Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 460: Ally

Stephen handed Yong-Gun a golf club as he trailed after him, with a caddie dutifully following behind.

Despite the calm and relaxing expression on Yong-Gun’s face, Stephen could tell his boss wasn’t at ease and was deeply in thought. Today would determine if all the effort he had made towards actualising his goals in the past twenty-five years would yield results or crumble apart.

This wasn’t the initial course Yong-Gun had planned out, but thanks to Lee Dan-Han’s sudden involvement and intrusion, he had to make a hasty plan.

“Did you say it was the Lee boy who had sent the DNA report?” Yong-Gun asked as they walked towards the fairway for his next shot.

“Yes, sir,” Stephen replied. “He had used a different mail address.” He explained, and Yong-Gun remained silent for a while.

He had just instructed Stephen to locate Ki-Jun’s doctor and confirm if his brother had conducted a DNA test when the anonymous mail suddenly came in, sending him proof of his suspicion.

“And did you receive a call you?” Yong-Gun asked again as they continued walking. Golf was the only thing that kept his mind sharp in critical situations like this, and it enabled him to think.

.....

“Not yet, sir. I only got the text containing the room number and the other information, which we acted on as you instructed.” Stephen replied, and Yong-Gun tersely nodded.

He positioned the ball on the ground, and just when he was about to make a swing, he paused.

“Do you think he would leave her unprotected at such a time?” Yong-Gun asked, referring to Eun-sun, but he continued before Stephen could answer.

“Something is going on in that boy’s mind. He’s up to something, but whatever it is, I will end this today. I’m not going to let a small boy ruin all my life’s work.” He said and paused. “It’s unfortunate my brother would have to leave us in such a short time. I wanted to delay this for a little while. But...” He paused and sighed.

“I guess it’s his time to go. I’ve held it off for too long.” He said.

“But, sir, don’t you think everything is too suspicious? What if we’re acting a bit too brashly?” Stephen cautiously asked. He gulped when Yong-Gun turned to him with blood-cold eyes.

“And what do you mean by brash?” Yong-Gun sternly asked.

“Like us not confirming the sender of the mail before sending a team to the hotel. And not confirming what exactly happened in that impromptu meeting. I feel like we might be walking blindly into things.” Stephen replied while Yong-Gun’s face hardened.

He knew Stephen was right, but he hated to admit it. Things were moving so quickly today, and he was barely trying to grip a hold on whatever he could salvage before he completely lost control and all his plans shattered because there was no time for meticulous planning, and that was what he believed Stephen had failed to realise.

He sighed as he swung at the ball, which he watched go straight into the hole. He turned back to Stephen and passed him the club.

“There’s no time for all that. That Lee brat wants to play me to save his girlfriend, but that is no problem.” He said, but Stephen felt there was a problem – a problem which his boss could not see.

Unlike his boss, he could see that time was what Dan-Han was using against them because he knew they’d be forced to hastily make all their moves to rectify the problem he was tossing at them.

And what made him more suspicious was the sudden involvement of their trump card – an ally the boss had been keeping for a very long time.

Stephen couldn’t place his finger on it, but he could tell something was wrong.

He perked up when Yong-Gun hardened his eyes as he looked at him.

“I don’t care what that Lee boy does, but getting rid of that girl and my brother is the only way for things to work and for my plans to be achieved. So let’s stick to that. No matter what he tries, he won’t be able to save them.” Yong-Gun said, and Stephen unconvincingly nodded.

His brows tightened when Yong-Gun’s phone in his pocket suddenly began to ring, and it was a strange number calling.

He answered the call, but when he heard the person’s voice at the other end of the phone, he turned to Yong-Gun.

“Sir, he’s calling,” Stephen said quickly and handed the phone over to Yong-Gun, who signalled him to put it on speaker, but didn’t accept it.

“Yes?” He grumbled into the phone.

“Did your hand man receive my message?” A gruff voice echoed over the phone, which made Yong-Gun frown.

“Yes, he did,” Yong-Gun curtly replied.

“Then are you taking care of her?” The voice asked again.

“Yes,” Yong-Gun replied grimly.

“You should have her handled fast, as well as any other person who needs to be taken care of, especially the Lee boy. He is unto you!”

Yong-Gun frowned at the sudden declaration. “How do you mean?” He grimly asked.

“I think he knows what your relationship with the little miss is. He knows she’s your child.” The voice said, and Stephen shared a look with Yong-Gun.

Yong-Gun’s face instantly blackened. “Are you sure about this?” He inquired.

