CHAPTER 32
She’s not sure if someone overheard.
“Why did you…?”
While Yeonseo looked around, the clutch returned to her arms.
“I’m staying here tonight.”
As Yeonseo fumbled for words, Taeheon spoke in a nonchalant tone.
“Room 2013. Come if you make up your mind. Even if you don’t, come. If you ever want to negotiate again, come.”
His words made her heart race like a fool.
Yeonseo squeezed her eyes shut, and just as she opened them, she heard Seungbin’s excited voice from behind.
“Oh? Taeheon is here too?”
Is this going to turn into a dizzying three-way encounter?
As Yeonseo stumbled for breath, Seungbin laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
“Is this non-alcoholic champagne getting you drunk?”
Seungbin took the champagne glass from Yeonseo’s hand and patted her shoulder.
“Let’s go to a quieter place now. I have a headache after dealing with the VIPs.”
“Okay. Let’s go talk.”
“Sure, Yeonseo, you look so beautiful today that I want to keep you all to myself.”
Seungbin murmured, sounding quite unusual, as he gazed at Taeheon. In that moment, the smile vanished from Seungbin’s face.
“Taeheon, you should be attending to the guests too. And also, could you please pass a message to Grandma for me? Tell her that Yeonseo will be staying at the hotel tonight.”
Is he out of his mind?
When Yeonseo looked at Seungbin in disbelief, Taeheon said slowly.
“An overnight stay, huh? Sounds good.”
His pronunciation rolled off his tongue like a sticky syrup. Yeonseo didn’t miss the way Taeheon’s eyes lingered on her before darting away. A chill ran down her spine.
“Mr. Taeheon, I’ll go ahead then.”
Yeonseo said, bowing her head in farewell. Seungbin smiled slyly and tugged at Yeonseo’s wrist. Her slender wrist looked fragile.
Seungbin’s pace quickened. Yeonseo occasionally hurried to catch up with his brisk strides.
At one point, she twisted her ankle, but Seungbin, who was humming, didn’t seem to care and picked up the pace instead. Seungbin appeared to be in a good mood as he pressed the elevator button.
“By any chance, did Taeheon say anything about me?”
“Are you asking because you’ve been a prick?”
Seungbin laughed out loud. The place he had brought her to was a VIP lounge, like a private room with walls all around.
Yeonseo took a deep breath. She had been thinking about it all day, just like yesterday.
She needed to sort things out with Seungbin as soon as possible. She was afraid of what would happen in the future, but being dragged around like this was something Mrs. Kang wouldn’t like for her to experience.
Mrs. Kang’s kind words, telling her to do what she wanted and that she wouldn’t resent her, helped her decide. Yeonseo spoke in a firm voice.
“Mr. Woo.”
“Don’t call me so formally. Let’s have a drink first and talk slowly. You’ll like what you hear.”
What else did he want to say?
Maybe he wanted to dig into the unpleasant topic of the inheritance.
Surely he wouldn’t say and come up with some kind of tacky, third-generation chaebol proposal to split the inheritance 50/50.
They were momentarily interrupted when the staff came in to set up their drinks. Seungbin chuckled as he poured a drink.
“Here you go. It’s not too strong.”
Yeonseo hesitated but eventually took the drink that Seungbin offered. She downed it in one go. Clink. After placing the empty glass back down, a potent sensation rushed down her throat, making her feel uneasy.
She wasn’t good at drinking, so drinking in a hurry would surely get her drunk. Yeonseo placed her fist on her knee and stared at Seungbin squarely.
“I’ve thought about it.”
“I hope that thought is in my favor.”
Seungbin replied with a smiling face and refilled the empty glass.
“You can tell Mrs. Kang about what I did under Director Woo’s orders.”
“You mean you’re willing to take the blame?”
“I blindly carried out Director Woo’s orders without considering the Mrs. Kang’s situation, and that had a significant impact.”
“Yeonseo, are you serious?”
“If you don’t it, I will tell the Mrs. Kang myself instead.”
“Is Taeheon the reason for your sudden change of heart? Did Taeheon tell you to confess your sins and leave, or face the consequences?”
In Seungbin’s eyes, it could be seen like this. Well, if she had revealed this fact to Taeheon, he deserved an appropriate punishment for his actions.
After all, Woo Taeheon was a heartless person with no compassion or tears.
“That doesn’t matter. And I have no intention of dating or getting engaged to you.”
“So it’s okay for grandmother to be shocked?”
Living a calculated life compared to others, she had no time to indulge in her own feelings. She always had to make the best choices under tight deadlines. As a result, Yeonseo had her own sense of ethics and principles.
Not crossing the line.
This decision, like many others, was a combination of her experiences, morals, conscience, efficiency, and making the best choice and decided that confession was the way forward for Ms. Kang.
It might make her seem foolish, but it was also the wisest conclusion.
“Yes. I apologize to Mrs. Kang, but I think it would be even more disgraceful if I involve myself in the inheritance issue.”
“Inheritance?”
A sense of uneasiness crossed Seungbin’s face as he asked again. Yeonseo didn’t miss the subtle crack.
It really was about the inheritance. He was doing this because of money.
She no longer felt any disappointment or sadness. Rather, it was almost refreshing to know Seungbin’s true intentions.
