The employee showing the CCTV footage said, pressing the stop button.

“The camera doesn’t cover the end of the corridor. It’s not considered a crucial area.”

“What’s there?”

Pointing at the screen with his fingertips, Jeho asked.

“There’s a door leading to an emergency staircase and a public phone.”

A public phone? She didn’t have her cell phone, but was there a place she urgently needed to call?

Suddenly, something came to Jeho’s mind.

“Can we replay the last scene of the CCTV?”

“Yes.”

As Jeho stared at the screen, the employee pressed the play button.

“Stop there for a moment.”

Jeho took out his phone and checked the time when the call from an unknown number came in. It was almost the same as the time recorded on the CCTV footage. Just a minute difference?
“Do you happen to know the public phone number?”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

The employee quickly connected to the internal system to check the phone number. As expected, it was the same number that had called Jeho.

So, Yuri had undoubtedly called him from the public phone. However, when he answered, there was no sound, and it suddenly disconnected.

Jeho’s expression turned serious as he immersed himself in thought.

If something bad happened the moment she made the call… The fact that there was a door leading to an emergency staircase next to the public phone also troubled him.

“Can you zoom in on that scene?”

“Yes.”

Jeho stared intensely at the footage where Yuri appeared.

“…Ugh.”

It felt as if her whole body had been hit, and her head was heavy, trapped in a fog. Along with that, a chill rushed in to the extent that her teeth chattered. Yuri hugged herself with both hands, curling her body into a ball. But the shivering didn’t stop.

“Why? Cold?”

At that moment, a familiar voice from above, accompanied by rustling sounds, and something covering her body.

It felt like a blanket… but it emitted a damp, musty smell. Unable to endure the nauseating odor, Yuri furrowed her brow without opening her eyes. Then, the familiar voice from above came close to her ear.

“Why? Don’t like it? Should I hold you instead?”

A repulsive yet gloomy tone, and the eyes, which had been closed, opened wide in response.

“Ugh.”

Simultaneously, a headache as if about to shatter struck her head. Yuri wrapped both hands around her head, slowly blinking her eyes as the hazy focus sharpened, revealing Minwoo’s face looking down at her.

“…Minwoo?”

As Yuri regained consciousness, Minwoo smiled playfully, gently lifting her who lay weakly on the bed.

“Now you’re awake? You slept so deeply, like a sleeping beauty in the forest, so I couldn’t bear to wake you.”

Minwoo spoke as if Yuri had just woken up from a nap. Yuri blinked her eyes blankly. Her head wasn’t working properly yet. It felt like she was floating in the air.

“Our Yuri, so beautiful. Indeed, my bride.”

Only now did Yuri realize that she was in a wedding dress.

Why a wedding dress out of the blue?

She was at the hospital just a while ago…

Yuri looked around with an uneasy expression.

It was an unfamiliar place she had never seen before. Except for the bed, there was no furniture, and there wasn’t even a window.

The nauseating smell permeated not only from the blanket but the entire room. Black mold covered the damp walls here and there.

Was it in the basement?

“…Where is this?”

As Yuri, looking uneasy, gazed at Minwoo, her eyes shook vulnerably. The last memory she recalled before being forcibly silenced and the repulsive smell was of her fainting.

“…Did you kidnap me?”

“What are you talking about? Kidnap? I politely brought my bride to the wedding venue…”
“A wedding venue?”

Come to think of it, Minwoo was also wearing groom attire just like her.

“We’re going to have our wedding ceremony right here soon. There are no guests, no officiator, but it’s enough as long as the two of us are here.”

“A wedding ceremony?”

“Yes, a soul-binding ceremony.”

Not an ordinary wedding, but a soul-binding ceremony.

“You and I will be together forever.”

As Yuri’s eyes widened in shock, Minwoo recalled a pleased smile.

“At first, I thought of dying in front of you. But when I saw you with another man, my eyes turned elsewhere in an instant. It wasn’t even Jeho. As long as it wasn’t Jeho, I thought it would be fine. But it wasn’t.”

As Minwoo’s expression turned sinister just by thinking about it, he continued speaking when Yuri remained silent.

“Now, if I die, my wife will be buried with me. I understood the tradition of a husband’s funeral taking the wife with him, not until dirt fills my eyes, but even if dirt fills my eyes, I can never hand over my girl to another man.”

The man in front of her seemed like an entirely different person from the Minwoo she knew.

“Daring to fool around with my girl. I should’ve killed that guy… Who am I talking about?”

“Who else? The guy you had a meal with. He rolled down the stairs quite nicely.”

Yuri recalled the news of Hyunjo’s accident that she heard from Congressman Chae.

The one who pushed Hyunjo down the stairs was Minwoo.

“Minwoo, you… You’re completely insane.”

Rather than getting angry, Minwoo laughed brightly, seeming pleased.

“Yes, of course. I’m crazy about you. I’ve been crazy about you since the moment I first saw you. I love you, Yuri.”

Minwoo said while embracing her cheek. Though she wanted to push him away fiercely, she couldn’t provoke him.

Yuri had received training with Congressman Chae on precautions against kidnapping and abduction. The most emphasized guideline was never to resist a kidnapper under any circumstances. Maintaining a friendly relationship was crucial above all.

As Yuri complied without resistance, Minwoo expressed satisfaction with a contented expression.

“Rest comfortably. The wedding will start soon.”

Minwoo chuckled and left the room. Shortly after, she heard the sound of him locking the door from the outside. While waiting until he went far enough, Yuri cautiously sat up on the bed and began to survey the room.

Judging from the structure, it was undoubtedly a basement. Despite being in a desperate situation, boldly kidnapping her meant that someone was assisting Minwoo.

In that case, perhaps someone was guarding from outside.
It seems escaping on her own was impossible. It would be better to persuade Minwoo. Right now, he might be raging, insisting on dying together, but he would soon realize the reality.

Don’t be scared. You must not be scared.

Yuri took a slow deep breath, clasping her hands. However, her heartbeats, accelerating uncontrollably, didn’t easily calm down.

How much time had passed?

Creak, the door opened, and Minwoo came in. He wasn’t alone.

Following Minwoo, burly men with covered faces brought in a man with a hood over his head. The man brought in was unconscious. The men sat the unconscious man on a chair, bound his hands and feet, and left the room.

“Even if it’s like this, we thought there should be at least one guest, so we brought him.”

Minwoo reached out to the hood covering the face and spoke.

After a moment, the hood was removed, revealing the face.

“Gasp!”

Yuri gasped as if she couldn’t believe it.

Why are you here?

Jeho, bound to a chair with his eyes closed, lowered his head.