Bound by a Ruthless Contract - Chapter 43
In Nam-hee-dong, Go yun-gu was one of Seoul’s oldest neighborhoods.
Narrow stairs stretched up the steep incline, flanked tightly by weathered iron gates. At the bottom where the ground leveled out, unmaintained and rough alleyways sprawled like a spider’s web in every direction. It was a driver’s nightmare.
Ga-eun had circled the neighborhood four times before finally finding a parking spot, and even then, it came at the cost of her right-side mirror.
‘It’s scratched,’ she thought, running her fingers over the damaged area. Fortunately, it wasn’t too noticeable.
After assessing the car’s condition, she retrieved the large fruit basket from the back seat. Right now, recruiting Artist Ja-myeong was more urgent than worrying about the car.
In her high heels, she moved forward with a shopper bag slung over one shoulder and the fruit basket in her other hand.
‘The pink gate at the very top.’
Finding the house was easy. The gate, painted in a bright and cheerful pink that seemed out of place in this neighborhood, commanded attention even from a distance.
The only issue was its location at the summit.
Ga-eun paused to catch her breath at the foot of the steep stairs.
“Phew…”
Looking up, the path to the pink gate seemed dizzyingly high.
‘Still, this is better,’ she thought. Better than being interrogated about marriage by Woo Ji-hyang at the gallery.
And that wasn’t even the worst of it.
Ji-hyang would have surely broadcast the news about becoming in-laws with the Hwanhee Group, and dealing with the resulting attention and aftermath would fall squarely on her shoulders.
That thought gave her renewed strength.
Above all, this project was a gift for her aunt.
Planning an exhibition featuring her aunt’s favorite artist with her own hands.
Before the car accident, her aunt would pore over the artist’s portfolio every day.
‘If I’m lucky, I might even be able to purchase one of the pieces.’
Though Artist Ja-myeong was famous for refusing to sell their works, it was said that once they took a liking to someone, they became incredibly generous – “generous” being an understatement.
She desperately wanted to hang one of Ja-myeong’s flower paintings in her aunt’s hospital room, where she remained confined.
[Bzzt- Bzzt-]
A vibration suddenly sounded from her bag. Seemed like an incoming call.
Though she initially didn’t want to answer, thinking it might be Woo Ji-hyang, she suddenly remembered missing the hospital’s call when her aunt’s condition had suddenly deteriorated.
Sighing, Ga-eun set down the fruit basket and retrieved her phone from her bag.
[Kwon Si-heon]
Heat rushed to her face the moment she saw the screen.
Yesterday’s memory flooded back – their passionate kiss in the car parked in front of her family home.
They had almost crossed the line.
Si-heon had quite brazenly shifted that responsibility to her.
[Wasn’t it our Ga-eun who kept tempting me? Calling ‘Kwon Si-heon, Kwon Si-heon…’]
“Then should I go back to calling you ‘sir’…”
[Better not. What little patience I have left might run out.]
Si-heon had whispered like a snake flicking its red tongue.
[If that happens, I won’t care about time or place.]
Ga-eun covered her neck with her hand, suddenly feeling the ghost of Si-heon’s hot lips against her skin.
As if watching her reaction, the phone continued to vibrate persistently.
Clearing her throat, Ga-eun pressed ‘Answer.’
“Hello?”
[Four.]
“What?”
What was with this sudden number…
[The number of seconds you spent staring at my name on the screen before answering.]
Ga-eun’s pupils trembled as they widened.
‘How did he know?’
She had once thought him dog-like, the way he would leave red marks biting all over her body.
But this man’s intuition was as sharp as a wild animal’s, not just in bed.
Ga-eun tried to hide her startled heart as she took shallow breaths, feigning composure.
“…That’s not it.”
Or perhaps she was clearing her throat.
“…”
[Seems I was right.]
“W-what is it?”
As she tried to change the subject with a trembling voice, she heard Si-heon’s low chuckle.
Ga-eun bit her lip. Her heart fluttered.
[Our Ms. Ga-eun. You’re quite something.]
“…What do you mean?”
Until just now, I felt like my head was splitting open.
Si-heon let out a heavy sigh.
[Just hearing your voice has taken away half the pain.]
“Are you feeling unwell?”
Though she asked with concern, no answer came.
“Mr. Kwon Si-heon?”
[What’s the artist’s gender?]
“What? The artist’s gender…?”
Ga-eun’s eyes widened.
“How did you know about that?”
[I’m on my way back from the gallery after coming up empty-handed.]
He went to the gallery?
No, surely he hadn’t met Woo Ji-hyang?
[And this empty-handed path leads to Ko Yun-gu.]
It seemed Si-heon was determined to surprise her today.
