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“Not just that.”
Once Deputy Yang started, a flood of suspicions about Eun-chae poured out.
“I thought her mother lived in the countryside, but recently I heard she lives in K Apartments.”
“K Apartments? Yes, the one in Hannam-dong.”
“Hmm...”
“I’m telling you, I definitely saw the key to that apartment. Eun-chae Lee herself said it was her mother’s place.”
“Couldn’t it really be her mother’s home?”
“Well, that could be true, but... why did someone from such a well-off family dress so shabbily before? Unless she won the lottery, I don’t see how.”
It unfolded exactly as Seok-kyung had anticipated.
He hadn’t intended for the apartment key to be passed along at the company—it was his mistake.
He calmly observed Deputy Yang, who was now passionately ranting. It seemed she had harbored resentment toward Eun-chae for some time, as complaints about her kept spilling out.
As he watched Deputy Yang, Seok-kyung noticed familiar items on her wrists and ears and furrowed his brow.
Hmm, interesting.
Finding this quite intriguing, Seok-kyung suppressed the urge to let his lips curl upward.
After Deputy Yang left, Eun-chae entered the auditing room.
“Take a seat.”
The auditor, seemingly swayed by Deputy Yang’s words, scrutinized Eun-chae from head to toe with a sharp gaze.
“Where were you the night the files were deleted?”
“I was at home.”
“And where is your home?”
“...”
“If we track your location through the police, everything will come out. Where were you?”
“I was really at home.”
The auditor checked Eun-chae’s personal information and called out the address of her previous basement apartment.
“Is this the place?”
“...No. I moved.”
“Where to?”
“Hannam-dong K Apartments.”
That someone who once lived in a slum suddenly moved to one of Seoul’s most expensive apartments naturally hardened the auditor’s expression.
Seok-kyung felt the situation growing increasingly unfavorable for Eun-chae, and his chest tightened with frustration.
“Other employees mentioned your spending habits have changed recently. Did you win the lottery or something?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
With no way to answer, Eun-chae’s lips remained firmly sealed.
“Why can’t you speak? Did you receive money from Project A?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
“Then what?”
The auditor pressed again, but Eun-chae only shook her lost gaze, unable to respond.
“Did your mother remarry?”
Seok-kyung finally spoke up.
“She mentioned her mother remarried, and because of that, her living situation improved. I remember her saying that during our interview.”
Eun-chae stared at him, bewildered by his random statement, but Seok-kyung met her gaze steadily.
Don’t say anything else. Just agree with what I’m saying. It’s all to save you.
“...Yes, that’s correct.”
Thankfully, Eun-chae blushed and gave the answer he wanted.
“Her mother remarried? When did you talk about this with the CEO…?”
“We had an interview around the time she became a full-time employee. Turns out Eun-chae Lee’s mother remarried very well.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The auditor reluctantly erased something they had written in their notebook with a pen.
“Her stepfather must be quite a good person.”
“...Yes, he’s a good person.”
“What a relief.”
See? Not a bad excuse, right?
But there was something Seok-kyung hadn’t anticipated.
“I heard she recently rented an officetel near the company.”
“What?”
“Why did you rent an officetel?”
At the auditor’s question, Seok-kyung shot a sharp glance at Eun-chae.
You rented an officetel?
“Well, I couldn’t keep living with my mother forever.”
“Oh, independence?”
“Yes.”
A few more questions followed, but thanks to Seok-kyung’s prepared explanation, the suspicion surrounding Eun-chae began to dissipate.
Though she was no longer under suspicion, Eun-chae left the auditing room with slumped shoulders.
Seok-kyung frowned.
“What should we do? Eun-chae Lee was the most likely suspect, but now she’s the one who’s cleared the most…”
The auditor turned to Seok-kyung with a troubled tone.
“Let’s go over today’s interviews again to check for any conflicting testimonies.”
“Yes, understood.”
Seok-kyung stood up and exited the auditing room. Outside, Eun-chae was waiting for him.
“What is it?”
“Do you suspect me of being the culprit?”
Instead of answering, Seok-kyung grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the emergency staircase. After confirming no one was on the stairs above or below, he furrowed his brows and looked at her.
“What do you think, judging from your perspective?”
“It wasn’t me. You know that.”
“What about the officetel rental? Where did you get the money to sign a lease?”
Eun-chae fell silent at Seok-kyung’s question.
“Answer me. Did you take money from Project A?”
“No!”
“Then what?”
“How did the auditing team find out about my officetel rental?”
“That kind of information comes out if you dig deep enough. Answer me straight—where did the money come from?”
