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chapter 25
Kang Jae pushed open the door at the end of the corridor and stepped inside.
The confined room hit him with a mix of overwhelming smells—alcohol and some indescribable, strange scent.
Inside, a man and a woman, already half-conscious, were tangled together in chaotic confusion. Had he come to a place he shouldn’t have? Yeon-seo bit her lip and carefully scanned the room, eyes full of caution.
“Take it easy and drink. This is our sister-in-law,” someone said.
“Sister-in-law? Whoa, so she’s Seo Do-heon’s wife?”
The woman in the red dress’s eyes lit up in surprise and delight.
Suddenly, all eyes turned toward Yeon-seo, scanning her up and down like famished hyenas.
“Oh, she’s even prettier than I imagined.”
“Wow, looks so fragile, like she’d break if you touched her.”
“Gorgeous. No wonder Seo Do-heon fell for her. Her face… she must be insanely expensive.”
The comments sounded like they were appraising a display item.
Yeon-seo shrank her exposed shoulders and debated leaving. The leering stares clung to her and made her uncomfortable.
“Hey, shut your mouths before I shove a rag in there! She’s our sister-in-law, so treat her nicely, got it? You idiots don’t even know your place,” Kang Jae said, lighting his cigarette with an irritated tone. Yeon-seo was startled—this was very different from how he had been at Myeongseonjae.
“Oh, come on, Yeon-seo. Come over here,” a man called from the dim corner, sitting with his legs spread wide and gesturing. A closer look revealed he was an actor famous for his lifelike villain roles.
In his hand, he held a glass filled with a dark amber liquid. For some reason, an unexplainable sense of unease crept over her.
“Since you’ve come this far, you have to drink, right? Here! Take it.”
When Yeon-seo hesitated, the man jumped up and approached her. Unable to break the atmosphere, she took the “on the rocks” glass he offered.
“Drink slowly,” he urged.
There was no way to refuse under the pretense of encouragement. With trembling hands, Yeon-seo raised the glass. The sharp scent of alcohol burned its way down her throat.
Her cheeks flushed instantly. She had never drunk such strong liquor before…
Yeon-seo had never tasted whiskey, and she didn’t know her own limits.
At that moment, the woman in the red dress came over.
“So this is Seo Do-heon’s girl I’ve only heard about! We can finally meet! Let’s get close. Come on, one more drink.”
“One more drink?”
“Yes! Don’t miss such a wonderful day!”
The woman poured whiskey into a clear glass.
Yeon-seo resolved to drink only three glasses. That should be fine, she thought. After that, she would refuse.
But as soon as she emptied the glasses she had set aside and began to refuse, her vision wavered.
She barely stayed upright by leaning on the shoulder of the woman beside her. The people around her seemed to spin in a dizzying blur.
“Kang Jae… aren’t you afraid Seo Do-heon will kill you if this goes too far? He looks scary when he’s pissed…”
Kang Jae’s next words were too soft to hear. Her closed eyes felt hot and heavy. What was happening?
“Wow… she’s so damn pretty. Too thin though, hugging her would hurt.”
“You bastard, back off! I’ll tell your girlfriend everything. Kang Jae, can I take her? Damn, the more I see her, the more my type she is.”
“Don’t touch her.”
“What? Then why did you bring her here? Damn, making me all horny like this…”
“I’m testing Seo Do-heon. I want to see that stiff face of his crumble.”
A terrible premonition sank in. She realized she had walked right into Seo Kang-jae’s trap.
“You bastard… even though he’s your brother, you’re cruel,” someone slurred amid the chaos, asking Kang Jae a loaded question.
“Is it because you’re a son from a concubine?”
“What did you say?”
“I’m saying it straight! You’re your father’s illegitimate son, aren’t you? That’s why you have inferiority complexes?”
Even from birth, Seo Do-heon had been privileged. Now, the speech that had previously been slurred was clear and piercing.
Crash!
