Chapter 5: Joon-Ho's Devastating Arrival
His mind raced, every coherent thought vanishing. All he knew was that he had to reach Soo-jin, no matter the cost. With a sharp stomp on the gas pedal, his car roared to life, speeding forward.
The security guards scattered, powerless to stop him as he smashed through the gates and sped onto the estate. Behind him, the paparazzi were stunned by the sight of Joon-ho breaking into one of the wealthiest districts in the city.
Within minutes, social media exploded as streams of the event flooded in from all directions. Netizens watched in awe, furiously commenting on the live feeds.
"Is he seriously breaking through the richest district's gates?" one viewer exclaimed.
"I can't believe he'd go this far for someone he loves," another added. "He's earning my respect."
But not everyone was on Joon-ho's side.
"Dude, get a grip. She doesn't love you. Just move on, bro," someone wrote.
"Why isn't the police arresting him for harassing our goddess?" another jeered.
"Where is the police? Why are they all quiet?"
At police headquarters, the higher-ups exchanged exasperated glances as they read the comments. They wanted to retort,
"Please don't drag us into this mess! We handle real criminals, not the richest man in the world who just built the best hospital in Korea, inviting top doctors from all around the world. Arresting him? The president would have our heads."
Meanwhile, cameramen, hearing their superiors roaring in their headsets, snapped out of their shock and scrambled into their vans to follow Joon-ho's lead.
In the corner, the security guard team head touched his forehead in depression. Sitting down, sulking, he thought, Today I will definitely get fired.
The scene at the security office of Hannam-dong was pure chaos—supervisors screamed through headsets, "Don't lose him!" while underlings scrambled to comply, "Yes."
At the media headquarters, a superior barked into the mic, "I want his every move broadcasted live! If anyone loses sight of him, you're fired!"
"Show me the best live footage, and you will be heavily rewarded,"
Similar orders were being given to every media news channel and their van partners. Hearing the reward, they were filled with energy, the fatigue gone from their faces.
The news channels' higher-ups were giddy with excitement. The viewership was skyrocketing, breaking records left and right. For the first time in years, they had the highest ratings, and their bosses couldn't have been happier.
Even social media companies, overwhelmed by the traffic, scrambled to expand their servers. History was repeating itself—once again, the internet was on the brink of breaking, but major corporations barely managed to handle the deluge.
Inside the car, Joon-ho's thoughts ran on a loop. Soo-jin, Soo-jin. Her name consumed him as his foot pressed harder on the gas pedal. The red warning lights on the smartphone and the shrill beeping of danger alarms were barely noticeable to him.
He didn't need to check the app to know where she was. He knew without a doubt that she'd be at the Crystal Haven Manor.
In the past, after discovering her heart's condition, Joon-ho had secretly implanted a small device in Soo-jin's body to monitor her heartbeat.
It would alert him if her heart rate ever dropped to or increased to dangerous levels. Until now, the device had never triggered an emergency signal, so Joon-ho had only used it to track her location.
Her illness, coupled with potential threats to her life, made the decision necessary. He hadn't told her about it—he couldn't take any chances. He needed to be able to reach her at a moment's notice if her life was ever in danger.
Meanwhile, Ji-eun, driving down the winding mountain road, was deep in thought, worrying about how she would explain Soo-jin's mess to her superiors.
Suddenly, a BMW came speeding straight toward her. Slamming the brakes, her heart leapt into her throat as she braced for impact. Is this it? she thought. Soo-jin, it seems I'll be going ahead of you.
Her thoughts raced wildly. I didn't even get married! I should've proposed to that idiot instead of waiting for him to propose to me. What rotten luck… if he marries another girl, I am going to bash him till death.
Tears welled in her eyes as the car zoomed past her with just inches to spare. Trembling, she instinctively picked up the phone when it rang.
"Miss Park, should I come to pick you up?" came the voice on the other end.
Without thinking, Ji-eun blurted out her thoughts, "Let's get married."
The man on the other end was stunned into silence, his heart soaring with joy. Before he could respond, Ji-eun realized what she had said and immediately hung up, glancing at the caller ID: Soo-jin's Driver.
With a sigh of relief, she let her head fall onto the steering wheel, a mix of embarrassment and excitement bubbling up inside her. Finally, she thought, I said it. Now, what will he say?
Blushing, she quickly changed his contact name to "Lee Min-su ❤️."
A sudden rumbling noise pulled her out of her thoughts, and she looked up just in time to see a convoy of media vans racing past her, hot on the heels of the BMW. Realization struck her like lightning—Joon-ho was inside that car.
Heart pounding, Ji-eun cursed under her breath and quickly turned her car around to follow them. Now, her mind filled with worry. What is Joon-ho going to do now?
Joon-ho's BMW roared up to the Crystal Haven Manor, but he had no intention of stopping. Seeing the Crystal Haven Manor again with reckless abandon, he drove straight through the front gates, shattering the massive doors.
He didn't slam on the brakes until the car had plowed through the entrance hall, smashing into furniture, sending sofas skidding across the marble floors, and shattering glass decorations in its wake.
When the car finally stopped, steam rose from the hood, its engine groaning under the strain. The windshield was a spiderweb of cracks at some point, threatening to cave in at any moment.