Chapter 07
“W-what? That can’t be true.”
Heeyeon was startled. From what Mina said, it sounded like the boss’s personal keeper also slept with him.
“Maybe that’s not the case for you? The girl who got kicked out recently—Aeri—used to be the boss’s personal keeper. She bragged about it all the time… said she slept with him.”
“…What?”
“She said it was amazing and couldn’t stop talking about how great it was… Though she might have exaggerated a bit, it seems like something really did happen. She even had marks on her body.”
Heeyeon’s head rang.
Since everyone working in the mansion seemed to believe this, it really did seem like Aeri had some kind of relationship with him.
Suddenly, she remembered the woman’s stockings she had seen in his room.
Then the traces she had noticed on his bed the day before…
Were they from that woman?
In Heeyeon’s mind, an image appeared of him and that woman on the bed.
His bare body leaning over hers, kissing her body. His well-shaped lips brushing against soft skin, his hands touching her intimately.
The imagination continued on its own.
Heat slowly spread through her body, and she became embarrassed by the unfiltered, indecent scene unfolding in her mind.
Heeyeon had no experience with men.
Every time Pilmo caused trouble, she had been too busy cleaning up after him to think about dating. In the first place, she had been too busy surviving to even be interested in men.
She shook her head quickly, trying to drive away the useless thoughts.
“I don’t know what the previous keeper was like, but I’m a mother.”
“Oh, right. That’s why everyone feels relieved.”
“…”
It sounded like they meant a mother didn’t suit him.
Well, if that was the case, that was a relief.
“Anyway, the boss is actually a kind person. You just have to be careful of Director Cha Giheon.”
“…Director Cha Giheon?”
“He’s the chairman’s only son. Though he doesn’t come here very often.”
The only son of the chairman of JM Capital being just a director felt unexpected.
If he were the successor, shouldn’t he be the CEO?
That meant the person the chairman trusted most was Kang Seokwoo.
A man he trusted even more than his own son.
Maybe he was something like the chairman’s right-hand man.
Wait—this was the chairman’s house in the first place.
So why had she never once seen the chairman?
Heeyeon immediately pulled out her phone and searched for JM Capital.
Articles appeared saying the chairman was currently in detention.
Investigation while in custody.
They hadn’t found evidence?
Then that meant he might be released.
So this really was the chairman’s house.
That explained why nobody here knew about Seokwoo’s lover.
Knowledge really is power.
The more information she gathered, the more chances she might have to escape from Seokwoo.
For the day when her brother eventually returned, she wanted to understand everything about this place.
Brother… where are you?
You’re not really abandoning us like this… right?
If it were just her, it would be one thing—but she was most worried about Yerim’s safety.
Meanwhile, Pilmo and Se-ah, who had abandoned the boat and fled, entered the forest while wiping away the blood trail.
The forest was full of thorny paths, but they eventually found an abandoned hut and hid there.
They survived for several days using emergency medicine and food they had prepared beforehand.
The bullet hadn’t gone completely through Pilmo, but he had lost too much blood and could no longer run.
“It’s because I got injured…”
“No… it’s because of me… sob…”
“Ugh…”
“You’ve lost so much blood. What should we do…”
Pilmo’s face had completely lost its color.
His pale face looked like he might die at any moment.
Se-ah, whose eyes were swollen from crying for days, could only panic helplessly.
“Don’t worry. I just need to rest like this for a while.”
“Isn’t there anyone who can help us?”
“Everyone connected to me is probably in chaos right now. I… have to solve this myself… ugh…”
“Pilmo…”
“Never… give up…”
Pilmo lost consciousness.
Se-ah grabbed his hand and burst into loud sobs.
Deep in the forest, her crying echoed eerily like the sound of a ghost.
While cleaning, Heeyeon stared quietly at his bed.
Mina’s words kept circling in her mind.
From what she had heard about the relationship between Kang Seokwoo and his previous personal keeper, it made sense why the others treated her with hostility.
