Yuri felt like she might collapse on the spot from shock, but she took a deep breath to calm her trembling heart.

Slowly looking around, she entered the house. Fortunately, the intruder seemed to have already left. If they had planned to ambush her while hiding inside, they would have done so by now. The intruder appeared to be sneaking in and searching the house only when she was away.

“If you need anything, contact Secretary Kim. I’ve instructed him to answer your calls immediately.”

Whether coincidence or not, Yuri recalled Representative Chae’s words as she called Secretary Kim.

The fact that they entered when they were certain she wasn’t home could mean that listening devices or cameras were already installed inside.

Yuri walked to the living room, turned on the TV to a show program, and raised the volume. Then she went to the sink and turned on the water. The noise would make it difficult to hear any conversation even if there were listening devices.

[Yes, this is Secretary Kim.]

Secretary Kim answered after a few rings. Yuri spoke in a trembling voice.

“Hello. This is Yuri. I’m calling because I have an urgent request.”

[Yes, go ahead.]

“Could you come to my officetel now with a scanner?”

The scanner meant a detector for finding listening devices or micro cameras.

[I’ll be there within 30 minutes.]

He arrived in the officetel lobby exactly 30 minutes later. As Representative Chae’s right-hand man, Secretary Kim placed the scanner on the dining table naturally, as if delivering food, without asking any questions.

The detector had a function to automatically scan within a 10m radius to find listening devices or video receivers. Secretary Kim skillfully connected the detector to a laptop and began scanning the room.

“The representative requested your attendance at next week’s meeting.”

While saying something else with his mouth, he pointed to the laptop screen with his hand. Red dots started appearing on the screen.

“It’s a meeting with representatives from other parties as well, so the representative is paying special attention. He said to meet at the party office at 3 PM.”

It meant they found three. There was one listening device under the dining table, another above the bedroom door, and a video receiver inside the living room light fixture.

As Yuri’s expression darkened, Secretary Kim lowered his voice with a somewhat worried look.

“What would you like to do? Shall I come pick you up that day? I’ll inform the representative separately.”

He meant he would help if needed and report to Representative Chae right away. Only then did Yuri seem to understand why Representative Chae had come to see her that day. For some reason, he clearly anticipated something like this would happen.

“Three years ago, during the busy election period. I don’t know if you remember, but someone installed a micro camera in my office.”

Suddenly bringing up the story from three years ago was likely intended to raise Yuri’s awareness.

“You are my daughter. You handle things cleverly in any situation and never break down easily.”

Yuri was lost in thought for a moment. Representative Chae’s current response was similar to how he dealt with the opposition. It was a method of intentionally showing vulnerability to lure the enemy to attack first.

“Did Father already anticipate…”

Before Yuri could finish speaking, Secretary Kim nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. According to the information we obtained, there was a similar incident a year ago.”

I see, so that’s how it was.

Yuri nodded quietly. But that doesn’t mean Representative Chae’s apology that day was completely insincere. It just wasn’t the main purpose of his visit.

“You can go back for now. I’ll send you the details by text.”

“Understood. I’ll wait for your message.”

After Secretary Kim left, Yuri brewed coffee as usual and sat on the living room sofa. She deliberately turned her body toward the hidden camera so it could see her clearly.

She could easily guess who had done this. That day, Minwoo said the door was open, but there was a high chance it wasn’t. Even if not closed properly, it had an auto-closing function, so unless a shoe was caught in the doorway, there was no way it wouldn’t have closed.

Is Minwoo watching me even now?

Just imagining it made her heart race and cold sweat break out. But she couldn’t just cower in fear. Yuri organized her complicated thoughts as she brought the coffee cup to her lips.

[This is the timeline separator]

Even after seeing the photos Jeho handed over, Chairman Kwon’s expression showed little change. He flipped through the photos one by one at a slow pace, as if reviewing approval documents.

“So where is this young lady now?”

“I’m protecting her well. It seems she has no intention of reporting to the police.”

“Phew.”

Sighing, Chairman Kwon rested his forehead in his hand and leaned back in his chair.

“How much would it take to completely silence her? Did they propose an amount?”

“Money is not the issue, Chairman. This kind of thing will keep happening. Until now, my aunt has been blocking it well, but someday it’s bound to blow up big.”

Chairman Kwon looked down at the photo of Shin Dahee on the desk with a gloomy expression. It was taken the day after she was assaulted by Minwoo, so it was grotesque to look at. They had told the hospital she fell down the stairs, but it was doubtful if they believed it as is.

“So what do you think I should do? Let me hear your opinion.”

Jeho delayed his answer, lowering his gaze to the photos and documents on the desk. Did he really know nothing of Minwoo’s misdeeds? If that were true, his emotional control would have to be at an astounding level. But was that really the case?

He looked at Shin Dahee’s photo with eyes containing an appropriate amount of sympathy, but Chairman Kwon’s expression was somewhat awkward. Was Chairman Kwon pretending not to know while knowing everything?

“Why are you asking for my opinion? You knew everything already. You’ve already made plans too.”

