TMYRA Chapter 14

Everything About Moon Soo-ah

 

“You need to put your fingerprint stamp as well.”  

 

“I have nothing to use for that. How am I supposed to stamp it?”  

 

“How? With blood, of course. Want me to cut off a finger for you?”  

 

“N-No.”  

 

Bo-kyung bit her fingertip until it bled. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pressed her bloody fingerprint onto the document.  

 

“You know, I hate it when women cry. It makes my pent-up anger explode.”  

 

As Mun-hwon slung the golf club over his shoulder, Bo-kyung forced herself to hold back her tears and got up from her seat.  

 

“If we happen to meet again, you can look forward to a fun little event.”  

 

As his subordinates stepped aside, Bo-kyung bolted out as if fleeing for her life.  

 

“Moon Soo-ah.”  

 

Soo-ah, who had been watching the scene in a daze, widened her eyes as she turned toward Seo Mun-hwon.  

 

“It’s not like I did this for you. I just can’t stand people coming into my space and acting like lunatics.”  

 

Mun-hwon held a cigarette between his fingers, and the subordinate holding the ashtray quickly stepped up beside him.  

 

He stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and ordered,  

 

“Clean up every trace.”  

 

“Yes, Sir.”  

 

“Then, have a good night.”  

 

With that brief farewell, Mun-hwon turned his back and disappeared. Soon, the golf mat and balls were cleared away, and the air purifier began running.  

 

The cigarette smoke vanished in an instant, and the broken flower pot was replaced with a new one. Only after everything was tidied up as if nothing had happened did Soo-ah finally relax.  

 

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, taking deep, shaky breaths for the first time. When she came to her senses, her face was covered in tears. For now, she was safe here, but once Ihan returned, everything would change.  

 

Eventually, she would have to leave this house, and Ihan would make her his in the end.  

 

Bo-kyung would ignore the promise she just wrote and hound Soo-ah relentlessly. The grim future she had momentarily forgotten loomed over her, making it hard to breathe. She couldn’t afford to sit around like this. She had to escape before Min Ihan came back.  

 

Soo-ah began thinking of ways to get out of this place.  

 

***  

 

Over the next few days, Soo-ah deliberately roamed around the living room often. She counted how many employees were in the house and took note of the faces of those guarding the entrance.  

 

That was when she discovered something new.  

 

The security guards didn’t stand watch at the entrance 24/7. Between 6 and 7 a.m., the entrance was left unattended. During that hour, even the in-house staff were absent.  

 

The employees arrived at 7 a.m. and worked in shifts until 7 p.m., after which they all disappeared. Worried that someone might be stationed outside, she carefully observed the area near the entrance around 7 a.m. when the employees came in.  

 

But there was no one. Using this information, Soo-ah planned her escape.  

 

She would leave the house a little after 6 a.m. If she happened to run into any of Ihan’s men nearby, she would make up an excuse—say she was just stepping out to buy sanitary pads.  

 

If no one was there, she would run away.  

 

But there was one thing that bothered her—the project she had been working on. Could she really leave it behind?  

 

Then she recalled the promise he had made.  

 

As long as she stayed out of his sight for 24 hours, she would win. If that happened, he would let her go freely. That meant she could take her project with her. But could Seo Mun-hwon really be trusted to keep his word?  

 

He was the kind of man who could make her disappear without a trace. Yet, she doubted he would lie. He had a large tiger tattoo on his body, but his gaze had always been steady and clear. Soo-ah decided to believe in that look.  

 

***  

 

[The day of her escape]  

 

At the crack of dawn, Soo-ah sat in the dark, waiting for 6 a.m. She had made all the necessary preparations. Her small bag was packed with essential items.  

 

Feigning thirst, she walked toward the dining room to get water while discreetly checking the entrance.  

 

No one was there. This was her chance. Carefully, she slipped on her shoes and stepped outside. Thankfully, there were no guards outside either.  

 

Just then, the elevator arrived, and she quickly stepped in, closing the doors behind her. The descent felt like an eternity, her heart pounding so hard it might burst. As soon as she reached the first floor, she dashed out of the building.  

