Chapter 63

She thinks about those she once disregarded and cast aside. Childhood ties she abandoned. Those people stuck at the bottom. Gyeongju managed to make it, but the fools who couldn’t— they, too, were deeply desperate. 

So was Taeheon. 

Kwon Taeheon wasn’t all that different from Gyeongju. He wasn’t some alien monster.

Taeheon was a child Gyeongju might have helped. She vividly recalled the dead look in his eyes as he was dragged into the basement, and she touched the corner of her own eye.

That night, the dog’s barking in the basement was so loud. When Gyeongju asked, “What if he really gets bitten to death like that?” Seonghwan just laughed and said, “Then you can dig a hole in the yard to bury the bastard.”

When the basement door was opened the next day, it was too late. Taeheon, covered in blood, lay collapsed.

The dog, its muzzle stained with blood, lunged at Seonghwan and was beaten to death for it.

Squatting beside the corpse of the dog he was about to bury, Taeheon looked no different from the dead animal. His eyes were empty—what could he have been thinking?

Before he was starved and locked in the basement with it, Taeheon used to pet that dog sometimes. Gyeongju hadn’t asked him what was on his mind. She just buried the dog.

“Hey, Taeheon.”

He was about to leave when Gyeongju called out, and Taeheon turned around.

He had grown so much that the shabby little boy from before was nowhere to be found in this young man, yet to Gyeongju, that child was still visible.

Do you resent me? Gyeongju swallowed that question. Will you forgive me? She swallowed that, too.

“Do you love Yaein a lot?”

At that moment, Gyeongju saw the pure expression that boy should have worn when they first met.

“Yes.”

Hearing his answer, Gyeongju realized what she had to set right. She’d believed she had to fight tooth and nail to survive, living on harshness. Having survived that way, what remained for her? 

Now she had to decide what she would leave behind.

***

Inside the chairwoman’s office, there is a private room. Chairwoman Sojeong usually comes here to rest; it’s filled with various furnishings, including a small tea table. 

Yaein stood there, gazing at the contents in a small safe, deep in thought.

Finding the incriminating evidence Sojeong had mentioned wasn’t difficult. 

They’d lived under the same roof throughout Yaein’s growing years. At the very least, she could guess where her stepmother would keep business-related items. Even the password Sojeong forced her to memorize for errands long ago was unchanged. Sojeong wasn’t a stupid person, but like many who grew up in power, she was lax.

Yaein reached into the safe. 

Her hand closed around a tiny, thumb-sized USB drive. Held tight, it fit neatly in her palm.

Its little square corners pressed into her skin. Yaein returned the USB to the safe. 

Her target was right in front of her, yet she couldn’t take it.

If she stole it now, her stepmother would immediately notice. The culprit would be obvious. Figuring out Yaein’s motive would be just as easy; that would be troublesome.

How could she smuggle it out?

As soon as Yaein closed the safe, the door burst open without a knock. 

“What’re you rummaging around for, like a thieving cat?” 

Serin walked in, glaring at Yaein. 

“The chairwoman… told me to organize the items she had stored here,” Yaein replied, showing no sign of surprise.

“So, you’re done organizing then?” 

“Yes. I filed them with last quarter’s paperwork.” 

“Where? You’d better not have messed it up.” 

“Over there…”

A twinge of pain spread near her belly. Yaein instinctively hunched forward. Her feet wouldn’t budge. 

“Sis, I’m sorry, but can I rest for just a second?” 

“What’s with the frail act now? Mom’ll be back soon, so get out here and finish tidying up.” 

Even seeing Yaein’s complexion change, Serin didn’t bat an eye. 

Noise came from outside the room. Sojeong must have returned. 

“Hurry up and come out.” 

Serin tugged Yaein forward. Yaein forced herself to straighten, despite the pain. 

Chairwoman Sojeong was indeed back in the main office, alongside someone they hadn’t expected to see. 

Yaein’s mother-in-law stood there, looking at her. As always, her excessively flashy attire drew every eye.

“Oh my, I kept telling myself I had to visit you one of these days, but you seemed so busy I never managed to call. But what brings you here today, Madam?” 

Pretending to welcome her, Sojeong turned around and signaled urgently to Yaein behind her. 

“Yaein, brew some coffee. Did you know Yaein’s been working here these days?” 

“Today, I’d like the coffee brewed by the *sadon* family (in-law).” 

Gyeongju twirled her index finger, painted purple. The nail studded with gems glinted painfully in the light.

“Even if we’re all family, I came here to discuss business today, so I should at least expect some hospitality, shouldn’t I?” 

“…Of course. We’ll serve it right away. Serin-ah!” 

Barely hiding her displeasure, Sojeong forced a social smile. 

Serin, fiddling with her phone next to Yaein, was pulled away by Sojeong’s hand. Obviously, prideful Sojeong herself wouldn’t make and serve the coffee, so the chore would fall to Serin.

“Sit down for a bit. Why do you look so pale?” 

Gyeongju pulled out a chair for her and jerked her chin in that direction. Yaein accepted the brusque kindness, faintly smiling as she sat.

“Why are you here?” 

Asked that question, Gyeongju glanced at the direction where Sojeong and her daughter had disappeared. They’d gone into the private room and hadn’t come out.

“They’re probably going to grow the coffee beans themselves, so let’s step out for a bit.”

Maybe they were deliberately stalling to embarrass Gyeongju, but it gave her time to talk. Gyeongju left the chairwoman’s office, moved toward an empty area near the emergency stairs, and finally spoke:

“I’ll hand over the deal records after I finalize the transaction.”

