#192
Shinhwa Entertainment’s underground parking lot.
Eun-soo was diligently polishing the black Bugatti until it gleamed, rain or shine.
Even though it was pouring rain outside, he didn’t care.
He checked his watch.
It was almost time for her to come down.
Today, finally!
She had tacitly agreed.
He had booked a suite at the Hyatt Hotel.
Without realizing it, his face flushed and his heart beat rapidly.
“Hoo.”
He sighed, calming himself down.
Eun-soo swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.
He polished the car again diligently.
The more he looked at it, the more attractive the black color was.
It was perfect for commemorating today.
Eun-soo imagined it.
The moment he arrived at the hotel entrance and she got out of the car, the countless eyes that would be on him.
And how envious they would be of him when the ultimate beauty, Cha Boa, got out of the passenger seat next to him?
A man who has everything!
Just thinking about it made his shoulders rise and he felt a thrilling sensation throughout his body.
“Eun-soo!”
Boa’s clear voice rang out.
“What’s this car?”
“It’s my car now.”
“What? This is your car?”
“Yeah.”
“They just gave it to you?”
“Of course, we’re practically family.”
“Doesn’t seem like it. Tell me the truth.”
“Ah, I agreed to do them a favor.”
“What favor?”
“That’s a secret, heh.”
Eun-soo was in a hurry.
He was rushing without realizing it.
He wanted to get to the hotel quickly.
He opened the passenger door and took out a bouquet of roses, placing it in her arms.
“Thank you.”
Eun-soo’s heart melted because of Boa’s crescent-shaped eyes.
“Heuk, my heart…….”
“Hehet.”
“Shall we leave now?”
“Just a moment.”
Boa, with a smile on her lips, came close to Eun-soo.
She lifted herself on her tiptoes and lightly kissed Eun-soo’s red lips.
“Heup, Boa-ya, I can’t breathe…….”
“Hehet, let’s go.”
Just as she was about to get into the car, hiding her flushed cheeks.
A van screeched to a halt.
Men poured out of the car.
Sensing the danger, Eun-soo hid Boa behind him.
“What is it?”
“Let’s go together.”
“These bastards…….”
Eun-soo took out a self-defense knife from his pocket.
“Boa-ya, to the elevator!”
Protecting Boa, he backed away towards the elevator.
If they got on that, they could overcome the crisis.
Soon, the elevator arrived, ringing like a bell of salvation.
The door opened and a sharp scream.
-Aack!
Eun-soo, threatening the men with a knife to prevent them from approaching, lost his focus and turned his head.
Boa, who had fallen to the floor, came into view.
And.
-Jijijik
“Ugh.”
A pain that tore at his flesh was transmitted to his neck.
He tried to give strength to his body to avoid falling, but he couldn’t muster any strength at all.
When he opened his eyes, Boa was in front of him.
He tried to reach her, but he couldn’t move.
He shouted at the guys who were carrying Boa away, but no words came out.
He saw the face of the man who was giving him a bitter smile.
A black cloth covered his face.
‘Ha, shit, I didn’t expect it to come this fast. Yoon Jung-hoon, you son of a bitch.’
***
Jung-hoon was looking for Lee Seok’s secret hideout.
The men he had seen when he visited the Star Group last time.
It was clear that Lee Seok was secretly building his strength.
He had to find that place and destroy it.
Instead of a head-on confrontation, he chose to clean up one by one.
He needed bait, and Eun-soo stepped up.
He didn’t think that timid guy would step up.
He sat in the conference room and reviewed the plan.
“Always have about 100 people on standby.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
Park Chang-soo replied.
“The Chief of Staff should also keep checking Eun-soo’s location.”
“Yes.”
A strange sense of unease.
Jung-hoon got up from his seat and looked out the window.
The rain was pouring down.
“It’s pouring.”
He turned his head and looked at the people.
Their faces were full of worry.
“It’ll be alright. Don’t worry.”
Jung-hoon was also nervous and concerned, but he didn’t show it.
“Will it be okay? Isn’t it too dangerous?”
“No one will get hurt. I’ll make sure of it, so just trust me.”
“Yes.”
Park Chang-soo and Cha Young-mi looked relieved at Jung-hoon’s firm words.
The phone rang.
It was Kwak Hyun-soo.
“The guys took Eun-soo.”
“What? Already?”
He thought it would be a few days later, but they moved this quickly.
He was flustered.
He maintained a calm voice for now.
“You’re chasing after them now, right?”
“Yes.”
