Emilia's Fraudulent Gambit
Evening came. While Im Sua and Seo Eun-mi bustled about carrying out my orders, and people dispatched from Prestige of Incheon filled up my house, I waited for the trainees to arrive.
But they weren't showing up. Sure, it wasn't a short trip from Ganghwa to Songdo, but it shouldn't take this long. Did something happen? I could just sit tight and wait, but why bother when I didn't have to? I grabbed my phone right away.
The target was, of course, Kang Emilia.
"You saved my number, huh?"
— "Of course. Whose number would it be?"
"You know why I'm calling, right?"
— "…."
Silence.
"The trainees haven't shown up yet."
— "…."
"I heard they left right when they were supposed to arrive at my place, but there's still no word."
— "…I'm sorry, young master. Our chief of general affairs is a total dimwit. Looks like they got lost."
"Yeah? Everything okay?"
— "Yes. I'll take responsibility and deliver them to your residence myself."
Emilia kept reassuring me over and over before hanging up.
"…."
Something felt off. When I saw her in person earlier, it hadn't felt like this. More like… yeah, in Sua's words, she was a total bitch. Pretending to be polite on the surface? But actually, not polite at all—like she was looking down on me.
But now she was acting all cautious, like I'd caught her weak spot. Of course it felt weird.
"Master, you should take a look at this."
"Huh?"
Just then, Sua approached with a single file folder. It was the trainee transfer contract I'd signed with Rainbow Miracle. More precisely, the contract between Rainbow Miracle and the trainees, which I'd taken over. For 500 million won per head.
"I spotted a clause I'd never seen before while reviewing it."
"A new clause?"
I took the contract and read it. The usual contents stretched on, but toward the end, in a different handwriting, there was some alien text.
Clause: If delivery of trainees is not completed, the contracting party shall pay 100 times the transaction amount as penalty.
"…What the hell is this."
I'd checked the contract meticulously before signing, but this was brand new.
"…If delivery fails, they pay 100 times the transaction amount? So Emilia owes me 250 billion won?"
"Precisely, Rainbow Miracle does."
"…Why the fuck is this clause even here?"
"Beats me."
"…."
I never added this clause. And Sua didn't seem to know about it either.
If this clause is in Emilia's copy too… that explains her cautious tone just now. Suddenly on the hook for 250 billion won.
The weird part was who added it and why.
This clause is massively in my favor. Borderline fraud. If shit hit the fan, Emilia would fight it tooth and nail, but as a Goryeo Group heir, I could push it through. I'd get 250 billion from Emilia… or something equivalent. Who benefits? Who the hell would do that?
No. No one like that exists. Rethink it.
…From Emilia's side, she has to deliver the trainees to me. Or bankruptcy—or a ruined life. So maybe use it to blackmail her? 'Comply or no delivery. Or I'll sabotage it.'
The guy who could pull that off? That dimwit who volunteered for delivery.
"He brought the contract too, right."
Bingo.
"Using me? The balls on this fucker?"
"Using you how?"
I handed the contract to Sua.
"Tear it up."
"…Pardon?"
"Don't need it anymore. Tear it."
"It's the contract… Understood."
She took it hesitantly but tore it to shreds.
Watching her, I called Emilia again. She picked up after five rings.
"From now on, correct me if anything I say is wrong."
— "Pardon?"
"Someone tampered with the contract. Slipped in a clause that if Rainbow Miracle doesn't deliver the trainees to me, they pay 250 billion won."
— "Th-that's—"
"That guy's deliberately delaying delivery to blackmail you. 'Give me what I want, or no safe delivery.'"
— "…."
"And from the circumstances, it's that bumbling chief of general affairs right next to you."
— "…."
"What he's after… I can't nail it exactly, but he's a guy, so probably your body?"
She stayed silent for a long time before speaking.
— "…I didn't expect you to deduce it all yourself."
Her voice trembled slightly. Nailed it.
"So, yes or no."
— "…."
"Speak up. I called you myself."
— "…Everything you said is correct. But young master, that contract—!"
"I tore it up."
— "Pardon? You tore it up?"
"Yeah. Ballsy move, trying to use me for his goals."
— "…."
"Using the girls I bought as hostages. Ah, he might've touched them by now? That's why I cut male actors and producers too. Anyway. I'll let the contract thing slide, just bring them. Yourself."
Emilia fell silent again, for quite a while. I was about to say something out of boredom when her voice came.
— "Thank you, young master. I'll make sure the delivery is completed."
"Second time you've said that. Keep your word."
— "Yes."
I hung up. No clue how it'd play out, but ripping up that bullshit contract meant I'd dodged the worst-case scenario I was worried about. Worst case being Emilia dancing to that chief's tune. Me getting completely played.
"Sua, update on disposing of the criminal?"
"Yes. Found him with a criminal gang near Yeonsu 1-dong. Wiped them out."
"The guy?"
"Sniper round through the brain. Dead on site."
"Good work. It's dinner time—let them eat and head back. Bill Prestige of Incheon."
"Yes, master."
Thwarted the sleazy bastard's sleazy plan, took out the male lead too. Things were going great.
"Phew…."
Emilia let out a sigh of relief after hanging up. The massive rock on her chest was gone.
"No word from that bastard yet?"
"No, ma'am. Still powered off."
Kim Dong-gi had left a text to check the contract carefully, then shut off his phone. Probably to torment her while fleeing, but it ended up helping her. If he'd kept it on, she'd have called in a panic after spotting the clause, and might've done something irreversible.
"Location tracking?"
"No. Phone's off, as you know… But we've got people out, coordinating with police. Should find him soon. Plus, he wants something from you, ma'am—he'll call back for sure."
"Yeah. Needs his phone on to receive pics or vids of me."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing. Keep looking. And prep to head out immediately."
"Yes, ma'am."
Her secretary left, and Emilia slumped into her chair, exhausted. Fully relaxed against the backrest, the chair spun gently under her weight. She stared blankly at the rotating ceiling.
"…My instincts were right."
Ko Mu-yeol. Nothing like the rumors. Always high on drugs, chain-smoking and boozing, fucking women like meals—a total wastrel with no talent or ambition, a useless drain on society. That's how he was always described.
But the Ko Mu-yeol she met today was different.
Is he hiding it? His real ambitions and abilities.
Abilities? Haven't seen yet. But he didn't seem incompetent like the rumors. And ambition…
A guy like that wouldn't lack ambition.
He could've pushed the tampered contract if he wanted. Goryeo Group had the power. But he didn't. Tore up 250 billion won just because he hated being used.
Could a guy with that pride lack ambition?
He's hiding it. Until the right moment.
If her earlier feeling was vague instinct, now it was certainty. Ko Mu-yeol had something.