Chapter 4
At that moment, the sound of knocking snapped her back to her senses.
“This is Chief Joo.”
“Come in.”
When the door opened, a man she had never seen before entered. He immediately dismissed Hee-yeon.
“You can leave now. Cleaning will be done in an hour.”
“Yes. Then I’ll—”
Hee-yeon turned around just like that. As she walked toward the door, she couldn’t shake the feeling on her back.
It felt like he was still staring at her.
That man…
Come to think of it, she didn’t even know his name.
Hee-yeon was a hostage—but outwardly, she had also been given another job.
‘A keeper…’
Seok-woo couldn’t help but laugh at Hee-yeon’s boldness.
The bastard who dared to strike him from behind and run away was no ordinary man—but his younger sister had guts spilling out of her, too.
Fearless. Both siblings were the same.
No—if anything, the younger one seemed even more resolute.
So Pil-mo hadn’t just run away with Chairman Cha’s mistress. The woman had also taken gold bars that were part of the chairman’s slush funds, along with a USB containing top-secret files. Money was one thing—but if those files ever saw the light of day, they were all as good as dead.
—“Chairman Cha Myeong-hwan of JM Capital, Korea’s second-largest financial company, is under investigation for bribing public officials and money laundering. Due to the risk of flight, he has been detained, but insufficient evidence—”
Chairman Cha was under arrest on multiple charges, but he would likely be released soon.
Chief Joo continued his report.
“We’ve sealed everyone’s mouths. Aside from a select few, no one knows the two ran away together.”
Pil-mo fleeing with the chairman’s mistress was classified as top-level secrecy. Chairman Cha trusted Seok-woo deeply—enough to entrust him with both his woman and the management of his villa. He trusted Seok-woo more than his own children.
But if even a single mistake reached the chairman’s ears, Seok-woo’s life wouldn’t be worth a dime.
No matter how many people followed him, he could never defy Chairman Cha.
“Good.”
“The others are our people, so I trust them—but I’m worried about Executive Cha. He’s returning next week…”
Executive Cha was Cha Myeong-hwan’s only son. A spoiled, silver-spoon brat who did nothing but eat, drink, and play.
At least it had all happened while he was abroad with his new lover.
“I’ll handle him.”
“Yes… Still, I’m uneasy. Wouldn’t it be better to lock her up at the villa? Especially since there’s a child—”
“No.”
“……”
“She has to stay by my side to be a hostage.”
By now, Seok-woo had finished investigating Pil-mo.
The two siblings were all each other had in the world. Pil-mo doted on his younger sister. Even though he’d caused enough trouble to never graduate high school, he sent her money every month.
That alone showed how desperately he cared for her.
If they kept her close, contact would come eventually. A hostage was safest when kept right in front of his eyes. And since Pil-mo’s life was on the line, she would never reveal that she was a hostage.
Seok-woo recalled the man, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the leg in his final moments.
“We’ve blocked the sky and the sea. There’s nowhere left for him to run. He’ll definitely try to get that woman’s help.”
From airports to smuggling ports, everything was already locked down. He couldn’t leave Korea.
“After I fix everything, I’ll kill him. Without fail. With my own hands.”
When she returned to the room, Yerim—who had just woken up—was waiting for Hee-yeon.
“Our Yerim’s awake.”
“Mom, where are we?”
Yerim blinked her wide eyes in fascination.
“Where Mom’s going to work.”
“Mom, you’re not selling tteokbokki?”
“Uh… for now, great-auntie will run the shop.”
“……What about kindergarten?”
“You still have to go.”
If Yerim didn’t attend, a report might be filed right away. That man would have taken that into account, too—even if the kindergarten was farther away.
“I thought I’d have to go to a different one.”
“No.”
“Okay!”
“Our Yerim must feel uncomfortable with everything changing so suddenly…”
She was only five years old.
Yet she was far more mature than her age. Instead of clinging, she was supporting Hee-yeon.