“Send me the location.”
“I understand.”
“Is he badly hurt?”
“……Yes, he seemed okay. It was an electric shock this time, so he didn’t seem to be hurt.”
“See you later.”
“Yes.”
Jung-hoon hung up the phone.
He felt the gazes on him, but he stayed still for a moment.
His most precious friend had been kidnapped.
His heart was pounding.
What if something goes wrong?
Did he make a mistake?
All sorts of negative thoughts came crashing in like waves.
He bit his lip tightly.
He tasted the fishy taste of blood.
He had to come to his senses.
He couldn’t waver.
He was almost there.
Eun-soo, too, was doing this at risk.
Jung-hoon raised his head and looked at them.
“Today, we’re going to smash those guys’ hideout.”
“Yes. We’ll prepare and leave right away.”
“I’ll send you the location in real time.”
Everyone got up and started doing their jobs.
Jung-hoon also left to join Kwak Hyun-soo.
“Chairman, be careful.”
“Just trust me. Everything will be alright.”
The rain was pouring down as if a hole had been made in the sky.
Jung-hoon drove through the torrential rain on the highway.
He was told that the guys who kidnapped Eun-soo went to Icheon.
Icheon?
Lee Seok has a private villa in Yangpyeong.
He expected it to be near Yangpyeong, but why Icheon?
He checked what was in Icheon, but there was nothing special.
A city with few Star Group affiliates.
It took quite a while to get to Icheon.
It took almost three hours because of the rain.
Kwak Hyun-soo was standing on a hill.
He pointed to where Eun-soo was.
It was an old and dilapidated mansion.
An old wooden house that looked like it came out of a horror movie.
“He’s inside there. Shall we go in now?”
“No. Lee Seok will come. Let’s wait for him.”
“Yes. Chairman.”
He desperately wanted to save Eun-soo, but he held back.
The opportunity was coming soon.
***
Ha In-sun was sitting at a hotel bar.
She was watching the pouring rain and drinking.
The place to go had disappeared.
Sitting there, even for a moment, made her feel comfortable and happy.
She cheered for the child and thought about old dreams and memories.
It was a moment to return to those innocent days.
It felt like even the sins she had committed were forgiven.
But Lee Soon-jin’s words were right.
It was greed.
She made up her mind not to look for it again.
She went back and forth several times.
There was only an empty space.
What filled the lost place was, in the end, only the alcohol that was eating away at her.
It was about the time when a bottle of whiskey was running out.
The phone rang.
“Mother, it’s me.”
She composed herself and answered in a cheerful voice.
She didn’t want to be caught drunk.
“Oh, what’s wrong, our Chairman?”
“You have to come to Icheon right now.”
“Icheon? Now? It’s raining today and I’m not feeling well.”
“Is that so? Your precious younger sibling is here…….”
Her pupils trembled at her son’s words.
“Wh, what are you talking about?”
“Father said he’s coming too. You should come too, Mother. Shouldn’t our family all be together?”
“Wh, what are you talking about? What are you talking about?”
Her voice grew louder.
But the other person was silent.
No answer was heard from the other side of the phone.
“Do as you please. I’ll be at the Icheon villa with my younger sibling.”
“Ah, no.”
The phone hung up.
Ha In-sun, flustered, staggered as she hurriedly got up.
The man who was guarding her ran up and supported her.
“I have to go to Icheon.”
“……It’s dangerous. Lee Seok’s movements are unusual.”
“I have to go. Eun-soo is in danger.”
“It can’t be done.”
It was a firm voice.
“The most important thing is the safety of the Madam. That’s my mission.”
“If that child gets hurt, I’ll get hurt too. I can’t hurt him again.”
The man pushed himself away
He looked at her walking ahead.
He thought that today might be the last day.
A burst of laughter escaped from his mouth.
It was a meaningless life anyway.
It wasn’t bad to die for someone.
If it was for her.
He checked the sharp knife in his pocket once again.
“I’ll serve you until the end.”
He put her in the car.
Gripping the steering wheel tightly, he drove towards Icheon through the heavy rain.
***
He came to his senses, but he couldn’t muster any strength in his body.
Why is this?
Is it because of the electric shock?
“Ugh.”
A groan came out of his mouth.
He opened his eyes and looked around.
It was dark, so he couldn’t see well, but he could see someone sitting in the faint silhouette.
“Boa-ya? Are you there?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, are you?”
“I’m okay too.”
“Wait, I’ll save you.”
