Chapter 238
Chapter 238
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: The Police Raid
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I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them at the sight of the bright red sports car that was impossible to ignore.
It was so embarrassingly ostentatious it gave me chills just looking at it.
'Stay calm. It's all for the greater good.'
Hypnotizing myself, I flashed a smile. Hyun Tae-seong, half-leaning on the open-top sports car, gaped at me.
"I'm a bit late, aren't I? Sorry about that."
It had been a while since I'd worn heels, so my line of sight was a step higher, making it feel awkward. I walked over pretending I hadn't almost tripped, and Hyun Tae-seong blinked before blurting out.
"...You startled me."
"Huh?"
"You were so beautiful, I thought my eyes had gone blurry."
Wow. He delivered that cringeworthy line without batting an eye.
I got that he was trying hard to flirt, but it was just pitiful.
Still, I didn't let my true feelings show and grinned.
"You're too kind."
"I'm serious. It's an honor to escort you today. Once we get to the party, everyone will be too busy staring at you, Miss Uyeon."
I gave a shy smile and slid into the passenger seat. Hyun Tae-seong fussed over buckling my seatbelt himself.
"Shall we head out?"
Hyun Tae-seong beamed, oblivious that he was boarding an express train straight to hell.
Glamorous lights and a pitch-dark interior. Even a thick haze of smoke from who-knows-what.
I'd only heard rumors about places like this before—never stepped foot in one myself. I had to work hard not to grimace.
"This way. Watch your head. The entrance here is a bit narrow."
"Oh, sure."
"As you know, places like this are hard to come by these days. Some clubs do it out in the open, but I'm the cautious type."
Hyun Tae-seong winked. My stomach churned.
"That's why everyone comes to me, though. Ah, we're almost there."
The music grew louder.
The door swung open.
The faint music exploded into my eardrums. Hyun Tae-seong seemed to say something, but I couldn't make it out.
My ears ringing, I winced and rubbed them as Hyun Tae-seong led me striding inside.
People spotted him and approached with welcoming faces.
"Hey, thought you weren't coming today. But here you are."
"What, playing hard to get~."
"Things changed."
They shouted greetings like old pros, practically yelling.
People already out of their minds were sprawled across sofas everywhere, and those greeting Hyun Tae-seong had glazed-over eyes.
'All familiar faces.'
Chaebol heirs, second and third generations. I'd glimpsed them before regression too.
They looked fine on the surface. Had they been doing this behind the scenes back then? Their faces seemed even younger than in my memories, leaving me with a strange feeling.
"And who's this?"
"Hello~."
The drugged ones slurred half-assed greetings.
"Go play over there. Your big bro's got his own plans tonight."
"Huh? Look at this guy?"
"Oooh~. Hyun Tae-seeeong~."
They giggled, then staggered off.
Throwing in teasing jabs like "Good luck" was par for the course. Disgust crawled up from my ankles.
Hyun Tae-seong casually shoved aside a slumped body and sat on the sofa.
In the center sat what looked like a hookah.
I stared at it blankly, and Hyun Tae-seong chuckled.
"You've got more patience than I thought."
"Huh?"
"Honestly, I figured you'd bail halfway through the drive and demand we turn back."
It was a taunting tone.
"That's why I told the driver to take the scenic route. What a letdown."
No wonder the trip took forever despite not being that far. I'd broken a sweat keeping up with his vapid chatter.
And it was all on purpose.
'...What a creep.'
He wanted to see me squirm.
"But you're hitting your limit now, right? I know your type."
Hyun Tae-seong said, clamping a cigarette between his lips.
"No matter how prim and proper you act. When it's right in front of you, all that pride goes out the window."
Now he was dropping the formalities entirely.
The guy who'd been watching my reactions was gone, replaced by the king of this den.
Finally showing his true colors.
He nudged the hookah basin with his toe.
"What are you waiting for? Get down on all fours like a good dog."
It was time to wrap up this long charade.
A blaring siren wailed, red lights flashing.
The shouts came from beyond the door we'd just entered. The crackle of radios and flashing red lights seeping under the door spelled trouble.
"Ah, what the fuck!"