Heavy glass shattered, the loud sound nearly tore her eardrums. Even with her eyes closed, she felt a sinister and dangerous energy.
“Have you finished talking?”
“What… what are you doing? Seo Kang-jae! Calm down! Are you trying to kill me? Pull yourself together!”
“If you want to live, kneel and beg, Joon-yong. Ten hits, no more…!”
The atmosphere turned increasingly hostile.
Yeon-seo wanted to escape immediately but could not break free from the oppressive gravity. The scent of perfume from the woman’s neck dulled her senses.
“Stop! Seo Do-heon’s here!”
Someone’s urgent shout reached her ears.
Amid the scuffle, the door slammed open.
Chaos erupted as sounds collided. Those who had been with Kang Jae quietly left the room. It seemed the people who had been indulging in pleasure in the room were only connected to him to that extent.
Soon, only Kang Jae, Do-heon, and Yeon-seo remained in the enclosed space.
Thud!
A heavy impact rang out.
When she managed to lift her heavy eyelids, she saw Do-heon sitting on Kang Jae, mercilessly pounding him with his fists. She couldn’t tell his expression through her blurred vision.
Oddly, Kang Jae seemed joyful despite the bloodied glass shards cutting his skin.
It was as if he were in another world.
Yeon-seo couldn’t distinguish whether this was a dream or reality. If it were real, she had to stop him immediately.
She could barely open her eyes. Her insides burned like fire, and her heartbeat raced uncontrollably.
“Your brother’s punches are strong,” Kang Jae laughed as he brushed off the shards.
“Ah! Ahhh!!!”
Do-heon crushed his foot with a shoe.
“If we call an ambulance, everyone in Korea will know what you did in this room.”
“It hurts!”
“When you go to Myeongseonjae like this, Chairman Seo and your father will interrogate you about what you’ve done.”
“Damn it!”
“That means you won’t be able to talk about this place, and I can do whatever I want to you. Just enough to not kill you.”
Do-heon’s tone was emotionless. Even as a half-brother, he crushed Kang Jae’s face without showing any signs of regret.
“I’m sorry! Please… my ankle will give out!”
Do-heon let out a low scoff at the hurried apology.
“This is why you’re hopeless. Dumb and quick to give up.”
He relaxed the force accumulated in his shiny shoe.
“You should have stayed dead no matter what I did to you—no reaction,” Do-heon muttered. Kang Jae’s submissive attitude seemed to irritate him.
Kang Jae didn’t answer, only occasionally groaning.
Soon, Yeon-seo felt herself lifted, and before she knew it, she was in Do-heon’s arms. His familiar scent tickled her nose.
Her mind spun in dizziness. Yet, knowing Do-heon was present gave her a faint sense of relief.
The lavish garden now looked desolate. Food, bottles, and trash littered the floor, giving a sense of ruin.
Kang Jae’s group seemed to have driven everyone else out. Even those remaining quickly gathered their belongings and left. Yeon-seo felt their curious eyes.
“…I’m… sorry,” she muttered in a deflated voice, words barely pushed out.
No answer came from him. Frustratingly, her consciousness drifted like a hazy fog.
Yeon-seo opened her eyes in an unfamiliar room.
The feel of the sheets and the mattress’ springiness were unfamiliar, making her feel disoriented.
The room was sparsely furnished. It was hard to believe someone lived here.
The only reassuring thing was Do-heon’s scent, lingering everywhere.
‘Is this where he stays alone?’
Yeon-seo touched her forehead and stood up, still nursing a headache as if carrying a sack of rice on her head.
How drunk had she been? Slowly, the events of the previous day came back painfully.
She worried about him, who had casually left after making her brother almost like a corpse.
Yeon-seo opened the door to find him. The tall man slept on the sofa, seemingly unaware the door had opened.
She knelt and observed Do-heon carefully. Unarmed and defenseless, he seemed both innocent and mysterious. How could he appear so contrasting when awake?
