The newcomer was unfamiliar, appearing to be in his mid-twenties, with curly hair and a band adorning his cheek. Casually puffing on a cigarette, he greeted her with a nonchalant tone, “Oh, you’re awake, Prosecutor? Did you have a good nap?”
The man retrieved a cheap lighter from the pocket of his leather jacket. Tap, tap. After a few attempts, flames flickered to life. As he ignited his cigarette, an arrogant smirk played on his lips, accompanied by a chuckle.
“Don’t stare at me like that… Ah, I get it. I should be a bit more considerate. I’ll loosen it up for you.”
Yi-soo met his mocking gaze with a fierce glare. Was he the orchestrator of her abduction? If so, what was the motive? Their lack of any apparent connection led her to consider the possibility that he might be acting on someone else’s orders. The questions swirled, unanswered, in her mind.
Exhaling a cloud of harsh cigarette smoke, the man laughed and seized the end of the blue tape near Yi-soo’s mouth. With a sharp sound, he forcefully ripped off the tape, prompting an instinctive scream. The delicate skin around her mouth reddened in response to the abrupt removal.
“..Ah!”
“Ugh, that must hurt. Sorry, Prosecutor. By the way, looking at you like this, you’re quite a beauty. Do you have a boyfriend? Do you engage in any… activities? When was your last hotel visit?”
Physiological tears welled up as the man spewed vulgar questions, rudely grabbing Yi-soo’s jaw. In a futile struggle against her restrained state, she twisted her body, clenching her teeth and glaring at the man with murderous intensity.
“Let go of me. Kidnapping people in the middle of Seoul?”
“Wow, Prosecutor, you’re really spirited. I like women like you.”
The man momentarily flinched at Yi-soo’s intense gaze but then smirked, finding her defiance amusing. His expectation of intimidation and stammering was met with her unyielding resolve.
Despite her threat, the situation was undeniably terrifying for Yi-soo. Although her professional life dealt closely with crime, being a victim was a new and unsettling experience. Yet, her rationality remained unshaken, steel-strong. Even in the face of instinctive fear, she refused to beg for her life with trembling timidity.
Coldly fixing the man with a piercing gaze, she demanded, “Did Kim Ji-cheol send you? For a prolonged kidnapping?”
“What nonsense is this? Who’s Kim Ji-cheol? Hey, Prosecutor. But seriously, don’t you blink? Are you trying to intimidate me with that kidnapped look?”
“Who’s the bastard who hired you?”
As she spat out curses in a low voice, the man laughed as if in disbelief. Immediately, he raised his hand high into the air. Crack. A tearing friction sound resonated, and her white cheek reddened vigorously.
She released a raspy breath as the man, discarding the cigarette to the ground, pressed his index finger onto Yi-soo’s forehead repeatedly, accompanied by mocking laughter.
“You can’t even grasp the situation now… No matter how skilled you are, don’t you know you could be in deep trouble if you talk too much?” he jeered.
“Crazy bastard,” Yi-soo retorted, feeling an odd venom as she received a slap from a stranger whose name eluded her. Despite this, she continued to glare at the man, unwavering.
“This crazy bitch…! Ah! Who the hell are you?” Muttering curses and flicking the cigarette butt with the tip of his boot, the man raised his hand again.
However, a third party promptly intervened, forcefully striking the back of the man’s head and causing him to turn with a scowl. “Oh, seriously, what the hell… Ah, Attorney.”
“I told you to keep an eye on her until she wakes up,” a voice instructed, though the face of the newcomer remained unseen, hidden by the man blocking Yi-soo’s view. She frowned, releasing a sigh.
A lawyer? The three syllables echoed like an auditory hallucination in her ears.
“I never allowed anyone to touch my belongings,” a voice declared firmly.
“I apologize. It was just too rebellious… I just wanted to instill some fear.”
“Director Kwak, take him away.”
The unidentified man slowly lowered his arm, revealing a shocking sight in Yi-soo’s widened pupils—a firearm in his hand.
The man who obstructed her view trembled, seemingly overwhelmed by a sense of remorse. The room fell into a brief silence before someone spoke up, asking, “How should we handle him?”
The answer was cold and direct. “Kill him. Handle the aftermath cleanly.”
“Understood. Take him away,” Director Kwak commanded.
The man pleaded desperately as he was dragged away. Finally, with a clear line of sight, the figure holding the gun came into focus.
The shocking reality hit her like a tidal wave. Once flawless eyes, now creased with concern, stared back at her. After a moment of bewilderment, Yi-soo found her voice and uttered words heavy with shock.
“Attorney… Kang Jin-won.”