Chapter 1.5

Baek-geon still felt filthy. He couldn’t understand why he had followed Cheong-o to look down at this woman.

His brow furrowed at the sight of the wine mixed with bile dirtying his feet. It was strange that he found her clinging to his trouser leg in the muck even more distasteful.

Baek-geon hadn’t realized how emotional he was until he faced the woman.

Meanwhile, instinctively knowing there would be no second chance, Yoon-jae was desperate.

“CEO Han Baek-geon, please listen to me. This, this drug is truly revolutionary. You’ll know if you try it just once. My…”

She hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes tightly and added,

“If you use it on my body, you’ll understand. Just try it once, don’t refuse.”

Baek-geon didn’t respond. He merely looked down at the woman’s curled-up back.

“I’ll guarantee the business potential. You’ll make a fortune in no time, enough to surprise you. My brother can vouch for it.”

Yoon-jae looked up at Baek-geon and spoke earnestly.

“I’ve already taken the drug, so you won’t need a drop to experience the greatest pleasure. There are no aftereffects, and the effects are intense.”

Baek-geon felt displeasure at Yoon-jae’s words but tilted his head slightly.

Noticing the man, who seemed bored listening to her, now paying attention, Yoon-jae gained courage. She confidently repeated what Yoon-ryeol had instilled in her.

“If you start distributing it at your club, it’ll be packed. I guarantee it. It’s not addictive, so it’s not even classified as a drug in the U.S.”

“It made it to the U.S.?”

When Baek-geon asked, Yoon-jae’s face brightened. Even a sliver of hope seemed to open a path for her.

She tried to speak in a charming tone. The organization that ran the streaming platform, and Yoon-ryeol, always emphasized this manner of speaking.

She recalled being beaten severely if she didn’t do it right. Feeling her skin ache, Yoon-jae hurriedly spoke in a friendly tone.

“It’s true, CEO. Please believe me. There’s even a treatment made from the same ingredient. Once it gets FDA approval, pharmaceutical companies will distribute it. They say the production facilities are already set up.”

It was an absurd lie. If it had reached overseas, it would be known in this field. It was still in the early stages, making it possible to catch Yoon-ryeol.

She wanted to sneer at the woman’s shallow trick. Cheong-o’s words had piqued his curiosity for a moment, but seeing her, it was clear she had already fallen deeply.

Baek-geon’s patience soon ran out. He didn’t bother to hide his contempt as he looked at the woman.

“Are you supposed to be trash? Using your smart brain, which got you into law school, for such dirty things.”

For a moment, Yoon-jae flinched. She thought it was inevitable since Cheong-o must have spilled her past. But the dry tone, feeling nothing but rudeness, pierced her heart deeply.

Without a single curse, the thick scorn and bewilderment she felt made her bite her lip. The man was colder, more mountainous, and crueler than she had anticipated.

Watching Yoon-jae hesitate, Baek-geon’s gaze grew even colder. He grabbed her arm as if he didn’t want to hear more.

“Ouch.”

Her thigh hurt terribly, as if it had struck the edge of the stair railing. A small cry escaped her.

The man gripped her arm tightly and dragged her along. Yoon-jae closed her eyes tightly. Being dragged like a sack was indescribably unpleasant and frightening.

She was dragged down a long, wide corridor into a large room. Without a chance to look around, the man pulled her into another door inside and threw her into a large bathtub.

“Ow.”

Where she hit the hard tub floor burned like it would bruise immediately. Yoon-jae curled up as cold water poured over her head, swallowing her breath.

“I don’t know how you’ve been living, thinking money solves everything, you idiots.”

The man’s cold voice resonated deeply.

“Wretches like you are the most pathetic. Listening to such nonsense is a waste of my time.”

The harsh words quickly filled her with humiliation. Yoon-jae unknowingly shouted in anger.

“So, do you earn money cleanly, Mr. Han Baek-geon?”

The man, who had been about to turn away, looked at her. His deep, dark eyes scrutinized her deeply.

Despite the sudden chill, Yoon-jae stubbornly shouted.

“What’s the difference? Your company is just an organization too. Is the money gathered from entertainment venues clean, and the money my brother earns selling drugs dirty? What about the money I make from the streaming platform? Don’t women serve drinks at your venues?”

Suddenly, resentment and defiance surged. Yoon-jae shouted without realizing that the rising water was now quite warm.

