FTC Chapter 2(Part 4)

Seoyeon swallowed. She should have left the moment she woke up. Yes, she should have. She should have avoided making eye contact. But even as her breath caught for a second, she didn’t look away. She had started to understand Jaebin’s tactics—how he twisted situations to mess with her, how he looked at her.

“Isn’t it funny?”

“…”

“A man covered in blood is the chairman of a corporation.”

She stood up and walked toward him. The closer she got, the clearer his expression became.

“Who do you think holds the upper hand right now?”

Seoyeon grabbed his shoulders firmly, leaning in. She could feel the solid muscle of his trapezius under her grip.

“If I die or run away like you said—if I disappear, and your title as Mare Group’s son-in-law becomes nothing but an empty shell—”

“…”

“Then you’re just another gangster.”

The word ledger raced through her mind. It was the first thing that had come to mind when he mentioned running away.

Jaebin had figured out her plan immediately.

Find the ledger.

And escape this house.

Jaebin looked up at Seoyeon. Despite the close proximity, his expression remained utterly devoid of any tremor, surprise, or hesitation.

“So behave yourself.”

Seoyeon tightened her grip on Jaebin’s shoulders.

“Who knows? Maybe I’ll even play the devoted husband.”

And then—

Jaebin’s arm wrapped around Seoyeon’s waist in an instant. In the blink of an eye, she was pulled against him, her body pressed flush against his. Even through the fabric of their clothes, the solid firmness of his chest imprinted itself against her.

“…”

The memory of the dress shop resurfaced.

This time, she didn’t resist. She didn’t say a word. She just glared at him. Daring him.

“That’s not being good.”

Jaebin’s breath grazed the side of her neck. If he pulled her in just a little more, her chest would brush against his shoulder.

“That’s just expected.”

The sound of her swallowing echoed between them, thick and unsteady.

Jaebin’s eyes, devoid of emotion, traced her lips at an agonizingly slow pace. He knew exactly how to throw her off. And yet, despite the intimate closeness, there was no hunger in his gaze, no curiosity, no desire.

“Bastard.”

And still, his hand—

“You know it, don’t you?”

—pulled her in even closer.

A slight tilt of her head, and their lips would touch.

“That I’m a bastard.”

From below, Jaebin looked up at her and, with his free hand, tucked a stray lock of her brown hair behind her ear.

Seoyeon stared down at him, her gaze ice-cold. Their bodies were pressed together so tightly that she could vividly picture his frame beneath his suit—something she wanted to avoid thinking about at all costs. The tattoos hidden beneath his armor-like suit, the serpent coiling along his forearm with every subtle movement, the wings that stretched daringly across his collarbone.

And then, the moment teetering on the edge of something—

Mooyoung walked in.

Despite the frigid glares in the room, the air between them burned unbearably hot.

 

* ~ *

 

She still couldn’t get used to it.

Just the other day, she had been fitted for her wedding dress, and now, before she could even process it, she found herself standing in front of four unfamiliar dresses meant for the photoshoot. Everything had moved along seamlessly, as if the entire process had been waiting for her and her alone.

She had wondered how anyone could possibly prepare for a wedding in less than two weeks, but that question had already become meaningless—Jaebin had simply handed her everything she needed, one after another.

Had he really managed to order all of this in just a day or two based solely on the dress measurements from a couple of days ago?

“Director, you look absolutely stunning.”

With her hair and makeup done and the dress fitted perfectly, the woman in the mirror was unmistakably a bride.

Seoyeon stared blankly at her own reflection, struggling to believe that this ridiculous image was truly her.

“The most beautiful.”

“This isn’t right.”

Seoyeon’s quiet words made the staff member assisting her look over in confusion.

“I don’t want to be beautiful.”

—Not at all.

Pretending not to hear, the staff member hummed a tune and adjusted her earpiece to communicate with the manager.

“The most beautiful.”

