Chapter 67
『 “Fazal, stop messing around and sit down.”』
『“It hurts!”』
『“I won’t repeat myself.”』
His tone remained cold and unwavering. The soldier shrugged his shoulders, put the cup down, and reluctantly took the seat beside Baek Sa-eon.
『“This woman looks Asian too. Is she from the same country as you?”』
Heeju rubbed her stinging jaw, stealing a glance across the table. Unfortunately, her gaze collided with Baek Sa-eon’s fierce, intimidating eyes.
『“How would I know that?”』
The way he looked at people pierced straight into her soul. Her heart was aching.
Heeju bit her trembling lip to hold back the tears. She had a mountain of things she wanted to say if she ever met him, yet now—
“F*ck Negotiations.”
I suddenly heard an angry Korean voice.
Baek Sa-eon raked his hand through his hair in frustration. He stared at the ceiling, trying to catch his breath, and then spoke in a dry tone.
“Ask him, how far have they reached?”
“…..!”
Heeju’s expression wavered. She didn’t know what he meant, but she knew it was some kind of code.
Heeju put on a nonchalant face and expressed it to the chairman. The old man’s wide eyes locked on hers.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out between the Speaker and Heeju.
“Eeek…!”
Panic surged through Heeju as she saw the smoking pistol pointed at her. Fazal’s warning shot echoed through the air, sending shivers down her spine.
『“Why do you keep staring at each other?”』
The smell of the gunpowder left Heeju frozen.
Baek Sa-eon, who had been staring at the ceiling again, suddenly gritted his teeth and leaned forward. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed Fazal by the head and slammed it against the table repeatedly.
『Urgh…!』
Thud! Thud!
The sickening thuds sounded like a watermelon splitting open.
Fazal gritted his teeth and tried to fight back, but the Speaker quickly picked up the fallen gun and shot him in the shoulder.
Baek Sa-eon grabbed Heeju and bolted out of the room. He shoved her into a jeep and climbed in after her.
『“Damn it, catch them! That filthy double-crosser…! Get them!”』
Angry shouts echoed from the warehouse.
At the command, the guards outside began to give chase. Baek Sa-eon gritted his teeth, yanked the manual gear shift, and floored the gas pedal. The heavy, rugged military jeep roared to life and sped across the endless plain.
“Ah…!”
Heeju’s body was tossed around inside the vehicle as it jolted over the uneven terrain. A strangled groan escaped her lips, her face contorted in pain. Baek Sa-eon’s face twisted like that of a demon.
“Hong Heeju, what the hell are you doing here?”
His cold face barely concealed the fury rising within him.
“Are you insane?”
His jaw quivered as though he were trying to suppress his emotions.
“Why the hell are you here of all places?!”
His voice lashed out like a whip, slicing through the silence. But Heeju only stared at him, dumbfounded.
‘It really is him… it has to be him.’
Even though this wasn’t the time or place, her eyes reddened.
“I thought I was hallucinating, but—”
His hand moved with a swift, gentle grace, cupping her cheek, neck, and ear tenderly.
“Damn it, it’s really you.”
He cursed under his breath, his expression one of barely suppressed agony rather than anger.
“You’re the one who called me first…!”
Heeju’s voice cracked as she teared up. Baek Sa-eon gripped the steering wheel so hard it seemed it might break.
“You made such a dramatic exit, and now here you are, acting like this?!”
Her voice was filled with reproach.
“Then why did you call me in the first place?!”
“……”
“You called me, didn’t you?!”
Baek Sa-eon didn’t answer, nor did he deny it. That silence was his answer. Heeju scrunched up her nose and rolled her eyes.
“What if I had already remarried? What were you planning to do, just keep calling—”
The jeep suddenly swerved sharply, throwing her against the hard interior.
A low, ominous voice interrupted her.
“Hong Heeju, stop talking nonsense.”
“What nonsense—!”
“What remarriage? Did I ever permit you to remarry?”
His cold, piercing gaze locked onto hers.
“Which b*stard are you meeting up with?”
“……!”
“I never thought Hong Heeju could have such outrageous ideas.”
“Watch the road ahead…!”
“Do you think I went through all this trouble and faked my death just so you could remarry?”
“Look ahead, I said!”
Heeju pounded the dashboard in frustration.
“Even if I disappear, I’ll die as Hong Heeju’s husband—”
“Stop talking about dying!” she screamed, her face pale with panic.
His lips curled into a dark grin.
“Hong Heeju sure talks a lot when she’s upset.”
“……!”
“Go on, keep talking. It’s pulling at my eardrum.”
She was startled to realize that she had been speaking to him with an openness she hadn’t experienced in years.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A live bullet hit the car.
