Chapter 55

Chapter 55

“Ah… shit. This isn’t the place?”

“She might’ve thrown that scarf there on purpose as a decoy.”

“Yeah… that makes sense too. Let’s check over there.”

The shuffle of footsteps—some lighter, some heavier—gradually faded. All four men had walked past the container truck I was clinging to and turned left.

Whew…

Once the footsteps disappeared completely, I lowered one leg to the ground. Then I let go of the protruding edge under the truck I’d been holding onto with both hands.

So this is what it feels like when all the strength drains from your muscles. My stomach hurt so much that even breathing was hard, my chest ached, and I felt numb all the way down to my fingers and toes.

But I couldn’t let exhaustion make me go limp. I’d made it through one crisis, but who knew when they’d come back?

I had to move. Keep hiding in different places until sunrise. Only then could I try to contact Shin Chi-woo, my last glimmer of hope.

I quietly picked up the rebar I had seen earlier. Then, slowly, I slid one leg out from under the truck, then my head—when suddenly—

“Bingo.”

“……!”

There were people at the front of the container truck where I’d been hiding. Two of them. And on the opposite side, too. The only slight relief was that they were both women.

It was clear they’d known I was hanging under the truck all along. They’d been hiding in the blind spots I couldn’t see from where I was.

Why had I assumed only four men were chasing me? Back in front of the warehouse, I’d seen at least a dozen armed people. The ones who’d made noise were just the bait to draw my attention.

“Stay back!”

“Put that down.”

“If you don’t want to die, get away from me!”

“If you’re not careful, you’ll just sprain your wrist, Miss Seo.”

“…Shit.”

“That thing’s heavy. Let’s not waste energy, okay?”

I swung the rebar in my hand wildly in a last desperate effort. But then, as if on cue, the other four—the bait—showed up. How was I supposed to take on six grown women?

“Back off, I said!”

But I didn’t want to give up. I threw the rebar at them with all my strength and turned to run.

I heard the clang of metal hitting the ground behind me, followed by a muttered, “God, what a pain.” My heart was ready to burst as I ran, but then—I saw a car blocking the end of the alley.

Shit… Did they really think they could catch me this easily?

Men were coming up behind me, the car blocked the front. The driver hadn’t stepped out yet—my last chance.

“What the hell—what’s with her? Is she nuts?!”

Without slowing down, I ran up the back of the car and vaulted over it. But as I landed, I twisted my ankle.

No matter how much a flea jumps, it’s still a flea. I ran like hell, and still I didn’t make it far. I was caught.

“Aaaagh!”

“Get her, get her!”

“Mmph…!”

“She’s pregnant, be careful! If she gets even a scratch, we’re in big trouble.”

So the lie about my pregnancy had already spread. If that’s the case, maybe I could use it to find another way out.

“Easy. Don’t hurt her.”

“You… bastards…”

Maybe they thought I’d bite my tongue and try to kill myself—someone shoved something into my mouth the moment I was caught. The soft texture told me it was likely a handkerchief. I couldn’t speak clearly, but I could still mumble.

Then the two women locked arms with me, one on each side, like they were escorting a criminal. I was dragged to the car and practically thrown inside.

“Don’t touch me!”

The woman holding my right arm completely ignored me and reached into my coat. When she pulled out my passport and plane ticket, my heart sank. Even the last chance of a miracle escape was gone.

“What about my dad? Where’s my dad?”

“You’ll find out when you get there.”

“But you said he was waiting for me!”

“He’s alive. Don’t worry.”

Could I believe that he was really alive? No—if he was, then maybe that was a good thing.

I didn’t have the strength or confidence to keep running anymore. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to just face the end together with him. That might be the greatest Christmas gift I could get.

“What about Mr. Cha…?”

“……”

“The big guy… the huge one, what about him?”

“……”

“Why won’t you answer me?”

“Do I have to? It’s not like you’re my boss, Miss Seo.”

