Chapter 40.1

Jun-kyung looked at him with a gaze that was difficult to understand. The puzzle pieces in his head didn’t fit.

If they did, they would surely complete a huge picture.

Then, after a long time, he realized it as if he had been struck by lightning. He was saying that Executive Director Kim was the one behind this incident related to Kim Yi-woon. As he thought so, everything calmly fell into place.

Why it was so hard to catch a trace of Kim Yi-woon no matter how much they searched, and why he suddenly died in an accident in an absurd place.

“Some people will approach that woman. Investigate secretly. Obviously, you have to take into consideration the fact that they have made preparations to make him look innocent.”

“That woman, what…”

What should he do if something happens to her? When Jun-kyung was about to ask that, a sharp ringtone interrupted him. Holding his phone to change it to silent mode, Jun-kyung’s expression became unclear. It was a call from the men who were put next to Yoo-hwa. When the number that never contacted him first appeared at an unexpected time, he had a bad feeling.

“Excuse me for a moment. It’s a call from Gamjeon-dong.”

Woo-hyun’s expression subsided as he mentioned the redevelopment area around the place where Yoo-hwa lived. After checking Woo-hyun silently giving him permission, Jun-kyung turned around at an angle and picked up the phone. Jun-kyung didn’t give any particular answer, as he was listening to the other person’s report. After finishing the call, Jun-kyung’s forehead stiffened.

“What happened?”

Woo-hyun asked in a sinking voice. Jun-kyung stared at Woo-hyun, thinking that it sounded like he was urging him even though it was his usual tone.

“A few men rushed in.”

What should he do?

Jun-kyung asked with his eyes. Then, he thought. He thought it would be enough to take the guys that were outside and go there right now. And if anything went wrong, it wouldn’t be too late to call for backup. The fewer people who knew about Yoo-hwa, the better, so he was planning to move with the least amount of manpower he could trust.

However, Woo-hyun rose from his seat with a quiet and quick movement. He had no chance to stop him. Jun-kyung stared at Woo-hyun’s back, leaving the room in an instant.

Woo-hyun didn’t take action directly in his plans.

Because it was the way to do things at important times, and above all, because it was the worst way to get attention.

***

Around the time when the blue dawn light disappeared, Yoo-hwa, who woke up from her light sleep at the loud noise coming from the gate, froze. It wasn’t the noise of someone opening the gate, but someone breaking it. Someone was trespassing. The gate that didn’t move until now unless she opened and closed it.

Getting up without realizing it at the anxious premonition, Yoo-hwa opened the door and came out.

“Where are you going?”

“Hello, you fucking bitch.”

However, there were already men at the door. Yoo-hwa’s face turned pale. She knew that there was nowhere to hide in her life anyway. Although she knew… she tried to run away without realizing it. Somehow, she still had the instinct that she should live.

Yoo-hwa unconsciously wondered why she was trying to live so desperately, but she still couldn’t find the answer. There was no way she was going to find the answer today, the answer she couldn’t find even after thinking about it for so long.

Yoo-hwa bit her dry lips.

“We’ve been quiet for a while, haven’t we? Well. We gave you plenty of time, so where is the money? Did you get it all ready? Hm?”

The man asked, thrusting his face with a long scar closer.

“…”

“Why aren’t you answering? Are you fucking listening…”

“…”

“Are you pretending to be an idiot?”

Slap!

Her head tingled. Her hair, disheveled by the rebound of getting hit, blocked her vision. Yoo-hwa’s expression as she looked ahead through her scattered hair was unclear. She turned her head and looked at the three men in front of her with a dumbstruck expression, even losing her anger.

She didn’t even have 10 million won right now, let alone tens of millions.

She didn’t have that kind of money.

“… I don’t have it. That money, go get it from Kim Yi-woon.”

Yoo-hwa said, wiping the blood off her mouth.

“What money can I get from a dead bastard? If you have that kind of talent, you do it, you fucking bitch. If you borrow money from people, you have to pay it back. Why are you behaving like a lawless person?”

You’re the one who’s lawless.

Yoo-hwa held back her words as they were about to come out.

“Search.”

As the man in the middle motioned with his chin, the other two men quickly dug into the house. They walked into the house with their shoes on, not giving her a chance to stop them. She looked at the footprints they were leaving here and there with a despairing expression, and her eyes belatedly reached the fake flowers that had fallen to the floor.

The evidence of the dream she once dreamed had been squashed. She had hoped that her relationship with Woo-hyun wouldn’t wither, like the fake flowers. Even so, she wanted to hold on until the end. However, even if the fake flowers did not wither, it didn’t stop them from getting trampled on. Just like their broken relationship.

Then, when she unconsciously reached out her hand and tried to pick up the fake flowers,

“You, you have to talk to me, alright? Where are you going?”

The man blocked Yoo-hwa, who was walking powerlessly and staggering. The man, who was smiling, grabbed Yoo-hwa’s chin and turned it here and there.

“You look so pretty and got hit. It’s such a pity that you’re stuck in a corner like this. Why did the other bastards leave you alone? Hm?”