CHAPTER 22

*

At Taeheon’s command, a brawny guard stepped forward. He approached the man in the center and pulled out the wad of cloth that gagged his mouth.

“Argh!”

The man woke up from his momentary stupor. He was covered in blood and barefoot.

As his socks turned into a wet mess and fell to the floor, the man’s pupils trembled in shock.

“Why, why are you doing this? I was only trying to collect some money!”

Taking a step forward, Taeheon suddenly grabbed the man by the hair and yanked him back, causing his face to contort as his eyes bulged out.

“Argh, ugh!”

“Well, then just take the money.”

“Gahh! Let go, let me go!”

“What should I do? I don’t really care about your hair, you know.”

With a snap that threatened to break the man’s crooked neck, Taeheon struck the man’s throat with his fingertips. The man’s eyes rolled back in his head, and a thin stream of saliva dripped from his mouth.

The fact that they were a group that intimidated women with knives was despicable beyond words. Taeheon kicked the chair on which the man was sitting, causing him to topple over. The man fell backward and flailing helplessly.

He struggled helplessly on the ground like an overturned, helpless insect. Taeheon stared at him without any expression.

It was the first time Taeheon personally intervened in such a situation. He had never bothered to care about trivial matters like this.

But he did it this time, took matters into his own hands because he couldn’t forget the desolate look on Yeonseo’s face when they meet at the funeral home.

Yeonseo was shaking because of them.

Was she that pitiable? Did I feel sympathy for her?

An uncomfortable feeling of s*xual desire and conflict overwhelmed Taeheon and led him to take steps in this direction. However, she was a woman who made things complicated. Her uniqueness annoyed him, yet he couldn’t help but enjoy it.

His once dull and mundane world became somewhat colorful because of Yeonseo, and Taeheon were naturally drawn to her.

She would eventually disappear, so until then, he only needed to mingle with her a little.

He just wanted Yeonseo to stay by his side on her own volition. He wasn’t sure if it was necessary in a time-limited relationship, but it wouldn’t be fun if she was dragged along unwillingly.

The least she could do is ask for help.

He had to create room for himself to intervene in her life, to make Yeonseo want it on her own.

He needed to create opportunities for her to willingly involve him in her life.

As he organized his thoughts, he realized that the anticipation of Yeonseo reaching out to him on her own was greater than the relief of satisfying his s*xual desires.

Taeheon turned around and stood in front of another man. The man’s face was so beaten up that his features were unrecognizable, he was the one who had tied up Yeonseo from behind.

The vivid image of him restraining Yeonseo with his dirty arms remained clear.

“If you don’t have a brain, carving something on your body is undoubtedly faster.”

Thud. The second chair fell backward. For a moment, he thought about showing Yeonseo the man moaning in pain from the impact of falling along with the chair.

As a woman who values her pride more than asking for help, she probably wouldn’t be immune to violence either.

She’ll grab Taeheon by the crotch and tell him not to do this.

Yeonseo, foolish and naive, a perfect target to be taken advantage of anywhere she went.

The fact that Taeheon jumped out to protect her was just ridiculous.

“Sir.”

Secretary Shin, who had stepped outside to make a call, returned.

He trembled at the heavy atmosphere but soon approached Taeheon to deliver his report.

“Sir, I looked into it, and Miss Han Yeonseo has already paid off her debt.”

Taeheon glanced at the man on the floor and asked.

“It was 300 million won. How did she manage to repay it? Could it be Baek Hyeonho?”

“No, it’s not… It seems to be Deputy Manager Woo Seungbin.”

Woo Seungbin?

Taeheon’s brow slowly furrowed.

Clever move.

Considering how Woo Seungbin was lingering around Yeonseo, it seemed like he wouldn’t easily back off.

After a moment of deliberation, Taeheon nodded and said.

“Look for a position for Woo Seungbin, not in the US but perhaps in China or Southeast Asia.”

“I’m sorry, but what position…?”

“Promote Woo Seungbin. Get him out of my sight,”

“Yes, Sir. “

A few moments later, Secretary Shin bowed his head. He understood what he meant by sending Seungbin away.

“Also, Han Yeonseo is with Woo Seungbin right now. Don’t let them slip away.”

“Yes, Sir. “

Taeheon raised his steel-toed boot and relentlessly stomped on the man’s fingers until a cruel sound echoed through the air

It was the same fingers that had squeezed Yeonseo.

“Ugh!”

Ignoring the screaming voice, Taeheon then targeted his shoulders.

*

“Ha!”

Yeonseo gasped for breath as she hurriedly descended from the sidewalk and crossed the road in one breath. She had lost one of her slippers along the way, and her bare foot felt a sharp pain, but she couldn’t afford to pay attention to it.

A little while ago, Yeonseo reluctantly got into Seungbin’s car. However, as they drove in the opposite direction of the hospital, she started to feel anxious.

When the car briefly stopped, she took the opportunity to jump out and run away. She just wanted to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Kang face only for a moment, even if it was from a distance.

The fear she couldn’t feel when Moon-sik died was now creeping in. She felt that if she didn’t see Mrs. Kang’s face right away, she might truly collapse.

