By Zephyria 
“Did you change your phone?”
I nodded at Yoon Se-na’s question. It wasn’t just the phone. I had sent my car in for a complete inspection as well, to search for any potential listening devices or GPS trackers. I had even changed the passcode to my house. However, the woman from the 4th floor and the designated driver who had vanished remained a complete mystery.
The media heavily reported on the slush fund scandal involving Guyoung Construction, and as an investigation team was formed, the days became a breathless blur. Contrary to my worries, the investigation proceeded smoothly. Finance Director Kwak Seong-tae was under protection at Im Gyeong’s secret hideout and was cooperating with the investigation more diligently than anyone.
“…Oh, you know Min-jung, right?”
“Your friend?”
“Yeah. Her husband cheated, and it’s a total mess. She says she’s filing for divorce. She told him she was learning Pilates, but it turns out he had an affair with the instructor. Isn’t that unbelievable?”
Kang Hee-shin managed a forced smile. A photo he had buried came to mind—the one of Yoon Se-na kissing an actor. It didn’t seem like they were seeing each other lately. Should he consider it merely a secret hobby of a rich girl, as Park Tae-min had suggested?
“Oppa, don’t you ever cheat.”
Having listened in silence, he tested her slightly.
“What exactly do you consider cheating?”
“Giving your heart away.”
Her answer was relatively clear.
“And the body? Is that okay?”
“I think a one-time mistake can be understood. Not that I’m telling you to cheat, though.”
Yoon Se-na frowned and gave him a warning look, which made him let out a small laugh. He replied that he understood, but he didn’t feel at ease. No threatening messages had come since then, but he felt as if someone was gripping his windpipe from an invisible place. It felt like hugging a time bomb that could explode at any moment.
Even if he were lucky enough to wrap up the case he was handling and successfully get married, the fallout would be uncontrollable if the photo leaked afterward. If the bastard’s goal was his anxiety and fear, it seemed he had succeeded halfway.
Upon arriving at Chairman Yoon’s residence and stepping out of the car, the staff came out to greet them. He grabbed the prepared gifts from the trunk and headed upstairs. For some reason, his chest felt tight today, as if he had indigestion, but he tried his best not to lose his smile. He had worked so hard for this meeting. He couldn’t let this opportunity slip. He would think about the photo later.
The place he was guided to was a space with a long wooden table. Instead of a chandelier, understated lighting glowed softly from the ceiling, and expensive Oriental paintings and high-priced ceramics decorated the walls. The family was already seated, with Chairman Yoon in the seat of honor.
Despite being over seventy, his back was straight. To his right were his eldest son and daughter-in-law, and to his left were his second son and daughter-in-law, along with his eldest daughter who had married early. Including the grandchildren, it was quite a large group, but no one spoke loudly.
The moment he entered, the conversation stopped abruptly, and dozens of gazes turned toward him. He felt as if he had walked into a job interview. As he swallowed hard from nervousness, Yoon Se-na’s mother stood up and greeted him warmly.
“Welcome. You must have had a hard time coming all this way.”
After exchanging greetings, Kim Su-jin guided him toward Chairman Yoon. “Chairman. Prosecutor Kang is here.”
“Thank you for inviting me, Chairman.”
Chairman Yoon gave a light gesture with his hand. “Sit.” After greeting the other family members, he sat in the empty seat next to Yoon Se-na. A feast of freshly prepared dishes was laid out on the table. They were items rarely found even in high-end restaurants, but he had absolutely no appetite.
A staff member came and poured wine into everyone’s glasses. Just then, a secretary approached Chairman Yoon and whispered something quietly. Chairman Yoon raised a white, snowy eyebrow. After a slight nod, the secretary brought out a small bottle of liquor on a tray a moment later. The liquor was the gift Kang Hee-shin had brought.
As the secretary poured the drink, Chairman Yoon lifted his glass and savored the aroma.
“Your eye for liquor isn’t bad. Well, I suppose you have the eye to have snatched away my daughter.”
At those words, Yoon Se-na pouted, saying, “Daddy—!” The Chairman let out a hollow laugh, saying look at her, and that raising children was useless. He only said it, but affection for his children could be felt. He was a tiger when it came to work, and though he had a strong history with women, having married three times, he was infinitely generous toward his children.
That point would likely work in his favor.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given a guy like him a chance just because his daughter begged.
Just as they were about to start eating, Chairman Yoon called for his wife.
“Where is Gyeong?”
“He says he’s busy.”
“And the food?”
“I’ll have some made and sent over. Don’t worry too much.”
“He prefers vegetables over meat. He resembles me in everything else, but his eating habits are completely different.”
“I know. Are you worried I’ll neglect him?”
Come to think of it, Im Gyeong was missing. He could feel the second son’s nerves sharpen at the mention of Im Gyeong.
—Give me what I want. Then I’ll grant Prosecutor Kang Hee-shin’s request.
