Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 435: Make An Appearance.

To Eun-sun, it still felt like yesterday when she had stepped into that private room and met her father after ten years of waiting and searching, and he had looked at her with so much disdain and ire.

Sometimes she still doubted the memory of him cruelly telling her the hurtful truth that had shattered her world – that she wasn’t his child, but rather was a child that had been imposed on him and had been used to deceive him for fifteen years.

The cold and stoic look in his eyes when he said those words were something she hasn’t been able to take out of her mind. It still looped in her head like a cursed memory.

She had endured a lot of hardships in the last few years, but all the pain and hard times couldn’t have hurt as finding out she hadn’t been wanted from the start, and that she might never truly get one of the most basic things in the world, family.

But after hearing all Dan-Han had said, it seemed that wasn’t true. It wasn’t that she was given away because she wasn’t wanted, but because someone deprived her from being with her family.

Eun-sun couldn’t really tell how this knowledge made her feel, or maybe she knew, but she didn’t know how to perfectly articulate it.

Everything felt surreal and overwhelming, especially knowing that her parents might have gone through much pain than she had endured, as well as knowing that she might not just have come from an ordinary family. It was all too surreal.

.....

Eun-sun fluttered her eyes closed as she drew a sharp breath. The flow of cold air in her lungs released a calming effect on her, though not quite effective, but it eased her nerves to a certain degree.

She glanced at Dan-Han as the next bouts of questions arrayed in her head.

“Do you know why anyone would want to take me from them? And why he or she might have done so?” Eun-sun felt it pertinent to ask this questions, because she believed there had got to be a reason why someone would have done such to her and her family. There had to be a reason why someone snatched her away from the people who might have truly loved, valued, and protected her from all the abuse she endured.

There had to be a reason, she thought.

A scowl formed on Dan-Han’s face the moment he heard her question, and Eun-sun took note of it. His countenance told her he knew who it was and why they had executed such a evil act.

“You know don’t you?”

Dan-Han raised his head up till their eyes were locked on one another. Eun-sun’s brows pulled together when she observed how deep the scowl on his face ran by the second.

“Dan-Han,” She impatiently called, when his silence lingered for an irritable number of seconds.

He hissed. “I don’t think it’s time for you to know that yet.” He said and Eun-sun’s face hardened at him. They were going back to square one, weren’t they? They were back to the point when he decides when it’s best for her to be let in on issues that concerned her.

“Why?” She sternly asked.

Dan-Han lost his ease when he saw how hard she was glaring at him, but he wasn’t going to falter. “It’s dangerous for now.”

“But isn’t that all the more reason for you to tell me?” She angrily questioned. “I should know who did such a cruel thing to me, and why? Wasn’t I just a child? Did I deserve to be treated that badly? To have my family look at me like a stranger and be helpless about it?!” She furiously snapped, taking Dan-Han by surprise.

“And wouldn’t it be best to know, so I can be at alert. What if I bump into that person and he or she intends to harm me? What would happen? I’ll be vulnerable just like I was when I was a baby.” She told him matter of factly.

He had said, someone took her and gave her to Song-Hee. That alone told her it was intentional. Whoever it was wanted her family to suffer. Eun-sun wasn’t stupid to know something of this magnitude wouldn’t have happened if there was no motive or design.

There had to be. She reasoned.

Dan-Han’s face suddenly darkened like a storm was about to brood in it, “No one will dare hurt you again. I’ll protect you.” He solemnly swore, through clenched teeth.

Eun-sun sighed when she saw the dreadful look on his face. His words drained every fight out of her.

She cupped his face. “I know you will, but still, Dan-Han. I deserve to know, don’t I? Please tell me.” She softly pleaded.

Dan-Han’s looks softened as she rested her forehead against his. He silently peered into her eyes as he considered her words.

Maybe she was right. She did have point there.

The enemy has proven he wasn’t someone who played by the rules. If at all, his actions had showed him just how dangerous he can be. Harming Eun-sun to keep his ploy wasn’t something he couldn’t do.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Dan-Han rubbed his hands down his face. “Okay, I’ll tell you, but not today. Let’s wait till he comes because I’m sure he’ll be making an appearance soon.” He compromised.

Eun-sun didn’t want to let go, but she knew this was as much as she could get from him. This was him compromising on the matter. As much as she loved Dan-Han, the man infuriates her beyond words, but she loved him all the same.

....

Languidly lolled on a couch, Mr Kim drummed his fingers on the armrest as he listened to the report he was being given.

“Sir, we’re yet to find her. The Lee’s have been awkwardly quiet, and we still haven’t been able to place anyone inside the house. It’s said President Lee has banned the recruitment of house staff into the Lee mansion, so that had been a dead end.” Stephen informed while the man keenly listened.

“So you’re saying, there’s no way to find that woman, or even confirm if she’s still alive?” He grimly asked and the man hesitated before he cautiously replied.

“Yes, sir.”

A shattering sound filled the room, and Stephen glanced at the broken glass on the floor, the remnant of Scottish whiskey seeping into the rug and filling the air with it’s sharp smell.

Since their visit to the Lee mansion, his boss had been on the edge.

“That Lee bastard.” Mr Kim growled under his breath, his eyes blaring with anger and hate.

“Sir, don’t you think we should return back for the time being, and strategize the best way to go about this. This country is the Lee’s turf and it will be difficult for us-”

“Shut up!” The man roared and Stephen refrained from saying another word.

Mr Kim could feel the hate for Dan-Han rise in his bowels. He still couldn’t believe a little boy had him in a tight spot. Just when was he born that he grown such wits to irk him this much?

“What about that brat?” He calmly asked.

“We heard he’s currently facing a challenge.” Stephen replied, making Mr Kim scoff.

“That incompetent fool!” He snapped. “All of you are incompetent fools!” He slammed his hand against the armrest before clenching it into a fist. “Just one boy, and none of you can get me what I want. I have so spend so much resources.” He seethed, his teeth grinding against each other, and his fist growing even tighter.

Stephen observed the man’s grimly countenance and he stopped himself from saying anything. Dan-Han wasn’t an easy opponent to topple, he had always wanted to tell the boss, but he couldn’t.

For them to turn the tables around, they had to do something even Dan-Han wouldn’t be able to get out of, no matter how hard he tried.

“Where is he currently?” Mr Kim finally asked.

“Last he was spotted was in City A.”

“City A?” Mr Kim arched a brow. “What is he doing there?”

“From the report I got, he was doing some charity work at an orphanage.”

“Charity work?” Mr Kim scoffed. “Is that what he thinks he’s doing by poking his nose into matters that doesn’t concern him?”

He turned to Stephen, “Find out where he is right now. Maybe it’s high time we have that second meeting as planned.” He ordered and Stephen quickly got to it.

Mr Kim couldn’t help but notice the grave change on Stephen’s face as he listened to whoever was speaking over the phone.

“What is it?” He asked.

“Sir, there’s a problem.” Stephen urgently reported, making Mr Kim face contort gravely.

“And what’s the problem?” He impatiently demanded.

“President Lee is in Country F.” He cautiously replied, while Mr Kim suddenly froze on the spot, his eyes widened in disbelief.

“You fool!” He roared as he tossed the telephone resting on the stool at him in a fit of rage. Stephen didn’t flinch as he received the impact of the telephone, that came directly to his head.

“How could you let that happen?! What were you doing when he left for there. You all are imbeciles!” Mr Kim’s muscles twitch in anger..

“Get me a plane. We leave at once.”