Chapter 26 – Even If It’s Madness  

“Four years, by now the interest must have accumulated quite a bit, right?”

Seo-jun, who had succeeded in persuading Eom So-yeon, sparkled with dark eyes. It meant that what he really wanted to say was just beginning.

“What are you talking about? You have to speak in a way I can understand…”

“Let’s say the calculation isn’t over yet. Before, you had to receive something, but now, the one who deserves compensation is me.”

“…?”

Unfinished calculation? Compensation? What kind of debt collection is this? Do I owe this man something? Is he perhaps a loan shark?

Startled, So-yeon’s pupils, surrounded by brown irises, widened as if she had been struck by lightning on a clear day.

What on earth is this man trying to say? 

Of course, she was nervous because she had something to hide, so she consciously straightened her hunched shoulders and fixed her anxious gaze.

“I don’t have anything like that.”

“Are you sure about that?”

Seo-jun, brushing his chin with his index finger, narrowed his eyes and raised the corners of his mouth at an angle. It was an arrogant yet mysterious smile. Tae Seo-jun, knowing well how attractive his current expression was, was someone who knew how to use his unrealistic appearance as a weapon.

“Who was it that sucked me dry like gum and then threw me away, disappearing without a trace when I was in a weakened state?”

“Dr…dry? Weakened state? What are you even talking about?”

For over two months, they had been seeing each other face-to-face, but he had never mentioned that one night. Well, except for that one time at the villa when he briefly brought it up, but wasn’t that the end of it? So why now, all of a sudden…

“It was here, wasn’t it? The place where we were together that day. I was feeling down, so I drank a lot, and you seduced me while I was drunk. Don’t you remember?”

“Me? I seduced you?”

So-yeon found it difficult to move her lips due to the cold sensation creeping up from her toes.

Sure, she drank that night, but he wasn’t drunk. If anyone had drunk more, it was her. So while she wasn’t drunk, she could have pretended to be. But Tae Seo-jun? Was he even capable of being “sucked dry” in any way?

“Maybe you just played with me?”

“W-what did you say?”

Did I hear that right?

A chill ran down her spine, and So-yeon felt as though cold sweat was pouring out of every pore in her body. It was as if Tae Seo-jun’s chilling performance in the movie The Cursed Blade had leapt off the screen and into reality.

“I may have acted blatantly, but in the end, you were the one who pounced on me!”

“That’s just what you think, Eom So-yeon. The one who remembers things more vividly is always the person who feels wronged.”

No matter how much she replayed the events of that night, all she felt was indignation. So-yeon’s temples twitched, and even her lush eyelashes trembled.

This was nothing short of an accusation.

It was true that she had fled before facing Tae Seo-jun that morning, not having the courage to face him when he woke up, but his memory seemed entirely self-serving. The series of unbelievable words left So-yeon’s eyes constantly quivering.

What is this strange feeling of being pulled deeper and deeper into his narrative?

When he said it like that, it almost felt like it was true. But she wasn’t someone to be easily swept away. As soon as the thought “Did I really do that?” began to take root in her mind, she snapped herself out of it and straightened her voice.

“The first thing we did when we met was kiss. Without any promises for the future, we acted on fleeting emotions and spent the night together. Did we even have a ‘next day’? Did we even agree to meet again? No! What we implicitly agreed on was that night, that one night, and nothing more! So why are you acting so out of character and forcing this on me? Why are you doing this to me all of a sudden?”

“……”

Her calm voice gradually rose.

Seo-jun, who hadn’t expected this reaction but found it rather amusing, chuckled. He could vividly imagine Eom So-yeon faltering more as the conversation progressed. Just the thought of her getting flustered by his words made him look forward to it.

Moreover, perhaps because the shock he received from Eom So-yeon today was somewhat alleviated, he felt even more inclined to shake her up.

Seo-jun twisted his words slightly, continuing with a story that was part joke and part truth.

“To be honest, I’m not a fan of being ‘cool.’ I think being clingy is a given. I also wouldn’t give my body to just any woman. If I intended for it to end after just one night, I wouldn’t have spent the night with you. Do you really think I could forget you, Eom So-yeon? The more time passes, the more I can’t stop thinking about you. What do you expect me to do?”

It wasn’t a sincere confession of love, but it sounded like he missed her a little. So-yeon was moved by the fact that there was a common denominator between them, albeit weak. But she didn’t want to reveal that emotion.

