated before quickly pointing the way.  

Yaein stepped out of the room and spotted the glowing **EXIT** sign.  

The moment she saw it, she ran.  

Nothing else mattered except getting out without being caught.  

She pushed against the heavy emergency door with all her strength.  

Stumbling down the stairs, she nearly tripped over her own feet.  

Her ankle twisted sharply, throwing her off balance.  

She had almost fallen like this before—at Serin’s gallery. That time, Taeheon had caught her.  

Yaein grabbed the railing with all her strength.  

She barely stopped herself from tumbling forward. Ignoring the pain in her ankle, she kept running.  

She reached the lobby floor and slowed, holding her breath as she moved cautiously.  

Even catching a glimpse of someone vaguely resembling Taeheon made her heart pound.  

She circled around to the back entrance.  

Her heart felt like it was pressed against her spine.  

A trash bin appeared along the sidewalk. She pulled out her phone and threw it inside.  

If they tracked her like they would a car, she was done for.  

Glancing behind her to check for followers, she didn’t see the person in front of her until she collided into them.  

Someone swore.  

Yaein barely registered them before muttering a quick apology and running again.

Yaein staggered as she ran, stumbling onto the road.  

A taxi stood at the crosswalk, just about to take off.  

She stepped in front of it, slamming her hands onto the hood.  

The driver inside jolted in shock.  

“Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish?!”

Ignoring the driver’s furious shouting, Yaein threw herself into the backseat. She was so afraid someone might come running after her that she wanted to clamp the driver’s mouth shut.  

“Hey!”

“Mister, take me to Busan.”

“Busan?”

The driver, who had been about to snap at her, hesitated, his face twisting in confusion.  

“Where in Busan?”

“Busan… Busan Station.”

“The train station?”

“Yes. Please go now.”

She fumbled through her wallet and was relieved when her fingers brushed against cash.  

The day she left home, she had withdrawn a bundle of money, splitting it between an envelope and her wallet.  

At least she had enough to cover a taxi ride to Busan.  

“Please, just drive. Right now.”

She shoved the wad of bills toward him.  

The driver cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. Just moments ago, he had looked ready to curse her out, but now his anger evaporated instantly.  

“Must be something urgent. You can pay when we arrive. Busan Station, right?”

A woman in hospital clothes, her hair a mess, jumping into his cab and demanding he drive off immediately—she couldn’t have looked more suspicious.  

But to the driver, nothing mattered more than the fact that she was a paying customer, and a generous one at that.  

“Yes, just… just go. Please.”

As the taxi began moving, Yaein curled up, making herself as small as possible.  

She didn’t dare look outside until she was sure she had put enough distance between herself and the hospital.  

Only when she felt certain did she slowly lift her head and glance out the window.  

She let out a shaky breath.  

The scenery was familiar.  

They were leaving Seoul.  

Yaein sank into the seat, exhaustion pressing down on her like a weight several times heavier than her own body.  

Her entire body ached.  

“What’s so urgent that you’re taking a taxi all the way to Busan?”

The driver, now glancing at her curiously, slipped the question in casually.  

Yaein hesitated.  

She couldn’t tell him the truth, but she also couldn’t ignore him completely.  

“…I have someone to meet there.”

Saying it out loud only made it feel more overwhelming.  

All she had was an address.  

She had met them only once.  

Until she had woken up in the hospital, she hadn’t even received a response.  

Would she even be welcomed if she showed up?  

She silently recited the address in her head.  

Even though she had only visited once, a year ago, she remembered every detail vividly—the withered street trees, the shop signs nearby.  

Her mind was weighed down by countless worries, but as she sat still, sleep began to creep over her.  

Her eyelids drooped, and this time, she didn’t resist.  

The driver said something, but the world around her had already blurred beyond recognition.  

Just before she fell asleep, she thought of one man.  

What kind of expression would he have when he realized she was gone?  

Would he regret the things he had said about the baby?  

Probably not.  

Her eyelids shut completely.  

Like a bird, like a flower, Yaein drifted into sleep.

***

A gentle palm caressed her, accompanied by a heavy, familiar scent. Fingers slid through her hair, tucking it behind her ear, brushing against the nape of her neck.  

It felt as if she were submerged in hot water, her muscles loosening, her body disarmed.  

Then, the same hand cupped her chin.  

Yaein realized who it was.  

In truth, she had known from the very first touch.  

There was only one person who touched her like this.  

Taeheon was looking at her.  

His cold gaze and crooked lips seemed to ask, *Did you really think you could escape me?*  

He kissed her as if passing judgment.  

What began as a slow, languid kiss quickly turned fierce, biting.  

His calloused, scarred hands cradled the back of her head, anchoring her in place.  

His touch trailed down her neck, over her back and waist—then lower, pressing against her stomach.  

Yaein flinched.  

A broad palm pressed down firmly.  

At that instant, a sharp shock flashed through her body.  

“Ah—!”