PR 18

Chapter 18 ….

“I knew this would happen.”

Song Nayeon scoffed as she lowered the flashlight to shine on the documents.

“No wonder you’ve been so obedient no matter what I asked you to do.”

Sehee hurriedly shoved the files into the shelf and closed the gap.

“So this is why you crawled into this house, pretending to agree to marry? Just to use Cha Ido’s weakness and bring down Haegang.”

Sehee’s eyes trembled as they fixed on Nayeon.

She had confirmed Sehee was asleep from drinking, so how did she manage to show up here at this hour?

“You’re finished. If Cha Ido finds out, divorce will be inevitable, and you’ll be kicked out immediately.”

“…….”

“No, actually. You’d be furious and sell yourself off anywhere. Which place would pay the most? Maybe it’d be nice to warm Chairman Cha’s body one last time. There’s no better place to make money than that.”

Nayeon emptied the bundle she had taken from Sehee’s room into a metal trash can. Among the contents was Sehee’s sketches of the house, drawn carefully despite her injured hand.

“No wonder I wanted to follow your trail.”

A small flame leapt from the lighter Nayeon pulled out.

“The mischief ends here.”

Sehee’s heart pounded.

She couldn’t let Cha Ido find out yet. If he did, her family’s whereabouts would be lost forever.

“…It’s not like that!”

Shaking her head in a hurry, Sehee got off her chair and dropped to her knees. She had to prevent Nayeon from informing Cha Ido at all costs.

“I don’t want revenge. I just… I just want to find my family…”

“……”

“I swear. I don’t know if Dad is alive or dead… I can’t do anything. That’s why I’m trying to find even the smallest clue…”

She believed Nayeon could understand a little. After all, she must have emotions too.

Sehee had seen Nayeon’s eyes turn sad whenever her father’s name came up, despite Nayeon tormenting her repeatedly.

“You lost your dad too, right? You know how much it hurts. Please, as another daughter, just turn a blind eye this one time…”

“Yeah. I know exactly.”

Nayeon cut her words off abruptly, and a mischievous expression appeared on her face.

“I also got closer to Cha Ido after my dad died.”

“……”

“But you know what’s basically different between us?”

The corners of Song Nayeon’s lips twitched unpleasantly.

“For me, it wasn’t really painful. In fact, I was grateful. My fate worked out better because of it.”

Nayeon pulled a photo from her pocket and tossed it onto the burning interior sketches.

It was the last family photo. The only possession Cha Ido had brought from the villa.

“If I were you, I’d have bowed in thanks for being killed. But my dad died first, so why are you marrying? Are the lives of a mere chauffeur and a prosecutor worth different amounts?”

No…!

Sehee immediately reached for the burning photo, but Nayeon kicked it away, knocking her over. By the time Sehee got up, the flames had already devoured half of the perfect family’s image.

“From now on, your name is Yoo Sehee.”

“From now on, you two are sisters, so take care of each other.”

Sehee felt a flash of anger in her eyes. She forced herself to crawl toward Nayeon.

“…I have no interest in Cha Ido. I have no intention of continuing this marriage. I promise. If you just keep this matter a secret, I will leave one day. So please…”

If the servants woke up, it would all be over. But Nayeon, thrilled to have seized Sehee’s weakness, had no intention of backing down.

“Why should I listen to that? I could just kick you out right now. I can’t bear to have you in this house even for a single day.”

Nayeon yanked Sehee’s hand away and pulled her phone from her pocket.

“Cha Ido’s expression will be priceless. Will he finally thank me?”

“Please, Song Nayeon…”

“I’ll tell you something.”

Nayeon wrinkled her nose and lowered her voice, as if no one else could hear.

“Prosecutor Yoo Hyungjin is dead. Cha Ido went to handle it.”

“…….”

“You didn’t see the news? They found the body. They closed the investigation due to the suspect’s death and covered up all charges.”

“…What?”

“Isn’t this actually good for you? Nobody didn’t know. The traitor is dead… except you!”

At that moment, Sehee’s forceful slap turned Nayeon’s face. The phone fell to the floor, emitting a long alert sound.

Pain radiated across Sehee’s palm. Her hand shook, and the tears she had been holding fell.

