CHAPTER 15

*

Yeonseo casually raised her head to catch a glimpse of Taeheon’s movement. After leaving the hospital, Taeheon was accompanied by his secretary.

He got into a sedan that the chauffeur personally opened for him. At that moment, there was a mistaken feeling as if their eyes met. Yeonseo felt her heart skip a beat.

“What a surprise…….”

Yeonseo held her pounding heart and watched as the sedan move away. She couldn’t help but sigh as she watched the car glide smoothly on the road.

It’s not like I did something wrong, so why did I hide?

She laughed weakly as she slipped out from behind the pillar.

No, if I ran into him again, I don’t know what he’d say.

Taeheon was violent, authoritarian, and domineering. He also had a shameless side to him. Overall, the word “trouble” summed him up the best. Yeonseo couldn’t stand up to him.

But for Mrs. Kang’s sake, she was glad he was there. If Taeheon hadn’t returned home, in a situation like yesterday, Director Woo would have appeared and tried to take advantage of Mrs. Kang.

The Woo clan barged in as soon as they arrived at the hospital. It resembled a noisy marketplace rather than a hospital visit. Despite that, Mrs. Kang looked happy to see her children after a long time and smiled warmly at them.

Director Woo insisted that they should go to Gukhan Hospital, not Shinju Hospital. He said there was a separate hospital that had been responsible for Mrs. Kang’s health for years, and there was no reason to risk transferring her.

Many agreed with his opinion, but Taeheon seemed resolute. Taeheon pointed out that he was the appointed guardian to take care of his grandmother when the Chairman died and hammered the point that his rights should not be violated.

Everyone backed away uncomfortably and in a corner of the hospital room, Yeonseo felt relieved. Mrs. Kang was safer out of Director Woo’s reach.

Through this incident, it cleared up her distrust for Taeheon. Mrs. Kang needed him.

“Phew…”

Let’s stop thinking about it now and go up again.

As she tried to take a step, her legs wobbled. Suddenly, she remembered the strong arms that had firmly held her when she was about to collapse last night.

The man whose every touch felt scorching hot. He shamelessly teased Yeonseo, as if punishing a naughty child.

She couldn’t stop thinking about his gestures, the places he touched her, the way his lips brushed hers.

“What unsatisfied desire is this?”

Yeonseo absentmindedly pressed her lips with her hand. She winced from the lingering pain, then shook her head.

Woo Taeheon was just a bad guy who played with people, using all sorts of excuses and tricks.

*

Inside the running car, the quiet sound of the engine intertwined strangely with the piano music. The veteran chauffeur steered the car smoothly over a bump.

Sitting in the passenger seat, the secretary cleared his throat quietly and then spoke.

“The herbal medicine ingredients have been entrusted for analysis. It should be ready by this afternoon.”

There was no response from Taeheon in the backseat. Thinking that he might not have heard, the secretary spoke a little louder.

“The information you asked for is ready. Would you like to see it now?”

“Pass it over.”

“Yes, here it is.”

The secretary handed over an envelope with documents to him, and Taeheon casually spoke while opening it.

“As soon as we get the results for the herbal medicine, inform Han Yeonseo as well.”

“To Ms. Han Yeonseo?”

“She’ll be the most curious about it.”

It was Yeonseo who suggested to have the herbal medicine brought from the family home be analyzed.

She mentioned that 10 years ago, Mrs. Kang had acquired a small rash on her back due to shiitake mushrooms. It was a minor symptom, and she quickly recovered from it, so very few people knew about the incident.

But Director Woo, who had never left the family home since birth, might know about it.

He sent someone to have the herbal medicine ingredients tested. Yeonseo had merely pleaded persistently for it.

Even if shiitake mushrooms were found in the herbal medicine, Director Woo could simply claim that he didn’t know Mrs. Kang was allergic to it. It was plausible since Taeheon also didn’t know about it.

Taeheon is angry at Director Woo’s devious tactics. No matter how despicable a person may be, it’s unthinkable to give medicine that could harm their own mother. The fact that he forgotten to recognize the person who gave birth to him was no different from someone who has already given up on being human.

Directed Woo must have taken action hurriedly upon hearing the news of Taeheon’s return.

Now, if Mrs. Kang’s health issues arise, it would be Taeheon who would be suspected of being responsible. Taeheon had the duty to protect Mrs. Kang’s well-being, in return of inheriting a tremendous fortune.

If Mrs. Kang’s health deteriorates due to negligence rather than an unavoidable circumstance, then it would be Taeheon’s responsibility. In such a case, Director Woo would probably hire a lawyer to try to recover the inheritance. It would turn into a dirty fight.

In that moment, Yeonseo’s face came to mind as she cautiously handed over the herbal medicine. She had looked at Taeheon with desperate hope in her eyes.

[Still, could you just test it just once?]

[Even if we get the results, it won’t change anything.]

[But, Sir, you can resolve it.]

He tried to put himself above someone’s head.

Yeonseo’s slightly swollen lips, as if advertising that they were sucked on last night, made him want to kiss her again.

Taking Yeonseo’s lips had been out of impulse. An uncalculated impulse. Such a thing was not typical of Taeheon. There were plenty of other ways to separate Yeonseo from Seungbin if he wanted to.