Despite his pressing demand, Eun-chae refused to answer.
At that moment, the emergency door creaked open, and Hyun-woo stepped out.
“Huh?”
Unable to corner Eun-chae further with Hyun-woo present, Seok-kyung backed off.
Why did it have to be this exact moment…
Seeing Hyun-woo’s puzzled face and Eun-chae still standing silently, staring at her toes, Seok-kyung stepped away from the staircase.
His chest felt suffocating, like he might explode.
Where in the world did that money come from? It must have cost at least several hundred thousand won, and as far as he knew, Eun-chae didn’t have that kind of money lying around.
She wouldn’t have taken money from Project A, so only one answer came to mind.
He desperately hoped it wasn’t true.
Swallowing his frustration, Seok-kyung dragged his heavy steps forward.
________________________________________
“What happened with the CEO?”
Hyun-woo asked Eun-chae.
As soon as Seok-kyung left the staircase, she leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.
It was hard to believe Seok-kyung suspected her of being a spy. Or rather, though everything else stemmed from his actions, the officetel rental was something he didn’t know about, so perhaps it was inevitable?
“Eun-chae? What did you talk about with the CEO?”
“It’s nothing.”
Eun-chae answered in a subdued voice.
“Nothing? The CEO seemed really angry. Did something happen during the audit interview?”
“No, nothing.”
Giving a clear answer would prevent further suspicion, but she had nothing to tell him.
“How did the interview go? Was it okay?”
“Yes.”
“You weren’t suspected or anything, right?”
“No.”
“If anything happens, tell me. I’ll protect you.”
How could you protect me when you know nothing?
Eun-chae almost snapped at Hyun-woo’s kindness but quickly turned her head away instead.
“Nothing happened, so don’t worry.”
“Eun-chae…”
“Why are you here, anyway?”
“Oh.”
Remembering something, Hyun-woo tapped his forehead with his palm.
“The elevators are under repair. I was heading upstairs for a marketing department meeting.”
“Then you should hurry.”
At her cold tone, Hyun-woo stared at her for a moment. This time, she didn’t avoid his gaze.
Please stop worrying and just go.
With that thought, she stared at him intently.
“I’ll be back later.”
Fortunately, Hyun-woo didn’t ask any more questions and turned to head upstairs.
Only after his figure disappeared completely from sight did Eun-chae leave the emergency staircase.
Her pounding heart wouldn’t calm down, so she went to the restroom and splashed cold water on her face.
Every time she closed her eyes, she recalled Seok-kyung’s suspicious gaze fixed on her.
________________________________________
Seok-kyung opened the bedroom door and entered, sitting in a chair next to his father’s bed. He gently stroked his father’s face while holding his lukewarm hand.
“Until when will you lie here like this?”
Still, no response came.
His father wasn’t affectionate, but neither was he strict. Seok-kyung had always liked his father’s calm and quiet demeanor.
“When did you get here?”
Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, and Madam Cha entered, startled to see Seok-kyung.
“I just arrived.”
Seok-kyung released his father’s hand and stood up.
He looked at his mother, clad in a bright red dress, with an expression akin to witnessing something sacrilegious.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Because you look too flashy. It doesn’t suit you.”
“A person isn’t dead yet. I can’t walk around gloomily.”
Recognizing the implied criticism in her son’s words, she responded coldly.
She sat in the chair Seok-kyung had just vacated and began wiping Chairman Baek’s face with a damp towel.
“What brings you here?”
“Did you meet with Eun-chae?”
Madam Cha’s hand paused briefly before resuming its motion.
“Yes. I’ve been wondering when you’d come to me and confess everything.”
“Confess what?”
“What is your relationship with Eun-chae Lee?”
“We’re not in any kind of relationship.”
“Not in any kind of relationship, yet you paid off her debts, let her live in your apartment, and even got her a job at the company? Is that not enough for you?”
Madam Cha sharply turned her head toward Seok-kyung and fired off icy questions.
“Kick her out. From both the house and the company. Do you even have a plan? What will Joo-eun think if she finds out?”
“All I did was give her what I owed her from the divorce settlement.”
“Do you think the prenuptial agreement was written for nothing? If the fault lies with her, why waste money unnecessarily?”
Is the fault really hers?
Seok-kyung swallowed his question.
Hadn’t she clearly stated that she loved another man? There was no mistaking it.
“Compassion has its limits. And it’s not just compassion driving you, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
When Seok-kyung asked, Madam Cha placed the damp towel on the bedside table and stood up.
She approached him with a piercing gaze.
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