“Ah…!”
Terror gripped Heeju, and she clutched the handle tightly. The rebels chasing them fired their guns from the jeeps surrounding them.
From the backseat, the Speaker tapped Heeju’s shoulder. He gestured urgently.
‘Just buy us some time. Our government forces are on their way!’
Heeju, cowering, relayed the message as best she could.
“He said we just need to hold out! The government forces are coming!”
“I don’t care what happens to the old man, as long as you don’t get hurt, that’s all that matters.”
Heeju was furious at his unkind words.
“What the hell were you doing all the way here…!”
“The thing I’m best at.”
As two vehicles tried to flank them, Baek Sa-eon pressed down harder on the accelerator.
“Driving?” she asked in a daze.
At her naïve response, he let out a dry laugh.
“No, scheming.”
“…!”
“Grabbing weaknesses on this side and selling them to the other—it’s what I’m good at.”
The rear window shattered. He made another sharp turn, causing Heeju’s head to hit the car door.
“When I lived here for a while, I teamed up with some multinational journalists to set up a shell company. Whether it’s rebels or government forces, I collect intel and trade it indiscriminately…”
He said while shifting up a gear.
“That Speaker back there? He was released from a prison camp thanks to some torture footage I recorded. Probably lost his ear back then too.”
“…!”
Heeju’s eyes widened in shock.
Torture footage was something she heard about. The incident that had made Baek Sa-eon famous overnight in his twenties. She glanced back and forth between the old man and Baek Sa-eon.
“But Heeju, you have a knack for ruining my plans again and again.”
“…!”
Heeju felt a heavy pang of guilt and bit her lower lip hard.
“Do you know how many times my plans have changed because of you? Plans are pointless when you’re around. The moment you get involved, everything falls apart.”
He clicked his tongue in irritation. Several hundred meters behind them, more vehicles closed in. From the jeeps gaining on them, long gun barrels jutted out.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The relentless impact rattled the car violently. An inexplicable anxiety gnawed at her, pushing Heeju to speak.
“You told me to…”
“…”
“You are the one who told me to come find you!”
Suddenly, the car swerved sharply, wobbling before steadying again.
Heeju clutched the fabric near her chest tightly and continued in her trembling voice,
“Y- You… always confused me. I’ve liked you since forever, but you made it impossible for me to hate you or let you go! Why did you make me like this?”
The desperation in her voice was evident. After months of bottled-up frustration, the raw emotion surged forward like water breaking through a dam.
“You made me think you cared…”
“…”
“You knew everything about me, even the things I hid from everyone else!”
“…”
“We even kissed!”
“…”
“We even slept together!”
The lack of response was a blow to her pride, and a wave of suppressed emotions threatened to engulf her. She fought against it, but the words spilled out before she could stop them.
“You’re the one at fault for making me think I could want more, you jerk!”
His neck reddened as if he were suppressing anger. The veins on his hands gripping the wheel bulged visibly.
‘I am the crazy woman who followed him all the way to this godforsaken place…! How could I back down!’
“If you had just stayed cold and distant, I might’ve given up on you someday! But why did you have to shake me up like this?”
The power of spoken words was undeniable. As she poured out her long-buried truths, a sense of lightness washed over her as if she were finally reaching out and connecting with him.
She wanted them to become closer.
“I have nowhere to go now! I’ve cut ties with my mom. I hate going back to my empty apartment. I don’t have friends, a boyfriend, or even a husband anymore.”
“…”
“So who am I supposed to live with now?”
The car swerved violently left and right.
“So if you’re going to die again, this time take me with you.”
The stench of burning rubber filled the air. Bullets continued to pelt the vehicle, making it rattle.
‘Look ahead!’
The chairman suddenly pointed ahead and banged on the seat, yelling something. Heeju’s eyes lit up as she translated.
“He says the government forces are just ahead!”
But no sooner had she relayed the message than bullets tore through the dashboard and ripped the seat fabric. The three of them ducked as the car swerved sharply. Several pursuing vehicles finally skidded out of control, falling back. The deafening gunfire made their ears throb.
“Ah…!”
The car was thrown into a violent lurch, tilting dangerously to one side. A sickening screech erupted from the warning system as another tire blew, sending the car into a terrifying skid.
“…!”
A relentless barrage of gunfire finally burst another tire. The car veered wildly, spinning out of control.
“Heeju!”
Baek Sa-eon immediately unbuckled his seatbelt and turned toward her. The car, skidding uncontrollably, plunged toward a grassy slope leading to the river below. There was no time to regain control or brake. Baek Sa-eon wrapped his arms tightly around her trembling body.
“――!”
The car plunged into the water at a terrifying speed.