But why? Why did I need to hold Yeonseo in my arms and not let her escape? Why did I mix things up through such a messy approach?

Unsettled emotions floated around like impurities. She irritated him with her thoughts alone.

Taeheon shook off his thoughts and began to flip through the papers Secretary Shin had given him. The papers contained a detailed investigation about Yeonseo.

He’d only scratched the surface, and he needed more information about her. It was a rule to check a person’s background thoroughly when hiring them.

However, it was unusual for Taeheon to personally verify the information of a person to this extent. Usually, this responsibility fell on the HR manager.

He carefully scanned through the contents of the documents. His attention was drawn to her address, Neulhanbit Boarding House. It seemed odd that she lived in a boarding house when she wasn’t even studying for an exam.

His gaze lingered on Baek Hyeonho, a childhood friend and a model at ING agency. They grew up in the same neighborhood and attended the same elementary, middle, and high school together.

“Baek Hyeonho is affiliated with ING?”

“Yes. It’s operated by CEO Kim Daewoong.”

It turned out to be a place run by Taeheon’s distant cousin’s brother-in-law. It seemed complicatedly intertwined, but in this industry, once you crossed one bridge, everything was interconnected – it was all part of the same network.

“It’s certain that he provided financial assistance for her tuition.”

“Yes. After checking her bank account, there have been records of significant deposits from Baek Hyeonho on several occasions. It seems like he helped her during difficult times.”

His mood sank even further.

Why did I feel this way?

Is it because Han Yeonseo’s poverty is pitiful? Or because I feels sympathetic towards her?

It was a slightly different emotion. The seeds of discomfort had gradually grown into a tangled mess, constricting his chest.

“Arrange a meeting with CEO Kim Daewoong soon.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Monitor Han Yeonseo and find an officetel, preferably near the hospital.”

“Yes.”

Secretary Shin answered without asking for a reason. It was his job. The hospital gradually became distant. Taeheon closed his eyes for a moment, feeling tired.

*

Mrs. Kang’s comprehensive health checkup was scheduled to take place over the next few days. Today was a simple ultrasound.

Fortunately, Mrs. Kang’s complexion was much better than yesterday. Yeonseo diligently moved around, organizing Mrs. Kang’s belongings in the hospital room.

“Yeonseo, Mr. Taeheon wants you to take two days off.”

Yeonseo, who was washing a towel in the kitchenette sink, widened her eyes at Yoonhae’s words.

“What?”

“Mr. Taeheon called. He said from today onwards, we should take turns working with him for two days each.”

Taeheon must have called Yoonhae’s side. Yeonseo hesitated for a moment, but cautiously brought up the question she had wanted to ask for a while.

“Auntie, by any chance… Have you ever met Mr. Taeheon separately?”

“After he returned?”

“Yes.”

Yeonseo couldn’t completely rule out the possibility that Yoonhae might be Director Woo’s person. If someone could be so malicious as to make her mother eat food that triggered her allergies, they wouldn’t hesitate to manipulate and bribe several people around them.

“Oh, yes, we met. He came to see me before he went down to Yongin. He asked me to work with him again when he comes to Seoul. Why?”

Ah, so Yoonhae is indeed Taeheon’s person.

It was unlikely that Taeheon would have met Yoonhae and just asked her for a favor.

“Why do you ask?”

Seeing the subtle changed of expression in Yoonhae’s eyes, it seemed like she had also paid a significant price, much like herself.

“Oh, it’s just curiosity.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been with the boss for a good 20 years now.”

Yoonhae smiled warmly. Yeonseo briefly imagined what it would be like if Yoonhae was a little younger and unmarried.

If Yoonhae received Seungbin’s attention, just like Taeheon did with me, would he have done the same things to her as well? 

Would he have held her hand, kissed her lips, rubbed his private parts, and given discreet warnings, urging her not to get involved with Seungbin?

The thought of Taeheon treating Yoonhae the same way, engaging in the same wickedness, made something deep inside her feel uneasy. It felt as if she had swallowed a burning ember, causing discomfort.

“Yeonseo?”

“I’m sorry. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment.”

“Take a rest if you need to. I don’t want you to collapse here.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I’ll stay here.”

It was a sudden vacation, but even if she would have taken a break, her mind wouldn’t feel at ease.

“Oh, they don’t need two people here. There’s already a nurse, and everyone around here knows what to do.”

With the security team guarding inside and out, there was nothing for Yeonseo to worry about.

“And since that’s what the boss wants, what can we do? We should go along with it.”

“That’s true.”

Yeonseo smiled weakly.

Just by watching Mrs. Kang having her evening meal, before she knew it, it was already 8 o’clock. Even after saying goodbye to Mrs. Kang, Yeonseo looked back several more times.

Mrs. Kang waved her hand and told her to go take a rest. Seeing that the madam was so concerned about her and not wanting to be impolite, Yeonseo had to move her feet and leave.

The night air outside the hospital was cool. Yeonseo stared at the dark night sky and headed towards a shortcut to the park, intending to catch a taxi.

That’s when it happened. A husky voice came from above her head.

“Watch where you’re going. Do you want to fall and cry again?”

“Huh?”

The man standing with his arm resting on her shoulder was none other than Hyeonho.