Lee-yeon’s mind raced. Gyu-baek needed to grow up in Hwaido, not some doghouse. He was supposed to be her brother, not their servant. She glared at the man before her while trying to calm her nerves enough to think straight. She needed to think of something, and fast.
“People like you live in huge places with plenty of land,” she said, watching as Kwon Ki-seok frowned. This was obviously not the direction he expected this conversation to go. Still, he didn’t stop her from continuing. “And a good garden is a symbol of wealth. That’s something you must want,” she told him. “I don’t know if you knew this, but I’m a tree doctor. I was able to make it to the fourth round of the Hwaidome project. The only skills I can offer you is my ability to take care of trees. But I can give you a good rate.”
It was clear now that the man in front of her was not too pleased.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
Instead of saying anything, he just turned his head and sighed. “Nothing.” He seemed calm enough.
“Then, you’ll promise not to touch Gyu-baek.”
The man straightened in his seat at her words.
“Don’t leave him in a doghouse,” she said. “Put him up in a good room and feed him good food. He must already be stressed in his new environment. He doesn’t cause trouble if he’s treated well, so be kind to him.” When he didn’t say a word, she continued. “If I see him with so much as a bruise…”
In some way, it pissed Kwon Ki-seok off that, despite seeming so scared, Lee-yeon wasn’t backing down. He could see it in the way she held her head high. He could see it in her eyes. Her eyes made him feel sick and annoyed. Still, he nodded.
“Okay,” he said.
Lee-yeon frowned. “That’s it?” she asked. “Well, we’ll need a contract. We’ll need to discuss my wage, my job description, my working hours, vacation days… all of that.” She stared at him when he didn’t respond. “You don’t seem as bright as you are threatening. I need this. How can I trust you if we don’t sign a proper contract?”
Kwon Ki-seok frowned. When did she become so brave? Did she get that from Chae-woo? He shook his head. “Do you think I’m going to harm you?”
She hesitated, but said, “Of course.”
“You don’t even know,” he said with a smile, “Just how grateful I am.”
“Sorry?”
“You brought me Yoon Joo-ha.”
Lee-yeon flinched at that. The name struck a nerve. “Yoon Joo-ha?” she said, repeating the name as if it would change it. “Mother?”
Kwon Ki-seok let out a laugh. It was grating and mocking and terrible. It was the laughter of a cold man.
“I never thought I would hear anyone other than Chae-woo call her that,” he said.
“What?”
“Yoon Joo-ha is a kidnapper.”
Lee-yeon’s eyes widened.
“She had nothing to do with Chae-woo. She wasn’t related to him at all.” Kwon Ki-seok’s words were harsh and biting.
A fake mother and a fake wife. Lee-yeon felt horrible knowing that Kwon Chae-woo’s entire world was filled with lies. His entire life was a lie.
“That music teacher Yoon Joo-ha put my brother in her cello case and took him away from us,” Kwon Ki-seok said. “It was my fault for letting her meet him in the first place. I trusted her, I shouldn’t have. It was ten years after I met Yoon Joo-ha that I—”
He straightened up and loosened his tie. “I’m so grateful for you, Lee-yeon. You can’t even imagine.”
She couldn’t believe what he was saying. If it was true, then she would have been the one that helped him when he was threatening her two years ago. Despite that, he had still threatened to put someone in a barrel and make her the real culprit.
“Just what do you want?” she asked as her face paled.
He had forced her to take Kwon Chae-woo and forced her into the whole lie.
“I was hoping Chae-woo would take after me.”
She frowned. “What?”
“We are brothers,” he said. “I was hoping he would follow my lead and become me in the end.”
It was a strange thing to say, all Lee-yeon could do was frown, unable to respond.
At that, Kwon Ki-seok stood up and rubbed his chin. “By the way, Lee-yeon,” he said, “Did you know that Chae-woo is four years younger than you?”