Chapter 4.6

Baek-geon returned sooner than expected. His face was much calmer than before as he approached the bed and pulled Yoon-jae into his arms.  

“It’s all taken care of. How are you?”  

Even as he looked at her tear-streaked face, smudged with dirt and grass, he said nothing about it. He simply asked if she was okay.  

It was Yoon-jae who was startled, her eyes widening in surprise. She stared at him, speechless. It was the first time he had ever shown any concern for her.  

Her mind spun in confusion. She stopped crying and simply stared at Baek-geon with a dazed expression.  

The clear confusion and hesitation in her eyes made Baek-geon feel like he had made a mistake. He closed his eyes briefly before rephrasing his question.  

“I meant the baby. Is your stomach okay? You were running and crouching earlier.”  

Ah. Yoon-jae finally relaxed, though an inexplicable emotion flickered within her. It was close to disappointment—a strange, bitter feeling that filled her mind.  

“I’m fine… ugh.”  

The lingering smell of blood from Baek-geon stirred her nausea again. Even the anti-nausea pill seemed ineffective as her chest grew heavy and her nose stung.  

“Just throw up.”  

When she tried to sit up, Baek-geon stopped her. Realistically, there wasn’t even enough time to make it to the bathroom. She leaned over the side of the bed and vomited watery bile onto the floor.  

“You didn’t even eat dinner?”  

Baek-geon frowned. The vomiting itself didn’t bother him, but the thought of a pregnant woman skipping meals weighed on his mind.  

“I was… too busy…”  

After mumbling an excuse, Yoon-jae wondered why she felt like she had to justify herself. But before she could dwell on it, a sudden defiance gripped her.  

“So, you’ve finally decided to acknowledge the baby.”  

At her words, Baek-geon’s lips tightened into a thin line. Seeing his reaction, she felt strangely hollow. Yoon-jae let out a bitter laugh and muttered.  

“That’s why you lost your temper, isn’t it? Because it’s your bloodline… At least the baby is being acknowledged. That’s a relief. If it kept being denied, how pitiful would that be? At least I hope this child doesn’t end up living like me…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. The damp sensation between her legs made her feel strange. Starting from her toes, warmth slowly drained away, leaving her body cold. A chill spread through her lower abdomen, accompanied by an unfamiliar sensation.

“Something’s… wrong. My body…”

Baek-geon, who had unintentionally glanced downward, widened his eyes. His face froze in shock as he stared at the blood-stained sheets before lifting his gaze.

Yoon-jae’s pale body tilted to one side. Her eyelids fluttered, revealing the whites of her eyes. Baek-geon, alarmed, supported her and shouted.

“Butler Song! Call a doctor! No, get the car ready! Hurry!”

He shook Yoon-jae’s body desperately. Her limp frame, devoid of any strength, collapsed like a brittle shell.

“Stay awake! Don’t fall asleep!”

However, the woman in his arms remained unconscious, her body slack. Baek-geon bit his lip hard. For the first time in his life, he was overwhelmed by a sense of urgency and helplessness.

As he stared at the pale woman’s face, Butler Song’s announcement that the car was ready barely registered before he bolted outside with Yoon-jae in his arms.

***

“There was some bleeding, but it wasn’t a miscarriage.”

At the doctor’s words, Baek-geon let out a long sigh of relief without realizing it.

“The heartbeat is strong. It’s not a missed miscarriage either. The main issue is the bleeding, so she should stay in bed for the time being. If staying at home is uncomfortable, she can be hospitalized for continuous monitoring…”

“She’ll stay home. I’ll make sure she doesn’t move an inch.”

Baek-geon curtly cut off the doctor’s suggestion and looked down at the woman lying with an IV drip. Her pale face and frail frame tormented him with an emotion that was neither anger nor frustration.

Amidst his turmoil, her chapped lips caught his eye. It was disheartening. He couldn’t believe that those soft lips, which had felt so warm earlier, had become so dry and damaged in an instant.

His phone vibrated. Even as he pulled it out, his gaze remained fixed on Yoon-jae. His entire focus was on her, and nothing else seemed to matter.

The call was from Cheong-o. Exhaling quietly, Baek-geon pressed the call button.

• Hyung-nim, it’s me.”

“Keep it brief.”

• Everything has been dealt with. A few months ago, Sungjin made a private contract with us, but now they’re saying they want to hand the deal over to another party because of your engagement. Turns out, they pushed the contract to another company—Gongmyung or something—who’s building a golf course.”

“Chairman Sung pulled a stunt, didn’t he?”

