YAIMF 42 🍒

Chapter 42 — 

Before the Storm (2)

On the way to the main house, Jiwoon received another call from Yongsik.

—You really decided not to take revenge anymore? Is that true?

Yongsik sounded like he couldn’t understand it. He was someone who had watched up close how Chairman Lee’s loan to CEO Moon Dongjin had led to Dongjin’s parents being unable to repay the debt—and how they had died because of it. Jiwoon fully understood what Yongsik meant, but he couldn’t keep pushing things the same way anymore. As if sensing Jiwoon’s state of mind, Yongsik continued with a sigh mixed into his voice.

—Are you going to tell the truth?

“I have to.”

—What if she sues you? I didn’t dig deeper after that, but they say that CEO Moon is barely holding on. He could go any day now.

“That’s exactly why I need to tell her.”

To be honest, she had committed no crime at all. Her father had simply borrowed money when he needed it. What Jiwoon couldn’t understand was why the maternal grandmother had reached out to a complete outsider to help her granddaughter. Because of those feelings, he had told Saena a lie that could never be taken back. As he entered the road leading to the old house, Jiwoon let out a quiet sigh.

—Ugh… Fine. I don’t know anymore. But if you’re going to tell her, make the debt situation absolutely clear. Got it?

Yongsik did his duty to the very end. His sharp, no-nonsense attitude actually made Jiwoon smile. After a dry laugh, he ended the call and slowly headed toward the old house. It was a road he always took, yet today it felt strangely difficult. He had told Yongsik that he would speak today, but in truth, he wasn’t confident. He could only imagine how much Saena would resent him after hearing his words—and he hoped she wouldn’t cry.

Jiwoon gripped the steering wheel and drove on, sighing softly. At that moment, something flickered in his vision. Perhaps startled by the sound of the car echoing through the wide vineyard, a black shadow hurriedly hid itself. A chilling feeling ran through him. As always, bad premonitions proved true. He saw a black figure stumbling up the narrow path leading to the small hill behind the old house.

‘President Cheon, you bastard.’

Even from far away, he could tell it was him. His distinctive crooked way of walking was unmistakable. There was no doubt he had come all this way driven by his shallow sense of revenge. But the targets were the people in the old house—people who weren’t even involved. At this hour, aside from the caretaker, everyone there was a woman.

Saena was among them.

The moment that thought crossed his mind, Jiwoon felt his blood turn cold. He slammed down on the accelerator and rushed toward the house. Then, the phone under his hand began to vibrate loudly. Glancing at the screen, he saw it was Yongsik again—the same person he had just hung up on. Thinking it worked out well, Jiwoon answered.

“President Cheon is here.”

—What? No way. That crazy bastard actually went there?

“He’s known my grandmother for a long time. He must’ve figured out I was here. That bastard really repays kindness with betrayal.”

—My mom used to say that someone who doesn’t know gratitude is worse than a donkey. That bastard wasn’t satisfied with beating my younger brother’s face to a pulp, and now he dares go to the chairman’s house? Wait. I’m coming too.

Hot-tempered as ever, Yongsik ended the call just like that. Jiwoon didn’t even have time to think about the disconnected line. He kept his eyes on President Cheon, who was busy climbing up the hill, and drove toward the house.

‘From the looks of it, he’s alone.’

The old house was backed up against the hill. If things went wrong, he could climb a tree and get inside. Jiwoon’s nerves were stretched to their limit. Getting out of the car, he used the quiet surroundings and slammed the door shut with a loud bang, as if warning the man far above. Just as expected, he saw President Cheon hesitate for a moment.

‘…That crazy bastard.’

Jiwoon’s teeth ground together. At this point, he was genuinely curious why President Cheon was acting so strangely. He had grown powerful under his grandmother’s wing in this world. Then one day, he suddenly declared independence and went his own way. For a while, his company seemed to be running fine—but starting from the time he borrowed a small sum from Junsik, ugly rumors began to spread.

‘Gambling, my ass.’

