Chapter 14: Chapter 14

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Evening had fallen. While Im Soo-ah and Seo Eun-mi busied themselves carrying out my orders, and the people dispatched from Goryeo Prestige filled my home, I waited for the trainees to be delivered.

But they hadn’t arrived.

Sure, it wasn’t exactly a short distance from Ganghwa to Songdo, but no way it should be taking this long. Did something happen?

I could have waited patiently, but I didn’t see any need to. So I grabbed my phone and made a call. The recipient, of course, was Kang Emilia.

…Yes. It’s Emilia, sir. “You saved my number, huh?”

Of course. Whose number would it be? “Do you know why I’m calling?”

…

Silence.

“The trainees haven’t arrived yet.”

… “I was told they left as soon as I got home, but there’s still no word.”

…I’m terribly sorry, sir. It seems my treasurer is quite a bit of an idiot. It looks like he’s lost his way. “Is that so? There’s no issue, right?”

Yes, I take full responsibility and will ensure they are delivered to your home.

Emilia reassured me several times before hanging up.

“….”

Something felt off. When I met her earlier, I didn’t get this feeling.

She had been more… what’s the word? Right, as Soo-ah put it, ‘arrogant.’ She acted polite on the surface, but underneath it, she wasn’t polite at all. It felt like she was looking down on me.

But now, it’s like she’s being cautious, almost like she’s scared of something. Odd.

“Master, I think you should check this.”

“Hmm?”

At that moment, Soo-ah approached, holding a file. It was the contract for the transfer of trainees from Rainbow Miracle. Specifically, the agreement where I took over the trainees’ contracts from Rainbow Miracle for 5 billion won per head.

“I found a clause I hadn’t seen before while reviewing it.”

“A clause you hadn’t seen?”

I took the contract from her and began reading it.

The standard terms flowed smoothly until, toward the end, there was something written in a distinctly different handwriting.

“…What is this?”

I had gone through the contract thoroughly before signing, yet here was something I hadn’t seen.

“…If the delivery isn’t completed, the party is liable to pay 100 times the transaction amount? So that means Emilia owes me 2.5 trillion won?” “Technically, Rainbow Miracle does.” “…Why the hell is this clause in here?” “I wonder that myself.” “….”

I hadn’t put in this clause. And Soo-ah didn’t show any signs of having done so, either.

‘If Emilia has this clause in her copy of the contract as well, it explains her cautious attitude earlier. She’s suddenly on the hook for 2.5 trillion won.’

But the strange part is… who put this clause in? And why?

‘This clause benefits me alone. You could almost call it a scam. If it comes to a legal dispute, Emilia might try to argue it’s absurd, but as a member of the Goryeo Group’s owning family, I could enforce it. I could either get 2.5 trillion won from Emilia… or something else of equivalent value. But who would benefit from that?’

No. There’s no way anyone would benefit from this.

Let’s reconsider.

‘…Emilia absolutely has to deliver the trainees to me. If she doesn’t, she faces bankruptcy or a lifetime of hardship. Could I use this to blackmail her? If she doesn’t meet my demands, I won’t deliver the trainees. Or I’ll sabotage the delivery.’

And the only person who could pull that off is the bumbling idiot doing the delivery.

“He was the one who brought the contract, wasn’t he?”

Bingo.

“He’s using me? How dare he?”

“Using you, Master?”

I handed the contract back to Soo-ah.

“Rip it up.”

“…Excuse me?” “It’s unnecessary. Just tear it up.” “This is the contract… All right.”

She hesitated for a moment but complied, tearing the contract in half.

Watching her, I dialed Emilia again. She picked up after five rings.

…Yes, sir. “Tell me if I’m wrong about what I’m about to say.”

Pardon? “Someone tampered with the contract. There’s a clause stating that Rainbow Miracle has to pay me 2.5 trillion won if they fail to deliver the trainees.”

Th-that’s… “He’s deliberately delaying the delivery to blackmail you. If you want the delivery to proceed, he’ll demand something in return.”

… “And from the looks of it, it’s probably your treasurer, the idiot fumbling around next to you.”

… “What he wants exactly… well, I can’t say for sure. But given that he’s a man, I’d bet it has something to do with your body.”

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

…I didn’t expect you to figure it out so quickly.

Her voice trembled slightly. So, I’d hit the mark.

“Is that right, or not?”

… “Answer me. I called you directly.”

…Everything you’ve said is true. But, sir, the contract—! “I tore it up.”

Wh-what? You tore it up? “Yeah. It pissed me off. Using me to achieve his own goals.”

… “And to do that by taking the women I paid for hostage? Who knows if he’s touched them by now. This is exactly why I cut all the male actors and producers. Nothing good comes from putting men next to women. Anyway, forget the contract. Just bring them over. Personally.”

Emilia was silent again for a long time. Just as I was about to get bored and say something, she finally responded.

Thank you, sir. I will personally ensure the delivery is completed. “You know that’s the second time you’ve said that, right? Make sure you follow through.”