• Yes. It seems Sungjin can’t be left alone anymore. We need to teach them a proper lesson.”

Cheong-o’s voice was filled with frustration, and understandably so. It was infuriating to be blindsided, and on top of that, to be betrayed by Sungjin.

Not only had their contract fallen through, but they had also been slapped in the face like scapegoats. Adding to the frustration was the fact that their close colleague had collapsed and was now in the hospital. It was impossible not to be angry.

“What about Jung-gyun?”

• He’s preparing a legal case for now. After that, Director Kim and I will handle it. We’ll make sure to hit them hard—one blow for each cheek, fair and square.”

Cheong-o chuckled faintly, his mood slightly improved. However, his voice soon turned hesitant and somber.

• Um… how is Yoon-jae?”

At Cheong-o’s question, Baek-geon remained silent for a moment.

Having seen him carry her into the car, he must have been worried. After deliberating, Baek-geon finally spoke.

“She’s fine.”

• Ah, that’s a relief.”

Cheong-o’s voice softened slightly. Sensing his hesitation, Baek-geon endured the awkward silence that followed.

• Thank you, Hyung-nim.”

Unexpectedly, that was all Cheong-o said before ending the call. Baek-geon had to suppress the urge to throw his phone across the room.

Thank you? Thank me for what? For dragging a pregnant woman around to work, leaving her in the middle of chaos, and abandoning her like an idiot?

It was pure self-loathing. Baek-geon sneered at himself. He turned off his phone entirely and looked back at the woman’s face.

Although she was still pale, her expression appeared more peaceful than before. Her breathing had become steady, and her chest rose and fell rhythmically.

Only then did his tension ease. The tangled emotions within him began to unravel and crumble. Baek-geon let out a small sigh.

He had never imagined something like this would happen to him. The fact that he had been so powerless and unable to do anything but stand by filled him with anger.

His empty gaze drifted from the woman’s face to the distant void. The slow movements of his pupils reflected the depth of his thoughts.

With a pensive look, Baek-geon returned his gaze to Yoon-jae’s face. She had always been a burden, a nuisance clinging to his ankle.

He hadn’t been wrong. Even now, he felt tethered to her, unable to move freely. Yet, she no longer felt like a burden.

If it weren’t for Yoon-jae, he would have personally orchestrated a brutal retaliation by now. He would have acted without hesitation, doing whatever he wanted without a second thought.

The moment he felt the cold, biting air, he realized something. It wasn’t the hospital room that was cold—it was his heart.

Baek-geon absentmindedly pulled out a cigarette, only to crush it between his fingers and shove it back into his pocket. Cigarettes were now off-limits for the foreseeable future.

Crossing his arms, he let out a heavy sigh. His temper flared and subsided repeatedly, but whenever he saw Yoon-jae lying quietly with her eyes closed, his impulses vanished.

A faint smile tugged at Baek-geon’s lips. He chuckled softly. Acting like a moody teenager, with emotions flaring and cooling in quick succession, he stayed by her side, enduring the storm within himself.

How much time had passed? After briefly dozing off, his mind felt foggy. His limbs were stiff from leaning against the bedside.

Raising his head, Baek-geon looked at the woman by the pillow. Now breathing evenly in her sleep, she finally looked somewhat human.

At least it’s not a corpse I have to deal with.

The cynical thought crossed his mind as he lightly brushed her thin arm. How much would she need to eat to gain weight? She was already painfully frail.

Taking even a short nap had been a good decision. His mind felt unusually clear and sharp. For the first time, Baek-geon could somewhat define the emotions he had been feeling since yesterday.

A woman who had been pitiful since childhood. A woman who remained unfortunate even now.

It wasn’t pity or sympathy. Those were emotions Baek-geon despised more than anything. Yet, he couldn’t deny that his once-cold heart seemed to soften in her presence.

In truth, he hated it. No, it was unfamiliar—so unfamiliar that he likely hated and rejected it.

Baek-geon couldn’t tolerate discomfort or situations spiraling out of control. Emotional, sensitive, and uncertain scenarios were especially intolerable.

Yet, he had no intention of overturning or dismissing the current situation. It seemed better to keep her within his sight and reach.

Today, the attack had been directed at him, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t be targeted in the future. Rumors traveled faster than feet. By now, news of him carrying her to the hospital had likely spread far and wide.

Baek-geon smirked bitterly. He had no intention of silencing his subordinates to stop the rumors. If anything, allowing the gossip to spread might actually ensure her safety.

At least in his household, under Butler Song’s care, she would be safer and more comfortable. With that thought, Baek-geon turned his phone back on and powered it up.