#70

At my blatantly dismissive words, Rep. Oh Hahyun’s face turned red, then pale, then red again. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, seemingly too enraged to form a coherent response. Watching the once-composed woman lose her carefully maintained facade was, in a way, quite satisfying.

“And one last warning—if you’re thinking of using Gaon-ssi and Daon-ssi against me, you’d better put that idea to rest immediately. Because the moment I catch you pulling any kind of stunt, even I can’t predict how I’ll respond.”

“Chairman Goo Won! How can you speak like that—”

“I’m done talking. Any further conversation would be a waste of time. Please, enjoy the rest of your meal, Representative.”

I cut her off, finishing my statement before rising from my seat. She hurriedly stood up as well, her voice sharp with indignation.

“What kind of rudeness is this? Apologize immediately!”

“If you reflect on your actions and apologize to the twins first, I’ll consider it.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! Do you really think I’ll just let this slide?”

Her voice, now high-pitched with fury, filled the room. I simply leveled her with an icy stare and replied,

“And if you don’t?”

“……What?”

“If you don’t let it slide, what exactly do you think you can do about it?”

At my detached and emotionless question, Oh Hahyun clamped her mouth shut. I watched her, noting the mix of frustration and unease flickering across her eyes, before continuing.

“Are you planning to summon me for an investigation, as you mentioned earlier?”

“If necessary…… Yes, I might.”

“On what charges?”

“Charges can always be fabricated. That’s just the way the world works, isn’t it?”

Ah, so this isn’t her first time doing something like this. The ease with which she spoke of it—like it was second nature—was proof enough. I smirked.

“And while you’re busy with that, do you think I’ll just sit back and do nothing?”

“T-That’s……”

“I have plenty of people who would gladly stand by my side the moment I reach out. Can you handle all of them alone?”

My words, laced with cold amusement, left her speechless. Her lips pressed into a thin line, sealing in whatever response she had planned.

“Let’s end this here while we still can. As long as you don’t make the first move, I won’t either. After all, as the parent of one of my company’s artists, I’ll extend at least the bare minimum of courtesy. But that’s where it stops. Beyond that, there will be no consideration, no leniency.”

With that final, unwavering warning, Oh Hahyun clenched her jaw, her face flushed with rage. The sheer frustration written all over her features was almost amusing.

“Then I’ll take that as confirmation that you understand. I’ll be on my way now.”

I casually threw out my words and turned away. There was no need to stay any longer since I had said everything I needed to. Honestly, I didn’t want to stay either. My desire to get out of there as quickly as possible must have been reflected in my hurried steps as I left the room.

Oh Hahyun didn’t try to stop me. Instead, the only sound I heard as I stepped outside and closed the door was the sharp crash of something being thrown.

I knew it—I shouldn’t have come. If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have just followed Lee Daon earlier. No, I shouldn’t have even agreed to this meeting in the first place. It was a waste of time, and all I got out of it was listening to some ridiculous nonsense that only ruined my mood.

I had come to this meeting out of curiosity—curiosity about Oh Hahyun, who had been subtly instigating President Lee Yongjun, and about what kind of intentions she had. But in the end, I didn’t gain any particularly useful information. Instead of any worthwhile insights, I was left with nothing but a deep sense of concern for the twins, who had grown up under the influence of someone with such a twisted mindset.

When I reached the cashier, I made sure to pay only for my portion of the meal, just in case she tried to twist things around and accuse me of accepting a bribe or something absurd like that. As the staff processed my payment, one of the employees smiled politely and spoke.

“Chairman, the vehicle you requested is ready outside.”

“Requested? Who requested a vehicle?”

“Your secretary asked us earlier to have a car ready to take you home once you finished your meal.”

Sung Yoojun, that meticulous man…… Since I had told him not to call another secretary, he went ahead and arranged for a driver from a transport service affiliated with the restaurant instead. Impressed once again by his thoroughness, I stepped outside. Just as the staff had said, a luxurious sedan was waiting, along with a neatly dressed chauffeur standing by.