Jeho looked straight at Chairman Kwon and carefully voiced the thoughts he had been holding in.

“Minwoo has been doing this for more than just a day or two. It doesn’t make sense that you didn’t know about it, Grandfather. Isn’t that right?”

“Hahaha, you rascal.”

Instead of denying it, Chairman Kwon stood up and burst into laughter. Wrapping his hands around Jeho’s shoulders, he spoke in a strong tone.

“This is why I trust you. You’ve had a different caliber from Minwoo from the start.”

Unlike Chairman Kwon, who was smiling at him with satisfaction, Jeho had to force the corners of his mouth up. He couldn’t understand how Chairman Kwon could laugh freely in the current situation.

Just as he was walking out of the chairman’s office, a text message arrived from Yuri.

As promised, Yuri was going to spend weekends at his place. She said she’d come late in the afternoon, but it seems she changed her mind. Jeho replied immediately with a gentle smile.

Putting his phone in his jacket pocket, Jeho quickened his pace to get to her as soon as possible.

[This is the timeline separator]

After confirming Jeho’s reply, Yuri sent a text message to Secretary Kim this time. Secretary Kim also replied right away. She drank the rest of her coffee while carefully reading it.

After confirming all the replies, she deliberately dropped the coffee cup she was holding onto the floor.

“Ah!”

She screamed exaggeratedly loudly, contorting her face as if hurt by the broken cup pieces. At that moment, her phone on the table rang. It was an unknown number, but she pressed the call button anyway.

“Hello?”

[Oh, Yuri. It’s me.]

Minwoo’s voice came through the phone. Was he really watching her right now? Yuri pretended to clean up the broken cup pieces and deliberately cut her hand.

Red blood dripped onto the white coffee table. But Yuri didn’t make a sound. On the contrary, a gasping, urgent sound came through the phone.

[Yuri, are you okay?]

“Okay about what?”

Yuri answered calmly while holding out her hand toward the camera so the bleeding could be seen clearly.

[Ah, no, well, just…]

“Minwoo, I’m sorry, but I have to do something urgent right now. Can I call you back later?”

[Oh, okay, got it.]

After hanging up, Yuri pulled out tissues from the tissue box and wrapped them around her bleeding finger, pressing firmly. The cut area started to sting and throb.

Biting her lower lip, Yuri got up and brought the first aid kit. She kept wanting to glance toward the camera, so she sat with her back turned completely.

“Ah, ah.”

She made groaning sounds while applying ointment to the cut area and wrapping it with a bandage. It didn’t hurt enough to actually groan, but it was to provoke Minwoo.

I must have really lost my mind. To think I was going to marry such a crazy bastard.

Yuri forcibly swallowed the laughter that was about to escape and shook her head quietly. Should she be relieved that at least he didn’t install cameras in the bathroom?

Wrapping her injured finger, Yuri inwardly resolved to finish things quickly today.

After treating all her wounds, she called Minwoo back at the number from earlier.

[Oh, Yuri.]

Minwoo answered after just one ring. Yuri shifted her posture toward the camera so he could see her expression clearly.

“Sorry for hanging up like that earlier.”

[No, no. Thanks for calling me back first. Yuri.]

As if moved, Minwoo’s voice was trembling faintly. Even hearing such a voice was disgusting, but Yuri continued the call, steadying her breath.

“I didn’t call to say anything nice. I called to ask you to please stop bothering me now.”

[Yuri, what are you saying?]

“Stop hanging around me anymore. I’m going to talk to Father clearly today too. I’ll tell him there’s no need to drag it out anymore since we’re going to cancel the marriage anyway. The by-election is already over, so I think now is just the right time.”

Whether from shock or unable to contain his anger, Minwoo was silent for a moment. Then after a while, he spoke in a trembling voice.

[You, are you going to keep being so cold even when I’m lowering myself like this? Your coldly rejecting is charming, but this seems a bit too much.]

You crazy bastard.

Yuri cursed inwardly and raised the corners of her mouth with a smirk.

I don’t know who’s going too far here, saying such things.

“Minwoo, then what should I do? I have no feelings for you. I’m more attracted to your cousin than you.”

[What did you just say!]

Finally, it seemed the anger he had been holding back erupted. Minwoo started speaking loudly without pause, as if screaming.

[Hey, Chae Yuri, get your head straight! Jeho already has a woman. You saw her last time too. No, besides her, there are many others. He meets other women too. That bastard is a total player. Do you know how many women that poor bastard dirty and promiscuously plays with? That bastard is what you call a bad boy!]

The more excited Minwoo got, the colder Yuri’s face became. She checked the time on the wall clock. It seemed about time to make Minwoo explode.

“Minwoo, listen to what I’m saying.”

Yuri spoke in a very sweet voice with a bright smile. When she changed to a gentle tone, Minwoo seemed to calm down and stopped yelling.

“But you know what?”

As the other person quieted down, Yuri continued speaking in a soft voice.

“I’m more attracted because he’s a bad boy.”

The moment she finished speaking, the sound of entering the door passcode was heard.

Click, the front door opened, and Yuri turned her head back while holding her phone.