He moved his body, which was tied to the chair, back and forth.
He approached Boa with a creaking sound.
It was when he barely approached her.
‘Damn it.’
The door opened.
“Chairman Lee Seok. Where are you? What are you doing now?”
Eun-soo was surprised by Ha In-sun’s voice.
‘Why is she here?’
It seems like Chairman Lee Seok called her.
‘What the hell is this bastard up to?’
In an instant, the dark room lit up brightly.
Eun-soo squinted at the sudden light.
He opened his eyes again and looked around.
It was the living room.
The windows were all covered with curtains.
She was standing in front of him with surprised eyes.
“Lee Hwan!”
“Hwan-ah, what’s going on?”
“It’s Jung Eun-soo.”
He made her call his name correctly.
“Th, that’s right, Eun-soo-ya, what happened?”
The man guarding her came up and cut the ropes.
“Are you okay?”
“No. I’m not okay. What are you doing here?”
“Chairman Lee Seok called me. I think we should get out of here quickly. It’s definitely a trap.”
The man said in a nervous voice.
“Hwan, no, Eun-soo-ya, go back quickly. This is…… I’ll take care of it, take Boa and get out of here quickly.”
“……Yes.”
Eun-soo stopped as he was about to take Boa and go outside.
“You have to go with us too. If Chairman Lee Seok set a trap, I don’t think I’m the only one he’s targeting.”
“That’s right. I’ll take the lead.”
The man opened the door first and went outside.
-Ugh!
Shouts and screams were mixed together.
The sound of metal clashing and dull screams were heard in succession.
And he came back, stepping backwards.
The white shirt inside the suit was stained with blood.
“Y, you have to avoid it. Madam.”
He took a stance with the knife in his hand, but he already had no strength.
In the end, he staggered back a few steps and collapsed to the floor.
“No!”
Eun-soo grabbed Ha In-sun, who was running out.
He put her behind him.
Protecting Ha In-sun and Boa, he guarded the front.
He heard footsteps and he came in.
“Lee Seok, you son of a bitch.”
“Tsk, you should call me hyung [older brother]. Even if our fathers are different, we came out of the same woman.”
“Shut up!”
The man was sitting down, but he still took a stance to attack.
Lee Seok, who kicked the head of the staggering man, smiled bitterly.
“Mother, did you see your younger sibling as much as you wanted?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Why didn’t you hide and peek every day? Hahaha.”
“Shut up.”
Eun-soo looked at her at Lee Seok’s words.
She avoids his eyes.
“Should I call you Hwan? How is it to see your mother, whom you secretly hid and watched, up close? Isn’t it good?”
“Shut up.”
“Well, it seems like the mother-child reunion went well. If you want to save Eun-soo and Cha Boa, sign the inheritance waiver.”
“What? You think you can take control of the Star Group by writing that?”
“Of course. That person will be with me too.”
Chun Sung-han came in through the open door.
Chun Sung-han looked at Ha In-sun.
“We decided to live happily together after Lee Hwan died, didn’t we?”
His expression twisted.
“But, what is this? You messed everything up.”
Chun Sung-han rebuked Ha In-sun.
“Did you think I wouldn’t know? ……I’m putting it back in its place.”
Ha In-sun glared at Chun Sung-han.
She continued.
“I found out too late that you were Kim Ae-wol’s child. Kim Ae-wol was trying to swallow Cheonjihoe [a secret society] and this country through you and Lee Seok. I was just your toy and seed.”
“What are you talking about, a toy, a seed. How precious you are…… Keu keu keu, how precious your body is, keu keu keu.”
A vile laugh filled the room.
“You dirty bastard. I was so foolish and angry that I was deceived by you.”
Ha In-sun screamed like a beast, looking at Chun Sung-han.
“Mother, let’s talk about your grievances later and quickly put your stamp here. That way, both of them and you will live.”
She hesitated for a moment at Lee Seok’s words.
She obediently approached Lee Seok and put her stamp on it.
“Keep your promise, son. Please.”
It was a pleading, trembling voice.
“Pooh, well. I’ll think about it.”
“How can you do such a shameless thing…….”
“Isn’t that what you taught me?”
Her shoulders trembled.
“Then shall we get rid of the aftermath?”
Lee Seok raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
The man in front of the door took out a knife.
With a blank face, he approached Eun-soo.
At that time!
“Eun-soo-ya”
“You son of a bitch, it’s here!”
Eun-soo’s mouth blurted out swear words because he was so happy.
Jung-hoon came.