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Chapter 3
For now, she had no choice but to follow along, but she was worried about what would happen next.
That man was a gangster.
Didn’t she know how gangsters treated hostages in movies?
Like the hostages she had seen in some films—locked in a room, and when night came, subjected to even worse things.
A horrifying thought crossed her mind.
Her vision darkened and despair began to creep in. Unaware of Heeyeon’s inner turmoil, Yerim looked around the inside of the car for a while before eventually dozing off. As if she had been waiting for that moment, Heeyeon finally asked,
“Are you going to lock me up?”
“As if. The door will always be wide open.”
Heeyeon let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s not the real problem.”
“…!”
It was a subtle threat.
Even if she wasn’t locked up, it meant she wouldn’t be able to escape his watch. Whether she had freedom of movement or not, the fact remained that she was a hostage in his grasp.
He would surely monitor her every move.
Oppa…
Really… how could you…
Maybe he didn’t care about her, but didn’t he think about his own daughter, Yerim at all?
She resented Pilmo for causing this situation. Fidgeting anxiously, Heeyeon stared out the car window, completely unaware of the man’s gaze fixed on her.
She forced her eyes wide open, trying to memorize the route. She needed to know where they were taking her.
The car entered a quiet alley in Seongbuk-gu.
Soon, a grand gate opened, revealing a massive mansion beyond. Heeyeon felt her breath catch.
The wall, over two meters high, looked like it would prevent not only intrusion from outside but also any attempt to escape.
Swallowing dryly, she tried to remain composed as she stepped out, holding the still-sleeping Yerim in her arms.
A woman in a neat suit approached and greeted the man.
“Sir, you’re back. But… who is this?”
“My newly hired personal keeper.”
For a moment, Heeyeon was confused.
Keeper? It was an unfamiliar title. She had been kidnapped, and now she was supposedly a keeper—hired by him?
Why go that far?
He could have simply assigned someone to watch her.
And more than that, she didn’t understand why he wasn’t telling them she was a hostage.
“Oh, that’s good. The personal keeper position has been vacant, so I was worried about who would take care of you, sir.”
“If you need extra hands, take her along. She seems to cook pretty well, too.”
The man turned away, leaving the mother and daughter behind.
He had dragged them here by force, yet now that he was in his own territory, he seemed at ease. Of course, she wouldn’t be able to escape from a mansion that looked like a giant prison.
The woman cleared her throat and spoke.
“Follow me.”
“Ah… yes.”
The place she led them to was a room remodeled from the basement—likely where the household staff stayed.
Carefully, so as not to wake Yerim, Heeyeon laid her down on the bed.
“You’ll have to start working right away. Keep your child under control.”
“I understand.”
When the woman left, a sigh slipped out of her.
They had taken her child hostage as well.
She was afraid of what would happen next.
Her phone vibrated. It was her aunt calling.
—Heeyeon, are you okay? Where are you? What happened?
“Well…”
—I’m sorry. I tried to take Yerim home, but those people stopped me…
“No, it’s not your fault. I was the one who asked you to pick her up. And you don’t need to worry. I just ended up working here as a keeper.”
—What do you mean, keeper? You were dragged off out of nowhere. This is because of Pilmo, isn’t it? You got caught up in something bad, didn’t you?
“…No. I’m sorry for making you worry because of us…”
—Am I a stranger to you? Don’t say that.
Heeyeon was only worried that Youngsook might suffer because of Pilmo.
“Thank you, Aunt. And if my brother contacts you, please call me.”
—Okay. Don’t worry.
After hanging up, Heeyeon sighed again.
She bit her nails anxiously.
If her brother brought that woman back here, would they forgive him?
No. They absolutely wouldn’t. He might really end up dead.
Another deep sigh escaped her. They were only a year apart in age, yet her brother was so immature.
“Please… Heeyeon… Pilmo… he may be lacking, but… take good care of him…”
Even in her final moments, their mother had worried about her son. The two of them were all each other had in this world, bound by blood. Even though he had been out of contact for five years, he had at least been sending child support, so she had thought he had finally come to his senses.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“The director is calling for you.”
Heeyeon kissed Yerim on the forehead. The most important thing was to understand what was going on and protect her daughter.
“Mom will protect you…”
She went upstairs immediately. The man who had been waiting guided her to the second floor.
This must be his room.
Steadying her trembling heart, she knocked.
“This is So Heeyeon.”
“Come in.”
After forcing herself to calm down, she opened the door. As soon as she closed it behind her, she straightened her back and looked at him.
“You introduced me as a keeper. Explain what this situation is.”
“As you heard. In front of others, you’re my hired keeper.”
“Why?”
“Because it must never be discovered that you’re a hostage. Several lives depend on it.”
“…Lives?”
“The first head to roll would be your brother’s.”
He looked at her with dark eyes, and chills ran down her spine. It felt as though an invisible hand were tightening around her throat, and she swallowed hard.
“If you find my brother… will you kill him?”
“Well.”
“How can you talk about someone’s life so easily…? Yes, my brother was wrong to take someone precious to you, but still…”
He let out a faint, mocking chuckle. Though it was clearly a sneer, to her eyes it almost looked like a real smile.
After that brief smile, his cold expression bore into her.
“Are you reckless, or do you have two lives?”
“…You won’t be able to do anything to me. If my survival isn’t confirmed, my family will report me missing.”
“Saying that with such a frightened face is almost laughable.”
She flinched, her shoulders shrinking. In front of this man, every warning she made felt like empty bravado.
Her fingertips trembled, but her gaze did not waver.
“I’m not scared. F-fine. I just have to work as your keeper, right?”
“That’s right.”
Only after he nodded did she glance around the room.
What caught her eye was a pair of women’s stockings carelessly strewn in one corner. The bed clearly bore traces of intimacy.
Surely… “keeper” didn’t mean something other than housekeeper…
It wasn’t that, was it?
Feeling a piercing gaze, she turned her head. The man was slowly scanning her body.
Even in her loose T-shirt, her voluptuous figure was impossible to hide.
She was used to receiving suggestive looks, but in front of this man, she felt particularly conscious. An indescribable shiver ran from the top of her head to her toes.
“You’re not expecting something else from me, are you…?”
“Fortunately, you’re not my type.”
Heeyeon instinctively pressed a hand to her chest in relief.
“You think that’s fortunate?”
“Yes. I may have unwillingly become a hostage, but I still need to protect myself.”
“Unexpected.”
He stared at her.
What was unexpected?
Did he think that with this face and body, she could just seduce anyone into tearing off their clothes?
“I have my preferences, too.”
The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
So Heeyeon, are you crazy right now?
She should be trying to appease him, not saying things like that.
Regret came too late. But the man showed little reaction.
“Start by cleaning up the bed. I rolled around quite a bit last night, so it’s a mess.”
“…Understood.”
“Before that, attend to me.”
He slipped his fingers between his tie and loosened it. The slow way he untied it felt oddly suggestive.
Cold sweat trickled down her back. He pulled the tie free and held it in the air.
“…?”
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to take it?”
She reached out and accepted the tie. Their fingers brushed for a split second, and a sharp jolt—like static—ran between them.
It seemed he felt it too, as his smooth features tightened slightly.
It’s just dry air.
The weather…
Neither looked away first.
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. As his gaze deepened, she didn’t know where to look.
But it would be foolish to avoid his eyes. She felt like she must not look away.
What should she say?
A strong instinct rose within her—she absolutely could not yield here.