 

It was early in the morning, so there were few people around, and the streets were quiet with no passing cars. Soo-ah followed her pre-planned route and headed for the subway station. She entered and boarded the train that had just arrived.  

 

Only after taking a seat in an empty spot did she finally catch her breath.  

 

But that moment was brief—after checking her surroundings, she quickly snapped back to full alert. The first thing she did was confirm the subway route. If she went as far as possible, they wouldn’t be able to find her.  

 

Last time, she had been caught by him in Gangnam. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again. If possible, she planned to leave Seoul altogether. She deliberately used a newly purchased transit card and transferred three times.  

 

She had never been to this part of the outskirts of Seoul before. From here, she decided to take a bus. As she climbed up from the station to find a bus stop, she saw men in black suits standing at the entrance.  

 

Could they be Seo Mun-hwon’s men?  

 

Soo-ah turned around and exited through the opposite side. She hid herself and observed from across the street. Several men were looking around the area, and among them, she spotted a familiar face.  

 

It was Jang Ji-cheol.  

 

How did they know I was here? Panicking, Soo-ah started running toward a row of buildings. If she got caught, it was over. She had made a deal with Seo Mun-hwon. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to explode.  

 

Soo-ah waited for a bus inside the front entrance of a building. She didn’t care which route it was. As long as it could get her out of here without being noticed by them, that was enough.  

 

She decided to get on the bus first and then figure out her next move. Clenching her fists, she stared straight ahead. A bus pulled in. Now was her chance. Soo-ah sprinted out the entrance and rushed toward the bus.  

 

Just as the doors opened and she was about to step inside—Men in suits appeared and lined up in front of her, blocking her path. Startled, Soo-ah turned around to run, but they had already surrounded her from behind.  

 

“Miss Moon Soo-ah.”  

 

A large, burly man stepped forward. It was Jang Ji-cheol. A deep scar ran across his face, and there was another one on the back of his neck. His expression was menacing, and his massive frame was intimidating.  

 

His very presence was enough to send chills down one’s spine.  

 

“It’s time to go back now.”  

 

But contrary to his rough appearance, he spoke politely. Soo-ah sharpened her gaze and stared directly at him. It was a silent refusal. However, Ji-cheol, unfazed, muttered indifferently.  

 

“If you don’t come with us now, CEO Seo Mun-hwon will come for you himself.”  

 

At the mention of that name, Soo-ah’s face turned pale.  

 

“Does he know about this too?”  

 

“Yes. He’s aware. I report everything about you to CEO Seo. That’s my job.”  

 

Soo-ah glared at him sharply, but Ji-cheol simply smiled kindly at her.  

 

“I’d rather not have to lay a hand on you, Miss Moon Soo-ah, but if you continue like this, we won’t have a choice.”  

 

Before he even finished speaking, men stepped in on either side of her. No matter how much she struggled, there was no way to escape. Realizing the situation was hopeless, Soo-ah had no choice but to follow them.  

 

They opened the door to a large, black car and gestured for her to get in. The car started moving, and the scenery outside the window came into view. It was a hot summer.  

 

The bright sunlight bathed the world in lush green waves, a dazzling season—Yet none of its beauty registered in her eyes. She had made a deal with Seo Mun-hwon. A crude, depraved one.  

 

—You have to have sex with me.  

 

Soon, she would have to fulfill that contract. Soo-ah pressed her lips together tightly, swallowing the sigh that threatened to escape.  

 

***  

 

At the office, he was reviewing sales reports when his phone rang. It was Jang Ji-cheol. Mun-hwon answered the call while skimming through the documents.  

 

“Speak.”  

 

—As per your orders, we have Miss Moon Soo-ah in the car.  

 

“How long did it take to find her?”  

 

—Three hours.  

 

“Feed her first. I’ll head out soon.”  

 

—Understood.  

 

After hanging up, Mun-hwon dismissed his staff and leaned back in his chair, cigarette in hand. He had intentionally made sure the guards at the door stepped away. And he had let the house staff talk loudly enough for Moon Soo-ah to hear when they wouldn’t be home.  

 

He hadn’t even stopped her mother from entering his house.  

 

All of it was so she would realize her situation and run away. She had taken the bait he had set out sooner than expected.