TL | Chapter 35 | I Want to Hide Him Away

Leo and the other bodyguards swallowed nervously, thinking it might actually be better if someone just shouted or threw a tantrum.

Bang! Another gunshot echoed. This time, blood began to flow from the man’s right arm. He gritted his teeth, breaking into a cold sweat. Though he refrained from screaming, which was commendable, he was trembling like an aspen tree, as if he sensed his impending fate.

“This time was a mistake. With your right arm shot, you can’t shoot a gun anymore.”

Though he called it a mistake, Iden’s cold gaze made it clear he had aimed deliberately.

“Ugh… what do you want…?”

The man asked through a face twisted in pain. But Iden’s expression remained as icy as ever as he looked down at him.

“Nothing.”

Iden raised his gun slowly, aiming it precisely at the man’s forehead this time.

“After all, you don’t know who hired you.”

A professional killer had been hired. Regardless of the obligation to keep the client’s identity confidential, no one reckless enough to target him would expose themselves so obviously. So there was no point in threatening this guy; he clearly didn’t know who the client was.

If he didn’t know the client, there was nothing Iden wanted from him. All he was doing was venting his frustration at Seowon getting hurt.

“I’ll talk, I’ll tell you everything!”

The man shouted desperately when he saw Iden’s finger tighten on the trigger. Iden tilted his head, studying him.

“You know who it is?”

His voice was dripping with skepticism.

“N-no, I don’t know, but wait, just wait a second! Damn it! Please, just listen to me!”

“Damn?”

At Iden’s quiet tone, the man flinched.

“S-sorry, I’m sorry! But… uh…”

Iden wordlessly lowered his gun slightly before aiming it straight at the man’s head again.

“My phone! Check the caller ID on my phone! If you trace it, you might be able to find them. Plus, there’s a record of the money they sent! I’ll even give you all of it… so please… please, just spare me.”

The man’s spirit had completely broken down from what it had been initially. Even killers who didn’t hesitate to take lives seemed to value their own.

At Iden’s nod, one of the bodyguards rifled through the man’s pockets and found his phone. Seeing multiple phones emerge, Iden let out a dry chuckle, and the man quickly pointed to a black one.

“The last call is from him. Check for yourself.”

Every recent call was from the same number. The caller ID started with +1. It was a call from the United States. Maybe it was a rival faction within the American mafia? But he couldn’t be sure. It could just as easily be someone from Japan or China, aiming to create confusion by using an international number while angling for control over the recent casino business license.

When he pressed the call button, a recorded message played: “The number you have dialed is no longer in service.” It wasn’t surprising; he had anticipated this. After causing a commotion at the auction and capturing this guy, the client must have caught wind and erased their traces right away.

The transfer account was likely a dead end as well. Either it had been closed already, or it wasn’t even in the client’s name in the first place. Just in case, Iden instructed them to track the account.

“You should’ve quietly found a sniping point instead of causing a ruckus at the auction. Storming in there was way too reckless.”

Iden approached the man and lifted his chin with the barrel of his gun.

“Of course, even if you had sniped from somewhere unnoticed, we would’ve caught you. But at least your client would’ve taken a little longer to realize the job failed. You might have held onto your life a little longer.”

With each of Iden’s words, the man’s face grew paler.

“You were too loud. Your client bolted and vanished.”

The gun barrel traced along the man’s chin and forced its way into his mouth. Overwhelmed by terror, the man started sobbing, tears streaming from his eyes.

“It’s a shame. You’ve lost any chance of surviving.”

Iden whispered quietly, then pulled the trigger. Bang! The gunshot echoed through the warehouse as drops of blood splattered onto Iden’s face. Tossing the gun onto the ground, Iden pulled out a handkerchief, wiped the blood off his face, and left the warehouse without a hint of expression. Leo, who picked up the discarded gun, sighed deeply. Cleaning up this mess was now his responsibility.

