Chapter 185
Though Eunseong was legally an adult, he still looked too young, and Director Nam felt uneasy about sending someone so inexperienced in the ways of the world to a foreign country, especially to a place where he knew no one—like pushing him into the jaws of death.
But ultimately, their relationship was poisonous for both of them. Eunseong suffered for being born with such marks, and Yoo Siwoon, born into that family with the bloodline of a breeder, was destined to suffer because of his birth.
It would be best if they could return to the time when they didn’t know each other, but it was too late for that.
Director Nam got out of the car first. Eunseong, who had been clutching the bag on his knees, also opened the car door and stepped out. The fishy smell of the sea reached his nostrils. In the distance, ships swayed in the waves as they lay anchored.
Director Nam, walking ahead toward the passenger terminal, occasionally looked back at Eunseong following behind. With the bag slung over one shoulder, Eunseong was walking with his eyes fixed on his feet, his lower lip firmly bitten.
“Meals are provided for the crew, but if you’re uncomfortable, you don’t have to leave your cabin. Should we buy some food to take with you? Bread or snacks… something like that.”
Director Nam asked as they entered the passenger terminal, looking around for a store. He wanted to send Eunseong off with just one more thing. Eunseong shook his head, saying it was fine. He didn’t think he would be hungry.
At the passenger terminal’s departure area, they completed the boarding procedures without any suspicion using Eunseong’s new passport.
Director Nam stopped in front of the security checkpoint.
It was time to part.
“After the baggage check and immigration, find this ship and board it. They’ll give you a room. It’s the same when you arrive. After disembarking, go to the terminal, go through immigration with your passport, and when you exit, someone will be standing there with your passport name.”
“What if there’s no one?”
“I told you a study abroad agency guide will accompany you. Do you think I’d send you alone? That guide’s role is to help you until you set up a bank account after getting off the plane.”
Although only Director Nam and Lee Joon-seung knew about this plan, personnel had been arranged in advance to protect Eunseong until he reached his destination.
Eunseong seemed relieved only upon hearing that someone would continue to accompany him.
“I’ll go now.”
“…Yes. Take care, Director. Thank you for everything.”
“…You too.”
“…”
“Don’t cry. Stop those tears now.”
“…Yes. To ahjussi… ahjussi… to Uncle ahjussi.”
Tears instantly welled up in Eunseong’s eyes and soon dropped down his cheeks.
“Please tell ahjussi… that I’m sorry for being mean to him, but I still can’t forgive him.”
“…”
Director Nam didn’t promise to relay the message, knowing he wouldn’t. Eunseong turned away, biting his lip to hold back tears. As Director Nam watched Eunseong’s back disappearing into the security checkpoint, his phone vibrated. Without taking his eyes off Eunseong, he answered the call.
“Yes.”
Still watching Eunseong’s back, he answered the phone, and an urgent voice came through from the other end. It was a call from the secretary who was supposed to accompany Yoo Siwoon to Washington.
“Director! Something terrible has happened!”
“What is it?”
The voice on the other end was breathless and shrill. Director Nam’s expression instantly changed from dejection to urgency.
“S-some assailants have taken the CEO away!”
“What are you saying? Assailants? Who was taken away? You’re saying CEO Yoo Siwoon was taken? Why? By whom, why?”
Director Nam demanded answers from the secretary who was panting incomprehensible words. He turned around hurriedly.
“I don’t know. They were strange people! Their eyes were eerie, as if they were wearing some kind of lenses, and they were dressed in all black. They suddenly appeared, put the CEO in a car, and took him away!”
“What… what nonsense is this! What kind of people are you!”
Strange-eyed assailants dressed in black.
It had to be the missing executives.
The secretary was saying that the executives had kidnapped Yoo Siwoon when he briefly stopped by the company to receive a briefing.
Before Eunseong had even disappeared from view, Director Nam turned around, left the departure area, and began running toward his car.
“Did you report it to the police?!”
“Yes! We reported it, and they’re tracking the vehicle number now!”
“Where are they headed, where?!”
It had to be the Yongse Pacheon Church elders’ council executives who had fled during the main church fire. They knew it was Yoo Siwoon who had caused the apostle’s removal and claimed their god was false, trying to eliminate it.
He had anticipated something like this might happen. He should have paid more attention to Yoo Siwoon’s security.
