#71
The sedan was speeding through the night streets.
“How did you… you…”
Idam’s lips trembled like aspen leaves at Han Jongcheol’s appearance. Han Jongcheol seemed to find Idam’s reaction amusing, as the corners of his mouth turned up unpleasantly.
“Ahn Juhan was bragging about getting a job at a pretty big private loan company recently. Damn. About a week ago, he said he was working overtime and saw you. But then suddenly there was no contact. Honestly, I thought it was good because I was sick of hearing him brag. But after half a day, I got this message?”
Han Jongcheol held out his phone screen to Idam.
Though the spelling was off, likely due to being sent in a hurry, the meaning was clear enough. Moreover, looking at the time the message was sent, it was around when Hayun was being moved to Taemin’s mansion. In other words, it could be assumed that Ahn Juhan had sent it while evading surveillance from Taemin’s employees.
‘It’s simple to make a person quietly disappear without anyone knowing.’
Taemin’s voice echoed in Idam’s head. This could possibly be Ahn Juhan’s last will. Feeling the tension rise, Idam swallowed hard.
“I wondered what the hell happened to make this bastard act like this. But then you walked into the convenience store. I couldn’t believe such a coincidence, but I thought it was an opportunity given by heaven.”
“…”
“Do you know Ahn Juhan’s whereabouts?”
“I don’t know.”
Idam denied it, trying to keep his expression calm. Though the tension was rising, he tried to remain composed to avoid arousing more suspicion.
“…”
Gradually, Han Jongcheol’s sharp gaze scanned Idam from head to toe. It was a persistent look, as if observing him.
“Your image has changed a lot?”
“…”
“That jacket you’re wearing is a luxury brand, isn’t it? And those shoes too?”
“…”
“A guy who always wore shabby clothes suddenly dressing up like this makes you even more suspicious.”
Idam hunched his shoulders. While the clothes Taemin usually provided were quite expensive, today he was wearing a suit chosen from a department store VVIP section to meet Taemin’s father. He was also wearing makeup, making his features even more striking.
Gradually, Han Jongcheol’s gaze moved to Idam’s wrists, which were bound with rope. His expression became that of a predator finding its prey as he quickly grabbed Idam’s wrist. Then he focused on the fourth finger of Idam’s left hand.
“Oh? Isn’t this a ring?”
“Ah.”
Idam let out a groan as cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Han Jongcheol’s eyes were now tinged with greed.
“Wow, look at that shine. Is this diamond real?”
“…”
Idam tried hard to maintain his silence. Han Jongcheol reached out to grab the ring, but Idam avoided it.
“Damn it.”
Han Jongcheol gripped Idam’s wrist as if he was about to break it.
“This looks like a wedding ring. Don’t tell me you got married?”
“…”
Idam didn’t answer. This made Han Jongcheol’s eyes grow even more vicious, as if further provoked.
“Because of your pheromones, you couldn’t have been with an alpha, so what kind of beta guy is it? Huh?”
* * *
“Found it.”
Taemin, driving the sedan at breakneck speed, spotted the old car that Idam was presumed to be in. It was a slower and seemingly more cramped car than expected, with scratches here and there. From Taemin’s perspective, it was practically ready for the scrapyard. If they were going to run away, they should have used a decent mode of transportation. Using something like that was frustrating.
But as far as Taemin knew, Idam didn’t have a driver’s license. He was still young and didn’t have the means to buy and maintain a car. So it seemed someone else was driving for him. Since Jang Hayun was currently in the apartment Taemin had set up, this meant there was another accomplice.
Suddenly, Taemin wondered how long Idam had been planning his escape and communicating with someone.
Until recently, he had been checking Idam’s phone whenever he was away or asleep, but there hadn’t been any notable contacts. Had he been communicating while evading Taemin’s surveillance? Was this fairy so clever?
In reality, if Taemin thought about it calmly, Idam’s escape was practically impossible. But right now, he was unable to properly assess the situation due to the shock of Idam leaving his side. With eyes crazed by jealousy, he recklessly increased his speed.
* * *
“Why can’t you answer who you married? Huh?”
Han Jongcheol shouted as if he was about to devour Idam. But Idam didn’t feel the need or desire to tell him anything, true or false, so he remained silent. However, this was only a temporary shield, and it felt like walking a tightrope on a cliff.
At that moment, a light was felt from behind. It seemed as if it would swallow the car they were in.
“Shit, what’s that?”