He felt a phantom voice in his head, and his throat burned. Im Gyeong had not contacted him since. He had no idea what the man was plotting. No, actually, he knew, but he couldn’t understand it. Did he like men? Since the man had called himself promiscuous, there was no telling. He might be the type who didn’t care about gender.
Then, the eldest son abruptly brought up business. He mentioned he would likely go to the provinces next week regarding the factory relocation and that things seemed to be wrapping up well with the labor union. Soon after, the second son also talked about his own business. It felt as if he were trying to divert the attention that usually poured onto Im Gyeong toward himself.
After a while, the attention finally shifted toward him.
“When are you planning to get married?”
Finally, the moment had come.
“I would like to hold the ceremony within this year.”
“Will your parents be attending?”
It was natural for parents to attend their son’s wedding, but Chairman Yoon was asking that very obvious question.
“Only my adoptive parents are scheduled to attend.”
Whether the answer pleased him or not, Chairman Yoon nodded. He, the other siblings, and Yoon Se-na all knew. They knew how disastrous and messy Kang Hee-shin’s biological family was. That it was what people call a “broken home.” Even without him saying it, they could have found out everything with just a bit of background checking.
That was why he had wondered if Chairman Yoon would oppose this marriage until the end.
“Do not create any useless scandals before the wedding.”
“I will keep that in mind, Chairman.”
“I know well that you prosecutors love taking bribes and love women. You would do well to behave yourself.”
For a moment, he was flustered and lost for words, and Yoon Se-na’s mother stepped in during that gap.
“Why are you saying such things?”
“I mean he should conduct himself properly. Because if I hear that he made my daughter cry, his life will become very difficult.”
I will keep that in mind, Chairman. He forced a smile, but a twisting pain suddenly hit his stomach. Chairman… you’re the king of double standards. He wanted to snap back like that right to his face. Chairman Yoon was the one who had spent his life creating rumors involving actresses and chaebols even after marriage.
Just then, the phone in his trouser pocket vibrated. At first, he tried to ignore it, but the calls continued relentlessly. Was it an urgent contact? Avoiding the family’s gaze, he pulled out his phone under the table to check. The moment a photo appeared on the screen, his breath hitched.
He closed the window immediately, but he had clearly seen it. It was a photo taken that day. This time, the woman’s face was clear. It was undoubtedly the woman from the 4th floor. A woman he had never even met was now appearing in his dreams. That was how much this incident had become a source of stress for him.
Yoon Se-na, sitting next to him, glanced over.
He tried to maintain his expression, but his mind went blank.
The twisting sensation in his stomach was getting worse.
Blegh— He clung to the toilet before staggering to his feet. After rinsing his mouth and washing his face, he looked in the mirror; the area under his eyes was hollow. He had finished the meal while pretending to be composed and made it home, but the moment he arrived, the tension must have snapped, as he vomited everything he had eaten. The vomiting didn’t stop after that, and now only clear gastric juice was coming up.
He grabbed a bottle of water and slumped onto the sofa when his phone vibrated.
—Oppa, did you get home safe? You really worked hard today!
The long-awaited permission had been granted, and she said Chairman Yoon seemed to think well of Hee-shin. Her excited voice was palpable even through the receiver. After a brief conversation, he dashed back to the bathroom. This time, there was no gastric juice left to come up, so he just gagged while clutching the empty toilet.
Damn it, looking at my state, I’m going to be miserable until tomorrow morning.
Setting aside the emergency room, he opened a drawer to find some medicine. There were plenty of headache pills, but the stomach medicine was several years past its expiration date. After a low sigh, he struggled back to the sofa. He flopped down and placed the back of his hand on his forehead.
Drrr— At the sound of the vibration, he reached for his phone.
—Not a composite. But who is she? The Prosecutor’s girlfriend?
It was the “Bird.” He had sent the photo just in case, asking for a judgment on whether it was a composite, and the result was devastating. It meant that if the photo spread, he couldn’t even claim it was fake. Closing his eyes tight, he let out a low curse. The second hand of the time bomb had begun to tick. After lying there for a long time, he sat up. Tearing at his hair in contemplation, he wrote a message.
—Let’s meet. I have something to say.
The message was clearly read, but there was no response. 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 50 minutes passed, and it was the same after an hour. Is this bastard playing with me… or has he changed his mind?
He would actually prefer the latter. That the man had suddenly snapped out of it and become a human being capable of judging right from wrong. If the bastard played innocent, he intended to forget everything he had heard that day.
In the midst of that, a reply arrived.
—Have you decided?
Ha, fuck.
He glared at the screen in silence before finally sending a reply.
—Let’s meet first. I’ll listen to what you have to say in person.
A message arrived after that, and it was so blatant that it only elicited a hollow laugh.
—Tomorrow night, 11 PM. Bliss Hotel, Room 2301.