Seoryeong returned to her hospital room and sat on the edge of the bed.
She stared at her bandaged arm without really seeing it.
Lee Wooshin's words about compensation money hadn't been a lie. The division head had even called her, shouting loudly—pretending to be worried, asking how she would live in the future. Meanwhile, the compensation money and personal settlement had already been deposited into her account.
The amount was substantial. Enough to live without worry for the next few months.
But...
She had joined this company just to do the dirty work in place of Kim Hyeon. And it had ended with her being fired like this.
A feeling of suffocation and despair began to grow within her.
Seoryeong stared blankly at the television screen that was on, the images flickering without meaning.
> "It has been revealed that the son of Member of Parliament Park Gwangdu received compensation of five billion won from Company A, which is suspected of being involved in a development project in the Seorim-dong area. Mr. Park, who worked in the compensation team of Company A for five years, only held the position of deputy manager. Such a large amount of compensation—with such a position and experience—raises serious questions..."
The news anchor's voice echoed through the room, but Seoryeong ignored it.
Her face was downcast with despair.
The path she had once hoped would lead her back to her husband was now suddenly closed off. That reality alone was enough to make her weak and lose direction.
In this condition—with her injured arm throbbing dully beneath the bandages—the longing for her husband felt even deeper.
The attention and affection Kim Hyeon had once showered upon her now felt like a slowly fading illusion.
Her hospital stay was filled with pain.
Longing for him often made Seoryeong sigh with a sense of loss.
"—!"
At that moment, the hospital room door opened without a knock.
The first thing she saw was a glossy black cane that elegantly protruded into the room. The handle was decorated with a carving of an eagle's head—luxurious and expensive.
A man in his late fifties or early sixties laughed loudly as he saw Seoryeong.
"Young lady, you managed to get through such a terrible incident and still look so composed."
"...Who are you?"
Instead of answering, the man smirked and stepped into the room without hesitation. He sat casually on the sofa, looking at Seoryeong as if to say: *Why aren't you sitting too?*
He seemed accustomed to commanding and pressuring others like this—or perhaps the people around him were so used to obeying that they required no words at all.
For some reason, Seoryeong also sat down in front of him, as if drawn by an invisible force.
"I am Kang Taegon. President Director of Blast Company."
"—!"
Seoryeong's eyes widened instantly.
She was surprised—*why would someone like that come here?*
The doubt must have been clear on her face, because the man seemed to understand it immediately.
"I came to visit Channa." He waved his cane slightly. "And while I was at it, I stopped by to see the young lady."
"Ah... I see..."
The way he addressed her felt strange, but she just nodded without saying anything more.
Since she didn't show any further reaction, the middle-aged man began to study her with increased interest.
"We almost lost an important person." His voice dropped slightly. "It made me curious—who would dare to embrace Heo Channa until the very end like that..."
"..."
"Truly unbelievable."
He stroked his chin while looking intently at Seoryeong. His gaze was cold and sharp—the kind of assessment typical of someone who had spent decades in security. Though his examination lasted only moments, it felt like he had catalogued her entire being in an instant.
"I came to find you to thank you personally. Channa is an important person to our company. I worked hard to bring her in." He tapped his cane against the floor softly. "If she had been killed in Thailand, our company would have suffered a great loss. Many contracts couldn't have continued without her."
_Channa... I never knew she was that important._
_Then what about Lee Wooshin telling me to leave her?_
_If the person on the other end of the phone back then had been the Chairman, he would have definitely ordered Channa to be brought back—even if it meant someone else had to die in her place._
This company seemed to prioritize based on someone's value. Someone's *life*.
Meanwhile, she—who had been kicked out just for cooking—was someone who could be replaced at any time.
_That's why Lee Wooshin seemed so strange._
_How could he tell me to leave Heo Channa and just go?_
_He said I was useless to him._
_But back then... why did he try so hard to save my life?_
That strange feeling still lingered in her heart.
"Or..." Kang Taegon's voice cut through her thoughts. "Do you want something from me?"