“Yes, Yong-Gun. The boy really does. You have to get rid of him as soon as possible, as well as the girl. Why did you even keep her alive in the first place?! That was dumb!” The man snapped, and Yong-Gun’s face darkened even more.

“I’d advise you to refrain from yelling right now. Do not forget who you are.” Yong-Gun growled back in ire, and the man drawled back.

“I am your accomplice in all this!”

“And you’re getting paid for your job, attorney Philips. So know your place.” Yong-Gun harshly corrected, but that only seemed to infuriate the man more.

“And it’s that why you sent your minions to tweak my brakes? Did you want to kill me? I guess you intended to dispose of me as soon as you have accomplished your plans?” Mr Philip’s angrily demanded, and Yong-Gun stared at the phone with surprise.

His brows were tightly pulled together. “What are you saying?” Yong-Gun asked with a dark and confused frown.

“What am I saying?” Mr Philip asked incredulously. “Lee Dan-Han said your men tweaked my car’s brakes, as you did your brother’s. He had wanted to include me in his crazy plan, but Ki-Jun had stopped him. I shouldn’t have put up so much drama as I did, rather I should have just come out straight with-”

“No one did such a thing.” Yong-Gun darkly cut him off. He stared at Stephen for confirmation, but the man shook his head, indicating he had no idea what the man was talking about.

“Are you saying I don’t know what I’m talking about? Do you think I’m stupid? Maybe I should have told Ki-Jun the truth and not stupidly continue with your stupid plan.”

“And what exactly did you intend to tell him?” Yong-Gun irately asked. “Do you think Ki-Jun might let you go after hearing such atrocities?”

“It wasn’t I who took his child.” Mr Philips firmly reminded him.

“Yes, but you’re an accomplice like you just said. And need I remind you that if you try to be foolish, you’ll reap the result for it.”

“Are you threatening me? It would be best if you didn’t threaten me. I still have leverage, do you remember?” Mr Philips demanded from the phone, which only made Yong-Gun frown deeper.

Of course, he remembered. That tiny piece of recording that the man had stealthily made during one of their conversations, which he threatened would be released if he met with an untimely and unnatural death.

“I’d kill you myself if I want to, but you know why you still have air running through your nostrils.” He told him. “And if you really do believe that I wanted you dead, why then did you send the girl’s location? You shouldn’t have.”

Of course, he shouldn’t have. At a point, he had almost wavered in his act of being scared and clueless in front of Ki-Jun and especially when Dan-Han kept staring at him. But knowing the kind of person who Yong-Gun was and not wanting to let go of his part of this deal, he had made a decision, and that was to stick his head through this dangerous path he was threading with Kim Yong-Gun.

He sighed and dismissed Yong-Gun’s question. “I hope you do what’s necessary. Take care of the girl, and if you want to handle Ki-Jun today, I’d advise you to refrain from that accident. Dan-Han has a plan to fool you, but he wouldn’t say. I’ll advise you to refrain from that and do something else. A bullet can bring all this drama to an end.” He said, and Yong-Gun frowned deeper.

“No one can stop me from getting what I want.” Yong-Gun declared.

Stephen, who had been listening to the men’s conversation with keen interest, frowned as he pondered on all they had been saying.

“Mr Philips, did you say Lee Dan-Han said your brake was tweaked?” He inquired, and Mr Philip frowned, wondering why they were all behaving innocently. He knew the kind of men he had gotten involved with.

“Are you saying you did not?” Mr Philip asked back.

“Not at all. The boss would not do that.” Stephen replied, and Mr Philip’s brows furrowed together confusedly.

Was it possible they were saying the truth? Did Dan-Han lie to him? Why would he do that?

But before he could ask any questions, Stephen spoke up. “If you’re not in your car, how did you get out of there?” he asked.

“Ki-Jun would never allow such a thing.” He replied. That was the fault of Lee Ki-Jun. The man was just too nice and kindhearted, hence why his brother had been scheming against him without his knowledge for years, and he was clueless about it.

“And where is your car?” Stepped asked, making Yong-Gun look at him as he wondered why he was asking.

“Still at the hotel.”

“And where are you right now?” Stephen asked yet another question.

“In a car which Dan-Han provided. Ki-Jun had asked-”

“Step on the brake.” Stephen suddenly ordered.

“Why?” Mr Philips asked, his heart skipping a beat at the urgency of his voice.

“Just step on it,” Stephen said, a little more slowly this time. When he heard the man’s frightened response, he knew he was right.

Lee Dan-Han had them all played all along.