Whisper Chapter 14

“What happened, sweetie? Are your eyes just for decoration? Fuck, you took over ten minutes just staring at it without even touching it, and now you’re making a fuss about where it went.”  

 

The macaron he had put in his mouth was already gone. Only then did Jang Pal-yong look at Lee Heewoo, who was holding a fork in both hands, staring down gloomily at the beautifully set table.  

 

Damn it. A great sinner, a great sinner.  

 

“Sorry, I am really sorry, Heewoo. I’ll buy you a whole box of these, okay?”  

 

Jang Pal-yong, who was used to living among men, felt flustered by this situation.  

 

“It’s okay, Sir Jang Pal-yong. Let’s share it, okay? It’s my first time seeing these, that is why I was staring at it for so long, no need for you to apologize.”  

 

Lee Heewoo felt bad, thinking that Jang Pal-yong was being scolded because of her childish behavior. She wasn’t even particularly greedy for food, yet she was embarrassed. Hastily, she placed a new fork in front of Jang Pal-yong, almost tossing it.  

 

“I am really sorry. And you! Stop staring! You’re killing me with your eyes!”  

 

No matter how bad someone’s temper was, freaking out over a single macaron was just insane. Doing all these unfamiliar things at once? This new side of him was utterly exasperating.  

 

“Pal-yong, don’t you have work to do?”  

 

“As if. There’s no end to work. I forgot earlier—I need approval for this. It’s urgent, so it needs to be reviewed quickly and processed for payment.”  

 

Jang Pal-yong handed over the documents he had tucked under his arm to Cha Gyeol, then laughed as he watched Lee Heewoo carefully nibbling at the edges of the cake without disturbing its decorations.  

 

“Heewoo, do you watch TV?”  

 

“…….”  

 

Lee Heewoo was too absorbed in the cake, which melted away the moment it touched her tongue, to answer. While she was still gathering her words, Jang Pal-yong continued talking, absentmindedly crumpling the fork in his hand.  

 

“Do you like dramas? What do young people watch these days?”  

 

“I haven’t really watched any.”  

 

“What? You don’t watch dramas? Then what do you watch? Variety shows? That matchmaking one?”  

 

“…….”  

 

Ninety percent of Lee Heewoo’s attention was on the cake, making her response slow. She stared blankly at Jang Pal-yong, who was passionately discussing dramas.  

 

“Don’t watch that kind of thing too much. It’s trash.”  

 

Cha Gyeol, who had been reviewing the documents, suddenly spoke up, reaching out to ruffle Lee Heewoo’s hair before withdrawing his hand.  

 

“Geez, you just had to say it like that. If you always sit alone, it will get boring. But if you eat something sweet while you watch something, time will fly by.”  

 

Jang Pal-yong unzipped the luxury pouch he always carried under his arm, pulled out a tablet, tapped on it a few times, and then handed it to Lee Heewoo.  

 

“I don’t lend this to just anyone, but since it’s you, Heewoo, I’ll make an exception.”  

 

Lee Heewoo, caught off guard by the gesture, hesitated before taking it, then glanced at Cha Gyeol.  

 

“Do you want to watch?”  

 

Cha Gyeol turned his gaze, smirking at Lee Heewoo, who was subtly sparkling with anticipation. He found it both endearing and amusing that she was asking for his permission.  

 

“Can I?”  

 

“It’s going to be pretty stimulating. What if you get scared, little miss?”  

 

The absurdity of it all left him speechless. Seriously, was there something else inside that body? He seriously doubted it. Either a ghost or a fox—one with ninety-nine tails, at that.  

 

“I won’t get scared since I have you here with me.”  

 

Lee Heewoo, wide-eyed and serious, looked adorable. But to Jang Pal-yong, who was watching them both, their behavior was utterly baffling. What the hell was Cha Gyeol trying to do with this kid?  

 

“If you say it like that, I have no choice but to let you watch.”  

 

Cha Gyeol clicked his tongue, tapped the tablet screen, and played a video. As soon as the images and sound appeared, Lee Heewoo’s eyes widened. Cha Gyeol, who was sitting at the edge of the sofa, pulled Lee Heewoo back to sit properly and adjusted the screen so it wouldn’t be too close.  

 

Watching them with a peculiar expression, Jang Pal-yong chuckled as the drama’s theme song played. He hated overcomplicating things and reminded himself that it was best for his mental health not to care what Cha Gyeol was up to. He just hoped Lee Heewoo would enjoy the drama.  

 

Then, suddenly, he remembered the opera tickets he had stashed away.  

 

He needed to give them soon. But how could he hand them over without getting cursed out by Cha Gyeol? His sluggish brain worked overtime as his eyes landed on Lee Heewoo.  

 

Hmm, if Lee Heewoo wants to go, wouldn’t that solve the problem?  

 

Satisfied with his own idea, Jang Pal-yong decided to wait for the right moment.  