“…So, what are you going to do?”

In a lower tone, So-yeon asked after clearing her throat, and Seo-jun, unfolding his crossed legs and leaning his broad shoulders forward, let out a heavy voice.

“Take a guess. What do you think I’m going to say?”

“So… now…”

Because we slept together once, and now there’s even a child, do I look pathetically easy? Is that it? WIs this what he’s really like?

This man, who showed no warmth or humanity, like a cold mannequin. The Tae Seo-jun in So-yeon’s eyes now wasn’t the man she knew. At least she believed he wasn’t someone who would make such blatant demands, but it seemed she was wrong.

Her thoughts were reflected in her trembling brown eyes. Then, as Seo-jun leaned back, he tightened the already tense So-yeon’s heart even more.

“That’s not it. It’s just that I’ve built up a lot of frustration because of you, Eom So-yeon. I’m not asking for much. Just spend a few days with me.”

“What kind of nonsense is that!”

So-yeon shouted, glaring at Seo-jun with a face as if the sky had fallen. She had expected him to want an inappropriate relationship, and realizing her thoughts weren’t wrong, she felt even more indignant.

But you never know until you hear the whole story. Seo-jun continued.

“I think I like you, Eom So-yeon. Quite a lot, as a woman.”

“!”

Startled by the unexpected confession, So-yeon’s eyes widened to the point where her pupils were fully exposed. Her pulse raced wildly as if a high-voltage switch had been flipped.

“You…you like me?”

“But you don’t feel the same, do you?”

“……!”

What do you mean, I don’t? I already…

I already love him.

If he shakes me, I’ll fall for him without fail.

Her heart pounded as if a battle was raging inside. She was so thrilled that she almost blurted out that she liked him too. But his proposal was so sudden that suspicion came before joy. No, fear came first.

“So I thought about it. For the next few days, you should endure it. I’ll do my best to shake you. If you can’t resist, then come to me. If not, I’ll give up.”

“Why are you doing this? Even if you had those feelings, wouldn’t knowing I have a child make you reconsider? Isn’t it normal to lose interest in me because of that?”

“If I’ve discovered feelings I didn’t know I had because of what you confessed today, will you follow my lead?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m perfectly sane, why?”

“Anyway, I can’t do that. I only want to think about my child. In my situation, even you are too much.”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll approach you in a way that isn’t overwhelming.”

So-yeon couldn’t hide her bewilderment. His sudden display of emotions, which he had never shown before, and his active attitude, saying he didn’t care about the child, were incomprehensible.

“That’s absurd!”

“There’s more absurdity in reality. For me, you are such an existence.”

“What if I refuse?”

“You disappeared as you pleased before, so now it’s my turn to do as I please. That would be fair. You likes ‘fairness’ very much, right?”

Seo-jun, placing his fingertips on his forehead and thinking for a moment, lifted his gaze at an angle and spoke.

“Let’s go with my proposal for now. If we don’t, I won’t be able to let go of these lingering feelings. If it’s too much for you, you can drop the drama or whatever else. But at least don’t leave me with regrets.”

His gentle smile and smooth voice were endlessly kind. Yet his arrogant words were filled with sharp edges.

“…”

Her lips, unable to provide any answer, trembled.

She needed to distance herself from Tae Seo-jun, but her heart wouldn’t let her. On the other hand, going along with his wishes meant dealing with the issue of her child.

But if she were to reveal the secret, she wasn’t sure what shock the truth would bring him, or how much he could embrace the child.

So-yeon couldn’t help but be tormented by her wavering heart.

Her red-rimmed eyes, brown irises shimmering under the light, and tightly pressed pink lips made her look as if she might burst into tears at any moment. Her sorrowful expression seemed on the verge of crumbling under the slightest pressure.

Seo-jun’s gaze, fixed on her, was like that of a relentless observer determined to uncover something.

“Think it over carefully. I can only give you until the end of today.”

Seo-jun was well aware of his obsessive tendencies. Whether his feelings for Eom So-yeon were love or desire, he couldn’t tell. But he knew he was acting out of intense jealousy.

To make her completely his.

That insane possessiveness had been triggered by her. Since that night. Ever since then, thinking about her made his body race like an untamed horse.

