Chapter 59
Swoosh.
The red curtain was drawn back. Brown eyes scanned the terrace as if searching for someone, then quickly fixed on me.
“I’ve been looking for a while.”
I sat up on the bench, feeling relieved. I had been avoiding indoor gatherings lately, opting to stay on the outdoor terrace until it started getting chilly.
Whether it was the cold stiffening my body or the alcohol making me unsteady, I couldn’t tell.
“Ready to go back?”
“Yes. The boss is looking for you.”
Jiwoon extended her hand. I tried to stand up, but my heel slipped on the ground, causing me to lose my balance.
Jiwoon steadied me before I could fall.
“Are you okay?”
She supported me and helped me back to the bench. I furrowed my brow at the pain shooting up my ankle.
“You don’t seem okay.”
Walking seemed out of the question for now.
“Should I call a doctor?”
I shook my head and reached out both hands towards Jiwoon.
“Just help me up.”
Angel would probably scold me again if she saw this. But I couldn’t blame her for worrying.
“Did you get the hairpin?”
“The hairpin?”
Jiwoon’s gaze fell on my hair, and she felt around for it, only finding strands.
“It’s the one the doctor gave you.”
Was she talking about the one Doshiyu took?
“Why?”
“The boss gave it to you.”
“What?”
Suddenly, things seemed ominous. Despite my apprehension, Jiwoon remained calm.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
It would be too complicated to explain anyway. I’d have to ask Doshiyu to return it.
I was always anxious about dropping my phone. Kidnapping was the biggest risk in this genre, after all.
As I sighed, Jiwoon approached me.
“Call the doctor and have them wait by the car.”
A low voice interrupted us. Brushing my hair back, I looked up.
“Boss?”
Black eyes met mine. Their gaze lingered on my half-bare ankle.
“Is the party over?”
Their gaze made me uncomfortable, so I asked a question I didn’t really care about.
“Not yet.”
“Then shouldn’t the boss stay a bit longer?”
“Do you want me to?”
Why would they…?
“I feel the same way.”
Whether my facial expression was the answer or not, Baek Ha-won let out a smirk.
Then he approached me and knelt in front of me, one knee on the ground. I looked down at him with wide eyes, genuinely taken aback.
“W-what are you… Ugh.”
His warm hand touched my ankle, causing me to let out a small groan.
Baek Ha-won, now barefoot, looked up at me. The tension between us was palpable.
Fortunately, his hand left my ankle first.
But before I could feel relieved, a black shadow engulfed me completely.
“…!”
I realized a hand was coming under my thigh just as my body was lifted lightly into the air.
I was so startled I bit my tongue. A metallic taste flooded my mouth. Instinctively, I grasped for something to hold onto.
As I opened my tightly shut eyes, I found myself locked in a gaze at eye level.
While my heart was pounding as if it would burst out of my chest, the gaze that met mine was relaxed.
I blinked stupidly and then realized my arms were in an awkward position.
As I tried to remove my arm from around his neck in a hurry, Baek Ha-won held onto me and moved.
“Eek!”
As if my vision was about to go dark, my irrational fear tightened around his neck even more. Baek Ha-won stopped walking again.
I barely managed to speak calmly.
“Please let me down.”
“You can’t walk.”
“Can you?”
I widened my eyes and spoke firmly. I couldn’t help my voice from getting louder to hide the lie, though.
“Is that so?”
Baek Ha-won tilted his head towards me. My neck stiffened involuntarily to avoid it.
“Still, I don’t want to put you down.”
“….”
“That’s what you wanted, right?”
A low whisper brushed past my ears. The corners of his lips, which moved slowly, dried up sharply.
“As the boss who terribly cherishes my people, I thought I’d give it a try.”
* * *
The party continued until late at night. However, Jang Wei had to leave the party venue earlier than usual.
Being supported by bodyguards, who stumbled from drinking, he muttered, “Because of that woman…!”
After the friction with the woman, there was nowhere for him to stand in a place filled only with people trying to impress the host of the party.
Everyone was busy avoiding the owner’s gaze.
