CH 115

“…!”

Those three syllables hit her like a strike over the head. She rubbed her forehead like someone who’d just walked into a telephone pole and stuffed her phone back in her pocket. These pants had very wide pockets, but it still took her a few tries to put her phone back in.

Was it because this was the first time she’d done this? Was it such a big deal for her to miss one phone call? Her heart was beating hard against her chest.

Thinking back, the bigger problem was that up until now she’d acted like he was her master, obediently answering every time he called.

This time she’d abruptly rejected the call. She worried he might just keep calling until she picked up, but her phone remained silent.

“Anyway, this is just like when a person has a stuffy nose. First, let’s try to dig out some of the dirt.”

The on-site engineer was listening to her explanation when he suddenly tilted his head.

“…I didn’t hear about anyone visiting the site today?”

He raised his eyebrows, a hint of annoyance on his face. Lee-yeon, overhearing his grumbling, turned her head to look.

She watched as a spotless sedan smoothly coasted to a stop.

Her phone started to ring again. The back door opened, revealing in succession the jet-black shoes, expensive suit, and silver-framed glasses of none other than Kwon Ki-seok. He was holding his phone to his hear and staring directly at Lee-yeon.

“….”

“….”

It was the first time she’d seen him since that night two years ago. Riiing, riiing. Her thigh ached as her phone vibrated violently in her pocket.

Lee-yeon found herself shrinking back. Ki-seok scrutinized her expressionlessly before making a big show of ending the call.

“If you won’t pick up, then get in.”

He nodded toward the car. Perhaps it was a case of victim mentality, but she could have sworn she heard the words, “While I’m asking nicely.”

“Sir, I have to—”

Choo-ja, who had been working on plans for the well, interjected with a serious face, “Who is that?”

“Chae-woo’s older brother,” Lee-yeon whispered under her breath.

Choo-ja lowered the rim of her cap, and without moving her lips asked, “That jerk who blackmailed you?”

When Lee-yeon nodded her head slightly in confirmation, Choo-ja gasped in astonishment, “Oh my-! This is no ordinary pair of brothers, that’s for sure.”

“Choo-ja, I have to go take care of this. While I’m gone, can you prepare the trunk injection?”

“What happens if he tries to hurt you? We should call the police.”

“It’s no use.”

“What?”

This feeling of being pressed on from all sides was not unfamiliar. Lee-yeon moved towards the car as if being dragged by some invisible force.

***

The inside of the car smelled vaguely of cigars.

Lee-yeon placed her hands squarely on her knees. As Ki-seok leaned back deeply in his seat and pinched the bridge of his nose, his glasses slid down a bit revealing his face. Lee-yeon jerked her head to the side, like she’d seen something she wasn’t supposed to.

His attitude was so cold, Lee-yeon could have literally been on fire and he probably wouldn’t have even lifted a finger. However, when he spoke, it was clear his chilling, emotionless words were directed towards her.

“I caught the real culprit.”

Her eyes widened.

“You… caught the real culprit?” Lee-yeon stared at him in disbelief.

It was something she’d given up on for some time now. Some part of her had given up on ever being able to catch the person capable of abducting her for no reason and even forcibly obtaining her signature. As the years passed, somewhere along the way Lee-yeon had simply become resigned to the fact that she would never find him.

Sometimes, the logic of power leads to unprovoked misery. Lee-yeon had believed she’d simply been a victim of that misery. She’d accepted the situation with Chae-woo as a kind of obstacle or burden that she’d carry with her for the rest of her life. That’s how she’d been able to rationalize everything while she waited for him to wake up.

“I had to go undercover and find him from within his gang so it took me a while.”

He opened the console box in the back seat and removed a thin file containing the culprit’s photo and background information.

Her memory of the incident two years ago had faded somewhat, but when she saw the photo, she recognized him immediately. It was clearly the face of the man whom Kwon Chae-woo had tried to bury alive and who eventually struck Kwon Chae-woo over the head, causing him to lose his memory.

She was so caught off guard by this unexpected turn of events that she couldn’t focus enough to comprehend the rest of the information in the file.

“Now, you no longer have to face punishment for a crime you didn’t commit.”

She suddenly felt like something fishy was going on. Lee-yeon knew all too well how superficial his gentleman-like appearance was.

“From now on, you, So Lee-yeon, are free.”