Chapter 59
Yuna's POV
It had been two days.
Two days since Haemin disappeared.
I paced back and forth across the living room. My nails were already chewed raw from hours of biting, but I could not stop. Whenever I stood still, the silence felt like it was crushing me.
Why had he not returned yet?
I didn't go to work and cleared my entire schedule for today because I couldn't focus. I hadn't slept properly since yesterday. Every time I lay down, my hand reached for him—only to find the other side of the bed cold and empty.
The thought made my chest tighten until I could hardly breathe. My mind spun with questions, none of which gave me peace.
Was he avoiding me?
Was it because of what I did?
Or… did he not love me anymore?
The idea made a low growl slip through my throat. No. That was impossible. Haemin loved me and I love him more than he could ever imagined—he was mine, from the day he said yes to me.
I stopped in the middle of the room, clutching my hands into fists. My heart pounded with a mixture of fury and desperation.
Where are you, Haemin? Why haven't you come back to me?
A sudden knock at the door broke through my storming thoughts. I turned my head, striding across the living room until I reached the door.
When I opened it, Harin stood there, bowing politely as always, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
"Chairwoman," she greeted quietly.
I didn't wait for her to ask permission. "What is it?" My voice came out harsh, too tight from sleepless nights.
Harin stepped inside carefully, lowering her voice. "We may have a lead… on where the Mr. Kim is."
My heart jumped, but I kept my expression cold. "Where?"
"At XXX Medical Centre," Harin replied, her tone firm and respectful.
I narrowed my eyes. "Hospital?"
Harin said, "As you ordered, Chairwoman, yesterday our research team has been checking every possible lead. We went through police stations, agencies, hotel registries, even transportation logs. But no matter how thorough our search, there was nothing. Not a single trace of Mr. Kim."
Her words made my jaw clench. I folded my arms tightly and asked, "A hidden hand?"
Harin nodded slightly. "Yes, Chairwoman. This usually happens only if someone is covering the tracks. Someone with resources. And yet, no one with real influence has any reason to protect Mr. Kim… unless there is indeed a hidden hand involved."
She drew in a quiet breath before continuing. "We only discovered it by chance. The research team had been circling around the larger hospitals, cross-checking their activity logs and running background checks. At first, everything at XXX Medical Centre appeared perfectly normal. The records were clean. We even asked directly if a patient named Kim Haemin had been admitted, and they denied it… of course. But then one of our field staff noticed something strange. The nurses on the third floor, where the private wards are located, were acting unusually cautious. When we approached them, they insisted nothing was wrong."
My chest tightened, my fingers curling into fists. "Go on."
"Normally, that would not mean much," Harin continued, "but by pure chance, one of our crew overheard a conversation between two nurses in the corridor. They mentioned a 'young, handsome male patient' admitted to a private ward a night ago. But when he asked about it casually, the nurse denied it immediately, pretending she had said nothing at all."
Her eyes flicked up to me cautiously. "That was the moment we knew something was off."
"And the records?" I asked sharply.
Harin's tone grew firmer. "We checked the patient registration logs. On the surface, everything matched. Every ward had the correct patients listed. But when we cross-referenced the staff assignment schedule, there was a gap. One private ward on the third floor had full-time nurses assigned to it… but no corresponding patient entry in the official log."
I felt my pulse quicken.
Harin's eyes met mine. "That kind of discrepancy cannot be explained away as a clerical error. Someone deliberately erased a record, but they overlooked the nurse rotation list. It was a small loophole, but enough for us to suspect. We cannot confirm for certain until we see it with our own eyes…"
I bit my lower lip, my nails pressing into my palm. Could Haemin really be there? I did not hit him that badly… did I? A little bleeding, yes, but he should have recovered by now—right?
For a long moment, I stood in silence. My heartbeat roared in my ears, my chest rising and falling with restrained fury.
Without hesitation, I turned and grabbed my long black coat from the rack. Harin stepped forward slightly.
"Chairwoman, I should accompany you," she said.
I shook my head immediately. "No. I will go alone." My tone left no room for discussion. "But assign a security team. Tell them to wait for me at the hospital entrance."
Harin bowed politely. "Understood, Chairwoman. I will arrange it immediately." She hesitated for a moment, then added, "I will also assign people to monitor the exit gates, in case anything suspicious occurs."
I gave a short nod. "Do it. But keep it discreet."
"Understood, Chairwoman." Harin lowered her head once more.
Without wasting any more time, I went straight to the elevator and descended swiftly to the underground garage. I started the car and drove off.
______
After nearly twenty minutes, I finally arrived at the hospital. The moment I stepped out, five of my security men were already waiting, standing in formation with firm expressions.
As soon as they saw me, they bowed deeply in unison.
"Chairwoman."
I gave a single nod as I strode past them. The automatic glass doors slid open with a hiss, revealing the warm-lit reception hall. Conversations faltered, eyes turned, and for a moment the room seemed to hold its breath.
The sharp click of my heels echoed across the polished floor.
I didn't slow—didn't need to. My presence alone was enough to clear the way. People stepped aside instinctively, their eyes flickering between me and the wall of suited men trailing behind.
