Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 445: Not A Bluff

His ten days?

Deep crease lines folded Mr.Kim’s forehead at Dan-Han’s impudence. The boy was the only person who had ever dared him this much. The audacity to give him an ultimatum and even remind him about it.

If Yong-Gun was livid with Dan-Han’s attitude before, now he was irritated, and he wanted both but to deal with him. But more than that, he was unsettled by Eun-sun’s presence.

He couldn’t help but notice how Dan-Han wasn’t giving him her last name.

Neither could he stop help his gaze from roaming towards Eun-sun, who was also paying him an intent stare.

What was she?

A restlessness stirred in him as he kept staring at her face. Were there such coincidences in this life that someone could look so uncanny to another person?

.....

No way. He didn’t think so, not with what he knew.

He turned again to Dan-Han. He beheld that indifferent look he was always known for, and he couldn’t see through him. He was slowly beginning to despise Dan-Han because the boy was slowly proving he’d become a thorn in his flesh.

He managed an easy look on his face and let his travel from Eun-sun to Dan-Han.

“You shouldn’t have such discussions in the presence of the girl. You might give her the wrong impression of men like us.” He said, his lips holding a faint smile as he looked at Eun-sun as if to apologize for her man’s brashness and insensitivity.

“Thanks for your concern, Mr.Kim, but she’s fully aware of the kind of men we are, so you don’t have to worry about that.” Dan-Han blandly told him. “Now, if we can continue, please tell me when I can find the girl.” Dan-Han pressed.

Mr. Kim feigned an exasperated sigh as if he was exhausted from talking to a child too young to see reasons. “At least, let the lady eat something. She can do that while we talk.” He suggested, and as if on cue, a knock came, and two waiters came bearing food and quickly set the table.

“I took it upon myself to order before your arrival. The last time we met, we didn’t get to do so. It was a more uncomfortable meet.”

An uncomfortable meet. Dan-Han scoffed in his mind. The man was one to talk. He was the one who turned their last meeting upside down by having a gun aimed at him, and he had only returned the favor.

Dan-Han observed as he turned to Eun-sun. It seemed his eyes were suddenly out of control.

“You should eat, young lady. To be married to a man like the one you’ve chosen, you have to build up, so you should eat.” Mr.Kim encouraged with a friendly smile while Dan-Han kept his silent gaze on him.

He could see suspicion and anxiety in the man’s eyes despite the calm demeanor he was desperately trying to maintain.

Eun-sun stared at the food arrayed in front of them, and she wondered how she was going to politely turn him down. But before she could say anything, Dan-Han curtly declined the offer.

“We already have plans for lunch, Mr.Kim.” He said, and Eun-sun followed with a confirming nod.

“I’m sorry, but Dan-Han already made reservations for us. It will go to waste if we’re to eat here.” She added, sounding a bit more apologetic even though her inside was filled with so much anger and anxiety.

Anger because she knew what he had done to her and her family, and anxious because she feared what he would do when he discovered she was the child he had stolen two and a half decades ago. She was scared of what he might do to her, her real family, Song-Hee, and most of all, Dan-Han.

There was something about Mr.Kim that made her uneasy.

Hearing their rejection and observing Eun-sun’s restlessness as she declined stirred up his suspicions. His dark eyes once again tried to assess Dan-Han’s countenance.

Could this be more than what he was thinking? Had Dan-Han found out what he had been trying to protect all these years and was subtly trying to tell him so?

It wasn’t possible, he thought. But then, he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility. Dan-Han wasn’t supposed to know about the Soo-Min and the child in the first place, but somehow he had found out.

These thoughts increased the tension and suspicion in his heart. He peered surreptitiously at Eun-sun again, and his heart pounded as it had never done in his entire life.

He immediately instructed the waitress to pour the wine before leaving.

“Well, since you already have plans, I wouldn’t want to disrupt your plans. But before we move into that discussion, let’s raise a toast to your relationship.” He smoothly suggested.

“As you said, there have been many years of friendship between our families. And though you’re a handful, you’re still like a son, not just to my brother but also to me. So I’ll raise a glass.”

“Then allow me to drink for us. My fiancee isn’t one to drink, especially in public.” Dan-Han casually said as he held the glass at the stem.

