Youn-Jae stepped through the terrace doors with a quiet, determined resolve. The cool night air clung to him, but within, his heart was blazing, kindled by a fierce, new determination. His unexpected encounter with Euan on the shore had unlocked something unyielding—a drive to dig deeper, to unearth the truth. It wasn't just about finding closure for himself anymore; it was about setting everything right, reclaiming what had been lost.
As he crossed the threshold, Kyle appeared from the living room, his brows knit with worry as he held out Youn-Jae's phone. "Youn, where have you been?" Kyle asked, his tone tinged with urgency. "Your phone's been ringing non-stop."
Youn-Jae took the phone, noting the screen's display—over twenty missed calls from Secretary Min. His chest tightened as he quickly dialed back, anxiety coursing through him. As soon as the call connected, he demanded, "What's going on?"
Secretary Min's voice came through, low and tense. "Someone was spotted snooping outside your apartment door. Somehow, he bypassed the building's security, and…" He paused, as if reluctant to continue.
Youn-Jae's voice sharpened with impatience. "And?"
After a few seconds of silence, he managed to say, though there was a hint of hesitation in his voice, "It's... Kwang-Seok," Secretary Min finally answered, his voice heavy with the weight of the revelation.
Youn-Jae went still, his grip tightening on the phone until his knuckles turned white. A surge of anger flared, mingling with the cold rush of dread. The name was venomous—a bitter reminder of a past he had tried so hard to bury. Images of his stolen childhood, of the mother he'd lost, rushed through his mind, each one twisting the knife deeper.
His voice, though controlled, carried an edge of barely restrained fury. "Where is he now?"
Secretary Min's tone was calm and reassuring. "He's secured at one of our safe houses. I've ensured he can't escape." He had also convinced the building's security team to hold off on contacting the police, promising to personally handle Kwang-Seok and oversee his eventual transfer to the authorities.
Youn-Jae took a long, measured breath, steadying himself. "Good. Keep him there. Let him know his forgotten investment is on the way." His words were laced with dark sarcasm, a thinly veiled threat simmering beneath the surface, fueled by the grudge that had burned in him for years.
He hung up, his jaw clenched as he tried to steady the storm raging inside. Kyle, watching him closely, stepped forward. "What happened?" he asked, his tone cautious but laced with concern.
"It's Kwang-Seok," Youn-Jae muttered, the venom in his voice unmistakable. "He's back. I have no idea what he's planning, but I'm not giving him another chance."
Kyle's face tightened with concern. "This is your father, isn't it? Your real father?" He didn't wait for an answer. "I'm going with you. It's too dangerous to let you go alone."
Youn-Jae glanced at him, a mix of urgency and reluctance flashing across his face. "Kyle, you don't have to—"
"No," Kyle interrupted sharply, his stance unwavering. "I know who he is to you, and it's not a good idea for you to face him alone, even with Secretary Min there."
Nearby, Tobi huffed, crossing her arms, her frustration palpable. "Seriously? You're arguing, and you're both just going to leave me here?" Her voice was a mix of exasperation and worry, the weight of their tension pressing on her.
Youn-Jae shot her a quick, almost apologetic glance, but his expression remained tense. "Tobi is right. She'll be left alone here, Kyle," he said, his voice tight with impatience. "Please let me go. I don't have time for more arguing. Kyle, you don't have to."
Kyle shook his head firmly, his posture stiff with defiance. His expression was hard, a flicker of frustration flashing in his eyes. "I know what this man has done to you," he said, his voice low and resolute. "If he's dangerous, I'm not letting you go alone."
Tobi sighed, sensing the deep gravity of the situation. Her arms dropped, and she took a breath before speaking, her voice laced with reluctant acceptance. "Fine. If Kyle wants to go, let him.... just don't take too long. And be careful."
Youn-Jae's gaze softened for a fleeting moment, his heart unexpectedly warmed by Kyle's unwavering resolve. He nodded, finally acknowledging the support, despite the storm that still raged within him. Together, they moved toward the door, each step weighed with purpose, their resolve palpable.
But as they crossed the threshold, Youn-Jae's mind was still tangled with unresolved emotions—fragments of the past, the shadow of Kwang-Seok's return, and the weight of the confrontation ahead. There was no room for hesitation now. The ghosts of his past were rising, and he had to face them head-on.
