Chapter 3
For now, she had no choice but to follow them, but she couldn’t stop worrying about what would happen next.
That man was a gangster.
Did he really not know how gangsters treated hostages in movies?
What if she were locked up in a room like the hostages she’d seen in films—and if that weren’t bad enough, something even worse happened at night?
The thought was horrifying.
Her vision darkened as despair crept in. Unaware of Hye-yeon’s inner turmoil, Ye-rim looked around the car for a while before eventually dozing off. As if she had been waiting for that moment, Hye-yeon asked quietly,
“Are you going to lock me up?”
“No chance. The doors will always be wide open.”
Hye-yeon let out a breath of relief.
“But what comes after that is the real issue.”
“…!”
It was a subtle threat.
Even if she wasn’t locked up, it sounded like there was no way she could escape his watchful eye. Whether she had freedom of movement or not, the fact remained that she was a hostage trapped in his grasp.
It was obvious he would be monitoring her every move.
Oppa…
Seriously… that’s too much. How could you…?
Did he not think about his own daughter, Ye-rim, at all?
She resented Pil-mo for causing this situation. Restless and anxious, Hye-yeon stared out the car window, completely unaware of the man’s gaze fixed on her.
At the very least, she needed to know where they were taking her, so she forced her eyes open wide, trying to memorize the route.
The car entered a quiet alley in Seongbuk District.
Soon after, a massive gate opened, revealing a huge mansion. Hye-yeon felt suffocated.
The walls, over two meters high, looked like they were designed not only to keep intruders out but also to prevent anyone from escaping.
She swallowed dryly, tension tightening her throat, but she tried to stay composed as she got out of the car with Ye-rim still asleep in her arms.
A woman in a neat suit greeted the man.
“You’re back, sir. But… who is this?”
“My newly hired personal keeper.”
Hye-yeon felt confused.
A keeper? It was an unfamiliar title. She had been kidnapped—so how was she suddenly a “keeper,” and one hired by him?
Why go that far?
He could’ve just assigned someone to watch her.
More than anything, she couldn’t understand why he wasn’t telling anyone she was a hostage.
“Oh, that’s perfect. Our previous keeper position was vacant, so I was wondering who would take charge of you now.”
“If you need extra hands, take her with you. She seems decent at cooking, too.”
The man turned away, leaving the mother and daughter behind.
Maybe now that he was back in his own territory, he felt secure? Of course, there was no way to escape a mansion that looked like a giant prison.
The woman cleared her throat and spoke.
“Follow me.”
“Ah… yes.”
She was led to a room converted from a basement—probably accommodations for staff.
Hye-yeon carefully laid Ye-rim on the bed, making sure she didn’t wake up.
“You’ll be expected to start working immediately. Use your judgment when it comes to the child.”
“Understood.”
Once the woman left, a sigh escaped her lips.
They had taken her child hostage too.
She was terrified of what lay ahead.
Bzzz—
Her phone vibrated. It was her aunt calling.
—Hye-yeon, are you okay? Where are you? What’s going on?
“Well…”
—I’m sorry. I tried to take Ye-rim home, but those people stopped me…
“No, it’s okay. I asked you to pick her up. And you don’t need to worry. I just… ended up working here as a keeper.”
—Dragged away and now you’re a keeper? This is because of Pil-mo, right? You got mixed up in something bad, didn’t you?
“…No. I’m sorry for making you worry because of us…”
—Don’t say that. Am I a stranger to you?
Hye-yeon was only worried that Pil-mo might end up dragging Young-sook into this mess.
“Thank you, Auntie. And if Oppa calls… please let me know.”
—Alright. Don’t worry.
She ended the call with a deep sigh, biting her nails anxiously.
If Oppa brought that woman back here again, could she forgive him?
No. Never. If she did, someone might really die.
Another heavy sigh escaped her.
They were only a year apart, but her brother was so immature.
“Please… Hye-yeon… Pil-mo is… lacking, but… take care of him…”
Even at the very end, their mother worried about him. The two of them were all each other had, bound by blood. For five years, he’d been out of contact, but he’d continued sending child support, so she thought he had finally come to his senses.
Then someone knocked on the door.
“The CEO is calling for you.”
Hye-yeon kissed Ye-rim’s forehead gently. Understanding the situation and protecting her daughter was the most important thing.
“Mom will protect you…”
She went upstairs immediately. The man waiting there guided her to the second floor—probably his room.
Steeling herself, she knocked.
“This is So Hye-yeon.”
“Come in.”
She opened the door, forcing herself to stay calm. As soon as it closed behind her, she straightened her back and met his gaze.
“You introduced me as a keeper. Explain what’s going on.”
“Like you heard, in front of others, you’re my hired keeper.”
“Why?”
“Because no one can find out you’re a hostage. Several lives depend on it.”
“…Lives?”
“The first neck to fall would be your brother’s.”
His dark eyes sent chills down her spine. It felt like invisible hands were tightening around her throat, and she swallowed hard.
“If you find my brother… will you kill him?”
“Who knows.”
“How can you treat a human life so lightly? Yes, what he did was wrong—taking someone important to you—but still…”
He let out a soft laugh. It was clearly mocking, yet to her, it almost looked genuine.
After that brief smile, his expression turned cold.
“Is he reckless… or does he have two lives?”
“…You won’t be able to do anything to me. If my survival isn’t confirmed, my family will report me missing.”
“Trying to sound brave with that frightened face only makes you look ridiculous.”
Her shoulders flinched. In front of this man, all warnings felt meaningless.
Her fingertips trembled, but her gaze stayed steady.
“I’m not scared. S-so… I just have to work as a keeper, right?”
“That’s right.”
Only then did she look around the room.
What caught her eye was a woman’s stockings carelessly thrown to one side, and the unmistakable traces of intimacy on the bed.
Don’t tell me… “keeper” doesn’t mean housekeeper, but…
Something like that?
She suddenly felt his intense gaze and turned to find him openly scanning her body.
Even in an oversized T-shirt, her voluptuous figure couldn’t be hidden.
She was used to receiving suggestive looks, but from this man, it felt different.
An unknown shiver ran from her scalp to her toes.
“You’re not expecting something else from me, are you…?”
“Thankfully, you’re not my type.”
She instantly felt her chest loosen.
“Do you really think that’s fortunate?”
“Yes. I became a hostage against my will, but I still need to protect myself.”
“That’s unexpected.”
He stared at her intently.
What’s unexpected about that?
Did he think anyone would throw themselves at him just because of this face and body?
“I have my own preferences too.”
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
So Hye-yeon, are you crazy?
This is the time to appease him, not provoke him.
It was too late for regret, but he didn’t react much.
“Start by cleaning the bed. I rolled around a lot last night—it’s a mess.”
“…Understood.”
“But first, attend to me.”
He slipped his fingers between his tie and loosened it slowly. The deliberate motion felt strangely suggestive.
Cold sweat trickled down her back as he held the loosened tie out.
“…?”
“What are you doing? Take it.”
She reached out and took the tie. Their fingers brushed—
Zap.
Static electricity shot through them. His smooth expression briefly tightened.
“It’s just dryness… the weather…”
They stared at each other in silence.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart pounded wildly. As his gaze deepened, she didn’t know where to look.
But avoiding his eyes felt wrong.
Right now, she couldn’t afford to back down.
What should she say?
A strong instinct told her one thing—
She absolutely could not lose ground here.
