Chapter 95
The city lights stretched across the road as I drove through the night, my fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel while my thoughts refused to settle.
I reached for my phone and dialed his number again.
Still no answer.
"…Seriously?"
I ended the call and immediately dialed again, but the result was the same.
I pulled the phone away before letting out a frustrated sigh.
"…Why is everyone trying to piss me off today. You better have a good explanation when I get there, Haemin."
My jaw tightening as irritation continued to build inside me.
Don't tell me he's still working…
I glanced at the time displayed on the dashboard.
It was already late.
Did me Yuna keep him there on purpose?
The thought alone made my expression darken.
Being affectionate with him right now…
The image flashed briefly in my mind—
And it immediately made my mood worse.
"…Tch."
No.
She wouldn't dare.
Still…
The irritation lingered.
To distract myself, I reached forward and turned up the radio volume.
Soft static filled the car for a moment before a news broadcast came through.
[—photos circulating online have sparked widespread discussion involving Daehan Group Vice Chairman Hwang Sera and the secretary to Nara Group's chairwoman—]
So it's already spreading.
[The images, believed to have been taken yesterday, appear to show the two in an unusually intimate manner—]
A quiet chuckle escaped me.
[While neither party has issued an official statement, the incident has quickly gained traction—]
I leaned back slightly in my seat, finally relaxing.
Good.
Now…
Yuna would need to be more careful if she planned to pull anything on Haemin.
After all—
She wouldn't want to be labeled as someone who steals another woman's man.
The faint smile on my lips lingered for a few seconds as the news continued playing in the background. I was just about to reach Haemin's apartment, the familiar street coming into view as the city lights reflected across my windshield. For a brief moment, the irritation from earlier began to fade, replaced by a quiet sense of satisfaction.
But it didn't last long because my phone suddenly vibrated.
I glanced at the screen and immediately picked it up.
"Well?"
"Ms. Hwang… there's a problem."
The moment I heard his voice, my expression darkened.
"What happened?"
There was a brief hesitation on the other end.
"…That guy. It looks like he sensed something was off. He left earlier than expected. By the time I arrived, he was already gone."
"…WHAT!?"
"I broke into his residence. But everything was already cleared out. It looks like he moved everything beforehand."
A cold silence filled the car.
"…You're telling me… you found nothing?"
"…I'm sorry, Ms. Hwang."
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
"… Bunch of… USELESS!"
"Ms. Hwang, I—"
"I told you to monitor him, and yet you let him slip away?"
I exhaled sharply, anger boiling inside my chest.
"How hard is it to keep an eye on one person? Are you telling me you couldn't even do something that simple?"
"…I thought—"
"You thought? Did I pay you to think, or did I pay you to get results? Because from what I'm hearing, you're doing neither."
"…I apologize, Ms. Hwang. I will continue searching—"
"You better," I muttered coldly. "Because if you don't find him before I do… you're done. You hear me!?"
"Yes, Ms. Hwang."
I was about to continue when—
My eyes suddenly caught a familiar figure near the entrance of Haemin apartment.
"…Hold on…"
My breath caught.
Not far ahead…
I saw two familiar figures standing near the apartment entrance.
Isn't that Haemin? What is he doing outside at this hour?
It looks like he's with someone—
Jun-Ho?
My eyes widened.
"…What is he doing here?"
I immediately slowed the car, stopping at a distance, making sure they wouldn't notice me.
"…Ms. Hwang?"
"Call me back later."
I ended the call immediately.
My gaze remained fixed ahead as I watched them from afar.
They were clearly talking.
My heart began to beat faster.
A cold sweat slowly formed on my back.
Why would he visit Haemin here?
My mind started racing.
Did he want to screw me over?
Did he come here… to tell Haemin everything about me?
"…Damn it…"
My eyes remained fixed on them, not daring to look away even for a second.
I don't know what they were saying.
And that only made my frustration worse.
What were they talking about?
What did he tell him?
That bastard…
I clenched my jaw again.
I wanted to get out of the car and stop the conversation immediately.
But I couldn't rush like this.
What if they were talking about something else?
What if I overreacted and revealed myself for nothing?
My breathing grew heavier as I continued watching them from a distance.
This is killing me.
Anxiety slowly crept into my chest, tightening with every passing second.
Come on…
Just end it already… please.
Then—
They finally moved.
It looked like their conversation was ending.
Jun-Ho slightly bowed.
He was about to leave.