It looked like he had staked something precious in a high-risk game.

‘And all he had was his own body.’

He was basically a man with nothing left to lose. Not knowing what he might do made Jiwoon even more tense.

‘Damn it.’

He had to lure him away from the old house. Staring sharply at President Cheon’s back as he climbed the hill, Jiwoon shouted loudly.

“President Cheon! Do you know where you are right now?!”

As expected, President Cheon slowly turned around. Because he was under the trees, his face wasn’t clearly visible, but Jiwoon could see white teeth flashing in that pitch-black face—his lips pulled up in a grin.

‘That crazy—why do his eyes look like that?’

Goosebumps rippled over Jiwoon’s entire body. Shuddering, he clenched his fists and ran straight toward President Cheon. After glancing at Jiwoon briefly, the man hurried up the hill with his awkward gait.

‘Damn it.’

Just as Jiwoon feared. At the top of the steep slope, there was a spot where the wall of the old house was low. It was obvious that was where he was headed. Realizing this too late, Jiwoon changed direction and chose to go inside the old house instead. He quickly called Saena. Unlike his urgent feelings, the ringing dragged on stubbornly long. Then, instead of Saena’s voice, a cold automated message answered.

“Ah… damn it, this is driving me crazy.”

He took the stone steps three or four at a time, his footsteps clattering loudly. Even so, he tried calling Saena again. His breathing was ragged, sweat forming in his palms as he worried he might be too late. Just as the phone slipped in his damp hand, he managed to catch it—and Saena’s voice finally came through.

—Hello?

Panting, Jiwoon ran across the garden of the old house.

“Don’t come outside. No matter what. Don’t. Ever.”

—What’s wrong all of a sudden? Where are you?

“I don’t have time to explain. Just do as I say.”

Jiwoon scanned the low hill behind the house. In the distance, a black head popped up over the clean, blue-gray roof tiles. That was the backyard. Unfortunately, the area was filled with rows of large earthen jars used for fermenting sauces. Even someone slow like him could step on those jars to climb down.

“Damn it.”

Clenching his phone tightly, Jiwoon ran toward that direction with all his strength.

—You’re Moon Dongjin’s guardian, correct?

Calls from the hospital always made Jungtaek’s heart drop, but this one was on an entirely different level. Even the trembling in the nurse’s voice felt ominous. He had hoped that Dongjin would just hold on for one more day—just until tomorrow, when he would meet Saena. That hope seemed to shatter and disappear with her words.

—He would regain consciousness from time to time, but he’s been unconscious all day. His pulse is unstable too. I think you need to come right away.

It felt like he had heard something he should never have heard. The pain wasn’t a dull ache—it was like his heart was being smashed with a hammer. Jungtaek rubbed his chest as if trying to soothe it, nodding as though the nurse were right in front of him. After hanging up, it was hard to steady his spinning mind. He staggered and barely managed to support himself on the desk. Taking deep breaths, he refused to let the small spark of hope inside him go out.

‘I just need to find Saena.’

As if realizing he had no time to waste, Jungtaek grabbed his jacket and left the office. If there truly was a god, he thought, there was no way this man would be taken away like this.

‘He spent his whole life working.’

He had lost his wife in a sudden accident, then endured a battle with cancer, and then Saena’s fall. How could a life be this cruel? With the company on the verge of major growth, Jungtaek couldn’t let him leave so meaninglessly.

‘Sir, please. No matter what, just hang on a little longer.’

Jungtaek’s determined expression was reflected in the elevator wall as it descended. It reached the quiet underground parking lot in no time. He spotted his car in the distance and walked toward it briskly. Then, suddenly, a powerful force covered his mouth.

“Mmgh!”

He struggled instinctively, but the moment a strong chemical scent rushed into his nose, his consciousness began to fade against his will. Men in black suits dragged Jungtaek’s limp body without care and shoved him into a car. Inside the shaking vehicle sat Imjae, looking noticeably tense.

“Did you make sure no one saw us?”