They probably assumed that, just like the previous woman, she would also have a secret relationship with him under the title of personal keeper.
Ha—
That was ridiculous.
Heeyeon brushed back her loose hair.
Her eyes drifted to the smooth silk sheets.
When she ran her hand across them, they slid softly under her palm.
It was the first time she had felt the texture of such luxurious fabric.
It must be extremely expensive.
The clothes and watches hanging in his dressing room were all luxury brands.
Even a single shirt cost hundreds of thousands of won.
Why do I remember useless things like that…
She remembered the logo of a shirt that a salaryman had proudly bought after saving up, when he once came to eat tteokbokki at her shop.
The memory made her smile bitterly.
Suddenly, she sensed someone’s presence and stiffened.
It seemed Seokwoo had returned from work.
Click.
The door opened and he stepped inside.
He looked perfectly composed, without a single flaw.
A face like a sculpture, broad shoulders, perfect proportions.
She resented her own eyes for noticing such things.
Men and women alike were instinctively drawn to beauty—but that man was the one holding her life in his hands.
The man holding her leash.
And yet…
Somewhere deep inside, a different feeling seemed to whisper something else.
The charm of a male radiating powerful pheromones.
“Fill the bathtub with water.”
“I’ll prepare it.”
He removed his tie and shirt at the same time.
She flinched in surprise.
Before she could even process it, the man had instantly become half-naked, and her gaze fixed on his body.
Those muscles…
The muscles hidden beneath his shirt were beautiful.
The thick, well-defined lines made it impossible to look away.
Then his gaze landed on her.
“Are you going to keep staring?”
“N-no.”
Startled, Heeyeon hurried into the bathroom.
Thump.
Thump.
Her heart pounded violently.
Even while filling the spa bathtub with water, the image of him wouldn’t leave her mind.
She bit her lip tightly.
Just as she was feeling extremely flustered, she heard footsteps approaching.
Step. Step.
No way…
He’s not coming in naked, is he?
Heeyeon quickly lowered her gaze.
Then she saw his feet stop right in front of her.
His clothes…
Was he not wearing any?
Her heart dropped.
She kept her eyes down and could only see his legs—but they were bare.
She didn’t know what to do.
“You’ve seen a man’s body before.”
“…”
“Look up.”
Heeyeon squeezed her eyes shut.
For some reason, it felt like seeing something she shouldn’t see.
Suddenly, her chin was grabbed.
Her head was lifted up abruptly.
Startled, she opened her eyes and saw his lips curling into a faint, teasing smile.
“Ah…”
“Your face turned red.”
“I-it didn’t.”
“I’m not naked. Were you expecting that?”
Only then did Heeyeon realize he was wearing shorts.
She let out a sigh of relief.
Coming back to her senses, she slapped his hand away.
“I don’t have a hobby of looking at the bodies of men I’m not interested in.”
“There are quite a few women who want to see mine.”
“So what? I’m not one of them.”
“Are you more curious about what’s below?”
Heeyeon’s face burned hot.
“What…?”
“Don’t act innocent. You know men well enough.”
Did she really look like that?
Well, since people thought she was a single mother, it wasn’t strange for them to assume she had experience with men.
She could have brushed it off with a casual reply, but for some reason she didn’t want to lose to him—especially a man who seemed to enjoy women so casually.
“I know men very well. Very well.”
Suddenly—
He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her closer.
Their faces stopped just inches apart, their lips nearly touching.
When she met his eyes, her body trembled.
His gaze looked extremely dangerous.
His eyes gleamed strangely, like a hungry beast.
It felt as if he might strip her clothes off at any moment, pull her into his arms, kiss her, and devour her body.
Without realizing it, heat was spreading through her body.
His breath brushed against her at such close distance, making her heart race even faster.
Her heart pounded loudly.
Afraid he might hear it, she forced her expression into a frown.
“You seem to be quite skilled at handling men.”