“No! I like it!”
“Huh?”
“Look over there. Mom—wow. It’s really pretty.”
Though it was underground, beyond the window was green lawn. It seemed to connect to a garden, planted with unfamiliar flowers.
“Oh… r-right. Yerim likes it here. But Yerim, this isn’t our house, so you can’t wander around.”
“I know! I’m already five!”
When Yerim held up all five fingers, Hee-yeon hugged her tightly. Holding her close, she took a deep breath.
My Yerim.
Mom will get us out of here.
Just a little longer.
Just hold on a little longer.
Just then, someone pounded on the door. Startled, Hee-yeon looked over.
“Yerim, read a book for a bit.”
“Okay, Mom.”
When Hee-yeon opened the door, several young women wearing the same clothes were standing there. All of them were glamorous beauties.
“Where were you sold from?”
“Pardon?”
“Everyone here’s from bars. Paying off debt with their bodies.”
They had come in a group, curious about the newcomer. Shocked by what they were saying, Hee-yeon stepped away from the door, worried Yerim might hear.
“Ah… I… I also have debt…”
She used debt as an excuse. She had been told not to let anyone know she was a hostage.
“So you’re not from a bar? Figures. I told you—someone who looks this dumb couldn’t entertain customers.”
“Hey.”
“You brought a kid too, right? A single mom? Wow, they even take women with kids?”
“Excuse me—”
It was obvious. They’d come to judge her.
“You’re lucky. You get to serve CEO Kang. Some of us want that and still can’t.”
“CEO Kang?”
“Did you put on makeup?”
“No.”
As if to check, one woman roughly rubbed Hee-yeon’s red lips. Annoyed, Hee-yeon slapped her hand away.
The woman glared at her like she wanted to kill her.
“Don’t touch someone’s face without permission. And don’t speak informally—we just met.”
“Ha, this is unbelievable—”
“If we’re all in the same situation, are you trying to mark territory? Showing up in a pack like this is ridiculous.”
“You—!”
Since middle school, Hee-yeon had worked alongside her aunt Yeong-suk, dealing with all kinds of people. She wasn’t about to be intimidated by petty bullying.
Just as one woman lunged forward, another stopped her.
“That’s enough. Don’t cause trouble.”
“Unni!”
“Quiet. You want to get kicked out like Aeri?”
“Ah… no…”
Who was Aeri? They’d said the position of the man’s exclusive keeper was vacant—so had the previous one been expelled?
The women retreated in a group, just as they’d come.
Hee-yeon sighed and was about to head upstairs when she felt a gaze on her.
She looked up.
A man was staring down at her from above.
Him.
The man whose name she didn’t know. Was he CEO Kang?
The smile tugging at his lips felt oddly mocking.
“I thought I told you to clean.”
“I was about to.”
“Don’t forget the bathroom.”
“Yes.”
Hee-yeon trudged upstairs. Just as she was about to pass him, he spoke.
“Kang Seok-woo.”
“Yes?”
“My name. Kang Seok-woo.”
“Oh. You don’t really need to tell me your name. I can just call you CEO.”
“You should know it. I’m the owner holding your leash.”
She shot him a sharp glare.
The arrogance ingrained in him radiated the presence of a powerful predator. Hee-yeon had lived her whole life in poverty, but she had never thrown away her pride.
A leash—like she was a dog.
The humiliation burned, but if she had to wear two faces to protect her family, she would.
“Be careful. Even a dog on a leash can still bite.”
The corner of his mouth twisted. Slowly, his lips moved closer.
Her heart dropped.
His lips brushed her earlobe as he leaned in to whisper, sending a shiver through her body.
“Interesting.”
Her senses were completely pulled toward him. Unease washed over her, and she stepped back quickly.
“And even if we’re staying here, please send Yerim to kindergarten.”
“…Do you even understand your situation right now?”
“Times have changed. If a child who used to attend suddenly stops coming, people start suspecting abuse—even the parents.”