“I will take you home, Chairman.”

“Alright, I’ll be in your care.”

The driver gave me a deep bow and politely opened the back door for me. As I got into the back seat and fastened my seatbelt, the driver took his place behind the wheel and smoothly pulled out onto the road. I hadn’t even given him my address yet, which meant Sung Yoojun had already taken care of it in advance.

He really is an incredibly meticulous man…… Thanks to his thorough planning, my sour mood from earlier was gradually improving. I reached into the inner pocket of my jacket, took out my smartphone, and opened the messenger app to ask Sung Yoojun for an update on the current situation.

Normally, he would reply within five minutes—his responses were always quick and precise. But strangely, this time, five minutes passed, then 10, then 20, and there was still no reply from him.

The unusual delay in his response made me start to feel uneasy.

I couldn’t even imagine anything happening to Sung Yoojun, so my thoughts naturally shifted toward the twins. Unable to suppress my growing concern, I sent messages to Lee Gaon and Lee Daon, asking where they were, but neither of them responded either.

Seriously, nothing happened, right? I bit my lip anxiously, staring intently at my phone screen. Before I realized it, the car had already come to a stop in front of my familiar home. As the driver started to step out, likely to open the door for me, I quickly stopped him and opened it myself.

“Thank you. Drive safely.”

“It was an honor to serve you. Please get home safely.”

I responded to the driver’s polite farewell with a gentle smile and hurried toward the gate. Normally, I entered the house through the garage entrance connected to the living room, so it had been a long time since I last used the front gate. I quickly unlocked the gate and rushed through the spacious garden toward the entrance. On any other day, I would have appreciated the sight of the garden, but today, it felt unnecessarily vast—every step felt too slow, too frustrating.

As I reached the front door and started unlocking it, I heard something unusual. It sounded like someone shouting but muffled as if blocked by soundproof walls. Why am I hearing something like this? The moment I opened the front door, I got my answer.

“Let go! I said let go!”

“I can’t. Please wait until the president arrives.”

“I don’t want to see him! I don’t want to meet that person! Let me go!!”

The scene that unfolded before me could only be described as absolute chaos. Lee Daon was struggling violently, shouting to be released, while Sung Yoojun had his arms locked under Daon’s shoulders, restraining him with firm but controlled strength. The rest of the Tartarus members stood nearby, looking completely bewildered, their faces filled with confusion, discomfort, and helplessness as they watched the scuffle. I stood frozen in shock.

The living room was a complete disaster—furniture was knocked over, and items were strewn about. How long had this been going on? Just what on earth had happened here? Still trying to process the scene before me, I blankly took in the mess. Then, from the entrance, someone spotted me. It was Yoo Euiseo. His eyes lit up with something close to desperate relief as if he had just found a savior in the depths of hell.

“President……!”

At Yoo Euiseo’s rather loud voice, everyone gathered in the living room turned their eyes toward me. The weight of their stares felt overwhelming, making me clear my throat softly before slowly opening my mouth.

“What exactly is going on here?”

No one answered immediately. As soon as Lee Daon realized I had entered the house, he glared at me with burning intensity, while the rest of Tartarus exchanged uncertain glances, keeping their mouths tightly shut.

Judging by their reactions, it didn’t seem likely that I’d get an answer from the kids. Naturally, my gaze shifted to Sung Yoojun, who was still restraining Lee Daon. But when I took a good look at him, an entirely different question slipped out before I could stop myself.

“……Secretary Sung, are you okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine.”

No, he didn’t look fine at all.

His usually immaculate hair and perfectly arranged suit were completely disheveled, a sight I had never seen before. Of course, Lee Daon’s appearance was just as messy, but for someone like Sung Yoojun, who never allowed even the slightest imperfection, seeing him in such a state was more shocking.

“……I don’t know what’s going on, but I think it would be best for both of you to calm down first. Secretary Sung, please let go of Daon-ssi.”