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Choi Inho breathed a sigh of relief when Jinhan agreed to meet. His only thought was that he had to do something before he was arrested.
“Look at this. Director Yoo Jinhan says he’ll meet me!”
“Something seems suspicious.”
The security guard tilted his head at Choi Inho’s reprimand. Choi Inho got annoyed at his ambiguous and uneasy reaction.
“What’s with that expression?”
“Take your money back.”
For some reason, the security guard returned the cash that was in his pocket. The way he even shook his hands clean was unusual.
“Are you really not taking it?”
“I said no.”
Based on Jinhan’s past behavior, he would never have met Choi Inho. Although he was outwardly polite, he was as arrogant as the third son of Chairman Yoo. The moniker “modern-day aristocrat” suited him perfectly. He was known to be very selective about the people he associated with. Jinhan was thoroughly calculating and a difficult person to deal with. For him to readily meet Choi Inho, who had been involved in so much trashy behavior, meant something was up. In such situations, it was best to quickly distance himself.
“Where’s the reception room on the first floor?”
“Follow me.”
The first floor featured a harmonious blend of profile photos of the agency’s actors and sophisticated interior design. Choi Inho kept looking around at the grand interior that captivated his eyes.
“I didn’t know the inside was so spacious.”
They passed the elevator and the central staircase, going deep into the building. A moment later, the security guard pointed to a closed door.
“It’s here, go on in.”
Choi Inho entered the reception room. It was a place suitable for simple meetings, and even the chairs were luxurious. Against such a company, Choi Inho had been waging a war.
“There has to be one big hit. What could Director Yoo Jinhan have?”
The only scandal that could completely ruin Haejoo’s career as an actress was something sexual. Even when writing speculative articles, it was advantageous to base them on a bit of fact. That way, it was easier for rumors to escalate. There’s no smoke without fire, after all; that’s how rumors are made.
“Lee Haejoo’s private life is just too clean.”
The only thing he could really twist was that Jinhan frequented Haejoo’s lodging as if it were his own home. But making him out to be a traitor was out of the question. Jinhan and GN were one entity; messing with them incorrectly would be a direct ticket to hell.
“Did a post defending Park Dojun appear online?”
Just then, Seonkyu sent him the address of a famous anonymous bulletin board. Clicking the link brought up a long post. With a displeased expression, he read every single post and comment. Furthermore, all the top-ranked posts were also in defense of Dojun and Haejoo. People scoffed that the entire nation had been played by a lying reporter. They also listed and criticized the articles Choi Inho had written.
“And they were so crazy about it at first.”
This level of cursing didn’t bother him. His only concern was whether the company would abandon him.
“If this goes well here, the company won’t be able to say anything either.”
Joining hands with Jinhan meant becoming an ally with GN. Of course, even this would be discarded once its usefulness was over.
It had been over 20 minutes since he started waiting for Jinhan. Thinking of getting a drink from the vending machine, Choi Inho left the reception room.
At the same time, Jinhan walked out of his office on the third floor. Just then, he checked a message sent by someone Han Jintae had dispatched.
[Director, we’ve arrived.]
[I’ll come down myself, wait.]
Jinhan slowly descended the central staircase. When he reached the first floor, he casually glanced at the reception room where Choi Inho should be. He continued walking. As he pushed open the main door on the first floor, three men bowed.
“Director, we’ve come on Chief Secretary Han Jintae’s orders.”
They were GN’s security team. Their official duty was security, but they were also mobilized for such clandestine operations. Jinhan disliked Chairman Yoo’s shady management style. He considered it out of touch with modern times, but today he changed his mind. The sight of a being worse than vermin walking into his own trap was amusing, and he decided to enjoy the game.
“Come in.”
Each of them held a metal baseball bat. The security guard, who happened to see the scene, turned pale. Jinhan drew his finger across his mouth as if telling the security guard to keep quiet, then revealed a chilling gaze. He personally closed the door and pointed towards the reception room.
“There’s a reporter in the reception room past the stairs.”
“Yes, Director.”
“Just enough not to kill him... and if he dies, well, it can’t be helped.”