The burning family photo was gone.

No. Her father couldn’t have died so easily.

It was the last hope she had clung to.

Even as her life crumbled, forced into an unwanted marriage and endured disgusting times, she had held onto that one thing.

Cha Ido had promised to help. She believed he would keep his promise.

“…Is she insane?”

Nayeon, clutching her cheek and trembling, eventually composed herself and picked up the phone.

“…You…”

In the dim light, Sehee saw Nayeon’s cheek was red and scraped.

“Oppa, hurry. She’s completely lost it. I found something important…”

Nayeon hesitated and took a step back, but Sehee only looked at her with blurred eyes.

Cha Ido had promised. He would protect her father. That had to be true.

Even imagining it choked her up. Though they didn’t share blood, her father was the only adult who had treated her like a human. The first perfect family she had ever known.

“You don’t seem to understand… I’ll spill everything. What you were doing here…”

Nayeon’s voice trembled as she had shoved Sehee into the bathtub.

“Just wait. Once Cha Ido comes back…”

Sehee bit her wet lips tightly.

Soon, Cha Ido would know everything. But if her real father was dead, it would all be over anyway.

The acrid smoke filled the large space.

Soon, bright light came through the wooden door Nayeon had pushed aside.

As soon as Nayeon saw Cha Ido, she started sobbing. She claimed she had only intended to help by revealing her father’s whereabouts, but now she had been wronged.

Sehee’s reddened eyes met Cha Ido’s for a brief moment. She didn’t even have the energy to explain.

“Follow me, Yoo Sehee.”

Cha Ido rubbed his tired forehead and walked past Nayeon without a second thought.

“Uh…?”

Nayeon turned her head in disbelief and followed Cha Ido’s back.

“No, I have something important to say…!”

Nayeon tried to chase him but was stopped by Chief Lee. A ridiculous, nervous laugh escaped her lips.

“You’ll regret it if you don’t listen! I saw everything! Yoo Sehee, from the beginning…”

But Cha Ido, striding with long legs across the hallway, was already heading toward the stairs.

Sehee, hesitating, followed him before Nayeon could ramble further.

“Hey! Stop there! Let go!”

Nayeon’s yelling grew distant.

After a breathless chase, Sehee finally caught up with Cha Ido on the lower floor.

His steps had slowed noticeably at some point.

“Wait…”

Sehee blocked his path, gasping. Her throat burned hot again.

“You’re causing too much trouble.”

Cha Ido stopped and looked at Sehee’s disheveled face.

Seeing his calm, winter-sea-like eyes, a surge of frustration and injustice rose within her. Was her father dead or alive? She needed a clear answer today.

“You won’t tell me….”

Sehee swallowed her rising sobs.

“Every day I’m tormented… everyone’s dead. My father is already dead. That can’t be….”

She grabbed Cha Ido’s immaculate suit.

“You promised! You said you wouldn’t kill him. That’s why I married and did all those disgusting things I didn’t want to… everything…”

“Me?”

Cha Ido looked at her calmly and asked instead,

“Did I ever say I’d save your father?”

“……”

“I don’t remember.”

His calm voice sent chills down her spine.

Sehee stared blankly at him.

I’ll make it up… I’ll repay everything I’ve lost, no matter how much. Please, my dad and Sejin…

I’ll do whatever you ask. Help me. I’ll do anything…

Vague memories crossed her mind. What had Cha Ido said back then?

“…As if he would. And in return…”

Marriage, sleep, insincere flattery.

“Ah.”

Disgusting things she didn’t want to do.

Cha Ido muttered quietly to himself and let out a small laugh.

“That wasn’t a price. That was compensation.”

“……”

“You said you’d compensate. For destroying my business. I only accepted that apology.”

Sehee’s eyes shook violently as she faced Cha Ido.

“You need to calculate correctly, Sehee.”

“……”

“Do you realize the money lost because of Prosecutor Yoo was hundreds of billions? Isn’t it too much to settle it in one night? And now you want to add your father’s life and your sibling too?”

“……”

“Have you never thought about having no conscience?”

Sehee’s hand, trembling, gripped Cha Ido’s lapel.