Yaein stared at Gyeongju in surprise. She was equally stunned that Gyeongju knew her plan and was willing to join in.

“You’re trying to catch Chairman Kwon’s tail, right? There’s nobody who knows more about Kwon Seonghwan’s dirty dealings than I do. There aren’t many of his so-called close confidants around, either.”

“What about you, Mother…?”

“Why are you worrying about me? I’ve already figured out my own exit route, obviously.”

She acted as though it was nothing, but Gyeongju radiated tension and fear. Yaein knew her father-in-law wouldn’t leave a traitor alone, especially someone related by marriage – easier to latch onto and tear apart.

“Taeheon came by.”

Gyeongju fidgeted with her sunglasses as she spoke.

“That kid who never used to show his face here – these days he’s been coming around just for you. While he’s gone from Korea, he wants me to look after you.”

Yaein was so taken aback that she couldn’t immediately think of how to respond. She’d planned to visit Gyeongju herself, hoping she would help Taeheon as she had helped Yaein. But Taeheon, who disliked seeing both his father and mother, had gone directly to ask her. Again, for Yaein’s sake.

“He seems totally crazy about you. Who’d have guessed he’d turn out like that.”

Seeing Yaein’s face go red, Gyeongju gave her a light shove.

“That boy never wanted anything from me before, but now he wants just this one thing, and I figured I should do what I can. I’ve lived my whole life treating him like some stranger, worse than a stranger. But in the end, he’s my only child. Shouldn’t I act like a mother at least once?”

She spoke matter-of-factly but couldn’t hide the bitterness in her tone. Her words carried a heavy sense of regret.

Taeheon would surely have liked to hear this. To know that even now, belatedly, someone in his family was trying to be family to him.

“I’m tired of living with that bastard, anyway. They say a rotten relationship is still a relationship, so falling into hell together might not be so bad, either.”

Gyeongju murmured bitterly. Yaein, who had remained silently listening, suddenly lifted her head.

“You don’t have to do it, Mother.”

Yaein covered Gyeongju’s hand with both of hers.

“I know what to do now.”

To drive out a hidden fox, first you have to lure it out of its den. 

They’d have to smoke the den out.

***

Bang! The gunshot tore through the open air. 

A clay target in flight shattered into pieces. 

Seonghwan, satisfied with the result, lowered the shotgun from his shoulder. 

“Playing with these little games is pointless—I need real hunting.” 

Off to the side, Taeheon waited, then took his father’s ear protectors. 

He’d only ever stepped onto golf courses to rub elbows with high‑nosed folks because his father considered batting around a walnut‑sized ball utterly trivial. 

Shooting clay discs tossed into the air might not have seemed like much either, but evidently Seonghwan felt differently. At any rate, now Taeheon was prepared to pick up a golf club or a hunting rifle if his father proposed they spend time together as father and son.

It was Taeheon’s turn next. Instead of raising the shotgun he’d been inspecting, Taeheon spoke to Seonghwan: 

“I’ll be the one to stay in China, in place of Jisuk.” 

As though he’d never imagined hearing anything like this, Seonghwan fully turned his body to face Taeheon. Taeheon smoothly continued, 

“You’re in fine health, Father, and even if I’m gone for a year, nothing will go wrong with the company.” 

Hearing that, Seonghwan’s lips twitched and curled upward. He was surely thrilled to see this once ungrateful, rebellious son bowing low and pledging obedience.

“Once the baby’s born, I’ll go there with my wife for any length of time—a year, or however long. Until you call me back.” 

He made sure to give his suspicious father a solid reason: he was yielding everything; he only asked that his family be secured somewhere safe. Seeing the son beg him like that surely pleased Seonghwan. 

“Marriage really does wonders. Now that you’ve got a family, you’ve changed.” 

“Yes, I have.” 

Taeheon agreed right away, flattering him to put Seonghwan at ease. 

If Taeheon left Korea, then there was no reason left for Seonghwan to threaten his daughter‑in‑law. Having completely forced Taeheon to submit, Seonghwan no longer needed to torture the captive. 

“We don’t need to settle the details right now. Let’s talk it over.” 

“Whatever you decide, Father, I’ll follow your wishes.” 

Every time Taeheon said what Seonghwan wanted to hear, the older man grew all the more smug. 

“Alright, I’ll come see you off at the airport when you leave.” 

“It’s only a short trip; no need to inconvenience yourself.” 

“Don’t refuse me.” 

Seonghwan patted Taeheon’s shoulder. 

He clearly intended to see for himself that Taeheon was out of the country and then proceed with his surgery, apparently quite excited. 

“Yes, if that’s what you want, Father.” 

Do as you like. Let his father do exactly as he pleased in the organization—strip Taeheon of all authority. Taeheon had every intention of cooperating, letting it look like his father’s plan to reorganize. 

And he was already savoring the future moment: Seonghwan’s face when walking straight into the cell himself. 

At last, Taeheon lifted the shotgun. 

Flames spat from the muzzle. Whatever the target was, it shattered in midair. 

Then the next shot, and the one after that—Taeheon didn’t miss a single target he aimed for.

***

“—He’s finally changed his mind, it seems.” 

Not far away, Father was talking to the shooting range owner. Taeheon leaned against the car, watching his father’s hearty laughter, and spoke on the phone. 

The person on the other end was a business partner in China.