“Haa…”

Breathing heavily, Yeonseo looked up at the hospital and quickened her pace. Seungbin probably knew she was heading this way.

So, she had to leave before he arrived. She knew she couldn’t escape this threatening situation completely, but she needed time, even if it was just 30 minutes.

The nurse recognized Yeonseo and asked with a smile.

“Why did you come back? Oh, did you leave something behind?”

“Hello.”

“The room hasn’t been cleaned yet, so go and take a look quickly.”

“Cleaned?”

Yeonseo asked in confusion.

“Oh, you just got discharged, right?”

“Mrs. Kang has been discharged?”

“Yes. Mrs. Kang, the patient, left just a little while ago…. You didn’t know?”

“Ah….”

Yeonseo laughed but was about to cry. It was astonishing how quickly she was discharged after being diagnosed with such a serious illness.

So, it was true that she was going to spend the remaining days of her life at her home in Yongin.

But still, it’s strange. To get discharged without even trying treatment, it’s sudden.

Her pain must be severe. How did she managed to endure it?

Emotions flooded Yeonseo all at once, making her feel dizzy. She steadied herself by leaning on the side.

It was not uncommon for patients facing the end of their lives to refuse life-prolonging treatment and chose to return to their normal lives.

It was often due to not having enough money to afford expensive treatments or they couldn’t do anything about it. They just want to cut their suffering short. Some chose to use their remaining time to put their lives in order.

Mrs. Kang probably insisted on a quick discharge for similar reasons. She doesn’t like hospitals, so she must have wanted to avoid stress as much as possible by returning home.

What Yeonseo couldn’t quite understand was how easily Mrs. Kang’s children accepted this decision.

Did they not even try to persuade her to do something, anything? Why?

“I’m so sorry. You’ve been through a lot.”

The nurse offered comforting words to the absent-minded Yeonseo and then disappeared, called away by someone.

The hospital corridor bustled with people moving around Yeonseo, but it felt like time had stopped for her alone.

With tears held back, Yeonseo turned away from the hospital room. She pinched her nose as it felt stuffy.

She tried calling Mrs. Kang again, but an automated voice informed her that the phone was turned off. After calling five times, she gave up.

Maybe she didn’t go to Yongin after being discharged and went to her children’s home. Maybe she went to their ancestral home.

She probably wanted to spend her remaining time with her family.

Just then, Yeonseo’s phone rang, and she quickly checked the screen.

Director Woo Taeheon.

Tears welled up a little more in Yeonseo’s eyes.

*

The light drizzle that had momentarily stopped resumed. Yeonseo stood in the hospital lobby and looked up helplessly at the cloudy sky.

She started to walk slowly towards the parking lot. Taeheon had ended their call by instructing her to come down of the hospital. She felt like an obedient dog, following his orders without question.

-Beep-

At the sound of the car horn, Yeonseo hurried up the sidewalk, but the car drove over a puddle and water splattered roughly on her.

Her lower body got completely soaked, and Yeonseo let out a disappointed laugh. Without an umbrella, she looked like a soaked rat.

The black shirt and slacks that Jiyoung had brought in the morning were now sagging and soaked. Running barefoot on the street, getting drenched in the rain and splashing water on herself, there was no way she could remain presentable.

And she had to show this sight to Taeheon. She could almost hear his laughter already.

“Is there another story I don’t know about?”

Yeonseo’s head snapped up at the sound of Taeheon’s voice. He was towering over her, holding a large umbrella.

“Sir…”

“Or is it because of Grandmother that you’re so lost in thought?”

“Sir, is Mrs. Kang really unwell?”

“Yeah. Seungbin must have told you.”

Her glimmer of hope disappeared. Yeonseo held back her agony and asked.

“How did you know that I met Woo Seungbin?”

“If loan sharks are targeting you, I should keep an eye on you. I get nervous when someone I know gets involved in such situations.”

Something stirred in her.

“So there’s another person here who’s interested in my whereabouts.”

“Who are you comparing me to?”

Her tone sounded slightly annoyed. Taeheon’s raised an eyebrow in response.

“I’ll take care of my own neck, so please don’t monitor me from now on.”

“Fine.”

Surprisingly, Taeheon replied in a gentle manner. Suddenly, the raindrops became heavier. He gestured for her to come under the umbrella’s shade.

“Come here.”

It felt so natural that Yeonseo almost ran towards him.

“Why did you discharge Mrs. Kang so early? Where is she right now?”

“At Yongin. There’s no one who can stop her stubbornness.”

“Did Mrs. Kang really say that? That she won’t continue treatment?”

“Yeah.”

Taeheon’s expression, as always, was intimidating and uncomfortable, but Yeonseo couldn’t stop herself from asking further questions.

“Did your family members agree too? Even so, considering the severe pain, how will she manage the treatment?”

“Grandmother is determined like that, how can I stop her? She’s facing death, so how dare I try to scold her? Or should I have forcefully admitted her against her will to break her stubbornness?”

Taeheon’s response sounded as if he himself didn’t have the answer, just as confused as everyone else.