I needed to know.
I needed to know what they talked about.
Forget about the file, if he already exposed me… and Haemin became afraid of me after this. I swear…
I quickly started the engine again, my gaze following him as he went inside his car.
The moment he drove away—
I followed.
My grip tightened around the steering wheel as I accelerated, keeping my distance but making sure not to let him out of sight.
I couldn't let this go.
My heart pounded harder as I pressed the accelerator.
The road ahead opened into the highway.
I kept my eyes locked on his car ahead.
Should I stop him now?
The thought crossed my mind, but I immediately hesitated.
We were already on the highway.
Stopping him here would be dangerous. One wrong move, and it would be the end of it. And knowing him, he wouldn't panic easily. He was the type who stayed calm even in unexpected situations.
Besides, he was probably already on high alert by now.
If he noticed something suspicious, who knew what he might do next?
That man was cunning.
Should I call my men to block the road?
But that would create unnecessary trouble. And if the authorities got involved, things would get even messier.
.
…Screw it.
I didn't care anymore.
If that happened… I would deal with it later.
Right now, I needed to stop him.
Without thinking further, I reached for my phone, preparing to make the call—
But then—
I noticed something.
His car began to slow down.
"…What is he doing?"
The brake lights glowed red as his car gradually moved toward the side of the highway.
And then—
He stopped.
I instinctively slowed down as well, maintaining some distance so it wouldn't look too obvious.
My adrenaline was pumping hard.
Did he notice me?
I slowed further, my car rolling forward slowly as I watched him.
Then—
The driver's door opened and Jun-Ho stepped out.
For a second, I froze.
He stood beside his car calmly, as if he had already expected this.
Then—
He looked directly at me and raised his hand slightly.
Waving.
A faint smile appeared on his lips as he gestured toward the roadside, signaling for me to park aside.
My breath caught.
So he already knew I was following him.
A quiet laugh slipped out of me.
"…Heh."
I leaned back slightly in my seat, shaking my head as a faint, bitter smile formed on my lips.
I thought I was being careful.
How humiliating.
I must've looked like a fool… sneaking behind him like this, while he calmly waited for me to reveal myself.
I took a slow breath, forcing my expression to settle before opening the door and stepping out of the car.
The night air hit my face as I walked toward him. I kept my expression calm, hiding the irritation inside of me.
Jun-Ho watched me approach, his faint smile still resting on his lips.
"Ms. Hwang," he greeted calmly.
I stopped a short distance in front of him.
"So, you already knew I was following you?"
He gave a small smile.
"I also think you should call back the man you sent to my house."
A soft chuckle escaped me.
"…Just how much did you anticipate this?"
His gaze remained steady.
"Well, since you've been shutting up everyone involved in your case against that woman, and I was the last one remaining who knew about it… I assumed it was only a matter of time before you decided I was no longer necessary."
I let out a quiet laugh and applauded.
"You really are impressive, Jun-Ho."
His expression didn't change.
"Since you already understand my intentions," I said calmly, "let's cut to the chase."
My gaze sharpened.
"What were you doing at Haemin's apartment?"
He remained calm.
"It's nothing. I just dropped by to see him one last time and to say goodbye."
I stared at him.
"…That's it? You expected me to believe that?"
"I'm telling the truth, Ms. Hwang."
"It wasn't just that, was it?"
Jun-Ho remained silent.
"Tell me exactly what you told him."
A small sigh escaped him.
"Like I said, it wasn't anything important. I met him just to say goodbye and to make sure he was alright before I left."
"Don't play games with me, Jun-Ho."
"I'm not. We only talked briefly. Honestly."
My anxiety slowly tightened in my chest again.
He was lying. I could feel it.
My thoughts started racing even faster.
He definitely told Haemin something. I was certain of it.
"You told Haemin something about me, didn't you?"
His expression shifted slightly for the first time.
"W-What? No… I'm not. I'm telling the truth. We just had a brief conversation. That's all!"
My breathing grew heavier.
No.
This wasn't enough.
I couldn't read him.
I couldn't tell what he was hiding.
And that uncertainty was driving me insane.
"…Jun-Ho."
"I'll ask you one more time."
I took a slow step closer, my eyes never leaving his.
"What did you tell him?"
"Ms. Hwang—"
Before he could finish—
*Click*
The faint metallic sound broke the silence.
I pulled a pistol from inside my coat.
In one swift motion, I raised it and pressed the cold barrel against his forehead.
