TWB 56

-Sorry. I’m busy for the time being. I’ll contact you once things are sorted out.

Yoon Se-na stared blankly at the last message she had exchanged with Kang Hee-shin. Just what could be keeping him so busy…? He couldn’t have noticed, could he? After thinking it over, she stepped out of the car and entered the main house.

“Welcome back, Miss.”

“Where is Mom?”

“She went for a massage. The Chairman is upstairs.”

“Didn’t Father go to work?”

“He took the day off today. He’s in the middle of a conversation with the second young master. Please give me your bag.”

If she had known this, maybe she should have called before coming. She needed to head to the company immediately… Checking the time, she looked around the house. Looking closely, everything had changed, starting with the curtains.

“The house looks different.”

“The Madam changed everything for a change of pace.”

A vase filled with flowers caught her eye nearby. She stepped closer to smell them and then looked up toward the second floor. Was the conversation going to be long…? She took the items out of the shopping bag she had brought. While shopping recently, she had found some things she liked and bought some for her parents as well.

She had intended to just leave the gifts and go, but she decided it would be better to at least show her [visit our site]face to her father. As she climbed the stairs and headed toward the study, she could faintly hear [unauthorized copy]voices. She was about to knock right in front of the door but stopped. Because she had caught a glimpse of her own name in the conversation.

“Are you going to entrust Se-na with Seo-il Apparel?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to see.”

“Your aunt is very upset. You told us, Father, not to fall out with one’s siblings.”

“She went all the way to you to complain?”

“It’s not complaining. How wronged must she have felt to come to me? It’s practically as if the aunt took the fall for a mistake made by a subordinate.”

“A mistake? Tens of billions are a mistake? Does it make sense that she didn’t know? If she truly didn’t know, then she’s incompetent.”

“Please give her a break. She’s always been good to you, Father.”

Yoon Se-na’s face contorted. Her aunt, Yoon Jung-hee, had embezzled company funds, and because of that, a shareholders’ meeting would be held and she would be removed from her position. That was why he said he would put Yoon Se-na in her place. Therefore, she should think about breaking up with Kang Hee-shin, and that she must not help him under any circumstances.

“Why are you taking your aunt’s side so much?”

“I’m the one who doesn’t understand why you’ve suddenly made this decision, Father. Is it because of Im Gyeong? Is that bastard telling you to throw a subsidiary to Se-na?”

“Be quiet. Stop overreacting. Your shares won’t be affected just because one subsidiary is handed over.”

“You know that’s not what I meant. Why are you twisting my words?”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to marry Se-na off anyway.”

“Are you serious?”

“I am against my daughters doing business. That’s why I married off your sister early. I heard the eldest son of Jin-seong Group still has feelings for Se-na. He’s returning from Paris this month, so I intend to let them meet.”

“Did Se-na say she’d do that?”

“If the father’s will is such, she must obey. By nature, a woman is happiest in a man’s shadow.”

“She won’t accept it so passively. She’s greedier than she looks.”

“I’m thinking of setting up an art gallery in her name. Then she won’t be bored after marriage.”

The gift in Yoon Se-na’s hand crumpled. She wanted to demand an explanation right then and there, but she had no choice but to turn away. Biting her lower lip hard, she walked down the stairs. Just then, her mother, Kim Su-jin, who had finished her business, was coming in.

“Honey, when did you get here? I heard you’ve been busy lately.”

She brushed past her mother, who opened her arms for a hug. Oh, my. “Sena!” Despite the calling voice, she didn’t respond and ran straight out of the house. As she walked toward the car, her mother called her. As soon as she got in the car, she gasped for air and slammed her fist against the steering wheel. Damn it!

How could he deceive me! How!

Unable to control the surging resentment, she buried her face [unauthorized copy]stolen contentin the steering wheel [stolen content]and sat there for a long time.

I knew it…! She knew he had been displeased from the moment she said she wanted to enter the company. That was why she had been so happy when she was assigned to the headquarters. Even when others whispered about how the Chairman’s daughter was merely a Head of section, she had vowed to tell them to just wait and see, and that she would work harder than anyone.

—A woman is happiest in a man’s shadow.

Her father’s voice seemed to ring in her ears. Sena started the engine, shifted the gear, and muttered.

Fuck that. I’ll make my own shadow.

“When do you think the statements from the Gu-young Construction side will be fully secured?”

“There are so many entangled figures. It seems it will take some time.”

“Let’s pick up the pace. From now on, it’s a race against time.”

“Yes, understood.”

“What about Kwak Seong-tae?”

“We brought him in the day before yesterday, and he is currently staying at a hotel. Two investigators are staying with him.”

“Keep a close eye on him. He might change his mind.”

“His will is firm. We’ve received confirmation that he will testify to everything.”

