Chapter 22: A Forgotten Terror

“Representative.”

“JBS.”

Leehyun uttered only a single word.

“It’s difficult for JBS to attack us to this extent just because HBN hosted Friday Night.”

Seungho sharply analyzed the situation.

Since HBN originally did not have a friendly relationship with Gayun, and JBS was a broadcasting station established when Gayun Group spun off its affiliates, it was impossible for JBS to openly sabotage Leehyun like this.

“The president of JBS wouldn’t want to push me out of Gayun’s succession line on his own.”

His touch as he rubbed his lower lip with his index finger was languid.

“And it is certainly not an action they would take when they are practically living off of Gayun’s advertisements.”

“Unless they want to ruin their own business, that is.”

Since Friday Night’s top ratings were nothing new, they wouldn’t be trying to openly pick a fight with HBN over this either.

“Given how fearlessly they lashed out, it must be Gayun.”

Ultimately, Gayun was simply handling its own loyal dog.

“Do you mean Director Song Yoosun?”

Seungho parted his dry lips.

“Sell off all JBS stock.”

“They need to see with their own eyes what happens when they hold onto a rotten rope so they never do something like this again.”

There was no need to think twice.

Leehyun ordered in a flat tone.

His arrogant jaw contorted tightly.

“Yes, sir.”

Even though JBS’s stock had recently risen after establishing a joint venture with SENT, and selling off all JBS stocks held by YH Investment Group would mean incurring a massive loss, Seungho did not raise any objections.

Leehyun’s judgment had never been wrong, and even if it were, it was an order from the person he absolutely supported.

“Let’s increase our shares in HBN.”

If the issue from thirty years ago exploded, Gayun’s stock price would drop, but HBN’s would not.

“Do you mean a foreign net purchase?”

He was asking if the acquisition would proceed through YH Investment instead of Gayun Group.

“Proceed with the HBN acquisition that way.”

Leehyun threw his head back and spoke lightly.

“Yes, Representative.”

“As for the JBS shares held by Gayun…”

‘Should I just dump them?’

If the news broke that Gayun was selling its JBS shares on top of YH’s total sell-off, there would be wailing all around.

“Let’s hear some views on pivoting our business direction toward media.”

Because he was focused on electronics, Leehyun had no intention of interfering in media.

But if things were going to be like this, it was a bit troublesome.

“What about a picture where Gayun dominates one, and YH takes the other?”

The movements of an apex predator were slow and calm.

They were arrogant and dogmatic.

His red lips closed, and a peculiar light flashed in his black eyes.

“Pull all advertisements.”

Leehyun did not hesitate until the very end.

Rage flickered in his sharp, cool eyes.

While Seungho nodded, a Gayun Group secretariat employee entered with cautious steps, having confirmed that the meeting was over.

“Why are you delivering that only now?”

Seungho raised his voice in embarrassment, then quickly checked Leehyun’s reaction.

This was not a piece of news to be compared to some tabloid gossip.

Ignoring his pounding chest, he bowed his head before Leehyun.

“What is it?”

Weariness flickered on Leehyun’s face as his eyes remained closed.

“The madam……”

At that single word, Leehyun snapped his eyes open.

“She is said to have collapsed. I received the report from the secretary team, but because we were in a meeting, the direct delivery was delayed.”

“I apologize.”

It was before Seungho could even finish his sentence.

A chilling aura rolled off Leehyun’s back as he swept out of the conference room.

‘At the very least, it’ll be a demotion.’

Looking at the secretariat employee beside him, Seungho squeezed his eyes shut and hurriedly followed behind Leehyun.

***

The colorful roses turned pitch black in an instant.

No.

The moment she turned around, multi-colored butterflies captured her gaze.

Their pinned forms, preserving the exact colors they had when alive, were beautiful yet terrifying.

Ah, ah.

No matter how hard she screamed, no sound escaped.

It was as if her mouth was broken or there was a problem with her voice.

Her confused eyes were filled with terror.

I have to run.

Please, please.

No matter how much she turned and ran, no door appeared.

The feeling of wandering alone through the thick fog was suffocatingly terrible.

She ran until her heart pounded violently and she couldn’t breathe.

Yet, the end remained out of sight.

Ugh.

In front of Seohee, who had tripped and fallen, a pair of blue eyes appeared.

This time, it was a cat.

She scrambled backward, having no time to wipe her tear-streaked face.

“Seohee.”

A spine-chilling voice called her name.

No, stop. Please…… stop…….

Even when she covered her ears and closed her eyes, it would not end.