His body stiffened instantly.
I tilted my head slightly, my gaze turning colder.
"Do you feel like talking now?"
Jun-Ho slowly raised both hands, his movements careful and measured.
"Ms. Hwang… please take it easy. You don't want to do this here."
My grip tightened.
"And why wouldn't I?" I replied coldly, my finger still resting near the trigger. "There's nobody around. Who exactly is going to stop me?"
The highway was quiet at this hour. A few distant headlights passed occasionally, but no one paid attention. The wind brushed faintly across the empty roadside.
I stepped closer, pressing the barrel more firmly against his forehead.
"Now tell me."
Jun-Ho exhaled slowly, still keeping his hands raised.
"I don't know what else you want me to say, Ms. Hwang," he replied calmly. "I already told you. I really just went to see Mr. Kim one last time. I didn't say anything about you at all. Do you really want to go this far over something you're not certain of?"
A quiet laugh escaped me again.
"…You still want to lie to me? Even at this point?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he lowered his gaze slightly.
"Don't you think this is enough, Ms. Hwang?"
"You've crossed every line up to now. There's nothing left that can justify what you've done," he continued quietly. "All the things you've done so far… isn't it time for you to stop?"
My eyes narrowed.
"The woman you killed… she's already dead. Why do you still want to punish everyone related to her as well?"
The gun remained pointed at his forehead as the wind blew softly between us.
"Do you really want to ruin yourself like this? And Daehan Group… do you really want to drag its name down with you?"
"It's still not too late for you to change, Ms. Hwang."
My lips curved into a faint, cold smile.
"…So that's why you stole all the files? Just to expose me? Are you trying to bite the hand that's been feeding you?"
"Don't you think I won't drag you down with me if I fall?"
Jun-Ho gave a small shake of his head.
"…I don't care."
There was no hesitation in his voice.
"I appreciate what you have done for me and my family all this time, Ms. Hwang. And maybe because of that, I bluntly followed your orders out of gratitude. But I can't keep living like this anymore. And I'm sure my late wife wouldn't want to see me like this either."
I let out a quiet breath.
"…It's already too late for you to change, Jun-Ho."
Silence fell between us again.
I stared directly into his eyes.
"I'll ask you one last time."
My voice dropped lower.
"What did you tell Haemin?"
Jun-Ho hesitated for the first time.
"If Mr. Kim finds out you're this kind of—"
*BANG*
The sound of the gunshot shattered the quiet night.
He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence.
His body jerked slightly before collapsing backward onto the pavement.
Silence returned just as quickly.
Only the faint echo of the gunshot lingered in the air.
For a moment, I simply stood there, staring down at him.
Blood slowly spread beneath his head, dark and thick against the cold asphalt, trickling outward in uneven lines. His eyes remained half-open, frozen in that last moment of shock he never had time to process.
My grip on the pistol loosened slightly.
"…You really shouldn't have used Haemin's name like that."
My voice came out quieter.
The irritation inside me hadn't faded. If anything, it was still burning.
"…Trying to provoke me…"
*BANG*
*BANG*
I fired another shots into his motionless body.
The sound echoed sharply across the highway. The impact caused his body to jerk slightly again, fresh blood staining the pavement and splattering lightly across my sleeve.
"…Ungrateful bastard."
I lowered the pistol slowly, then walked back toward my car and leaned against the hood before slowly sitting on it. My fingers reached into my coat, pulling out a cigarette and a lighter.
The flame flickered briefly in the night as I lit it.
I inhaled slowly.
The smoke filled my lungs before I exhaled, watching it dissolve into the air.
My heart was still beating faster.
I took another drag, trying to calm the lingering tension inside me.
The silence returned once more, broken only by the distant sound of passing cars far away.
Once I finished, I flicked the stub aside and reached for my phone.
"Yes. It's me."
My voice was calm again.
"I need you to do some clean up. I'll send you the location."
"Also, prepare a witness and a suspect."
"…Understood, Ms. Hwang."
The call ended.
I let out a slow breath before slowly laying down on the hood. The metal was warm beneath me and the air cooled my skin as I stared up at the dark sky above.
The tension in my chest began to settle.
I lifted my phone again and unlocked it, the screen lighting up my face in the darkness.
My thumb moved instinctively and stopped.
Haemin's photo filled the screen.
For a moment, I simply stared at it in silence.
My gaze softened just a little.
"…You won't hate me… right?"