***
Youn-Jae and Kyle exited the vehicle, and Secretary Min swiftly approached, offering a slight bow while remaining visibly tense. The air around them was heavy with unease, as Youn-Jae's presence exuded raw power, simmering anger, and a hint of desperation. His gaze was sharp, burning with an intensity that made it clear he wanted this to end swiftly. Every second counted— he couldn't afford to be far from Euan, not when he needed to stay close and keep a watchful eye on him.
Youn-Jae's eyes, darkened with frustration and urgency, flicked over to Secretary Min. "Where is he?" His voice was cold, each word cutting through the thick air like a blade. The undercurrent of desperation was unmistakable. Every second he spent here was another moment away from Euan, and that was something Youn-Jae could not afford.
"He's inside, President. We've secured him in the room," Secretary Min replied, his voice steady despite the obvious tension in the air.
Without another word, Youn-Jae turned sharply and began walking toward the door. His pace was brisk, and Kyle followed closely behind, his usual calm demeanor now tempered by a slight concern as he watched Youn-Jae's every move. There was no mistaking the storm brewing inside him.
At the door to the room, Youn-Jae paused, his hand gripping the doorknob, the weight of the moment heavy on him. He glanced back at Kyle and Secretary Min, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and a drive that could not be quenched.
"I'll handle this," he said, voice low, a subtle warning in his tone. "Stay out here."
Kyle hesitated for a brief moment, but nodded, understanding that Youn-Jae's need for closure was something only he could face. With a sharp nod, Secretary Min stepped back as Youn-Jae pushed open the door, the harsh screech of the hinges cutting through the silence.
Inside, the room was dim, with only the faint light from a single window casting long shadows across the floor. Kwang-Seok was seated in the center of the room, hands bound to the chair, his head tilted back in defiance as he gazed at Youn-Jae's approaching figure. His eyes flickered with that same twisted amusement—the kind that always reminded Youn-Jae of the man's cruelty.
Youn-Jae's expression darkened further, and he closed the distance between them, standing directly in front of Kwang-Seok. "What were you doing at my apartment?" His voice was sharp, dangerous.
Kwang-Seok's lips curled into a grin, mocking Youn-Jae's fury. "What do you think, boy? I came to check on you. Isn't that what fathers do?" The taunt was venomous, meant to provoke.
Youn-Jae's face tightened, but he kept his voice steady, controlled. "Don't call yourself that. You're not a father." His fists clenched, but he held his ground. "What do you want from me?"
Kwang-Seok's grin stretched wider, his eyes glinting with malicious amusement. "Want? Oh, come on, can't I just be a concerned father, wanting to see my only son after all these years?"
Youn-Jae's expression turned to stone, his jaw tight as his patience wore thin. "Cut the games. What is it that you really want? Oh wait—how could I forget? Money, right?"
Kwang-Seok's smirk deepened, his eyes narrowing with cold amusement. "Money? Oh, I'm sure you've got plenty of that now, all thanks to the old man. But do you honestly buy into all his lies? You're nothing more than a puppet, eagerly dancing for a few scraps—his precious backup son."
Youn-Jae's blood simmered at the insult, but he forced himself to remain calm. His voice, though dripping with barely contained fury, stayed measured. "I couldn't care less about your pathetic attempts at provocation. Just get to the point, before I run out of patience—and trust me, that's coming up fast."
Kwang-Seok's expression shifted, his voice lowering into a mocking, almost gleeful whisper. "Oh, how does it feel to lose someone you actually care about? Let me guess, you didn't see that little surprise at the party coming, did you? And the cliff? Perfect view, don't you think? Watching the water just swallow him…"
Youn-Jae froze, the words slamming into him like a sledgehammer. His chest tightened, heart pounding as fury blazed in his veins. His hands acted on their own, grabbing Kwang-Seok's collar and yanking him forward with enough force to choke him. Youn-Jae's grip tightened, his voice a trembling snarl. " How do you know about that huh? How? Have you been trailing me like a pathetic little stalker this whole time?" He shoved Kwang-Seok back against the chair, knuckles white as he gripped tighter, his face inches from his father's, burning with a mix of rage and disbelief.
