Prey - Chapter 71
Jeonghan, who had been immersed in long memories, opened his eyes.
He was in the car on the way home after drinking with Ma Taewoo.
Outside the car window, the dark night streets still reflected.
Looking at the scenery quickly receding behind him, Jeonghan thought with eyes darkened like the night scenery.
Seol Suhyeon, whom he had seen in the orphanage at the age of 11.
Seol Suhyeon, who had passed by exuding the scent of roses when he was on leave from the army.
…And Seol Suhyeon in a wedding dress.
Ah, back then. She was damn beautiful.
With a smirk, Jeonghan straightened his upper body, which had been deeply buried in the car seat.
His gaze was drawn to the pants that seemed about to burst.
The image of Seol Suhyeon he had seen in his dreams ignited a desire for her in an instant.
“Ha.”
Jeonghan let out a scoff.
The reason he had treated her coldly during their marriage yet had s*x with her every night as if tormenting her was because of this damned desire.
Even though at some point he had become unable to tell whether he was tormenting Seol Suhyeon or himself, it didn’t stop.
He saw the hatred welling up in her eyes as he cruelly pressed her, trying to justify the relationship by saying he married her to ruin her.
As Seol Suhyeon’s hatred grew, he thought it was only right.
The relationship between Seol Suhyeon and himself should be like that.
Otherwise, he would be nothing more than a beast who loved the daughter of a murderer.
But the desire for Seol Suhyeon had never once waned after it had ignited.
Terribly, it was a disgusting and impure desire.
…In the end, he was consumed by it.
The corners of his lips twisted coldly.
In this unbearably disturbing desire, it was laughable that he no longer felt guilt. There was no pang of conscience whatsoever.
It was too hot and intense to not be identified with himself. There should be a suitable distance for regret and everything else, shouldn’t there?
“Am I right? Did you deliberately marry me?”
“Yeah. That.”
Recalling Seol Suhyeon’s startled face from a few days ago at the drinking party, Jeonghan let out a low laugh.
Where do you think you’re running to, Seol Suhyeon?
I’ve already become a beast crushed by desire for you.
Jeonghan’s eyes glimmered fiercely.
* * * * *
The news of Do Jeonghan’s business trip to the U.S. was conveyed by TV news.
“Look over there. Is that Director Do Jeonghan!”
At the words of one of the employees pointing to the restaurant TV screen, Suhyeon’s gaze turned that way as well.
‘Another business trip, huh.’
The screen showed Do Jeonghan entering an airport filled with reporters. There was also a view of a tall building that seemed to be where he was having a meeting in the U.S.
A caption at the bottom of the screen read that Cheonkyung Group was the first domestic company to exclusively sign a contract with the U.S. for a Mars probe and space development project.
“Wow… a Mars probe. Seeing that really makes it feel like he’s an incredible person, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does. It doesn’t feel like I’ve seen him in person before…”
Everyone was staring at the screen with dazed expressions.
“……”
After a moment of watching, Suhyeon lowered her gaze first and quietly continued eating.
“But why would such an impressive company like Cheonkyung contract with us? Doesn’t that seem a bit strange?”
She hesitated.
Suhyeon’s chopsticks momentarily paused over her tray.
“Actually, I thought it was a bit strange too. Isn’t that something Cheonkyung could handle on their own?”
Hyunwoo casually interjected amid the questioning conversation.
“They say it’s actually caused a lot of problems to leave it only to the affiliates.”
“Still, it seems… strange.”
Yoon Ji-soo tilted her head as if she found it odd.
“It’s a good thing for us, so what’s so strange about it?”
Hyunwoo seemed to have thrown any notion of cold judgment out of his head, insisting that good was good.
Suhyeon remained silent and continued her meal without joining the conversation. Still, she felt a sense of frustration building inside.
The reason Do Jeonghan chose Donghwa Construction as a partner to carry out the development project for the southern new city was something she felt she understood, but she pretended not to.
Yet, there were things she couldn’t pretend to ignore.
‘It had to be me…?’
The words Do Jeonghan had said in the hotel Korean restaurant popped into her mind like a habit.
Since that night, those words had been swirling in her head.
She had thought it was merely about choosing a marriage partner among similar conditions, but if that wasn’t the case, then there must be another reason.
‘What could that reason be?’
That day, she had been so flustered that she hadn’t properly asked why.