Han Jongcheol frowned and looked at the rear window. Idam also looked that way out of curiosity. The intense headlight beam temporarily made him squint, but soon he could tell it was a sedan. However, he couldn’t clearly identify the exact model or license plate.
Soon, the sedan’s speed increased even more. In an instant, it came right up behind their car and crashed into it mercilessly.
Bang!
With a loud noise, Idam’s body bounced off the seat and rolled onto the floor. Han Jongcheol’s face almost smashed into the front seat. It was because neither of them had fastened their seatbelts.
“Huh?”
The man in the driver’s seat also seemed flustered and quickly turned the steering wheel to the right. Soon, their car hit the guardrail and stopped. Being on a mountain road, if the guardrail had given way just a little more, they could have fallen off the cliff. Fortunately, there were no other cars on this road besides these two.
“Ugh.”
Han Jongcheol slowly got up and grabbed the back of his neck. He looked back with an enraged expression.
“Ah, damn it, what kind of bastard is crashing into us!”
The man in the front seat seemed to have lost consciousness, his head slumped on the steering wheel without movement. There seemed to be blood visible on his forehead.
Idam also felt dizzy but managed to gather his wits and tried to move his body. However, with his arms and ankles bound, it wasn’t easy.
Just as Han Jongcheol, who had been spewing curses, was about to get up from his seat, a long, large shadow fell across the car window.
“What the?”
He opened the car door with sensitive eyes. At that moment, a large hand shot out and grabbed Han Jongcheol by the collar. Despite being a beta and nearly as big as Ahn Juhan, Han Jongcheol was helpless against this sudden grip. In an instant, his body was dragged out of the car. And then he was thrown to the ground like trash.
“Damn it, who the hell…”
Han Jongcheol groaned and painfully raised his head. Then he felt his breath catch. A tall man was standing nobly, almost like a high-ranking official. He was wearing a neat suit with tidy hair and even had a strange dignity about him. Amidst all this, his Western features and piercing blue eyes added to his mystique. At a glance, it was clear he was an alpha, and one belonging to the upper echelons at that.
“Where is Yeo Idam?”
“Yeo… Idam?”
Han Jongcheol was at a loss in this incomprehensible situation, wondering why this alpha was looking for Idam. Soon, his gaze caught the alpha’s left hand. Though reflecting the headlight beam, its shape was clearly a ring. At the same time, the ring on Idam’s finger flickered in his mind.
No way…
Though he wanted to believe it was just a delusion, Han Jongcheol’s expression turned incredulous at this all too realistic guess.
Taemin also frowned as he faced Han Jongcheol. The face was familiar. Where had he seen it? He tried to recall. But it wasn’t easy. Soon, he strode over and shoved his hand into Han Jongcheol’s pants pocket, pulling out his wallet.
“Hey, give that back.”
Despite his shout, Taemin checked the ID in the wallet. The moment he saw the name Han Jongcheol, he immediately recognized who it was. He was one of the group that had bullied Idam during their orphanage days. Why would Idam seek help from a bastard like this? Did he want to get away from Taemin that badly? Moreover, his clothes were too shabby and his appearance unremarkable. Or was this dog bastard more affectionate? Or was it because they were the same age?
The flame of jealousy blooming in Taemin’s chest blazed higher, and his delusions grew.
Even if this guy and Idam were dating, Taemin had no intention of backing down. He planned to break them up using any dirty method, whether by force or by sowing discord. After all, Idam was currently his wife.
“I asked you where Yeo Idam is. Why aren’t you answering!”
Taemin, now highly agitated, shouted. Just as he was about to reach out as if to twist Han Jongcheol’s neck,
“C-CEO…”
The fairy-like voice tickled his ear. Taemin turned away from Han Jongcheol to look in that direction. The sound was coming from the back seat. But the voice lacked strength. He hurriedly opened the back door wide.
He saw Idam collapsed there. His arms and legs were tied, and his hair was a mess. His large eyes were brimming with moisture. It looked like he might burst into tears at the slightest touch.
“Hic… s-save me…”
This scene was clearly that of someone who had been kidnapped. He quickly entered the car and untied the ropes binding Idam’s body. Idam then raised his upper body and fell into Taemin’s arms.
“I was… I was so scared…”
“Were you very scared?”
“Yes… hic.”
Idam then burst into tears. Only then did Taemin realize he had misunderstood the situation.
“Now I… I don’t want to be apart from you, CEO. I want to always be with you…”
At Idam’s blind declaration, Taemin’s eyes gleamed pink. He knew he was a damn bastard, but at this moment, his dick was getting hard.