Mr.Kim’s face instantly turned grim with displeasure, finally cracking the calm expression he had been clinging to, but Dan-Han ignored him and raised his glass, gesturing for Mr.Kim to do the same.

Both men shared solemn gazes as they silently sipped from their glasses.

Dan-Han glanced over at Eun-sun when he dropped his glass on the table. He reached for the key in his pocket and passed it to her.

“Honey, why don’t you go wait in the car? It seems Mr.Kim is still concerned about you and would not be able to talk to me with you here.”

Eun-sun looked over at Mr.Kim, who was trying to stop a scowl from forming on his face, but when he met her eyes, he scolded his countenance to what seemed to be a smile.

She nodded and received the key. She rose to her feet and bowed courteously bowed to him. “It was nice meeting you, Mr.Kim.” She said, and the man replied with a nod.

“It was nice meeting you too.” Mr.Kim nodded at her. His eyes followed her as she walked through the door and out of the room.

“I’m sure you can now give me a reply.” Dan-Han curtly uttered, drawing Mr. Kim’s attention back to him.

From the man’s face, Dan-Han could tell he was highly distracted and flustered. And this distraction would be the first of the many reactions the man would experience in the forthcoming days.

Not wanting to dally on the issue more than necessary because there was now something more pressing – something he had to look into as soon as he stepped out of the place, he asked, “Where’s Mun?”

“Mun?” Dan-Han innocently frowned as he wondered if he had heard that name before.

Mr.Kim frowned at the look of oblivion on Dan-Han’s face. “My subordinate, which your savage men took?” He reminded him.

Dan-Han’s brow tilted when he realized who he was talking about. Mun was the man he had seen on the footage with Soo-Min while she was pregnant and had tortured him to get information about the baby from him.

Dan-Han shrugged and sighed. “I thought you wouldn’t require him anymore, so I did you the favor of disposing of him. But if you’d like his severed tongue, I can ask someone to deliver it to you. It’s very much preserved.”

Mr.Kim silently gauged his countenance as he pondered if he was saying the truth. He felt Dan-Han hadn’t killed the man as he had said. But he couldn’t be so sure.

“I’ll keep your acts in my mind, Lee.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to do so.” He said as he picked up his glass. “So tell me, where the girl is. We both know she isn’t dead, so do us both a favor and not repeat that. I want the child back.”

“I’d like Soo-Min back.” Mr.Kim demanded while Dan-Han chuckled.

“As what? Your wife?” He cocked a brow at him.

“That’s no concern of yours, young man.” Mr.Kim drawled while Dan-Han sighed.

“It became my concern when my mother left strict instructions to reunite mother and child. And also, I heard about your visit to my father, and funny how I discovered something interesting from that visit. Would you like to listen?” Dan-Han asked with a mischievous tone, making Mr.Kim suspiciously frown as he wondered what he was suddenly talking about.

“After listening to it several times, I’m beginning to wonder who Mi-Cha truly is.” Dan-Han thoughtfully pulled his brows together, with a faint smile tickling the side of his lips.

“What do you mean?” Mr.Kim asked. Every fiber in him was focused on keeping a straight face, and despite Dan-Han seeing that, he gave a non-committal shrug as he continued.

“Remember that visit I made to uncle Ki-Jun?” He tauntingly paused and continued. “I took some of her hair. It’s almost as blonde as yours, just a little darker than yours, given your age. Well, anyway, I sent some of her samples, as well as your brother’s, to the hospital. The result should be ready and delivered to your brother’s place in a few days. I wonder what the result would be. Do you want to come?” Dan-Han tilted a brow at the man.

A mirthless chuckle came from the man who tried to conceal the fear and worry that flickered through his eyes. “Is this meant to be some joke? What nonsense are you spewing, young man?” He asked with feigned amusement.

Dan-Han shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to see if this is all nonsense when the results come. Who do you think would be more surprised? Uncle Ki-Jun Or Mi-Cha?” Dan-Han’s lips curved up, and a smirk played on his lips.

“Poor girl.” He pitifully tsked.

He gulped the rest of his wine and stood to his feet. “I guess this meeting is over, Mr.Kim. I’ll send you the clip later. That way, you’ll know if this is all a bluff. But for now, I’ll go attend to my fiancee. I hate keeping her waiting.” He said and turned away without paying the man one more look.