MHD - 29

Chapter 29. You Have No Idea

“I’m not just your average brute—I’m completely beyond redemption.” 

After locking the door, Baek Donghwan turned around with a sinister grin, cracking his neck from side to side as he stretched and stared at Hee-soo. 

“Did you know? Once this door is locked from the inside, no one can open it from the outside.” 

Donghwan shoved his hands into his pockets and swaggered closer. 

“Do you want to know why I had it set up like that?” 

Still grinning maliciously, Donghwan placed a hand on Hee-soo’s shoulder and called her name mockingly. Though she tried to maintain a composed expression, her brows instinctively furrowed in discomfort. 

“I think I need to train our little actress to suit my tastes. I like obedient women who know how to kneel properly.” 

The next moment, Donghwan tightened his grip on her shoulder. 

“Ahh…” 

His grip was stronger than expected, as if her shoulder bone might shatter. Unable to suppress a groan of pain, Hee-soo let out an involuntary whimper. Donghwan licked his lips, savoring the sound. 

“Your screams are so pretty. They make me want to hear more.” 

“…Stop, please stop.” 

Hee-soo reached up with trembling hands to try and pry his wrist off her shoulder, but her efforts were futile. Still, she struggled desperately to free herself. Sensing her resistance, Donghwan barked loudly. 

“Kneel!” 

Startled by his sudden shout, Hee-soo flinched, giving him the opening to push her down forcefully. Her frail body crumpled to the floor without any resistance. 

“There we go, perfect. You look up at me, and I look down at you.” 

Click—the sound of a buckle being undone echoed through the room. 

Hee-soo’s face turned deathly pale as she lifted her head. Donghwan, visibly aroused, smirked with satisfaction. 

“Ah, this is thrilling. I should take some pictures.” 

With his belt undone and pants partially unfastened, Donghwan pulled out his phone. 

Ah. 

Hee-soo felt a wave of utter despair wash over her. 

If she ran now, she wouldn’t know how to deal with the aftermath. But staying meant the end of her acting career. What should she do? Should she endure a little longer? 

As she tried to steady her trembling legs and stand up, Donghwan frowned while holding his phone and answered an incoming call. 

“Yeah, hello?” 

[You idiotic brat! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!] 

Whoever was on the other end of the line screamed loud enough for the voice to carry outside the phone. 

“Ah, Father? Why are you calling so suddenly—” 

Seemingly forgetting his undone state, Donghwan held the phone with both hands. In the process, his loosened pants slid further down, exposing his lower half entirely under the afternoon sunlight. Seeing his hairy thighs peeking out from beneath his underwear, Hee-soo grimaced and quickly turned her head away. 

“Yes, yes, it’s nothing. I won’t argue. Ah, yes, yes. Of course. You’re right.” 

Donghwan’s apologetic tone continued as the yelling from the other end gradually subsided. 

Peeking back cautiously, Hee-soo saw Donghwan staring at his phone with a deeply furrowed brow after hanging up. Suddenly, he hurled the phone to the ground and stomped on it furiously. 

“Shit! Damn it! That crazy old bastard! Die! Just die!” 

After venting his frustration on the phone for a few moments, Donghwan stood there blankly for several seconds. Then, snapping back to reality, he hastily pulled up his pants and fastened the buckle. 

Without another word to Hee-soo, Donghwan stormed out of the office, kicking the door open as he left. 

“Secretary Kang! Get the driver ready. Right now!” 

Hearing Donghwan’s shouting fade into the distance, Hee-soo exhaled a deep sigh of relief. 

She had apologized, and Donghwan had disappeared without further comment, giving her something to report to Cha Joo-won. Whatever the reason, she had escaped hell. 

Hee-soo steadied her still-shaking legs and pulled out her phone from her bag. 

Stopping the recording app, which displayed the elapsed time, she saved the file. Taking such a risk had been worth it. If things had escalated dangerously, she planned to use this recording to stop him. Thankfully, it hadn’t come to that. 

Still trembling, Hee-soo gathered herself and quietly slipped out of the CEO’s office. 

Less than half an hour later, Director Oh placed the contract documents and a summarized report on Ryuto Research Institute on Jaehyuk’s desk, smiling with satisfaction.

Jaehyuk skimmed through the contract and expressed his satisfaction, complimenting Director Oh by saying, “You really do excellent work.”

Having some personal calls to make, Jaehyuk summoned Director Oh again to confirm the rest of his schedule.

“Director Oh, we have the quarterly report at 4:30, correct?”

“Yes. Do you have something else for me to do?”

“No, just confirming the time. I’m expecting a visitor before then.”

“A visitor?”

Was there an unscheduled meeting today? Had he forgotten something?

As Director Oh hurriedly tried to double-check the schedule, Jaehyuk spoke first.

“It’s an unexpected visitor, so it’s not on your agenda. Considering traffic, they should be arriving about now…”

Just as Jaehyuk glanced at his wristwatch and leaned back in his chair, commotion erupted outside the office.