Mrs. Kang’s affectionate embrace towards Yeonseo had become the hilt of someone’s sword. Eventually, the target of that weapon was Mrs. Kang’s own heart.
Yeonseo wanted to protect her, even if it meant turning the blade toward herself.
“If you want the inheritance, wouldn’t it be better to make a good impression on the Mrs. Kang instead of doing this to me? I will confess my sins and accept the punishment.”
She was afraid that Mrs. Kang would be shocked, so she closed her mouth and hid her wrongdoing, which was just a cowardly excuse to protect herself.
She was afraid Mrs. Kang’s gaze for her might turn cold or that she might be disappointed in her, which drove Yeonseo to hide her wrongdoing.
She had almost made a bigger mistake. Her throat tightened. She didn’t think she had any tears left, but they started to flow.
It wasn’t until she saw Seungbin pull a handkerchief from his pocket that she realized her cheeks were hot. Yeonseo gripped the back of her chair.
“Ah…….”
Suddenly, everything spun before her eyes, followed by a sudden wave of dizziness. Yeonseo’s body slowly tilted to the side.
Why is this happening?
“It’s okay, you’re just resting a bit. It’s okay.”
Seungbin’s muffled voice echoed faintly from a distance.
“Stay with me today. I’ll make you feel better after we make our vows.”
It was a creepy voice.
*
When she opened her eyes, a severe headache washed over her. Yeonseo grabbed her head and blinked her eyelids. She ran her fingers through her disheveled hair and scanned her surroundings.
“Where am I…?”
Her voice came out weakly. The plush bed and white sheets, along with the unfamiliar space, seemed like a hotel room.
She had no memory of coming here. She had a vague sense that she had passed out after drinking… but where had she been moved to?
Somewhere in the distance, she faintly heard the sound of running water. A soft humming echoed dually.
Woo Seungbin?
She came to her senses.
As weak as she might be with alcohol, she had never lost consciousness after just one drink.
What had he put in my drink?
A chill ran down her spine as her mind wandered to that point. The voice she had heard before collapsing was vivid in her mind.
But first, she needed to get out of here. Before Seungbin came out of the bathroom…
Yet, her body didn’t respond well. Despite her efforts to push herself up, her limbs felt heavy and limp, as if they were attached with extra weight.
“Ugh…!”
As she tried to get off the bed, her body slipped. Falling to her knees, Yeonseo swallowed her pain and reached for her clutch on the floor.
At that moment, the sound of water in the bathroom abruptly stopped. Her heart sank. Even if Yeonseo resisted with all her might, Seungbin was the type of person who would get his way.
She needed to find her phone. Her mind was racing, but she couldn’t quite reach her clutch. As she heard the sound of a drawer opening and closing in the bathroom, she had no time to waste.
With all her might, Yeonseo grabbed the key card that had slipped out of her clutch.
It was the hotel key Taeheon had given her. She grabbed it and used all her strength to get up.
She run towards the door, but collapsed suddenly. But, she got up again, gritted her teeth, and continued towards the door.
The door was right in front of her, but her trembling hand kept slipping off the doorknob. Her back grew damp, and her vision blurred.
Stupid, I can’t cry now.
“Yeonseo, Yeonseo?”
Seungbin’s voice came from the bedroom area. He had come out of the bathroom.
“Yeonseo, are you there by any chance?”
Yeonseo managed to unlock the latch and yanked it open.
“Ugh…!”
The lukewarm air in the corridor clung to her pale cheek as she gasped for breath. Yeonseo immediately turned her head and checked the room number.
Room 2003.
Yeonseo quickly scanned the surrounding room numbers, determining the direction she needed to go. Barefoot, she began running on the soft carpet.
She had only one thought—to head towards Taeheon’s room on the same floor. She had his key card, so she just simply need to open the door and get in.
She couldn’t trust the hotel staff or anyone else for help. A few words from Seungbin, and they would be in his grasp.
All that remained was to make it to Taeheon’s room at the end of the hallway.
“Yeonseo! Yeonseo!”
Seungbin’s voice echoed from down the hallway. Yeonseo ran diligently, holding on to the wall. Soon, Taeheon’s room came into view.
Room 2013.
Her heart was racing that she didn’t even consider opening the door herself. She pounded on the door with her fist. Once, twice, three times.
It was only later, as she raised her hand to try the key card, that the door swung open.
“Ugh…!”
Yeonseo burst into tears. She couldn’t see the man’s face through her tears, but she could tell it was Taeheon by his familiar scent.
“Director Taeheon, I, hmph, I…!”
She heard a voice saying something like ‘Yeonseo…’
“Let me in, hmph……. Please.”
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ALLICE
“The guy who took me to the greenhouse and kissed me by force, hurts me, mistreats me, threatens me and has already tried to abuse me. He invites me to his hotel room, offers me a drink, and I drink it. Because I wouldn’t drink, he’s an angel to whom I trust my life.” (contains high doses of irony)
For me these are the thoughts of Yeonseo, I wish I could say that the son of a b*tch Seungbin é was a guy free from suspicion and there was no way of knowing he was going to do that. But, since the beginning, man has shown himself to be the BIGGEST RED FLAG, and even so, she keeps going to isolated places with him. That’s not loving your own life, damn it!