Kwang-Seok gasped desperately for air, his hands clawing at Youn-Jae's unyielding grip, his face turning a deep shade of red as he fought for each breath. His coughs were ragged, each one like a jagged knife tearing through the suffocating silence in the room. The sight of his near suffocation sparked something cold and vicious in Youn-Jae. With a violent shove, he threw Kwang-Seok back, sending him crashing forward. Kwang-Seok's chest heaved as he coughed uncontrollably, gasping for air, his face twisted with pain, but Youn-Jae's cold eyes showed no sympathy.
Wheezing, Kwang-Seok painfully massaged his neck, a cruel, twisted smile spreading across his face. "I should've shot him more... put a few more bullets in his body," he rasped, his voice thick with venom. "If it hadn't been for that damn interruption... he'd be dead by now." His words dripped with malicious satisfaction, the darkness in his tone twisting like a knife in Youn-Jae's chest.
Youn-Jae's body went ice-cold as Kwang-Seok's words settled in, each one a brutal stab to his chest. For a moment, his heart seemed to freeze in his chest, before it surged back to life with a violent, raging fire. His vision blurred, darkness creeping in as his rage took over. Without thought, his fist shot forward, connecting with Kwang-Seok's face in a brutal, sickening crack. The sound of bone meeting bone reverberated through the room, a sharp reminder of the pain that now consumed him.
Kwang-Seok's head snapped back, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as a strangled, mocking laugh escaped him. But Youn-Jae wasn't done. His body shook with an overwhelming fury, hands trembling as they balled into fists, ready to unleash another blow. The weight of everything—the betrayal, the pain—threatened to swallow him whole. All he could see was the face of the man who had destroyed everything he cared about, and in that moment, all Youn-Jae wanted was to tear him apart.
The air was thick with tension, the silence shattered only by the deafening crack of another punch landing. Outside the room, Secretary Min and Kyle were jolted from their tense waiting, their hearts racing in sync. Secretary Min exchanged a quick, worried glance with Kyle, a surge of panic rising in his chest.
"Youn, open the door!!!" Kyle's voice cracked with urgency, his pulse hammering in his ears. Without waiting for a response, he grabbed a nearby stainless steel chair and shoved past Secretary Min. With frantic desperation, he slammed the chair against the door handle, the sound of metal crashing against wood echoing as the door swung open with a resounding bang.
Inside, chaos raged. The dim light barely illuminated the nightmare before him, but Kyle's stomach dropped as he took in the scene. Youn-Jae stood like a storm about to break, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white. Fury radiated off him in waves, his anger practically palpable in the air. Kwang-Seok, sitting smugly in the chair, was bloodied and grinning, that twisted, malicious smile making Kyle's blood run cold.
"Youn-Jae, stop!" Kyle's voice broke through the suffocating tension, an urgent cry that tore through the silence. He lunged forward, grabbing Youn-Jae's arm just as he prepared to unleash another savage punch.
"Let me go, Kyle!" Youn-Jae snarled, his voice thick with fury, his body trembling with barely contained rage. His vision was blurred with a red haze, all sense of reason drowned beneath the torrent of emotions threatening to tear him apart.
But Kyle refused to let go, his grip tightening, using every ounce of his strength to pull Youn-Jae back. "Stop! You're going to kill him if you don't calm down!" His voice cracked with desperation, his eyes locked onto Youn-Jae's, searching for any trace of reason. "You're better than this. Don't let him drag you into his darkness."
Secretary Min stepped in, standing between them, his presence firm but filled with urgency. "President, listen to Kyle. This isn't the way," he urged, his voice steady but strained.
Kwang-Seok's mocking laughter sliced through the thick silence like a blade, filling the room with bitter venom. "You failed to protect him! You're nothing!" he spat, each word laced with malice, digging deep into Youn-Jae's soul.
Kyle's grip tightened as he felt the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm Youn-Jae. "Youn? What is he talking about?" he whispered, trying to steady his voice, though panic clawed at him.
Youn-Jae's eyes burned with a fury that seemed to consume him. "Tell me why you did that to Ji-Won!" His voice cracked, a mix of anger, heartbreak, and desperation spilling out as he struggled against Kyle's hold.
"Do you really think that knowing the truth will change anything?" Kwang-Seok's voice dripped with contempt. "Even if you figure out who's behind it all, you won't have the power to protect him."