The bodyguards swung their baseball bats, stretching their necks this way and that. They unbuttoned their suit jackets, which had been constricting their bodies, and loosened their ties comfortably. Jinhan also slowly followed behind them.
Just then, Hyunseong arrived, found the first-floor door locked, and entered with an emergency key.
“Oh? It’s the Director. And who are those people?”
Hyunseong held his breath and observed their movements. Coincidentally, employees in the office also poked their heads out one by one, watching the suspicious activity. In the distance, he unexpectedly saw Choi Inho coming out of the reception room. He paled at the sight of the bodyguards walking towards him.
“Ugh!”
“Let’s have a brief chat.”
“W-what?!”
“Don’t make noise, just go inside.”
The eyes of the bodyguards holding baseball bats were incredibly chilling. If he stayed like this, he was sure to be beaten to death. Meanwhile, Jinhan stopped walking and watched leisurely from behind. Choi Inho, spotting him, screamed.
“Director Yoo Jinhan, what are you doing?!”
As the bodyguard walking ahead reached out to grab Choi Inho’s collar, Choi Inho quickly dodged and started running. From that moment on, a breathtaking chase unfolded between Choi Inho and the bodyguards. Choi Inho struggled to survive, dodging the swinging baseball bats.
“Aah!”
A terrible scream echoed through the building. Even as startled employees closed their office doors and hid, Hyunseong bravely chased after them. A baseball bat grazed Choi Inho’s shoulder. The pain was so excruciating that he shrieked.
“Oh, I’m dying!”
Choi Inho, who had just been battered by Dojun, was in agony. At this rate, he would be buried without a trace, and tears streamed down his face.
“Help me!”
No matter how much he cried out, no one helped him. Three burly men rushed at him from all directions, and he was caught in no time.
“Director, isn’t that Reporter Choi Inho?”
“Yes.”
No emotion was evident on Jinhan’s face. He looked like someone watching a boring sports match. Hyunseong also ran after Choi Inho, who was desperately running up the central staircase to escape. As he ran, he relayed the news to Dojun.
“Our company is in chaos right now!”
He just shouted without preamble. Even with his excited voice, Dojun responded calmly.
“What happened?”
“Choi Inho just barged into our company and is being chased by men with baseball bats!”
“What?”
“I’ll tell you the details later.”
He hung up the phone. Choi Inho suddenly disappeared from his sight, and he looked around. The bodyguards also seemed flustered, having lost him. The second floor was more complex than the first, so it was time to scatter and search. A dull thud came from the hallway with wide windows, and they all rushed over.
“He got away.”
In his desperation, Choi Inho had jumped out the window. Since the second floor was like a fourth floor, he injured his ankle and limped away, constantly fleeing.
“Director, what should we do?”
“Let him go for today.”
Just the scare would be a significant threat to Choi Inho. Only after the bodyguards left did Hyunseong grasp the situation and inform Dojun.
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Dojun’s lips stretched into a smirk after receiving the second call from Hyunseong. He slowly nodded his head, continuing the call.
“So, the guy who could do that has been sitting still all this time.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“He deliberately put Haejoo on the defensive. To manipulate her to his liking.”
“That makes sense.”
“Someday, he’ll trip himself up.”
“The Director seems like a different person. It’s hard to even talk to him these days.”
“Hyunseong, make sure you’re not caught contacting me. It might be good to change the name registered on your phone too.”
“Ah, yes! I will.”
“Good job. Talk to you again.”
After the call ended, Haejoo was curious.
“What happened to Reporter Choi Inho?”
Dojun explained in detail what he had heard from Hyunseong. Haejoo’s face turned pale as she listened, swallowing nervously and worrying.
“Is that really okay?”
“Chairman Yoo’s bloodline, where would it go?”
Haejoo recalled Jinhan’s words that the world wasn’t as pure as she thought. The idea that such impure acts could happen to her at any time sent shivers down her spine.
During their conversation, Hyunwoo stopped by the hospital room. He examined Haejoo’s condition, then smiled brightly.
“It seems you won’t need to be hospitalized.”
“Thank you.”
“It’ll get better once you reach the stable period, so please bear with it, even if it’s frustrating.”
“Um... Doctor.”
Haejoo called Hyunwoo with a worried heart.