Tears welled up again, this time for the people who had died unjustly. But I couldn’t let myself keep crying—not when Dad and Shin Chi-woo’s fates were still uncertain.

Now more than ever, I needed a cool head. Why wouldn’t they tell me whether the bob-haired woman and the big guy were alive?

Could those two gunshots have taken their lives? And if so, had their superior, Shin Chi-woo, also died by now?

“Get out.”

It had barely been five minutes since I was thrown into the car. It was devastating to realize that, even after running with everything I had, I had only made it five minutes away. Then I looked down at the ground, and my heart dropped. Whose blood was that, pooled in a dark red puddle over there? I prayed it wasn’t someone I knew, when a cold voice rang out.

“Walk properly.”

“My ankle hurts, okay?”

“It’s not broken, is it? Then walk straight.”

I’d thought the bob-haired woman was by the book, but compared to this one, she was an angel. My legs were weak from running, and I’d twisted my ankle. Walking properly was almost impossible.

But this woman clearly thought I was faking it. Her eyes were cold, full of unspoken curses. I wanted to snap back, but I held it in, limping toward the warehouse entrance. And then—

Earlier, there hadn’t been any cars here besides the one we arrived in. Now, several black sedans were lined up outside.

Had an audience gathered to witness the moment Dad and I died? That bitter thought struck me—followed by a sharper one. No… no way…

“Go in.”

The four men who had been chasing me, and the two women holding me now—none of them entered the warehouse. They only gave me a gentle push forward, like I was the only one allowed inside.

That made it all the more terrifying.

Once the women let go, I was finally free. I immediately spit out whatever they’d shoved into my mouth and threw it to the ground.

Ptuh.

I wanted to throw the saliva-soaked handkerchief in that woman’s face, but I didn’t have the guts.

Creeeak—

With a harsh metallic screech, the door opened. I didn’t even need to look far—at the center of the warehouse stood people whose faces I recognized all too well. And just as I feared, I was right.

So he was in critical condition and slipping in and out of consciousness? All lies.

He was in a wheelchair, still wearing an oxygen mask, but he didn’t look like someone on the brink of death. Chairman Pyeon Jae-ho greeted me with a beaming smile.

“Wan-yi, we meet again.”

Don’t act like we’re close. Ignoring his greeting, I called out for my father.

“Dad!”

“Wan-yi! What happened to your leg?”

“I twisted it—it’s not serious.”

He was alive. Dad was alive.

I limped toward him, dragging my foot and threw myself into his arms. Nothing else mattered in that moment—just the relief that he was still alive.

“Wan-yi, has it been three months since we last saw each other?”

“Chairman, please… not my daughter…”

“Dad…”

“I thought you were just some bookworm, but you’re pretty good at running, huh?”

Dad was kneeling in front of the chairman. Because I had rushed to him, I ended up collapsing onto the floor beside him, my entire body exposed to Chairman Pyeon’s mocking sneer.

There weren’t many people inside the warehouse. Most likely, everyone here was either a high-ranking executive or someone privy to Pyeonjae Trading’s deepest secrets. It seemed they had all been summoned here on purpose—to serve as witnesses to the brutal consequences of betrayal.

“So this man underestimated you, huh? You were running around like that—what about the baby? What if you miscarry?”

“Th-that…”

“No matter how I look at it, all I see in your belly is… semen. There’s not a hint of a baby anywhere.”

“……”

“Someone go get a test kit. She said it’s been three months, right? Let’s see if it turns bright red the second it touches her piss.”

“Chairman…”

“But you’ll have to do it in front of everyone here. Pee on it yourself. Wouldn’t want you bringing in a fake and claiming you’re pregnant.”

It was a relief to know Dad was alive, but I couldn’t lift my head after hearing what Pyeon Jae-ho said next. It was humiliating—every word sliced through me, and I could feel the sting of betrayal hidden in his tone.

Someone had sold me out.