"I've already signed a confidentiality agreement."
Seoryeong's answer—which cut off whatever he was about to say—made the man burst into laughter.
The events that happened in Thailand would not be revealed. Maybe that's what Kang Taegon wanted from her. The thanks weren't important. Perhaps he had come simply to ensure the agreement was enforced.
"You catch on quickly." He laughed until his cheeks puffed out. "I like that."
He seemed pleased that Seoryeong had immediately understood the purpose of his visit.
"Although the contract is part of my trust, I prefer to add something extra." He leaned forward slightly. "Human greed is like a disease—it needs lifelong care."
"..."
"Therefore, it requires an injection of medicine from time to time. Otherwise, problems will definitely arise."
*This was Kang Taegon's way of controlling people.*
Because secrets were a weakness, he used tempting bait to lure those who knew too much—then gave them what they wanted most.
"So, this time, answer me honestly." His eyes sharpened. "Do you want something from me?"
That direct question made Seoryeong fall silent.
The reason for her silence was simple: all this time—including now—she had only ever wanted one thing.
_Kim Hyeon._
_To restore the path that could lead her back to her husband._
"Can you kidnap someone?"
"—!"
Kang Taegon, who had been smiling casually, suddenly fell silent. He blinked, making sure he had heard correctly.
"Sometimes it's possible... But what do you mean?" His brow furrowed. "You want Blast Company to handle this?"
"Consider it the special security team."
"And who do you want to kidnap?"
"The Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service."
"—!"
Kang Taegon's facial expression stiffened.
"Even if their position is higher than that, it's fine," Seoryeong continued, her voice steady. "But it has to be at the executive level. Lower ranks won't do."
"May I ask for the reason?"
The man shook his head slightly, as if he had just been struck.
He wanted to know the reason—because only a handful of executives knew information about secret agents. What he didn't know was that Seoryeong wanted to meet the "Deputy Director" who had called when Kim Hyeon was accused of being a spy.
But she answered with a brief sentence that concealed the real reason.
"I just want to do something bad."
Kang Taegon touched the corner of his lips, as if considering something.
"Then why should there be another reason?" Seoryeong's voice didn't waver. "I just want to use Channa's life as leverage for that."
She didn't hesitate to use anything she had.
She wasn't ashamed to invoke the name of Channa—who was still lying unconscious—to ask for what she wanted.
All that occupied her mind was how to make the best use of this valuable opportunity.
As Kang Taegon stared at Seoryeong in silence, his expression shifted to something more serious.
"Miss... have you never had nightmares? Ever experienced PTSD?"
"No."
Seoryeong tilted her head slightly, seemingly not understanding why the man was asking such a boring question.
Chairman Kang was silent for a moment.
Then he looked deeply into her—as if seeing through her thoughts.
"That's really strange, Miss." His voice dropped. "Why are you okay even after experiencing something so terrible?"
He placed both hands on his cane and sank into thought.
"You were the first person to discover the bodies. You knew the perpetrator was an unusual transgender hitman. You were also the one who fired the weapon—and stopped Heo Channa's bleeding to save her."
"..."
"Actually, ever since I stepped into this room, I've been curious..." His eyes narrowed. "Why haven't eyes that have seen all those terrible things been shattered yet?"
Seoryeong asked back in surprise, raising her hand to touch around her eyes—which were trembling slightly.
"I'm not... shattered?"
"It seems not."
He chuckled softly, stroking his chin. His gaze held a mystery hidden deep within.
"I don't need people with PTSD or anything like that. People who are too sensitive aren't fit to live in this world." A pause. "But you, Miss... it seems you've left all those feelings somewhere."
His satisfied gaze lingered on Seoryeong for quite a while.
The low laughter that echoed in the room confirmed how much he enjoyed this discovery.
Suddenly, Seoryeong remembered Lee Wooshin.
His cold words telling her not to get involved in this world now resurfaced in her mind—but in a completely opposite form.
Seoryeong herself didn't know who was right.
But what was certain at this moment was clear:
**Chairman Kang was the person she needed most.**