Jaebin’s voice lingered in her mind, clinging annoyingly to her eardrums.

The photoshoot began in full force.

As if someone had gone out of their way to make everything as elaborate as possible, there were outdoor and indoor sessions, four different dresses, and a packed schedule.

Seoyeon, however, smiled effortlessly throughout it all.

She had learned Jaebin’s tactics by now—if she reacted, if she let herself get flustered or frustrated, he would only find it amusing and continue to toy with her.

So she made sure to smile.

And smile.

“President, could you hold her hand?”

Even when Jaebin laced his fingers with hers.

“Director Baek, how about leaning naturally on the President’s shoulder? Maybe a small gesture of affection?”

Even when the photographer suggested these things, she complied without hesitation.

Before she knew it, she was interlocking hands with Jaebin, her head resting lightly against his shoulder.

The photographer, the staff, the manager—every single person watching them had nothing but warm expressions, as if they were looking at a couple truly about to get married.

There were even moments when Jaebin’s hand brushed over her unnecessarily, despite no direction from the photographer.

A silent warning.

Stay still.

Don’t act out.

“…”

Seoyeon’s smile faltered for just a second as she turned to look at Jaebin.

The morning sunlight illuminated his face, casting a soft glow over his sharp features.

Even as their eyes met, he remained unbothered, calmly holding her gaze.

The photographer seized the moment, snapping away.

Seoyeon tightened her grip on Jaebin’s hand.

He glanced down at her, a faint smirk tugging at his lips—like an adult amused by a child’s defiance.

 

* ~ *

 

“I know everything I’m saying right now must sound ridiculous and absurd to you. But if things stay like this, I—”

Her break was only ten minutes long.

Since the silk dress was light and easy to move in, she managed to step away from the set and into the waiting room. In that short span, Seoyeon called her personal attorney.

Lawyer Jang Jaejin was momentarily speechless as Seoyeon poured out a story that sounded straight out of a third-rate drama—embezzlement records, her biological mother Go Hyunju committing fraud under her name…

“My mother registered my name in Mare’s finance department seven years ago. Back then, I was still in school—does that make any sense? If we exploit this loophole…”

[Have you seen those records yourself?]

“No, not yet. But I have seen the escrow account under my name. My name was clearly on it, and I took pictures of the transaction history with my phone.”

[What kind of transactions were recorded?]

“Trade payments, business transactions, investment funds, salaries, cash withdrawals… Some were just a few hundred million won, others were in the tens of billions.”

Seoyeon’s heart pounded violently.

She could hear Lawyer Jang jotting everything down before a brief silence followed.

Then came the question.

[What do you want to do, President Baek?]

Her lips parted slightly.

She stood frozen in her waiting room robe, fists clenched.

She didn’t need to think deeply.

One clear destination appeared before her, illuminated by a blinding light.

“Mare’s downfall.”

[…]

“No, my mother’s.”

Her gaze lifted, staring straight ahead.

“And a divorce.”

The ten-minute break ended.

Seoyeon hung up and returned to the set, standing beside Jaebin once more.

As she stepped out of the waiting room, she locked eyes with Mooyoung but didn’t pay him any mind.

She had expected Han Mooyoung to be keeping tabs on her, even eavesdropping on her calls—so she wasn’t surprised, nor was she flustered.

Instead, she simply took Jaebin’s hand again, smiling, while recalling Lawyer Jang’s last words.

“You need that ledger as undeniable proof.”

She had never stolen anything in her life.

And yet, that was precisely why she felt confident.

For the first time, a crack was about to form in the spotless porcelain life that Go Hyunju had so meticulously sculpted.

She would steal that ledger.

Expose Go Hyunju.

And ruin Woo Jaebin, who planned to use this entire situation to his advantage.

“President, how about a light kiss?”

At the photographer’s request, Jaebin lowered his gaze to her.

Sunlight streamed in through the large window.

Seoyeon looked up at him as he leaned against the windowsill.