Yes, sir.

I ended the call. I didn’t know exactly how things would play out from here, but since I’d torn up that absurd contract, at least I wouldn’t have to deal with the worst-case scenario.

The worst-case scenario being Emilia falling into her treasurer’s scheme. Me, being completely used.

“Soo-ah, how did the criminal situation go? Did you report back?” “Yes. We found him with a crime syndicate near Yeonsu District 1 and neutralized them.” “And the culprit?” “He was shot through the brain by a sniper. Killed on the spot.” “Well done. Since it’s dinner time, have the team eat and return afterward. Bill it to Goryeo Prestige.” “Yes, Master.”

I had thwarted the slimy scheme and taken care of the male protagonist.

Things were going well.

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“Hoo…”

Emilia sighed in relief after hanging up. It felt like a heavy weight had been lifted from her chest.

“That bastard still hasn’t made contact, right?” “No, ma’am. His phone is still off.”

Kim Dong-gi had left her a message telling her to check the contract and then turned his phone off. He probably thought he was tormenting her with suspense, but ironically, it had worked in her favor. If his phone hadn’t been off, and she had checked the contract and called him in a panic, she might have done something irreversible.

“Have you traced his location?” “No, ma’am. Since his phone is off… But we’ve sent people out and coordinated with the police, so we should find him soon. Besides, he clearly wants something from you, so he’ll reach out again.” “True. He’ll need his phone on if he wants to send me photos or videos.” “Excuse me?” “Nothing. Keep searching. Also, be ready to leave immediately.” “Yes, ma’am.”

After the secretary left, Emilia leaned back in her chair, letting her body sink into it. The chair spun slowly as she relaxed, staring at the ceiling.

“…My instincts were right after all.”

Go Mu-yeol. He’s definitely different from the rumors.

The common story was that he was always high, loved cigarettes and alcohol, and chased women constantly. A useless scoundrel with no abilities or ambition who contributed nothing to society.

That’s how he was always described. But the Go Mu-yeol she had encountered today was a different person entirely.

‘Is he hiding his ambition and abilities?’

She hadn’t seen enough to know about his abilities yet, but at the very least, he didn’t seem incompetent as the rumors claimed. And as for ambition…

‘Someone with his personality can’t lack ambition.’

If he wanted to, he could have forced that manipulated contract through. The Goryeo Group had the power to make it happen.

But he didn’t. Just because he didn’t like being used, he tore up a contract worth 2.5 trillion won.

Could someone like that really lack ambition? With his pride?

‘He’s hiding it. Waiting for the right moment to strike.’

What had been a vague suspicion earlier was now a certainty.

Go Mu-yeol was definitely hiding something.

Bzzzz.

“!”

Her phone rang. The caller ID…

“Kim Dong-gi…!!”

The very man who had been pissing her off all day was calling. She answered immediately.

“Your phone’s back on? You know we’re tracking your location, right? The strike team and the police are already en route. Who’ll get there first, I wonder?”

E-Emilia… th-the pictures are ready. “What pictures?”

You know… like I said before. N-no panties… just the school uniforms… the poses-.

“What the f*** are you babbling about, you pathetic loser? Didn’t you hear what I said? I’ll just pay you off and be done with it. Why would I ever show my body to a worm like you?”

…

Dong-gi fell silent, clearly not expecting this response. He must have thought he had her in a corner, but what was he relying on?

No way…@@novelbin@@

Y-you… you didn’t… check the contract, did you? If you had, you wouldn’t be saying that— “I did check it, idiot. You creepily slipped in some clause, didn’t you? 100 times the payment? Honestly, I’m amazed.”

A-and you’re still… not going to make a deal with me? That’s 2.5 trillion. “Oh, that? I spoke with the young master and—”

She paused, an idea crossing her mind, and a cold smile spread across her face.

“-I decided to resolve it with my body.”

…What?

Dong-gi’s voice dropped, as if he had just heard the last thing he wanted to hear.

“No matter how rich I am, there’s no way I could raise 2.5 trillion. Even if we sold the company, it wouldn’t cover it.”

W-what did you just say…? “So what choice do I have? I had to kneel and beg the young master to let it slide.”

What did you just say?

His real-time reaction was delightful. Emilia couldn’t help but smile as she answered.

“I’m pretty, aren’t I? Pretty enough for you to pull this whole stunt just to get some photos. And it seems the young master was pleased with me, too. He accepted me into his bed.”

… “Wow, the chaebols are definitely on another level. He’s willing to call off a 2.5 trillion debt in exchange for my p***y.”

… “Thanks to you, I’m going to be fed senseless. You b**d.”

Stop it.

“What?”

Stop it!!!

“What a joke. You started this whole mess.”

Don’t move. Stay right where you are.

“Excuse me?”

Click.

The call ended.

Emilia laughed in disbelief. “Is he seriously coming here? What a f***ing lunatic.”

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