Chapter 10: The Devil’s Profile

“Director.”

She parked the car and called out to Seo Jeonghyeok, who had fallen asleep in the passenger seat. For someone who had polished off three bottles of soju alone, he had seemed remarkably sober—until the moment he sat down and drifted off instantly. Naturally, it fell to her to play the role of the designated driver all the way to his home.

“Director, we’ve arrived.”

She called him again, but there was no movement. She had managed to navigate to the address on the GPS, but she had absolutely no confidence in her ability to haul this man’s massive frame into his house.

What should I do? Should I call that foreign secretary? I don’t have his number. Should I log into the company network and look it up?

“Sigh…”

Stray thoughts tangled in her mind. Amidst her hesitation, she found herself quietly studying the face of the man who currently felt like a heavy piece of luggage beside her.

In the low light of the underground parking lot, the shadows deepened, making his features appear even more distinct. It was a damnably handsome face, one she found herself unable to look away from.

Conflicting vibes coexisted within him. His closed eyes, framed by long lashes that made his gaze seem darker even in sleep, and the elegant curve of his double eyelids lent him an air of nobility. In contrast, the strong bridge of his nose and the sharp line of his jaw exuded a powerful masculinity. His prominent features were striking, yet his somewhat lean cheeks gave him a slightly gaunt, weary appearance.

If there were a devil disguised as an angel, he would look exactly like this. Was there anyone who wouldn’t succumb if this face set out to seduce them? Perhaps that was what made him truly vicious—the cruel nature hidden behind such a captivating exterior. Just how many people had he gifted with despair and hell on his climb to this position?

The nature of this man, who bordered on sociopathic, must be of a different breed than that of ordinary people. Even she, who had thought she’d discarded morality and conscience long ago, felt a chill running down her spine.

Bzzz.

The vibration of her phone inside her shoulder bag broke her train of thought.

[Lawyer Cha. Where are you?]

It was a message from Sol. It seemed she had finished organizing the materials requested earlier that day.

Hyeonseo pushed the driver’s door open and stepped out. She had driven him home personally; she decided that was enough. As a subordinate, she had fulfilled her moral obligation.

Click, clack. The sound of her heels echoed sharply through the quiet space.

At the heavy thud of the car door closing, Jeonghyeok opened his eyes. The faint floral scent that had been lingering near him vanished like a lie. Beyond the dark windshield, the woman’s back was gradually receding. Jeonghyeok watched that small figure for a long time with a tilted gaze.

Cha Hyeonseo. The only daughter of the man he had cursed and hated his entire life.

He had once hoped she was already dead. Since her life would have been as miserable as his, he had hoped everything would have ended naturally without him having to pass judgment with his own hands. He had harbored such weak expectations once.

But to see her survive so brazenly, become a lawyer, and grit her teeth while carrying the full weight of her father’s burden on those narrow shoulders…

He had never imagined it.

[They say Cha Seonyeop vanished to escape the creditors after the final bankruptcy of SY. The police handed over his then-fourteen-year-old daughter, Cha Hyeonseo, to a facility. The facility searched for her family and found Cha Munyeop, her uncle. The two brothers had already cut ties at the time, but strangely, Cha Munyeop stepped up to be her guardian. Well, the rest is as you’d expect. In the meantime, Cha Seonyeop was declared dead by legal presumption, and Cha Munyeop sold off what little remained of the assets and disappeared abroad. Naturally, Cha Hyeonseo never even had the chance to renounce her inheritance. All that was left was a staggering amount of debt. That’s why she lived so relentlessly. They say she doesn’t hesitate to handle the headaches of the powerful or even defend murderers as long as the money is right. She’s already quite famous in that field, and she seems to have a solid network in politics and business. Anyway, the princess and only daughter of a successful mid-sized company president inherited a mountain of debt overnight—her life hasn’t exactly been easy.]

When Leo first brought him Cha Hyeonseo’s story, he had let out a hollow laugh.

It was absurd. Because she was just like him. Carrying a burden too heavy to handle, unable to run away, screaming as she endured—her face was as familiar as his own reflection in a mirror. What lingering attachment did she have to a life worse than death that made her struggle so hard to hold on?

He lit a cigarette, leaned his head back against the headrest, and tilted his chin up.

He wasn’t doing this for a revenge that would be meaningless now, or for a hollow venting of anger. There was only one reason he suddenly decided to come to Korea. The moment he encountered that pale face in the photograph, a vicious curiosity boiled over. He simply wanted to see how long she could last—a devilish instinct to break her down to the very bottom.

He was curious. To see the real face behind the woman’s mask.

Through the hazy, spreading smoke, the small figure of her back vanished into the distance.

“With the Director? Just the two of you?”