Moreover, by the end of the party, seeing him leave the party venue with the woman in his arms was quite shocking.
It seemed like it was just a baseless rumor that he was inferior to others?
That was the only talk throughout the party.
He couldn’t shake off the frustration as he walked out of the party venue and all the way to the hotel.
“Hey.”
Jang Wei gestured to his secretary sitting in the passenger seat. The secretary turned around and listened to him.
“There are rumors spreading about Baekcheon.”
Even if it ended up just being rumors in the end, such rumors, when piled up, surely had as much influence as the truth.
Such as the former chairman who died in a car with a government official, or the daughter of that government still lingering around.
Jang Wei clenched his fist. Those stories weren’t enough. He needed something more provocative and impactful.
“Spread more low-quality rumors.”
“What? But then Baekcheon won’t stay quiet. It’s already precarious as it is…”
“It’s the truth anyway, isn’t it? They’ll act all prim and proper on the outside but be dirty behind the scenes. They’ve had their fair share of family time, hoping blood would mix. It’s so obvious.”
Jang Wei chuckled bitterly, his voice trembling.
“His face was half and half, so maybe next time…”
At that moment, Jang Wei’s phone rang loudly.
“What’s this?”
The intoxication vanished from his eyes as he checked the caller ID.
Jang Wei quickly got out of the car, looking around cautiously before heading towards a alley beside the hotel. After confirming that there were no people or CCTV cameras around, he answered the call.
“Oh, Yuhwa, what’s the matter?”
His waist bent as if the person was right in front of him.
“As you said, I’m on my way to investigate Baekcheon. Nothing seems out of the ordinary.”
Although Jang Wei was the official owner of the Macau casino hotel, Utopia was actually involved in an organized manner.
As important as the massive amounts of money flowing through, it had been in her hands since Yuhwa took her position.
In a way, she was the power figure within the organization.
“An accident? How could that have happened so soon… Oh, no, that woman…!”
Wiping the sweat trickling down even in the breeze blowing gently, Jang Wei’s two legs moved anxiously while he defended himself vocally.
Avoiding eye contact with others, he wandered back and forth in the alley.
“Yes, yes. I’ll come see you right away tomorrow.”
After hanging up, his body remained bent at a 90-degree angle. It was only after a while that he straightened his waist and scratched his head, turning around.
“Anyway, Baekcheon and Utopia… They’re such nuisances…”
“Sir.”
At that moment, a low voice came from behind. Jang Wei jumped in surprise and fell backward.
“Why do you speak like that? It’s not good to talk behind someone’s back.”
The face hidden in the darkness remained expressionless. Even in the darkness, his tall figure and distinct features approached, causing Jang Wei to crawl back without getting up.
Bang!
The man kicked a can of soda rolling on the ground. Jang Wei trembled with fear as he watched the can flying against the wall.
His long legs closed the distance he had opened in just a few steps.
“Why…! Why are you doing this?!”
The man reached out towards Jang Wei.
“You…!”
Only after confirming the face that had come closer did Jang Wei gasp. But before he could finish his sentence, he held his breath.
“You dare.”
The long fingers loosened the tie adorned with butterfly patterns.
“You mentioned Baekcheon.”
The untied tie wrapped tightly around the thick neck of its owner. It didn’t exactly choke him, but that only intensified the fear.
The man looked down at him as if enjoying the sight of his struggling body trying to escape.
“I can bear everything else, but… I can’t stand it when you touch what’s mine.”
A smile slowly spread across the face of the man staring at the hand gripping him desperately.
“Come here. Remember our deal?”
The man gestured towards the other end of the alley. Jang Wei couldn’t see the shadow approaching him clearly.
The man’s gaze returned to him. Trembling with extreme fear, his whole body shook.
“Seems like there’s one more thing to gain now.”
The man pulled out a gun from his embrace. Shortly after, the muzzle of the pistol in the man’s left hand covered Jang Wei’s mouth.
“It’s probably best if this mouth goes to hell. Don’t you think so?”
The face, smiling like a clown, shone brighter than the moon.
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Editor : Red
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is Sid. I hope you liked it<3
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