"Cops!"
The crazed crowd snapped to hazy attention and jumped up.
Their movements were eerily coordinated, like they'd drilled for this.
"Oh dear. What a shame."
Hyun Tae-seong switched back to polite speech, cool as ever despite the cops right outside.
I stood still watching him, and he added casually.
"Don't worry. The cops can't touch this place anyway."
"..."
"Think of all the big names involved. Higher-ups will shut down any real investigation before it starts."
Pure confidence.
"There's a back door. We slip out there, and we're golden. Come on. I'll let you finish what we started later."
A sleazy smirk curled his lips. He still had no clue he'd walked into a trap.
I stepped forward deliberately.
Right up to the door the police were pounding on.
"What are you doing?"
"Why? You said they can't touch us anyway."
"True, but... no need to stir up trouble."
Hyun Tae-seong frowned subtly.
"Have you lost your mind? Weird."
His mutter was crystal clear. I gripped the door handle.
It might not open from outside, but from in, it was easy.
"Miss Uyeon, enough with the jokes. It's getting boring."
Hyun Tae-seong forced a smile. It was a grotesque half-grimace.
He was tough-talking, but even for Hyunmu, getting caught red-handed wasn't easy to brush off.
He needed to bolt for the back door. Then maybe he could've played dumb with the evidence.
Not that I'd have let him.
"You think this is a joke?"
"..."
Hyun Tae-seong's face went blank.
Someone cut the power—the blaring music died.
A heavy silence fell, thick enough to hear him swallow.
Even in the dark, his eyes burned sharp.
"If this blows up, who loses? You know damn well. Your face is all over the airwaves."
"True."
"You want to screw me over, fine. But whether it's Jae Yoon-jae's idea or whatever, you're messing up big time."
Why drag Jae Yoon-jae into this?
Jae Yoon-jae had probably forgotten him entirely unless he was right in front of me. Yet Hyun Tae-seong talked like Jae Yoon-jae was obsessing over him, plotting against him nonstop.
"You're being used. You think Jae Yoon-jae actually cares about you? Luring me out with some gisaeng ploy?"
"It's got nothing to do with my director. Or Ye-won. This is my solo operation."
"Solo. Solo, huh..."
Hyun Tae-seong sneered coldly.
"A puny mid-tier CEO thinking they can stab me in the back. ...How arrogant."
His voice heated with rage as he spoke.
He breathed heavily, spitting each word like venom.
"You think my father will sit idle? I'm Hyunmu's heir! He won't tolerate anyone tarnishing the Hyunmu name."
"Probably not."
"Watch me. This blows up, you'll be the headlines, and I'll slip away quiet. Wanna bet who laughs last?"
Hyun Tae-seong burst into manic laughter. When I didn't join, it fizzled.
Pathetic, puffing up to hide his fear.
Too bad I wasn't one to fall for cheap bluffing. He sensed it—despair shadowed his face.
"No one tarnishes the Hyunmu name. Not your father. Not your grandfather."
"...!"
I just echoed his words, but my meaning was the opposite.
He got it, groaning.
"Ah, no... please..."
Hyun Jeong-hu’s puppet heir. That was Hyun Tae-seong's whole purpose.
Once useless, what then?
I knew Hyun Jeong-hu’s temper well.
I doubted Hyun Tae-seong didn't. He ground his teeth.
"Why are you doing this? Why me!"
Why? He really had to ask?
Still clutching the handle, I smirked at him.
"Good question. You should've left my people alone."
"...?!?"
His eyes bulged, face twisting.
"When did I ever touch yours...!"
No need to spell it out nicely.
He kept mumbling stuff like "over something so trivial."
Trivial, my ass.
I'm very sensitive about my possessions. Especially after losing one once.
Clunk.
The door opened, blinding light flooding in.
"Ugh!"
It engulfed Hyun Tae-seong's head. He squinted, shielding his eyes, but it wasn't enough.
I smiled as police swarmed around Hyun Tae-seong.
A familiar face among them. I waved him over, and the man eyed me oddly.
"...You're the reporter?"
"Yes."
The morning news headline was set in stone.