Youn-Jae's face hardened, his voice low but laced with deadly promise. "Then if you won't tell me the truth, I'll make sure you rot in prison." The silence in the room was thick with tension as Kwang-Seok's eyes narrowed, his expression calculating, as though weighing his next words carefully.
"If you promise to help me hide from that coward Seo-Joon and the Chairman," Kwang-Seok finally spoke, his voice tinged with fear, "they're both out to kill me to cover up what they've done. Seo-Joon's just protecting himself because he knows I can expose him to the Chairman—about what he did to help Andrew. After all, that old man hired me to kill that bastard Ji-Won."
Youn-Jae's breath hitched, his world tilting as the truth crashed over him like a wave, suffocating him. His entire being seemed to freeze as the weight of the revelation settled in, slowly consuming his soul. He could feel the words sinking into the very marrow of his bones, and it was all too much.
"Let go of me, Kyle," Youn-Jae's voice trembled, but there was a new determination behind it, as though he was trying to regain some semblance of control over himself.
"No!" Kyle's grip remained firm, his voice unyielding. "You're not fine. Not yet."
"I'm fine now. Let go of me!" Youn-Jae's expression was resolute, but the raw pain in his eyes betrayed the storm he was struggling to keep inside, fully processing the horrors he had just heard.
Reluctantly, Kyle released his grip on Youn-Jae, and the moment his hands slipped away, Youn-Jae moved forward with a cold, determined stride. He grabbed the stainless-steel chair with a force that made the metal groan, settling into it as if trying to anchor himself in the chaos of his thoughts, his mind a storm of anger and disbelief.
Kwang-Seok's voice cut through the tension, thick with the weight of old wounds. "The moment I left you at the mansion, I rushed straight to our home to get your mother, but when I arrived, she was gone. So, I went back to the mansion, thinking she might have followed us there. And that's when I saw it..." His voice tightened "Mr. Kim was carrying Myung-Hwa's body out of his car—blood everywhere, her life draining out onto the cold ground."
Youn-Jae's body tensed, the words striking him like a blow, sinking deep into his chest. Kwang-Seok's smirk twisted with cruel satisfaction, his teeth gritting as he continued, savoring the anguish in Youn-Jae's eyes. "A few days later, I confronted the Chairman. I threatened him with everything I had. And what did that old fox do? He threw money at me, trying to buy my silence and continue his support. But then, as quickly as he could—he sent you to Germany, just to keep you out of my reach. He made sure I couldn't touch you, couldn't even speak to you."
"You're no different than him," Youn-Jae snapped, his voice cold with rage. "So don't ever act like you care about me or Mother. You're just as greedy, choosing money over us!" His hands gripped his face, fingers running through his hair as he pushed it back in disbelief. The weight of Kwang-Seok's words felt like a heavy shroud, suffocating him, pressing down on every breath he took.
"Yes, you're right," Kwang-Seok sneered, his voice dripping with bitterness. "I'm greedy. But did I have a choice? Myung-Hwa's already dead, and if I had fought that old fox, I'd be six feet under, too. Even with all my skills, money and power can still hunt you down. So, I chose to be practical."
"Practical!?" Youn-Jae's voice cracked with anguish. "That's how you justify it? Mother's dead because of you! You even killed Ji-Won!"
Kwang-Seok scoffed, his face twisted with exhaustion and sarcasm. "Oh, I'm so tired of your drama, Youn-Jae. So, what? You want to help me escape? You've got money, right? Give me some, and I'll disappear again."
Youn-Jae's heart clenched, but he held his ground. "Fine. But you'll help me first. If you can give me evidence of what they did, I'll consider your offer."
Kwang-Seok let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "Evidence? I've got everything you need. All the pictures I took before. There's a USB in my pocket. Take it, and you'll see the truth."
The words hit Youn-Jae like a slap to the face, disbelief flooding his veins. He stood abruptly, his muscles tight with fury, eyes burning with a mix of hatred and resolve. He locked gazes with his father for one final moment, his chest heavy with the weight of the betrayal. "Secretary Min," he said, his voice cold and strained. "Make sure he can't escape. Get that USB he's talking about."
As he turned to leave the room, each step felt like an anchor dragging him deeper into the darkness. The anger, the betrayal, it all coiled inside him like a storm, yet there was a fire of determination in his heart. He couldn't stay in this nightmare, not anymore.
The story doesn't end here...
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