But before we could reach the elevator, two security guards in black suits blocked our path.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," one of them said, his voice firm though his eyes betrayed a flicker of nerves. "Access to this elevator is restricted. Please return to the lobby."
My men exchanged a glance, cold and unblinking. One of them stepped closer, his voice deep and cutting. "Step aside."
The guards held their ground. "Orders from above. No one goes up."
For a heartbeat, silence lingered. Then I lifted my hand slightly.
In an instant, two of my men surged forward. The clash was fast. The guards barely had time to react before their backs slammed against the wall with a sickening thud. Cries erupted in the lobby, nurses and visitors shrinking back, some covering their mouths in shock.
The guards struggled, groaning against the unyielding grip while another of my men pressed the elevator button, the doors slid open with a soft chime.
I stepped inside without hesitation, my men following in seamless formation.
Once we were in, the other two released the guards and entered. The guards collapsed to the floor, coughing and fumbling for breath, clutching at their ribs. Their groans echoed through the lobby.
I watched them coldly as they gasped on the ground. Then the elevator doors closed, sealing off the chaos as we ascended to the third floor.
The ride up was quiet, heavy with anticipation. My reflection in the mirrored walls looked calm, but inside, my blood surged with a cold fury.
Haemin… I know you're here.
When the elevator stopped, the doors opened with another chime.
But the corridor wasn't empty.
Three men in black suits stood waiting, expressions sharp. Their stances was firm, eyes already locked on me. They weren't like the guards downstairs—these men were sharper, more disciplined, like my own men.
The corridor lights gleamed against their shoulders, and for the first time tonight, the tension sharpened into something dangerous.
My men shifted slightly at my side, preparing themselves.
I stepped forward, my gaze steady.
"Chairwoman Seo," one of them said evenly, inclining his head just enough to show respect without lowering himself. "We kindly ask that you step back. This floor is restricted."
My jaw tightened. Slowly, I straightened, folding my arms over my chest. "Restricted?" I repeated, my tone sharp. "On whose authority?"
The guard's gaze didn't waver. "On the authority of those currently overseeing the patient in question."
Patient.
The word burned through me. They didn't deny it. My lips curved into the faintest of cold smiles. "So he is here."
A ripple of unease passed through these floor. Everyone nearby had fallen silent, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. security team shifted behind me, ready to move at my command.
I took a slow step forward. "Do you have any idea who you are standing against? Step aside, or I will make sure you regret it."
The leader of the opposing team didn't flinch. His hand stayed at his side, but I caught the subtle twitch of his fingers—a signal. Within seconds, two more men appeared from the far corridor, reinforcing the blockade.
Five against five.
The air grew thick. My men straightened, their presence looming larger, and the onlookers began to shuffle further away, whispering in fear of the storm about to break.
The opposing guard bowed slightly again, his voice firm. "Chairwoman Seo. Please leave peacefully. This is not the place for confrontation."
My nails dug into my palms, my composure stretched thin, my heart pounding. Haemin was here. I was certain of it now. And someone was protecting him—bold enough to stand against me.
"Tell your employer," I said coldly, "meet me right now, or I will tear down every wall in this place until I find him."
The guards didn't move.
The tension peaked, stretching unbearably tight. Then, the sharp echo of heels cut through the heavy silence.
Every head in the lobby turned as a woman in a fitted dark suit approached from the corridor. Her steps were measured, her back straight, her presence commanding without a single word.
Hwang Sera.
Her eyes found me immediately. Calm and steady.
The security men parted just enough to let her through, but their wall remained firm. She stopped a few steps short of me, her expression unreadable.
Her presence here caught me off guard. Then everything clicked into place. Of course. She was the hidden hand shielding Haemin.
I let out a low chuckle, pressing my fingers to my forehead, almost laughing at myself for not seeing it sooner.
"Chairwoman Seo," she greeted coolly, her voice calm. "What an… unexpected visit."
I forced a smile, thin and sharp. "Vice Chairwoman Hwang," I returned, my tone clipped. "How curious that your men are guarding a hospital corridor. Since when does Daehan Group's territory extend this far?"
Her lips curved in the faintest hint of amusement. "Since protecting what matters requires it."
My pulse thundered in my ears. She knew exactly how to provoke me—staking her claim without saying it outright.
I took a slow step closer, my gaze narrowing. "Where is he?"
For the first time, Sera's eyes flickered—I caught a spark of heat behind her calm face. But her voice remained steady. "That depends. Who exactly are you asking about?"
The urge to strike her, to wipe that composed expression off her face, surged hot through my chest. But too many eyes were on us, and she knew it. She was baiting me, waiting for me to move first.
I clenched my jaw, every muscle tight, and lowered my voice so only she could hear. "If you think you can hide him from me, you're making the gravest mistake of your life."
Her smile didn't waver. "On the contrary," she murmured, her gaze unblinking, "for the first time in a long while, I think I've made the right choice."
The lobby fell into complete silence, the tension so sharp it felt like everything could break at any moment.