Chapter 50. Surveillance
He just wanted to feel that she was alive. Only the sensation of her skin against his could prove it to him. So, holding Yua in his arms, Ijun didn’t move for two hours straight.
Yua, who had been extremely tense, gradually relaxed as his hand calmly supported her back.
<br>
“I’m not going to do anything.”
<br>
With his eyes closed, Ijun faintly smiled at Yua’s subtle movements. She looked down at her arm, then at the long horizontal and vertical scratches on Ijun’s cheek.
Unlike how he had carefully treated her barely visible wounds, he didn’t take care of his own injuries at all.
<br>
“You should put some ointment on too.”
“I’ll do it later.”
<br>
He gently pressed Yua’s head against his chest. Feeling the weight of her body on his thigh seemed to bring him peace, and soon, he fell asleep.
Hearing his steady breathing, Yua also slowly closed her eyes. The place was cramped and somewhat uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to escape the deep scent of Ijun that filled her lungs.
Novena Hotel Lobby Café.
Juhee had been in a foul mood for days. Maybe it was the stress, but her shoulders were stiff, and her stomach burned as if a heat rash was forming.
Even sweating it out at the fitness center didn’t help — it only left her more exhausted. She came out early and ordered breakfast. Only her husband, Han Baekkyung, showed her concern, gently massaging her hand and speaking kindly.
<br>
“Honey, you even ate this hotel’s club sandwich when you had a cold. Just try a little, hmm?”
“No. My mouth feels like it’s full of sand.”
“Then what should I do? I can’t exactly chew it for you.”
<br>
Juhee couldn’t help but burst into laughter at Baekkyung’s earnest eyes.
Maybe this was the charm of having a younger husband.
She wanted to show him off to the friends who used to insult him, saying he was incompetent and only good at pleasing her. She wanted to tell them they were in love and happy.
<br>
“If only Sung Ji-hye had behaved herself at the campsite, this wouldn’t be such a headache. I don’t get it. Why is Ijun so quiet?”
<br>
There was no evidence, but traces left behind nagged at her. Strictly speaking, her husband’s mistake had been far greater, but Juhee couldn’t bring herself to blame Baekkyung. Maybe it was his younger age — he had a tendency to sulk and stay out all night if she raised her voice even slightly.
<br>
“Maybe he doesn’t know?”
“Maybe…”
<br>
The Ijun Juhee knew was a cunning nephew whose thoughts you could never read. His expression was unreadable, and he seemed to have a lot to hide.
The only resemblance he had to her husband was his appearance. As his aunt, Juhee felt no affection for Ijun.
In fact, she resented him. By rights, if things followed tradition, the Taegyeom Group should have landed in her hands, yet he was clawing and scraping to seize it all.
<br>
“He’s young. What would he know? Don’t stress yourself — it’s bad for your skin.”
“…I suppose you’re right.”
<br>
Always addressing her younger husband politely to boost his confidence, Juhee nodded in agreement.
<br>
“You know I have that golf game with Director Park, right?”
“Go ahead.”
<br>
Watching Baekkyung kiss her on the cheek and get up, Juhee’s eyes curved like crescent moons.
When they first met, the tattoo on his side had seemed vulgar and base. But after dressing him in high-brand suits, putting Italian limited-edition shoes on his feet, and replacing weapons with golf clubs, he looked transformed.
Like discovering a pearl in the mud, Juhee felt proud of her eye for spotting potential.
Now regaining her appetite, she lightly tapped the cheek he had kissed and muttered,
<br>
“This is why I keep a younger husband around.”
<br>
As Juhee gracefully lifted her teacup with her pinky raised, the sound of approaching footsteps stopped beside her. She tilted her head at the sight of the black leather shoes that entered her lowered field of view.
<br>
“Did my honey miss me already?”
<br>
Adding a nasal tone and a wink, Juhee’s face instantly turned pale. She had thought it was her husband returning, but the person sitting next to her wasn’t Baekkyung — it was Ijun.
<br>
“Your ‘honey’ seemed quite busy watching other women walk by in the lobby.”
<br>
Hearing her nephew say out loud what she had only suspected about her husband’s wandering eye, Juhee was struck with humiliation.
She had covered for him so many times, acting as if she didn’t notice. Yet he hadn’t changed. Trying to shift the topic, she bit her lip.
<br>
“You—how did you—”
“How did I get here? It’s a hotel lobby, right? Open to anyone.”
<br>
At Ijun’s sarcastic tone, Juhee set her teacup down with a loud clink. His feigned ignorance, despite clearly understanding her implication, irritated her.
<br>
“How did you know I was here? Are you… watching me?”
“‘Watching’ sounds so impersonal.”
<br>
Ordering coffee nonchalantly, Ijun continued, claiming he did it to protect her.
<br>
“It’s for the same reason you say you want to protect me.”
“W-what?”
“Unless… the person you planted to watch me was meant to spy on me, not protect me?”
<br>
The tension between them held until the coffee was placed in front of Ijun. Conscious of the surrounding eyes, Juhee smoothed her styled hair and lowered her voice.
<br>
“So, what’s the reason you came running here so early? Did something happen?”
<br>
Her tone implied that Ijun was usually the cause of trouble. He sighed. It was always Juhee who came barging in at dawn to wake Chairman Kang whenever something went wrong.
<br>
“It’s not me who caused trouble — it’s you.”
“What are you talking about?”
<br>
Despite the early hour, her makeup and hair were immaculate. Ijun found it absurd. He genuinely pitied the salon staff who must’ve lost sleep to get her ready.
<br>
“I figured you’d say that.”
<br>
Until now, he had ignored the fact that she was tailing him, monitoring his every move, and trying to dig up dirt.
He knew the scariest enemy was one who kept their claws hidden. So her overt sabotage never fazed him. But trying to harm Yua — that changed everything.
Out of respect for Chairman Kang’s image and his late father’s final wishes, Ijun had intended to let Juhee live out her life comfortably.
<br>
“It took some time to review all the CCTV footage on the roads leading from Seoul to the forest. And here — this too. She didn’t even try to hide her face, that’s how confident she was.”
<br>
There was a high probability that Sung Ji-hye had tracked Yua’s movements and passed them to the man.
As Ijun handed Juhee an enlarged photo of the man’s face, she swallowed nervously.
<br>
“This man, Kim Jin-hyuk, will be charged with trespassing on the campsite without a reservation, and attempting to kidnap Yua. He’s already wanted — they’ll catch him soon. And after that… I won’t need to say anything more, will I?”
<br>
Once he was caught, everything would be revealed. Even if Juhee had deleted the messages and recent call history, data recovery was always possible.
<br>
“I don’t know anything.”
“If you say you don’t remember, then ask your husband. He can probably explain it better than I can.”
<br>
His provocation made Juhee’s mind go blank.
After all the effort she put into reshaping her husband — now this? Panic gripped her. What if someone nearby had overheard?
<br>
“You—!”
“Well, you’re the experienced one.”
<br>
Juhee glared at Ijun with hatred in her eyes — not the way an aunt would look at her nephew.
Ijun gave a slow smirk, like a cat toying with prey. Then he bared his claws toward Juhee.
With sharp, watchful eyes and a restrained but deadly aura, he resembled Chairman Kang in his prime.
Juhee, recalling the image of Chairman Kang, instinctively lowered her gaze.
<br>
“You really shouldn’t have touched Yua.”
<br>
Wiping the smile from his face, Ijun added with a cold, final warning:
<br>
“In your final years, you’re going to lose everything you’ve enjoyed up until now. I’ll make sure of it.”
