Chapter 10
He connected the phone.
W-what do I do…
He knew she had been using that phone. There had been no one in the room, so how had she been caught?
“N-no. It’s fine. I can call later.”
Heeyeon brushed it off casually.
His gaze turned cold. He stepped closer in long strides, and her throat tightened.
“You think I’m a joke, don’t you? You got a call from So Pilmo, didn’t you?”
“That’s not it.”
“He got shot. Lost a lot of blood. He was probably on the verge of shock.
Then the only person he could ask for help… would be you.”
He spoke with complete certainty. His strong jaw moved as he talked, and it felt like he would see right through her at any moment.
Please…
Stay calm.
There’s no proof.
Right. Her phone was cloned, so she could say she didn’t want him listening to a private call.
Barely steadying her chaotic thoughts, Heeyeon opened her mouth.
“Do you think my brother is an idiot? He’s reckless, sure, but he knows I’m being watched. He wouldn’t come looking for me.
And I didn’t want to use a cloned phone when my private life could be exposed.”
“Lie.”
“You want to hear that? Then watch.”
Heeyeon immediately dialed her aunt.
She deliberately used the regular phone so it wouldn’t seem suspicious.
“Aunt, it’s me. You did well. We’ve been working nonstop for ten years, so this is a good chance to rest.”
—Heeyeon?
“Yes, yes, that’s right. You really worked hard. You always said you wanted to travel.
You struggled raising us all this time, so go rest and come back.”
—Uh… okay. I got it. You take care too.
They had run the shop together for ten years, so they understood each other perfectly.
Without mentioning Pilmo, they naturally exchanged pleasantries and hung up.
She turned her head sharply and glared at him.
“Is that enough?”
“….”
“You don’t have anything else to say, right? Then I’m leaving.”
She wanted to get out of the room immediately.
Her tense body felt like it might collapse any second.
Being in the same space as him was exhausting.
As she crossed the wide room, suddenly her waist was grabbed.
Her body was yanked back toward him.
Her powerless body collided with his chest. She froze stiff like a block of wood.
Her breath caught in her throat.
With his hand on her waist, her lower body brushed against his.
Here—
Twitch.
Something hidden deep beneath his pants pulsed.
Heeyeon stopped breathing.
The air felt suffocating, making her shrink in on herself. He bit his lip tightly.
“No.”
“L-let go. Where are you touching?”
His fingers brushed across her lips.
It felt like all the blood vessels in her body burst at once.
Discomfort surged through her.
He said she was a keeper, but what if he thought of her as a woman for the night?
Or maybe he suspected she was lying, and this was his way of punishing her.
“You wavered.”
“…What?”
“Your voice.”
“Haa… let, let go.”
She twisted to escape, but he tightened his grip and shoved her against the wall.
She slid back until she was trapped between the wall and his chest.
What do I do…
She had stayed composed in front of him the whole time, but when he got this close, she couldn’t help shaking.
The scent coming off his body made her tremble.
“…Let go. I don’t want anything to do with a sadist!”
She suddenly shouted.
“…Where did you hear that?”
“Ah… people talking…”
“And who is the sadist?”
“That… you…”
“I wondered what you were misunderstanding.
Don’t tell me you thought the woman who ran away with your brother was my lover.”
“…What?”
Unmatched puzzle pieces scattered in her mind.
“She isn’t.”
“Th-then whose lover…”
“The chairman’s.”
“W-wait. The chairman…?
Then my brother… ran off with the boss’s woman…?”
“That’s right.”
“…!!”
Heeyeon’s face turned pale.
Chairman Cha Myunghwan’s lover.
The dark side she had only seen through phone searches must be far worse in reality.
What do I do… Oppa is really going to die.
“He did something very dangerous.
Not only did he take the chairman’s woman, he also ran off with company secrets.”
“….”
“So you’d better cooperate as much as possible.
If even one of those items is damaged, I won’t be able to protect you either.”
It was terrifying.
The moment he found out the items were lost, it would be over.
She would face the worst ending she could imagine.
At least Yerim has to escape…
If she could send Yerim somewhere safe…
What should she do?
Everything about this situation filled her with resentment.
Even this man holding her hostage became the target of her anger.
“Protect me? That’s funny.”
“You’re not just a hostage, are you?
As you can see, I haven’t laid a finger on you.”
“How can I believe that? I heard too.
One of the things a personal keeper has to do…”
“Has to do what?”
She didn’t want to say it herself.
Her confused mind gradually steadied.
“N-no. Anyway, if I hear from my brother, I’ll tell you right away.
But you must guarantee my safety and my daughter’s.”
“I promise.”
Only then did he lower his arm.
The moment an escape opened, she ran back to her room without looking back.
Bang—
As soon as she shut the door, she collapsed to the floor.
Her face slowly filled with fear.
After that, all the house phones disappeared except the one in the living room.
There were too many eyes there, so she couldn’t talk to her aunt. Her line of contact was cut off.
Thankfully, there were no messages from her aunt, but that also meant she couldn’t hear what was happening.
A phone…
She needed a phone that wasn’t cloned.
How… where could she get one?
Her mind was filled only with the thought of contacting her aunt.
Her troubled gaze drifted toward the mansion’s pool.
A man leisurely enjoying the afternoon in the water.
It was June, early summer, but the heat had come quickly, so he swam every day.
He cut through the water like a huge seal, going back and forth.
She counted to thirty, then stopped.
Heeyeon stood beside the pool holding his robe, waiting for him to finish.
“Want to swim?”
“No.”
“You can come in.”
“I’ll pass.”
His unusually gentle tone made her stomach twist.
She didn’t expect him to understand her feelings as a hostage, but it felt like he was teasing her.
Even now, he swam as if none of this concerned him, glancing at her often.
Is he enjoying this?
He looked excited, as if he had found a new toy.
What should I do…
Oppa… can you find the items?
If you do… will everything go back to normal? Will our lives be safe again?
She worried endlessly whether Pilmo had regained consciousness, whether he would survive.
“Ah—”
Suddenly cold water splashed.
She looked toward the pool, and he was floating calmly, staring at her.
“No matter how much you think, there’s only one answer.
So Pilmo. Find your brother quickly.”
“I want to find him too.”
“One month left. Until the chairman comes out.”
“…O-one month?”
“Once the final trial is over, he’ll be released immediately.
Bring those items back before then.”
“H-hey, what power do I even have— Ah!”
A long arm shot out and grabbed her collar.
Splash—
Heeyeon fell straight into the pool.
Thrown into the water, she lost her balance, flailing, but he caught her waist and steadied her.
Startled, she grabbed his shoulders without thinking.
He was wearing only a triangular swim brief, and the shape beneath it was clearly visible.
…!
This man is aroused.
Why.
Why is this happening?
Confusion overwhelmed her.
She didn’t know why he was excited, but seeing the untouched bed these past days, maybe he simply needed a woman.
No way.
Really?
A keeper… even at night…
“What are you imagining?”
“…Nothing.”
“Why? Turned on?”
She flinched.
He curled his lips into a grin, so sexy it almost made her lose her senses.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Underwater, the bulge of his lower body strained against the fabric as if it might burst through.
Then—
An unpleasant voice cut through the air.
“Look at that. The guard dog is playing with a pretty one.”