“I have a press conference scheduled for tomorrow morning.”
“A press conference? Stress won’t be good for you.”
“I can’t postpone it indefinitely. I was wondering if it would be okay to finish it as quickly as possible.”
Hyunwoo put his hands on his hips and pondered. He looked at Dojun and Haejoo alternately, then offered a compromise.
“It would be best to use a wheelchair if possible and avoid the Q&A session.”
“I will.”
“The situation itself will be very stressful, so as you said, finish it quickly.”
“Yes, Doctor.”
“You need to relax.”
“Thank you.”
“You can go home today.”
Dojun personally helped Haejoo remove her patient gown. Despite her thin frame, her lower abdomen was swollen, and he placed his palm on it.
“It’s amazing.”
“I guess my belly will get really big like this.”
“You’ll be like a teddy bear.”
They both chuckled simultaneously. Then, Haejoo, remembering someone who bothered her, grumbled.
“What about the movie filming? I need to tell Director Kwak about the pregnancy, even if no one else.”
Fortunately, the Jeju Island shoot accounted for half of the entire film. Even so, Haejoo’s pregnancy and the scandal were bound to have an impact. She hated inconveniencing others to an extreme degree, so her stomach churned. Not to mention her apologies, she was terrified that the movie she had poured her heart into would go wrong.
“First, let’s tell him and discuss it.”
“I feel so sorry for Director Kwak...”
“It can’t be helped.”
Dojun and Haejoo went to the W Hotel annex. Unlike the main hotel building, the annex was surrounded by trees, making it serene. Haejoo was impressed, feeling as if she had come to a different world.
“The W Hotel had a place like this?”
“I stayed here for a few days before my father moved to the nursing home.”
“Really?”
It was in a special location within the W Hotel, requiring a considerable drive to reach it. Only then did the two, separated from the world, find peace. They went to bed early tonight. After Haejoo fell asleep, Dojun left the bedroom and called Director Kwak.
“CEO Park, I was just about to call you.”
“Oh, really?”
“If you have something to say, please go first.”
“Haejoo is pregnant. I felt I should let you know in advance.”
“Haha, first of all, congratulations. That’s wonderful news!”
“Will it be okay for the film production?”
“I don’t think we’re at the stage to worry about that.”
“What do you mean?”
Director Kwak’s voice, which had been normal earlier in the day, now lacked strength. Dojun’s brows furrowed involuntarily as he spoke.
“A little while ago, the outsourced representatives called one after another, saying they only want to do the Jeju Island shoot.”
“What’s the reason?”
“I don’t know. They don’t answer when I ask.”
“That’s outrageous.”
“This happened within a day after Chief Secretary Han Jintae visited.”
The outsourced directors for lighting, sound, and art had all given notice that they were pulling out. This made him disheartened, thinking that even if they called other companies, it would be the same. Director Kwak continued what he was saying with a sigh.
“The entire schedule is going to be derailed. For now, halting production seems unavoidable.”
“Don’t worry about the production costs, Director, do as you see fit.”
“I will. I’ll see you when I get back to Seoul.”
After the call ended, Dojun sat on the terrace until past midnight. When a sudden downpour began, he finally went back to Haejoo’s side.
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Early in the morning, Haejoo asked Secretary Song to buy her a plain black dress, which she then put on. Instead of makeup, she neatly styled her hair and stood in front of the mirror. Her usually pale eyes seemed to glow with an unusual vitality today.
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The press conference scheduled for today was meant to be an opportunity for Haejoo to face everything head-on. Although she had argued with Jinhan yesterday, she wasn’t scared. Her resolve was firm, considering all that Dojun had done for her and the disruption to the film production caused by her.
“Alright, let’s do this.”
Outside, Hyunseong was waiting in the van. Dojun, dressed in casual clothes, carefully helped Haejoo into the van.
“I’ll follow behind you.”
“Okay, see you later.”
Hyunseong got into the driver’s seat and slowly turned the car around. As they left the hotel, Haejoo opened the envelope Jinhan had given her. Inside were details exposing Dojun as a former loan shark and a violent criminal.
“This is unbelievable.”
Haejoo didn’t even need to read the entire manuscript; she tore it up right there.
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