“Looks like they’re already here.”

With an impassive expression, Jaehyuk turned his gaze toward the door. At that moment, a loud voice boomed from outside.

“What is going on here!”

The top floor, where the CEO’s office was located, was usually the quietest part of the building. Who could possibly be shouting like this?

Director Oh approached the door, bewildered, trying to assess the situation outside.

And just then, the office door burst open.

“You! Lee Jaehyuk!”

Baek Donghwan stormed in, pushing the door with such force that Director Oh, who had been standing nearby, stumbled backward after being hit by it. But Donghwan paid him no mind, marching straight toward Jaehyuk.

“You bastard!”

Donghwan’s face was flushed with anger, almost pale with fury. In contrast, Jaehyuk showed no sign of surprise, a faint smile spreading across his lips.

Almost as if he had anticipated this.

“I’ve been waiting for you. You’re… later than I expected?”

Jaehyuk responded calmly as he rose from his seat.

“What? What are you talking about?”

Veins bulged on Donghwan’s neck as he shouted, unable to contain his rage. He stormed toward Jaehyuk without hesitation.

With a glance, Jaehyuk signaled Director Oh to leave the room, then coolly observed Donghwan.

Judging by his aggressive demeanor, it was clear Donghwan had caused quite a scene making his way up here.

Without an appointment, he would have encountered resistance from security personnel on the lower floors, and judging by his behavior, he likely bulldozed his way through each obstacle.

No employee would dare block the path of a rampaging third-generation chaebol heir.

Jaehyuk clicked his tongue and raised a hand toward Donghwan.

“Baek Donghwan.”

At Jaehyuk’s low, commanding voice, Donghwan hesitated mid-step. The raised hand was a clear warning to keep his distance.

Though Donghwan was seething and unsure what to do, he stopped in his tracks. As much as his temper urged him to grab Jaehyuk by the collar, a wave of tension washed over him the moment he faltered.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, you son of a—!”

“What do you think?”

Facing the fuming Donghwan, Jaehyuk picked up a document from his desk, waved it slightly, and tossed it onto the desk in front of Donghwan.

“Take a look.”

“What is this?”

“You’ll understand when you read it. Isn’t this why you came?”

“Hah.”

Donghwan scoffed but picked up the document Jaehyuk had handed him. The moment he flipped the first page roughly, he let out an incredulous breath.

“Hah. You little—”

Muttering curses under his breath, Donghwan couldn’t tear his eyes away from the document.

Jaehyuk watched him silently, then circled the desk and sat down in his chair.

Baek Group’s chairman had long been pouring resources into one particular project: developing a raw material that Korea had previously relied solely on China for.

Every one of Baek’s children, eager to gain their father’s favor, had scrambled to contribute ideas or participate in the project.

While Baek Group pursued internal development, Jaehyuk had chosen a different approach—finding a research institute already working on the material.

That’s how he discovered Ryuto Research Institute. After learning of this, Chairman Baek had called Jaehyuk several times, demanding that he hand over the institute to Baek Group. But Jaehyuk had remained noncommittal, giving no clear answer.

“This… this is it, right? My father told me to come get it…”

Donghwan’s voice, now much subdued, sounded almost pitiful. The earlier aggressive atmosphere had shifted into something resembling a plea.

After Director Oh contacted the research institute, Jaehyuk had immediately called Chairman Baek.

He informed the chairman that he would finally yield the project—something the chairman had long desired—and offered proof by sending over an unsigned contract.

However, there was one condition: Donghwan had to come personally to collect the contract before Jaehyuk changed his mind.

“That’s right. You need this, don’t you?” 

Jaehyuk leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed steadily on Donghwan. 

The call Donghwan had received while with Hee-soo was from his father, ordering him to rush over and retrieve the contract before Jaehyuk changed his mind. 

The condition? Baek Group had to concede another project they’d been wrestling with Kangrim for. 

For Chairman Baek, who constantly burned with rivalry toward Kangrim, this felt like a bitter defeat—and naturally, his anger poured out onto Donghwan. 

“How dare I have to grovel like this to that bastard’s friend!” His father’s rage and scathing words had nearly shattered Donghwan’s eardrums. 

Donghwan didn’t like the smug look on Jaehyuk’s face one bit, but he didn’t have time to dwell on it. 

The thought of what his father would do if he left here without the contract today made his legs tremble. 

“S-so?” Donghwan stammered. 

“I haven’t signed it yet,” Jaehyuk said coolly. “I did tell Chairman Baek I’d hand it over, but now that I see your face, I’m not so sure anymore.” 

“What do you want?” Donghwan snapped. 

His eyes darted around, trying to figure out why this guy was doing this to him. 

Jaehyuk remained silent for a moment, watching Donghwan carefully before finally speaking. 

“You.” 

His voice was low but firm. 

“Don’t touch Hee-soo.” 

His piercing gaze drilled into Donghwan, sharp enough to leave an impression. 

“…Ah.” 

At Jaehyuk’s words, Donghwan’s face froze instantly.