SACCHARIN
CHAPTER 16

 

For example, Shin Chi-woo might be helping me because the chairman’s attention is focused on my father, the traitor, while he schemes something else behind the scenes. Or, he could be keeping me as a wildcard, waiting for both sides to destroy each other while staying out of it himself.

Though unlikely, there’s also the possibility that my father, the traitor, successfully overthrows the chairman and takes the crown for himself. And in gambling, the biggest jackpots come from betting on low odds.

The puzzle pieces were finally coming together. The contradictions in Shin Chi-woo’s actions, which had seemed so inconsistent, were starting to make sense. The suffocating confusion that had been clogging my mind was clearing up.

Shin Chi-woo moves solely based on profit. And, true to his nature as a gray figure, he stands by the chairman’s side while still making deals with my father.

“Honestly, I can’t fully trust what you’re saying… but still, thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me.”

“Even so, thank you.”

“I’m not helping you—I’m doing this for myself. You don’t need to thank me.”

Just minutes ago, he was a man I didn’t even want to brush against. I had been imagining stabbing him and running away if I could just get my hands on something sharp. And now, here I was, thanking him.

But I couldn’t rule out the possibility that the whole tailing incident was a lie and that he was acting on the chairman’s orders just to test me.

So, I shouldn’t take Shin Chi-woo’s words and actions at face value. I needed to approach this with the mindset of keeping at least one foot in both camps—just like he was doing.

I am the only one who can save myself. If Shin Chi-woo’s scheme to play both sides works, I can at least buy time to come up with another way out.

“I think I get the gist of it. Then shouldn’t we at least make sure our stories match?”

“Shall we?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s do this. Once we arrive at the factory, make up something convincing. Cry a little if you have to, and feel free to paint me as the biggest bastard in the world.”

“That, I can do.”

“That way, no one will touch you. In more ways than one.”

The factory must be a place where physical violence and sexual threats are possible. If people believe that I belong to Shin Chi-woo, at least I’ll be less vulnerable to that kind of danger. I decided that I needed to use his name wisely to protect myself.

“It’s fine. Staying alive is more important to me than anything else.”

“Director Seo was a good man.”

“…….”

“This is as far as I can help you.”

“Dad would be grateful too. Thank you for all your help.”

“Just a moment ago, you were calling me ‘you, you,’ but now it’s ‘thank you for your great help.’”

“I’ve come to my senses now.”

“That’s a relief, Miss Seo Wan-yi.”

As we bickered, I felt a bit of relief and smiled softly at him. Now that we had a better grasp of each other’s intentions, Shin Chi-woo no longer acted so cold toward me.

“But do you really think your father will return safely to your side?”

“No… I don’t.”

“Then why are you saying thank you when you don’t even mean it?”

“…Because if my father ends up dead, you seem like the one who’s more likely to keep me alive than the chairman.”

Even as I imagined different twists in my mind, I knew better than anyone that my father didn’t stand a chance. Even if he somehow survived, he wouldn’t have the means to take care of me. If necessary, I would have to resort to a clumsy form of seduction.

After all, once this night passed, there would be rumors that Shin Chi-woo and I had slept together. I might as well use that to my advantage. It wasn’t like I had the luxury to be picky about my options.

“Of course, if you could save my father too…”

But he didn’t even bother to give me an empty promise. He didn’t say he’d save my father, nor did he say he’d get me out of the factory. The fate of my father and me was already decided.

I would never see my father again while he was alive. And even if I used Shin Chi-woo’s name to protect myself at the factory, it wouldn’t last forever. What would happen to me once that effect wore off?

A lump rose in my throat. No matter how selfish or cowardly he was, my father had loved me more than anyone else in the world. And I had loved him just as deeply.

“……”

I clenched my teeth and swallowed my tears, but the silence in the car was too heavy, making it difficult to hide my emotions. The enclosed space was so suffocatingly quiet that even the smallest sniffle felt like a wail.

“You’re crying again.”

A single tear finally slipped down my cheek. But before it could fall, a hand brushed it away—casually, yet gently.

His cold fingertips touched my skin, and at the same time, his upper body leaned toward me completely. I instinctively lowered my head even further, hiding my face. I was afraid that if he saw me crying, he would mock me or say something cruel.

“Why are you crying?”

He lightly stroked my cheek. It was an unexpected touch. To an outsider, we would have looked like a couple in a tender moment.

I knew now that when he had licked my ear, touched me, and held my hand, it had all been for show—to make it seem like he was toying with me. But this time, his touch didn’t feel calculated.

Maybe it was just the moment, or maybe, being a man, he had some base desires as well. I wasn’t sure. All I did was flinch slightly, unable to move away. I should have slapped him, but I didn’t.

“You’re in handcuffs. It looked like wiping your own tears would be difficult.”

“Oh… well…”

Then take the damn handcuffs off. Or just don’t say anything at all.

His awkward excuse instantly changed the atmosphere in the car.

The air that had been filled with frustration and uncertainty now held a completely different kind of tension. I could argue with Shin Chi-woo for hours, but this kind of mood—I couldn’t endure it for even a minute.

I moved as far away from him as possible, pressing my body against the door until my left shoulder touched the window. I left his hand lingering in midair, retreating from his touch.

It was a rude reaction, but I couldn’t just sit there and let him keep touching my face. And I didn’t have the guts to slap him, so this was the only option left.

“Stop crying. If someone sees, they’ll think I made you cry.”

Honestly, this guy had a real talent for making things worse with a single sentence. I decided not to react. There was no point. Our relationship was anything but normal, and there was no reason for us to be kind to each other. If anything, I was the one who needed to get used to this kind of situation.

His voice had returned to the same cold tone he had used back at the hotel, but somehow, there was an odd gentleness mixed in. So I simply shut my mouth and said nothing.

To be honest, I was also staying quiet because I didn’t want to provoke him. He was a healthy, capable man. Right now, he was acting composed, but I couldn’t forget that he could turn on me at any moment.

But he didn’t seem to mind my tears. He even lifted his thumb, the one that had just wiped my cheek, to his lips and made a show of tasting it—while staring straight at me.

“Actually, never mind. Cry. It suits the situation better. It’ll help convince them.”

“Aren’t those two people on your side?”

“For now, yes. But you never know. Just like I’m doing this behind the chairman’s back, they could be working with someone else too.”

I was relieved the topic had shifted. I played along, pretending not to notice what he had just done.

“That makes sense. It’s always best to be cautious. If you want to deceive your enemies, you have to start by deceiving your own side.”

“So, does that mean you finally understand why I staged that car accident?”

“That… is a separate issue.”

He glanced outside and nodded toward something. Judging by his reaction, the short-haired woman and the burly man—the ones keeping watch—were indeed on his side for now. But was Shin Chi-woo planning to deceive them too?

“Honestly, all this talk about ‘my side’ and ‘your side’—it’s childish. You’re too extreme, Seo Wan-yi.”

“Shut up.”

I ignored him completely. Who was he to talk about being extreme when he was betraying the chairman without a shred of loyalty? I’d rather be rigid and unwavering than be a two-faced traitor like him. I had swallowed so many words I couldn’t say out loud that my stomach felt full from them.

“Fine. Now that it’s come to this, go ahead and cry your heart out.”

“I was planning to anyway.”

I shot him a glare before shifting in my seat. Crying was one thing, but I also realized something—I looked too put together.

Anyone with sharp eyes would notice right away that nothing had actually happened between me and Shin Chi-woo.