She opened her eyes in an instant.

“Madam.”

It was Aram.

Upon seeing the familiar face, gasps of “Heuk, ha” escaped her in ragged, intermittent breaths.

Her heart was beating as rapidly as if it belonged to someone else, and all the strength had drained from her body.

At her irregular breathing, Aram pressed the call button and lowered her face close to Seohee.

“Are you alright?”

The voice calling her sounded a beat slow.

She felt as though she had had a terrible nightmare, yet she couldn’t remember a single thing.

Only a damp, dark, gloomy, bizarre, and unpleasant sensation remained.

I’m scared.

Even when she wrapped her arms around herself and huddled, no warmth returned.

“I will contact the Representative.”

Watching the trembling Seohee in anxiety, Aram pulled out her phone.

“Don’t… contact him.”

“But, Madam.”

If he came and held her, if he soothed her with his sweet voice… would this terrible trembling get better?

“It’s an important meeting.”

As she spoke to Aram, she consoled her own heart.

‘He is busy. I shouldn’t call him over something like this.’

She nodded and nodded to herself.

“We can’t do that, Madam. If the Representative finds out……”

“Later. Once the meeting is over, let him know then.”

At her firm tone, Aram paused.

“Are you feeling alright? The head of the Neuro-center is currently in emergency surgery, but he said he will come as soon as it’s finished.”

Aram, who had carried the collapsed Seohee, had summoned a doctor with a pale face.

Coincidentally, the doctors Leehyun had specified were all in the middle of emergency surgeries.

‘What should I do? Who should I call?’

She was stomping her feet in panic, unable to call just anyone despite the urgency, when Seohee opened her eyes.

Aram breathed a sigh of relief, but her mouth went dry as she worried about the impending aftermath of this incident.

“Aram, please add one more pillow for me.”

She had no way of knowing whether her unsettled stomach was due to morning sickness or her dazed state of mind.

Ugh.

Her dry-retching inevitably started.

With the nausea continuing repeatedly to the point of bringing tears to her eyes, she was forced to breathe only through her mouth.

By the time Seohee, supported by Aram, barely managed to sit up in bed, the head of the Neuro-center entered.

***

The air inside the car was completely frozen.

Leehyun, with a rigidly set expression, fixed his eyes outside the window.

As if anxious, one of his hands swept over his thigh.

Already the second time.

Mulling over the number of times Seohee had collapsed, Leehyun roughly brushed his hair back.

‘I shouldn’t have left her alone. I shouldn’t have attended some stupid meeting.’

His heart, consumed by anxiety, had already lost its rhythm.

“How is her condition?”

His brow was deeply furrowed, and rage flickered in his eyes.

Seungho took a quick glance back, then cast his gaze downward.

At Leehyun’s question, asked as he stroked his throat, Seungho reported rapidly without raising his head.

Once because Jin Heeyoung had barged in, and once more because a child had appeared through the emergency exit.

Leehyun’s aura grew savage.

“A child?”

What were you doing, failing to block even a single little child?

His sharp voice was icy cold.

What on earth did that child do?

Spitting the words out as if crushing them, Leehyun fell silent.

“I apologize, Representative.”

There was no need for long-winded excuses.

Despite Aram being by her side and bodyguards stationed everywhere, Seungho felt a deep sense of responsibility that such an incident had occurred.

It was entirely his fault for his lack of oversight.

Seungho, looking at the incoming call from Aram, turned away and quietly answered the phone.

“A rose?”

Murmuring at the sound reaching his ear, Seungho turned back around.

“Representative.”

“Speak.”

Leehyun ordered, his eyes closed as he leaned his head back.

“The head of the Neuro-center is asking whether the madam normally dislikes roses.”

“Roses?”

Did Seohee dislike roses?

He found himself displeasing for not being able to answer with a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no.’

‘Aside from her trivial habits, her intensely sensitive erogenous zones, and basic information, I know nothing about Seohee.’

‘You pathetic bastard.’

“The head of the Neuro-center says that the madam’s symptom appears to be a defense mechanism. It was triggered by excessive psychological pressure, and while they cannot determine whether the trigger was the child or the rose, there is definitely a cause.”

Leehyun remained silent while Seungho relayed Aram’s words without missing a detail.

Even when the car stopped, and while they rode the elevator up to the hospital room, Leehyun maintained his silence throughout.

Seungho took a step back at his quiet demeanor.

‘Thank goodness I could at least add the news that the madam has regained consciousness.’

Had she still been unconscious, he couldn’t even begin to guess where Leehyun’s wrath would have been unleashed.