Immediately after parting with Im Gyeong the day before yesterday, he had met with Financial Director Kwak Seong-tae. He had complied readily, stating he would accept the prosecution’s protection. He was staying at a hotel with the investigators, and a response had come back saying he would faithfully participate in the summons investigation in two days.

In truth, he still couldn’t believe that Im Gyeong had handed him over so readily.

He thought he would be prevented from meeting him, or that he would be smuggled away before then…

As they were organizing their opinions on the tasks each had to perform, someone opened the door and rushed in without warning. It was none other than Jang Seon-woo. Despite being excluded from the investigation, he had not expressed any particular dissatisfaction. He had simply accepted it calmly. Such a man’s complexion today was completely dark.

“What is it, Jang Seon-woo? What happened?”

Instead of answering the Chief Prosecutor’s question, Jang Seon-woo picked up the remote and turned on the TV.

Special Programming— <Exclusive Interview> First Statement Release by Key Official of Gu-young Construction.

That single line sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

“Fuck… what is that?”

Someone spat out a curse, forgetting that their superior was present. Everyone focused on the broadcast, unable to even breathe properly. Only the anchor appeared on the broadcast, and Financial Director Kwak Seong-tae was responding to the interview via video call from his hotel room.

Financial Director Kwak Seong-tae’s face appeared on the screen.

His hair was more disheveled than two days ago, [stolen content]and his stolen contentcomplexion was poor, unauthorized copymaking him look like a sick person.

—Hello, I am Kwak Seong-tae. I worked at Gu-young Construction for 20 years and served as the Director of the Finance Team.

—Mr. Kwak Seong-tae. Where are you currently located?

—I am currently confined in a hotel under the guise of prosecution protection.

One of the prosecutors hurriedly contacted the investigators guarding the hotel. The instruction to go there immediately, break the door down, and stop him echoed loudly throughout the conference room. However, the broadcast continued to air.

—The prosecution announced a slush fund ledger related to Gu-young Construction; is that true?

—Yes, it is true. I submitted the things I personally witnessed to the prosecution.

—And that many current assembly members are involved?

—Yes, that is correct.

—But you felt that the prosecution’s investigation was wrong?

The sound of someone knocking was heard, and Kwak Seong-tae’s eyes became anxious. Glancing outside, he seemed to move further inside while holding the camera.

—I’m sorry. I think I need to move.

—Mr. Kwak Seong-tae. You are safe right now, correct? Above all, your safety is our top priority.

—Yes, I’m fine. To continue, it’s true that I initially reported this for the public interest. However, as the investigation proceeded, I realized it was wrong.

—In what way was it wrong?

—There was manipulation by someone.

Now, not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the conference room. Hee-shin kept his mouth tightly shut, unable to take his eyes off the screen. The hand holding the pen was pale from how hard he was gripping it.

—The prosecution proceeded with the investigation after deciding on the conclusion from the start.

—Could you tell us in detail? Are you saying the prosecution forced false testimony?

—Yes, that’s correct. It is true that I contacted the assembly members listed in the ledger, but it was a one-sided sponsorship from Gu-young Construction, and there are records of the details delivered through aides the following day.

—Did you submit those as well?

—I did. However, the prosecution excluded this part from the investigation and conducted a targeted investigation aimed at specific politicians. Meanwhile, they wanted me to keep my mouth shut. In the process, they mentioned my family in Canada.

—You must have been very frightened.

—Yes, contrary to my good intentions, I realized everything was wrong. I am still afraid, but I appeared on this broadcast to set things right even now.

—It couldn’t have been [stolen content]Read on Read BL Novelseasy to Read on Read BL Novelsmake this decision; thank you very much. Ah, one moment. We’ve just received a piece of urgent news.

The anchor looked at the paper brought by a staff member and let out a gasp. Everyone held their breath in tension, unable to look away from the screen. Soon after, a photo appeared behind the anchor. In an instant, all eyes in the conference room shifted to Kang Hee-shin.

A scene of Kang Hee-shin and Assemblyman Choi meeting at a shabby restaurant had been captured.

He didn’t know who took the photo, but precisely only Im Gyeong was missing.

—This is a report that the prosecutor in charge met with a current member of the National Assembly just before the investigation.

Though blurry, everyone could tell it was Kang Hee-shin’s face.

The watching Chief Prosecutor jumped up from his seat and shouted.

“Kang Hee-shin! Is that you?”

At that moment, the mobile phones of the prosecutors and investigators began to vibrate. Everyone dropped their heads with devastated expressions. The anchor’s voice continued to be heard. To what extent the prosecution intervened, for whom the targeted investigation was conducted, and so on…

The sound gradually grew fainter. It felt as if he were being disconnected from the world. In front of the despairing expressions of his colleagues and the boss who was raging like a tiger, Hee-shin couldn’t help but let out a self-mocking laugh first.