 

So she is not a goldfish’s tail , but can be a budding trainer, huh?  

 

Jang Pal-yong grinned to himself, gleefully manipulating someone else’s future.  

 

***

 

Secretary Lee, despite having turned sixty this year, had no gray hairs, a face with few wrinkles for his age, and a solid physique. He gazed at Chairman Choi in silence. As his executive secretary, managing even his private affairs, he had already been with the company for twenty years. When he first joined, Chairman Choi had been the vice president of Seoan Holdings, a subsidiary of the Seoan Group, while Secretary Lee was just a regular secretary on the team.

 

It had been a chaotic time. Even now, thinking back to that period, there wasn’t much that he could clearly remember. After the sudden passing of Choi Ho-young, the chairman of the group, Chairman Choi had risen from vice president of Seoan Holdings to chairman of the Seoan Group.

 

Although Choi Ho-young had only one son, he was known for raising Chairman Choi with strict discipline and strength. Chairman Choi’s mother, Son Gye-yeon, was just as relentless, ensuring that not even the slightest blemish could taint her son’s path to inheriting the group. Since Chairman Choi had no siblings, Choi Ho-young used his own brothers to spur him on. However, after Choi Ho-young’s passing, those very brothers turned into blades pointed at Chairman Choi.

 

His uncles were constantly eyeing his position, and Son Gye-yeon, rather than intervening, watched from the sidelines, enjoying the process of her son growing stronger. She even sent Chairman Choi’s wife abroad with their son to study.

 

Such was the overwhelming influence of the late Choi Ho-young and Son Gye-yeon.

 

Back then, even Chairman Choi had been in his forties.

 

***

 

“The image quality is bad.”

 

Chairman Choi’s voice pulled Secretary Lee out of his memories. The chairman, his face now more hardened than in his younger days, was looking at him.

 

“Yes. It’s difficult to capture President Cha. He’s extremely perceptive. It’s not easy, Chairman.”

 

Chairman Choi’s expression, which had been displeased due to the poor image quality, brightened slightly at Secretary Lee’s words. Seated with a cup of his favorite green tea between them, they exchanged occasional words.

 

“Lee Heewoo, was it?”

 

“Yes, it seems President Cha met her while handling an assignment.”

 

“What was the assignment?”

 

“He was tasked with bringing in a well-known shaman.”

 

“A shaman?”

 

“I looked into it, and she’s quite famous, especially among politicians.”

 

At Secretary Lee’s words, Chairman Choi let out a thoughtful hum and fidgeted with the photograph he had finished looking at.

 

The one stain Son Gye-yeon had never been able to tolerate—that was Cha Gyeol.

 

Secretary Lee first learned of Cha Gyeol about three years after joining as a secretary. By that time, Chairman Choi had already dealt with all of his father’s siblings and had firmly established himself as the head of the group. It was also around that time that Son Gye-yeon passed away at home due to a heart attack.

 

– “Drive to this address.”

 

The address written on the memo Chairman Choi handed him led to a middle school in Seoul. It was relatively close to where Chairman Choi lived, and that was where Secretary Lee first saw Cha Gyeol.

 

– “He’s my son.”

 

At those words, Secretary Lee had no idea how to respond. He held his breath, simply staring at the same place as Chairman Choi.

 

They looked alike. Even without being told, it was obvious they shared the same blood. While Chairman Choi had a strong, masculine face with sharp features, Cha Gyeol’s features were finer and more strikingly beautiful. He was the type to stand out unmistakably.

 

– “…He does resemble you.”

 

At Secretary Lee’s cautious remark, Chairman Choi smiled, seemingly pleased.

 

– “I want to bring him in, but I’m not sure.”

 

At that time, Chairman Choi’s wife and son were still in the United States. An illegitimate child—especially one born into one of the three most powerful chaebol families in South Korea—would undoubtedly cause an enormous scandal.

 

Yet, for whatever reason, Chairman Choi insisted on meeting Cha Gyeol.

 

***

 

“Who is the one who ordered the shaman to be brought in?”

 

“Assemblyman Im Kyung-jin, the ruling party leader.”

 

Chairman Choi’s thick eyebrows shot up.

 

“So she is the shaman’s granddaughter?”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

Chairman Choi’s sharp gaze dropped back to the photograph in his hand. He tapped the corner of the picture with his fingers as if lost in thought, then sank deeply into the sofa.

 

“He might come looking for me if something happens, right?”

 

Secretary Lee’s eyes widened slightly at Chairman Choi’s words. His expression seemed to say, Surely not. Chairman Choi chuckled at that look.

 

“Chairman, I still get chills when I think about how President Cha turned this place upside down.”

 

“He was impressive.”

Impressive… That wasn’t exactly the right word for it. Watching Chairman Choi smile in satisfaction, Secretary Lee shook his head.