Yeo Ri was relieved.
The nap had been too brief for her to enter into deep sleep, thus no nightmares plagued her.
Once she was up and dressed again, Secretary Kwon looked as though he had made his mind up for something.
Yeo Ri glanced at her phone to check the time.
Gun would get off from work soon, and he had left several texts and missed calls in the few hours that she was away.
"My brother is coming home soon. You should go," she says, knowing full well how Gun would react to her letting some strange man inside their house. Yeo Ri knew that, in some ways, she was much too careless and trusting than her brothers would have liked her to be. After all, it was because of this disposition of hers that she ended up in all sorts of terrible situations.
"Huh? Ah, yes..." Tae Yang murmured distractedly. He looked at her with a hesitant gaze, looking like he had something to say.
"What? Is there something you wanna say to me?" She crossed her arms on her chest, looking as though she was ready for a confrontation.
"Miss..." Kwon Tae Yang grimaced helplessly. The girl was always so quick to show her thorns. "Mr. Heo would like to know if you are open to consenting to a DNA test."
"What?" Yeo Ri scoffed. With an incredulous tone, she continued, "That person was the one who said there was no need for one. Why'd he suddenly change his mind?"
"Well..." his words trailed off. Mr. Heo had indeed changed his mind, intending to secretly add the girl to his family registry now that his political position was more stable, but he felt like she would turn ballistic if he told her so.
Inwardly, he complained about how she was being so difficult. It was just a yes or no question! It was literally moments ago that she was being so sweet to him. He was just the messenger; did she have to be so mean...
"Don't even think about it," she shot him down.
"Yes..."
Yeo Ri harrumphed, turning her head away from him.
Under her prickly exterior, Yeo Ri's heart was thumping.
It would be a lie to say that she wasn't scared.
—That was right; she was scared.
It had been mostly her pride getting in the way of getting that final confirmation, but deep down, Yeo Ri was worried that it might all have been a mistake; that it would turn out to be false. How embarrassing would it be if it turns out that Heo Woo Seung, whom she had painted as a villain to fit her narrative, wasn't her real father. Wouldn't that mean she was taking out her anger on someone unrelated?
Yeo Ri knew he wasn't as bad of a person that she had made him out to be. She could see that he was making some effort despite the uncertainty of her lineage, though she didn't want to admit it. She doubted he was oblivious to her highly criminal actions, yet still he supported her with resources and turned a blind eye to her rampaging brutality. He was useful, for one, and at this point she was just testing how far his patience went. It was almost as if she wanted him to lash out at her, to prove that he was just the same as... ... ... .
"Miss, what do you intend to do with... the 'package'?" Tae Yang changed the topic, knowing that it would do him no good to push the girl further. It wasn't easy to get her to like him, and he would rather not receive the cold shoulders merely minutes after earning her favour.
Yeo Ri calmed down once she saw him back off. With a shrug, she said, "Throw it away. I don't want it anymore." She didn't know what she would do to Woo Jin if they kept him. The disgusting, ugly monster she had kept hidden deep within herself was uncontrollable in the face of that kind of b*stard. Like calls to like, as they say, and she was afraid that she might accidentally do something so bad that her brothers would be disappointed in her. Worst case scenario, she might really turn into a murderer.
"Yes, miss," Kwon Tae Yang, oblivious to her thoughts, solemnly nodded in affirmation. He was rather relieved that the little miss was willing to wash her hands off the dirty business. He didn't like to see her so angry and so... malevolent. But he decided to keep his opinions to himself. She needed therapy, and if this kind of thing was therapeutic to her, then so be it. He was here for her, forever, ride or die.
Yeo Ri saw him off, and not soon after he left, Gun came home.
"I'm home," his tensed shoulders slackened as though a burden was lifted from him. It felt good, to come home to a warm, occupied house.
He barely had the chance to take off his shoes before the girl launched herself at him. Gun caught his sister easily, holding her securely in his arms.
"Welcome home," Yeo Ri smiled up at him in happiness as she greeted him.
Yeo Ri clung to Gun, her arms wrapped around him tightly. She buried her face in his chest, and at that moment all that was wrong with her was right again.
...
..
.
Some time later, on Kwon Tae Yang's side.
Three people—four, including the unconscious and immobile Woo Jin—were driving in a nondescript black van, its windows tinted and its license plate fake. Despite the illegal nature of their task, the three people did not seem too perturbed. Secretary Kwon drove behind the wheels while his two companions—nicknamed Twister and Mr. Park—sat in the backseat, the 'package' between them.
"Turn left," the GPS voiced.
"No, no, don't turn left yet. Take the next exit. I've been here before, it's easier if you take the next exit."
"What? When did you come here?"
"A few times before, when my parents came to visit. They wanted that staycation experience or whatever."
"Haha."
"Shut up. Don't laugh at me."
Secretary Kwon rolled his eyes as he sighed in exasperation. "Gosh, you guys, can't you shut up?! Stop with the backseat driving! I need to concentrate on the road."
"Pssh. This is why I said I should drive," grumbled his companion.
"Stop complaining, you dunce," Mr. Park said. "Hey, get ready; we're getting close."
The three prepared themselves. With masks, gloves, and unidentifiable clothes on, they looked every bit criminal.
Secretary Kwon rolled the van into the drop-off area, slowing down enough that his companions had a chance to open the door and throw out the 'package'.
Once the 'package' was delivered, the two signaled the driver to step on the pedal.
The tires skid as the van shot off, so quickly that nobody at the hotel had the chance to react.
...
..
.
"What's this—aaaaah!"
"A dead body! There's a dead body here!"
"Stop! Everyone get back! Let us handle this!"
"—! Mr Woo! It's Mr. Woo! Hurry, get the doctor!"
"We're attracting too much attention! Let's bring him up! Carefully!"