“What’s the standard for dirty and clean? You seem to decide what’s legal or illegal in a subjective way, but your company doesn’t seem any different. What’s changed? The way you earn money is the same. It’s just a different form.”

Baek-geon’s gaze changed at her rational and sharp point. It seemed ridiculous to see her trembling like a beaten animal, then suddenly becoming fierce and stubborn.

“It seems you’ve learned a bit.”

His gaze turned dangerous. For a moment, Yoon-jae’s heart sank. She had not only touched the whiskers of a sleeping beast but also offended him. It was a big mistake.

She tried to make up for her mistake by rising and reaching out of the tub. Grabbing Baek-geon’s pant leg brought an inexplicable sense of relief.

At least he didn’t shake her off.

If only she could grasp even the slightest opportunity. Yoon-jae lay flat, spewing apologies as they came to mind.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. CEO. I arrogantly spoke without knowing my place. If you save me just once, I’ll never act recklessly again. If you just save my brother, I’ll do anything, anything. So please, my brother…”

Baek-geon was dumbfounded. Seeing her wilt like a withered flower, then suddenly glaring and pouncing, was amusing. Asking to save the brother who exploited and abused her sounded hypocritical and made him angry.

Even in this situation, she asked to save her brother, not herself. It was a state conditioned to believe she couldn’t live without the abuser after long exposure to violence.

Even studying to become a lawyer seemed futile against prolonged violence and abuse. After all, despite all the talk of law, humans were no different from animals living in groups.

Baek-geon stopped his thoughts and looked down at the woman. Her thin hand gripped his wet pant leg so tightly that veins stood out, and her face, wilting like a flower soaked in water, filled his vision.

Suddenly, her lower abdomen felt heavy. It was surprising how her body reacted to such a worthless woman.

While Baek-geon was bewildered, Yoon-jae was also on the verge of madness due to her body’s continuous response. The drug’s effect, which had calmed down while she pleaded with the man, suddenly surged.

It seemed that the remnants of the drug started circulating as her body soaked in the warm water. She recalled Yoon-ryeol’s words about reacting quickly to even slight stimuli.

This kind of response wouldn’t be helpful now. Yoon-jae gritted her teeth. However, her heating body responded uncontrollably, contrary to her reason, causing trouble.

Her toes tingled, and then her calves felt a jolt. The sensation like a current running through her spine burned like embers in her lower abdomen.

Yoon-jae couldn’t even manage her flushed face. Her whole body felt hot and prickly, as if tiny needles were piercing her skin.

Meanwhile, her hand still clutched Baek-geon’s pants. She unconsciously twisted her waist halfway.

“CEO…”

Instinctively, she raised herself and clung to Baek-geon’s waist. She felt the man’s gaze burningly. Sighing inwardly with relief, Yoon-jae licked her lips with her tongue. It was a method taught by Yoon-ryeol.

“You’ll understand if you try it once. Your thoughts will completely change…”

She buried her face in the center of Baek-geon’s pants and rubbed, swallowing at the presence of his bulging member.

Though she hadn’t done it before, she had seen countless scenes of men and women entangled. After broadcasts, those monitoring or on the host’s side would grab the woman with the highest sales that day and engage in a tangle.

Every time, the aftermath was entirely her responsibility. They would naturally cling to each other and engage in such acts right in front of Yoon-jae.

After about five years, she naturally learned about s*xual acts and perversion by watching. Fortunately, she hadn’t been subjected to dirty acts due to Yoon-ryeol’s monitoring and restraint.

It wasn’t because Yoon-ryeol was particularly noble. Until then, he had disgustingly stripped and exploited Yoon-jae.

Yet, he had a clear reason for preventing others from touching her. He intended to use Yoon-jae’s body for his safety, just like now.

Yoon-jae was also adamant about it. The day a man managing the streaming platform secretly tried to assault her, she screamed she’d bite her tongue and ended up taking a hard blow to her side.

‘Such a stubborn wench.’

Everyone clicked their tongues. Since Yoon-ryeol half-killed that man, no one dared to touch Yoon-jae.

Though she had maintained her body, she had no choice. For Yoon-ryeol and her own safety, she had to find a way to survive now.

The stiff flesh poked her cheek. It seemed like no ordinary thing. Yoon-jae froze. Perhaps it was beyond what she could handle.

As Yoon-jae rubbed her face against it, Baek-geon realized his member was half-er*ect without his awareness.