He was dressed exactly as she had seen in her dreams—the same pristine wedding suit.

On the surface, he was a strikingly handsome and competent businessman.

But she knew what lay beneath.

The tattoos drenched in blood. The threats. The insatiable greed to possess and control.

A monster willing to use or destroy anyone to get what he wanted.

“…”

Jaebin didn’t hesitate.

His hand lifted her chin gently, tilting her face toward him.

She looked up at him wordlessly.

Once, even the smallest gesture from him would have left her flustered.

Not anymore.

Click—

Just as their lips brushed, the shutter sound filled the air, sharp and relentless.

Jaebin didn’t close his eyes.

His gaze remained lowered, skimming over her lips.

Suddenly, flashes of memories rushed through Seoyeon’s mind—

“Do you really need a reason for this?”

“Even if it means killing someone?”

“Watch your hands.”

“…!”

In that instant, Seoyeon grabbed Jaebin’s tie—

And pulled him into a kiss.

With her eyes closed, she parted her lips and bit down lightly on Jaebin’s before running her tongue over them. His body trembled ever so slightly.

The photographer, who had been frantically snapping shots, gasped and instinctively froze, his finger halting mid-press on the shutter.

Seoyeon tilted her head, gripping Jaebin’s tie even tighter, pulling him in so he couldn’t step back.

“…”

Jaebin narrowed his eyes, gazing down at her.

Seoyeon’s tongue pushed deeper, more aggressively, wrapping around his.

For what was supposed to be a light kiss, it was far too intense, far too deep.

Her free hand traced along the heated curve of his neck.

Their throats bobbed rapidly, swallowing each other’s breath.

Beneath her tilted chin, from her throat down to her collarbone, veins stood taut like a faint blue mountain range, pulsing with life.

Jaebin’s eyes darkened as he took in the sight of those delicate blue veins.

“…”

When their lips finally parted, the sunlight revealed the wet sheen coating her lips.

Only then did Seoyeon slowly open her eyes.

The sheer white wedding veil fluttered softly in the breeze leaking through the window.

And in that moment—

“…”

For the first time, she realized—

Even he could be shaken.

Dojun carefully split open the belly of the sea bream with his chopsticks, lifting a piece of white flesh.

His right hand was still healing, wrapped in bandages, so he clumsily maneuvered the chopsticks with his left.

As he chewed, his jaw muscles flexed and rippled, shifting beneath his pale skin.

“I hate to admit it.”

Hyunju took a sip of plum tea.

“But I got bitten. By my own dog.”

The news had come in—Oh Jintaek, the informant they had planted within the organization, had been hospitalized.

Dojun froze mid-chew at her words.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the nightscape of the Han River stretched out in shimmering lights, casting a glow into the dimly lit private room.

The table, large enough to seat six, was laid out with an opulent spread of Korean haute cuisine.

“…I’ll check on it again, Vice Chairwoman—”

“No. I will.”

Should she let it slide?

At Hyunju’s interruption, Dojun pressed his lips together.

“If we had killed him back then, everything would already be in chaos by now.”

She exhaled slowly, as if steadying herself.

“I fed that son of a bitch two hundred million won worth of premium Korean beef.”

Oh Jintaek had been the first informant Hyunju had successfully turned from Beom Jungang-pa.

Dojun lowered his head.

She had already figured it out and taken action.

“Woo Jaebin is faster than Chief Nam thinks.”

A chilling mist crept into her deep brown eyes.

“In eight years, he’s never taken more than a week to finish a job.”

“…”

“Just like Nam Hagyu.”

Dojun clenched his fist.

A thick vein bulged across his forehead.

Jaebin’s name was one thing.

But to hear the name Nam Hagyu—his father—once again…

“Bring me the ledger.”

Hyunju’s gaze bore into him.

Not at his face, but somewhere deeper.

“Kill whoever you need to.”

 

* ~ *