Chapter 66
It was a contract almost the same as the one she had seen before, but with a few clauses added.
“200 million won for each child?” she asked in astonishment.
“Why, do you want more?” He sneered.
“Weren’t you marrying Si-yeon Yoon? And you’re still asking me to bear your child?” She retorted.
“What’s the problem? I’ll recognize the child as mine and provide the best environment and education there is. If the child is smart enough, the group will not discriminate against him or her.” He sounded so righteous that one would think he was proposing marriage and not an illicit affair!
“Does Ms. Si-yeon Yoon know what you’re thinking?” Only Yuri knew how much will power she was currently exerting to rein in her emotions. This man and his ridiculous contracts, would there ever be an end?
“She has nothing to do with it, and I will give her sufficient compensation.”
Yuri was flabbergasted at Tae-jun’s insanity. She laughed and glared at him. Did he really weigh the world in terms of money?! Where the heck had his demented notion stemmed from?
She had been goaded into signing the contract once before, did he think there would be a second time? This was simply outrageous, and she didn’t want any part in it. Not now, not ever.
She gritted her teeth and said, “I will never bear your child, so there’s no need for this nonsense.”
“You might already have one, or there will be one in the near future.” Tae-jun’s hawk-eyes seemed absolutely determined.
“I haven’t had a period for two years, so there will never be a child.”
Perhaps this was her way of saying that he couldn’t control everything in the world, and most certainly her menstrual cycle.
“What?!” He bellowed.
Tae-jun’s brow furrowed, he didn’t like her attitude. More importantly, he disdained things that went out of his control and even so those that played him. And right now, the woman before him was doing exactly that. She had done so four years ago, and she was doing so now. He would tolerate nothing, especially her slipping out of his grip.
He brusquely grabbed Yuri’s wrist on the table and demanded. “And you say that you’re not going to the hospital?”
Yuri did not avoid his penetrating gaze and boldly looked right into his devilish orbs. “I’ll take care of my body, and to make things clear, I am not going to agree to a contract like this.”
“Are the terms not enough for you? You can continue your art. You cannot be thinking of tailing your teacher forever. You can hold an exclusive contract with the Seoin Gallery, or I’ll let you have your own. Do you want anything else?”
In his view, this was the choicest offer under the sun and anybody would jump at it in the first instance. Anybody, but this woman.
“I’m not going to work on them anymore. Didn’t you say I have two months? The reason I’m still here is to finish the contract we had”
“Stop acting so difficult. You said it was about money, I can get you as much as you need.” He twisted her wrist in agitation.
Yuri didn’t flinch at his atrocity and met him head-on. “Who said that it was about money?”
She didn’t know how on earth he would have such a notion. But when she did a double-take, her eyes widened because she could think of only one person who would say something like that.
“Did you meet Hye-seong? Where is he?”
Tae-jun’s expression distorted, and his grip on Yuri’s wrist tightened further as if to break it.
“Were you searching for Hye-seong Jin instead of your memories?”
Tae-jun’s voice was cold enough to freeze the room. His hand lightly grasped the back of Yuri’s neck, and her nerves stood on end at his touch.
“You’re really something. You were looking for a past boyfriend when we spent that much time together in bed?!”
The hand that grasped her neck tightened further. His harsh and cold eyes, filled with the murderous rage of a beast, bored at her.
“Was I not enough for you?” He sniggered.
She had enough of this man now, him and his twisted theories. She was furious. Just because she had entered a contract with him, he was questioning her integrity now. What right did he have?
“You know that I was never in that kind of relationship with Hye-seong.” She raised her voice. “I just needed to ask him something.”
“What’s the question?”
“It is…”
Yuri’s throat went dry. Could she trust him enough to talk about her father and Hye-yeon’s death? Would he help her?
She was still undecided when Jin-wook opened the doors again.
“Excuse me, but I have an urgent report to make.”
Tae-jun stood up, let go of her, and went out. After a few moments, he returned looking with his usual nonchalance.
“We’ll talk more about this at home.”
After Tae-jun and Yuri left the restaurant, two burly men in suits approached them. Tae-jun gave them their orders.
“Get her home.”
“Understood.”
Yuri recollected that she had seen one of them when she got out of the police station. So there was one more person besides Department Head Choi and the driver watching her. It was only now that she was reminded of the extent of Tae-jun’s meticulousness.
“Wait at home.”
With those parting words, he got into the car Jin-wook was driving. She was about to get into hers when someone greeted her as he came out of the restaurant.
“Who is this?”
Yuri knew too well who the drunkard was.
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