**

Standing in front of the hotel room, Iden took a deep breath before holding his keycard up to the door lock. He had changed his clothes and wiped the blood off his face and hands after returning from the abandoned warehouse. He wasn’t sure if this was necessary, but knowing Seowon, he feared that if Seowon knew what he’d just done, he’d look at him with disgust.

Imagine, a mafia heir afraid of being looked down on for killing a single person…

It was absurd, yet because it was Seowon, he didn’t want to leave him any excuse to reject him. He didn’t want to be hated. He didn’t want to lose him. He hadn’t realized how much he cared about Seowon before. Of course, from the moment they first met, even that fleeting accidental encounter was intense, and he instinctively knew Ha Seowon was his Omega.

But “naturally” he’d been his to find and keep close. He was special, and there hadn’t been any consideration of anyone else but Seowon. Still, he had never actually worried about Seowon’s feelings. “Ha Seowon” had never objected to whatever he did and liked him for who he was. When he’d suggested they mark each other, or when he asked him to come to the United States with him, Seowon had never refused.

It was only after losing him that he realized Seowon was his heart. It wasn’t just about having a Marked Partner or being fond of someone; it was someone he couldn’t live without.

With just Ha Seowon gone, it felt like the world had stopped. He had no motivation for anything, and even breathing felt like a chore.

Would it be easier if I went to where you are? Would it be better to hope to meet you again in the next life than to endure time without you?

That night, he was thinking this while staring at a calm lake. And then, the present Seowon appeared in front of him. Whether he was a resurrected ghost or had fallen from another dimension didn’t matter.

Seowon had returned. He had a chance to protect him. He could keep him from being lost again. That was all that mattered.

So he didn’t want Seowon to hate him. He wanted this Seowon to choose him over the Iden he remembered.

With a deep breath that nearly turned into a sigh, he held up the keycard. When he opened the door and stepped inside, Min rose from his seat in the living room to greet him.

“Did everything go well?”

At Min’s question, Iden shook his head lightly. He hadn’t expected to find the client anyway, but Min still sighed softly, as if disappointed.

“And Seowon?”

“He’s asleep, possibly under the effects of the medication. You should go in and see him.”

Pointing to the bedroom, Min added that he’d give them some space. In the bedroom, he found Seowon sleeping as if he were dead, and a sigh escaped him.

When Seowon had jumped in front of the gun, it felt like his heart had plummeted. No matter how much he had told him not to do such a thing, it had been useless. Seowon hadn’t hesitated even this time.

How could he say he was different from “Ha Seowon” when everything was exactly the same…?

Luciano’s physician said it was a miracle. Even with a bulletproof vest, being shot from that close range could have pierced through, or even without penetration, the shock might have damaged internal organs. For it to end with just a slight crack in a rib, he said, was pure luck.

One misstep, and he could have lost him again before his eyes.

The thought made his blood run cold. He couldn’t forgive the man who shot Seowon or himself for failing to anticipate it. And, he was even angry at Seowon for throwing himself in without a second thought.

“You think you have a dozen lives to spare?”

Approaching the bed, he muttered as he looked down at Seowon. Even if he had nine lives like a cat, doing things like this over and over would break his own heart.

“What should I do with you? Honestly, I want to hide you away in a place where no one can find you, where no one can hurt you.”

The old him, the Iden from before he lost Seowon, might have done that. But now, he couldn’t. If he did, this stubborn Ha Seowon might just try to leave him.

A small, self-deprecating chuckle escaped. Since when had he become so timid? Now, he hesitated over every decision, wondering if it might drive Seowon away.

None of that mattered anymore. Whether he was stubborn or drew a line, none of it mattered. Just stay alive in front of me. That’s enough.

He reached out carefully, brushing Seowon’s hair away from his face. His fingertips felt the warmth of life, and a surge of emotion welled up in his chest.

Startling awake, Seowon gripped Iden’s wrist firmly. He opened his eyes with a frown, then, seeing that it was Iden, let out a short sigh.

For a brief moment, Iden could feel a mix of wariness and relief in Seowon’s actions.