Sol’s hands stopped hovering over her laptop. Her eyes widened as she asked, her face full of disbelief.

“It was my fault. I shouldn’t have followed him out of the funeral home,” Hyeonseo replied indifferently, as if it were no big deal.

“Why did you follow him out?”

“He was so shameless and unpleasant. I just lost my temper without realizing it.”

“Wow. He must have been exceptionally unpleasant. To think he made your rare sense of meddling and justice boil over that much?”

Hyeonseo nodded, admitting it frankly. “Yes. He was seriously unpleasant.”

She recalled his handsome face as he calmly paid his respects to the deceased. Then, as if nothing had happened, he went for food, drinks… and even talked shop in the middle of it. He was definitely not a normal human being.

“Ah. So that’s why you ate together.” Sol suddenly made a gesture of understanding.

“What do you mean?”

“You like unpleasant people, Lawyer Cha.”

Like him? My foot.

“I didn’t go because I liked him; it was force majeure. What choice did I have when the person holding my leash said let’s eat?”

Hyeonseo took a sip of her coffee. Sol turned her gaze back to the monitor.

“But did he like that kind of meat joint? He looks like he’d have severe mysophobia. I overheard the secretariat staff talking—wow. Apparently, he’s beyond imagination.”

“Tell me about it. I took him there on purpose to screw with him, but I ended up being more flustered.”

“He’s truly an enigma.”

Sol’s description felt quite accurate. An enigma.

“I tried to look him up through various sources, but absolutely nothing is known about his private life. Especially where he was, how he lived, and what he did before entering Wall Street—it’s a complete mystery. With those looks and that talent, it should have been harder to stay out of sight. Anyway, it’s strange.”

Hyeonseo wondered if there was a reason for his “mysterious” concept. What kind of unspeakable past required such ironclad security?

“That’s why the rumors are so rampant. He’s conspicuously successful and has a clear character, so he’s the perfect prey for gossips to chew on.”

Hyeonseo was looking at the data on her monitor, but her attention was entirely on Sol’s words. The rumors about this unknown man—she was curious about them.

“There are stories ranging from him having a murder record to being a former gang member, or suffering from a severe mental illness… The dating rumors are spectacular too. From Hollywood actresses and models to university professors, politicians, businesswomen, and even a scandal with a married congresswoman. It’s beyond spectacular—it’s blockbuster level. Any profession, race, age, or gender. There are even rumors he’s gay.”

A convict. A gangster. A mental patient. A womanizer. Gay.

None of those would be surprising. If you just looked at the shell, they were all labels that seemed plausible. It seemed everyone saw him the same way.

Bzzz.

The phone on the table rang. Sol checked the screen first and let out a long sigh. It was Manager Kim from JK. He was definitely calling about the Jang Kiyong matter, which hadn’t been settled yet.

As soon as she pressed the call button, music loud enough to burst her eardrums blared through.

— I apologize for the late hour, Lawyer Cha. It’s just that the Director insists on speaking with you…

— Ah, Lawyer Cha Hyeonseo?

Manager Kim was cut off, replaced by a stranger’s voice.

“Yes, this is Cha Hyeonseo.”

— I heard you’re handling my business this time?

“Yes, that’s correct.”

— You’re working hard, aren’t you?

It was Jang Kiyong. His rude and arrogant personality was fully evident even through just his voice. He sounded drunk, and his pronunciation was slurred.

— Since you’re struggling, I thought I should buy you a meal. When do you have time?

He was the kind of person she wanted to avoid and never get involved with if possible. It made her feel like crap to have to work for and defend such a man.

“No, I’m fine.”

— What do you mean, fine?

“I’ve already been sufficiently compensated by the Chairwoman for this work. You don’t need to do this, Director.”

— No. I’m saying I want to see your face, Lawyer Cha.

When she made her refusal clear, he became overtly annoyed.

How did Chairman Jang and his wife end up raising both their sons to be such pieces of human trash? She had already exhausted herself cleaning up after the first son. Just when she thought things were settling down, the second son had returned to start causing trouble.

Hyeonseo squeezed her eyes shut as if barely enduring. “I understand. I’ll see you soon, then.”

It was unavoidable. In the end, to them, she was just a dog who would do anything for money. And it was also true that thanks to these pieces of trash, she could earn a massive amount of money.

“I think it would be better if you didn’t meet him if possible,” Sol said with a worried face. And for good reason—the rumors about the youngest son of JK were notoriously filthy.

“This is also force majeure. Even if it’s dirty, what can I do? To earn money, I have to handle dirty things.”

Hyeonseo swept back her hair and let out a deep sigh.

“I heard you’re good at handling those things. The dirty things.”

Someone’s mockery suddenly echoed clearly in her mind.