After pressing the secretary for more information, Director Nam ended the call and contacted Lee Joon-seung while running toward his car.
“Team Leader, it’s me!”
“What’s going on? Why are you like this?”
Lee Joon-seung’s voice also tensed up at the urgent, panting call.
“Those guys, I mentioned them before. Haa, haa, the elders’ council executives who ran away are still around, and those bastards seem to have kidnapped the CEO. Haak, haa, our side reported it to the police, but can you check the road CCTV?”
“When was this? At the company? Are you talking about Seongha Group headquarters?”
Lee Joon-seung also asked urgently while moving somewhere. Director Nam was about to explain the situation while catching his breath when he had a realization.
“I think I know where. To CEO Yoo Siwoon’s residence! They must have gone to the house! They believe Eunseong is there! They’re targeting Eunseong!”
Director Nam shouted, almost certain of his sudden thought. Running frantically toward the car while on the call, his breath rose to his throat. He took out the car key from his pocket, pressed the button to unlock it, and flung the door open.
“Can you come directly to CEO Yoo Siwoon’s residence? Mobilize all personnel you can right now… You need to come immediately!”
“What happened? What happened to ahjussi?”
As Director Nam was urging Lee Joon-seung while getting into the driver’s seat, he flinched at the sight of Eunseong. Eunseong, who had followed Director Nam with a pale face, shouted while catching his breath.
“What happened to ahjussi?!”
“…Come to CEO Yoo Siwoon’s residence right now. Right now.”
Director Nam made his final request to Lee Joon-seung and ended the call. He turned to face Eunseong.
“What’s going on? Tell me!”
“…Nothing.”
He was about to say it was nothing, but they both knew too well that such a statement made no sense in this situation, so Director Nam just closed his eyes tightly with a look of dismay.
“Where is ahjussi? Where is Uncle ahjussi right now?”
“I’ll handle this, so you should go. Stop caring about this family’s affairs. Live your own life.”
“…Where is ahjussi?”
“Don’t you understand what I’m saying? If you get entangled here, you’ll never escape. Yoo Siwoon won’t let you go.”
“…”
“Whether Yoo Siwoon lives or dies, don’t concern yourself.”
With eyes that looked like they might burst into tears at any moment, Eunseong gave Director Nam a resentful look as he told him to stop caring about Yoo Siwoon and end their relationship. In an instant, Eunseong snatched the car keys from his hand.
He pushed Director Nam aside, got into the driver’s seat, closed the door, and even locked it.
“What are you doing?! Get out! You don’t even know how to drive!”
Director Nam grabbed the handle and shook it violently, rattling the car door and banging on the window, telling him to stop immediately. Eunseong pressed the start button. He knew how to operate a car from playing games. He changed the gear to drive and stepped on the accelerator, making the car lurch forward.
“Seo Eunseong!”
Director Nam’s shout came through like a tear. His car lurched forward and hit the rear of a parked car.
He quickly reversed, making the car body shake, and then rammed into the front bumper of the car behind. Then he moved forward again as if charging, stopped with a screech, hit several cars, and couldn’t go far, anxiously repeating the pattern of moving and stopping.
Director Nam ran alongside the car and banged on the window as if he would break the car body.
“Get out! Stop! Hit the brake!”
After resisting for a while, Eunseong finally stepped on the brake and lowered the window.
“…Take me to ahjussi.”
Eunseong spoke while staring straight ahead, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that the bones on the back of his hand protruded white. It was a protest, saying he would not move from here unless taken to Yoo Siwoon. It was a threat to hit a few more cars.
“Haa, shit. This is driving me crazy. Really.”
“Ahjussi was trying to eliminate that cult… that’s why they took him, right? That’s what happened, right? Those people, the fanatics. The people who believe in me.”
“Just get out first. Turn off the engine and get out. Turn that gear to P.”
“Those people… no one can stop them except me. You know I have to go, Director!”
“…”
That was true. They knew who Eunseong was, and they were elders’ council executives who had no choice but to obey Eunseong’s words. If Eunseong stood in front of Yoo Siwoon, who was a non-believer and traitor to them, the executives couldn’t lay a finger on him.
“I’ll just save ahjussi and then go.”
“…Do you think you can leave after that?”
“I’ll just save ahjussi… and then I’ll go.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