On the nights when he thought of her, he couldn’t even sleep. And yet, it seemed like she had plenty of experience with men. For her, their first and last night together might have been nothing special. He can understand that logically, but how was he supposed to deal with the unpleasant feelings of betrayal?

Putting Eom So-yeon in the work was a ridiculous consideration. But now he can’t even do that hypocritical thing. So now she should be shaken too.

Like him, who knows what that wretched feeling is like.

Tae Seo-jun had never made such an outrageous bet before. When that calculating man jumped into something reckless, he put everything on the line. Uncontrollable rampage. Seo-jun decided. He would make Eom So-yeon his woman by any means necessary.

So she could never run away anywhere again.

Even if it meant doing something crazy, he was willing.

***

The three people who left the room continued their conversation for a while in the VIP floor lobby and then went downstairs together.

The first-floor party hall was brimming with a lively and harmonious atmosphere. It was Yeo-jin who first spotted Won-hoo heading there after getting off the elevator, and it was Yeo-jung who called him.

“Won-hoo! I’ve been looking for you for a while. You didn’t answer your phone, where have you been?”

“I had something urgent.”

When Yeo-jung, who sometimes showed a fiery temper, quickly threw questions at him, Won-hoo’s gentle expression immediately hardened.

“Anyway, on a day like today, you should at least make an appearance in the private room. You’re at an age where you should be thinking about marriage, so until when…”

“Oh, come on!”

The skill of interrupting was adept. Won-hoo, affectionately wrapping one arm around Yeo-jung’s shoulder, introduced Writer Kwon and Director Yoon to the two ladies.

“Let’s start with introductions. This is Director Yoon, who’s producing the drama soon to be aired, and Writer Kwon. These are my mother and aunt.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Yoon Ji-wan.”

Director Yoon politely bowed his head to Yeo-jin and Yeo-jung.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Kwon Eun-young…”

However, Writer Kwon, who was about to greet them, trailed off as she stared intently at Cha Yeo-jin.

Anyone who kept up with economic news would recognize her instantly. She was a celebrity among celebrities, not just as the wife of Chairman Tae Seok-ho—renowned even among major corporate leaders as the foremost figure—but also as a symbol of elegance and influence.

Her business acumen was remarkable, her appearance stunning, and her position as a member of the royal family-like Tae household made her impossible to overlook. The status of the matriarch of such a family was beyond imagination. Yet, even Cha Yeo-jung, standing next to her older sister, seemed overshadowed.

Writer Kwon, captivated by Cha Ye-jin’s unparalleled beauty, immense wealth, and extraordinary poise, couldn’t take her eyes off her. To her, Cha Yeo-jung might as well have been invisible.

Perhaps because of this…

“Won-hoo, where’s Seo-jun?”

Yeo-jung, who tried to calm her displeased gaze, asked about her nephew in a somewhat sharp tone.

“He’s in the room.”

“Alone?”

“Not exactly…”

As the two women questioned and Won-hoo answered, Director Yoon excused himself with a polite nod and entered the banquet hall, while Writer Kwon, who had received a phone call, stepped aside to a quieter corner near the hall to answer it.

“Is he with a woman, by any chance?”

It was Yeo-jin who was curious about Tae Seo-jun, but it was Yeo-jung who inquired persistently.

“That’s true, but not in the way you two are thinking…”

As Won-hoo was about to say it wasn’t like that, Yeo-jung interrupted.

“You could just give a short answer, but instead, you ramble on and make it sound even more suspicious.”

“What’s there to be suspicious about?”

“Fine, we’ll go up and see for ourselves.”

“Now?”

From Eom So-yeon’s tense expression alone, Won-hoo could easily guess what was going on. The heated discussion that had suddenly erupted in the room had somewhat settled in a positive direction, but Eom So-yeon, having learned about the unexpected circumstances surrounding her casting, was likely still feeling quite unsettled.

Tae Seo-jun must have left her in the room to relieve that unpleasant feeling.

“It’s for work, so if you’re going, please go later.”

“No matter how much work there is, why would a man and woman be alone together in a hotel room? Sister, let’s go now!”

Like raiding a husband’s affair scene, Yeo-jung hurriedly pulled Yeo-jin towards the elevator.

“Mother, Aunt, please listen to me…”

They’re gone, just like that! They move so quickly when it comes to things like this.

The elevator door had already closed.

As he walked in that direction, a sigh that seemed to extinguish escaped from Won-hoo’s lips.