Chapter 33 ….
“Wh-what is… this…?”
Go Hye-na, still unable to understand what had just happened to her, trembled and touched her cheek.
It took her a moment longer to fully grasp the situation.
“Hey! Are you out of your mind!”
Hye-na’s eyes narrowed. A fiery blaze seemed to burn behind her pupils.
“You must be the crazy one. How dare you rummage through my room?”
“…!!”
Hye-na’s eyes widened as if confessing a crime.
For a brief moment, countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
Go Hye-na was flustered.
But that moment passed quickly. Hye-na soon composed herself and shouted brazenly:
“Do you have proof? Do you have any evidence that I did it?”
That’s right. Only with shamelessness like this does Hye-na remain true to herself.
“The day I asked you to make the fruit punch, the kitchen auntie said she saw you going up to the second floor. Isn’t that enough evidence?”
“How do I know that woman isn’t lying to frame me after stealing the ring herself?!”
“R-rings? I didn’t steal anything.”
The kitchen staff who testified that they saw Hye-na go upstairs shook their hands nervously, fearing they might be accused themselves.
But Choi Joo-young didn’t suspect the staff.
On the contrary, Hye-na’s own words just now had confirmed everything.
“I only asked whether you rummaged through my room; I never asked if you stole the ring.”
“…!!”
“How would you even know a ring disappeared from my room?”
“Th-that’s…”
Only then did Hye-na realize her slip of the tongue—but it was already too late.
There were far too many witnesses who had heard her words.
As if to confirm it, whispers spread among the staff gathered in the second kitchen.
“Come to think of it, the lady’s right.”
“So did she really steal the lady’s ring?”
“She’s bold… But why? Doesn’t she get plenty of money from the chairman already?”
“Yeah, strange. Why would she steal a ring?”
One by one, the staff turned their eyes to Hye-na, expecting an answer.
Hye-na faltered, stepping back. She needed to explain or defend herself, but her mind was completely blank.
Joo-young didn’t miss the chance and took a step forward toward Hye-na.
Using everyone’s gaze, she intensified the pressure on Go Hye-na.
“Do you even know whose ring you stole? It’s my mother’s heirloom.”
When the identity of the ring was revealed, the staff gasped and covered their mouths.
Among those gathered, some, like Butler Jo, had worked at the Hannam-dong mansion for a long time.
They knew what Ryu Si-hyun’s heirlooms meant to Joo-young, and they couldn’t hide their shock.
“Give it back.”
Joo-young reached toward Hye-na.
She wanted to slap the shameless Hye-na again, but restraining the impulse, she set her jaw firmly and spoke.
“I’ll give you as much money as you need.”
Her words were spat out as if chewed and swallowed.
“Just give it back—my ring.”
“Th-that’s…”
Clack—
Just as Hye-na was cornered, Choi Kwon-yong entered from the study, having heard the commotion.
A savior had arrived.
“What’s going on?”
“Chairman!”
Hye-na immediately clung to Choi Kwon-yong.
She knew very well that not even the mansion staff—or Choi Joo-young herself—would dare oppose him.
So she forced herself to shed tears, acting innocent and delicate, pretending she bore no guilt whatsoever.
“Sniff… Chairman…”
“What’s the matter all of a sudden? Why are you crying?”
“Joo-young… accused me… sniff… I’m so wronged and miserable, I can’t live like this, Chairman…”
“Choi Joo-young!”
Kwon-yong spun around, raising his voice.
“Explain! What is happening right now? Why are all the staff gathered here? What are you doing in my house behind my back?!”
Then Joo-young explained.
The red diamond ring, an heirloom of Ryu Si-hyun, had disappeared from the safe. A witness saw Go Hye-na go upstairs a few days ago. Most importantly, before Joo-young could even ask, Hye-na mentioned the ring herself.
Based on this, Joo-young told Kwon-yong that Hye-na stole the ring.
But there was one thing Joo-young overlooked.
That was…
“Tsk! All this fuss over a mere ring?”
To Kwon-yong, Ryu Si-hyun’s heirloom was “just a ring.”
Joo-young was left speechless.
“J-just a ring? It’s my mother’s ring! Don’t you know how precious it is to me?”
“If it were that precious, you should have taken care of it! Why leave it lying around and risk losing it?”
“I didn’t leave it lying around! I kept it safely in a drawer in my room.”
Unlike her earlier calm explanation, her voice began to carry emotion.
“What else could I have done? Should I have installed a safe? Are you saying it’s entirely my fault for not keeping it in a safe because a sneaky thief might be among the household?”
By the end, she nearly shouted, veins standing on her neck, tears in her eyes.
“There’s no thief among the people I brought into the house. If the ring is lost, it’s your fault for not guarding it!”
“Father!!”
Finally, Joo-young shouted in fury.
“Am I really being treated like this over just one ring? It’s my mother’s heirloom! One of the few traces of her left with me!”
“So what do you want me to do?”
“…Ha, you really aren’t even human.”
After denial and anger, she reached a stage of acceptance and let out a bitter laugh.
She realized she was dealing with someone who couldn’t understand or empathize at all.
“I hate that you’re my father. That I share blood with someone like you is disgusting and horrifying.”
“How dare you!”
Smack—!
A hand struck Joo-young across the cheek.
Her jaw went numb, and her mind went dark like a powered-down computer.
A ringing echoed in her ears.
Biiiiiip.
Her memory cut off there.
It was on the way back to the hotel after an external meeting.
Seong-hoon took out his phone from his jacket pocket and checked the messages he had sent to Choi Joo-young.
The most recent message had been sent yesterday at 8:30 p.m.
But Joo-young had not checked it even by 3 p.m. the next day.
The problem was that she hadn’t read messages sent six days ago either.
Tap tap tap.
Seong-hoon tapped the phone screen.
“That’s strange…”
“What’s strange?”
Hearing his mutter, Secretary Yoon in the passenger seat turned.
“Try contacting Joo-young’s secretary.”
“What should I say?”
“Ask about her schedule today. If she has free time, can she meet?”
“Okay, understood.”
Secretary Yoon immediately sent a message to Secretary Shin.
The reply came quickly.
“She says meeting today is impossible.”
“Why?”
“No detailed explanation.”
“Give me the phone.”
“Here you go.”
Seong-hoon read the message from Secretary Shin on the phone he received from Yoon.
There was no schedule list, no explanation—just a single brief line.
[It’s not possible today. Please apologize to Director Bae on my behalf.]
It was strange.
And suspicious.
Previously, she had given a concise but reasoned reply, explaining why she couldn’t make time.
But today, it was just: impossible?
“Driver, before going to the hotel, we need to stop by somewhere. Can we turn left here?”
“Yes, sir. Where should I take you?”
“Please take me to CS Department Store.”
I need to see Choi Joo-young with my own eyes.
Right now.
