"Ha... hah...!"

The glass window, already more than half shattered, quickly fell to the ground.

After relentlessly punching through the remaining pieces, Heeju managed to crawl out.

"Ha... hah...!"

She leaned against the twisted bonnet and laughed hysterically.

The cold raindrops felt strangely refreshing.

"...."

There was still a month until her father-in-law's election campaign. A gentle smile appeared on Heeju's face as her eyes fell on her hands.

I've had enough! Let's leave this miserable situation without any regrets.

There's no way he's going to pay 2 billion won in ransom!

Heeju's gaze hardened as she studied the heavy palm. The kidnapper's modified device was in her possession.

We have to get... divorced.

 

***

 

If I want to blackmail an elite spokesperson and sound like the previous kidnapper -

"Ahem..."

She cleared her throat as she ate her leisurely dinner.

How many years have I felt this motivated?

The mere thought of threatening Baek Sa-eon seemed to revitalise her. I smiled as I stirred my rice alone at the table.

My stiff shoulders ached, but my determination outweighed the pain.

『 "We also thank the Argan government and the international community, including friendly countries and international organisations, for their cooperation in the release of the hostages," said Blue House spokesman Baek Sa-eon. 』

Throughout the day, the news showed footage of Sa-eon over and over again.

The revelation of his media-manipulated negotiations with the Argan militants shocked the public.

Heeju quickly turned off the television.

'......!'

A flicker of awareness crossed her face as she looked up. There was a sharp click as the door closed, followed by the soft scraping of slippers.

A feeling of unease washed over Heeju as she strained to hear the man's footsteps.

The workaholic who always leaves work at midnight... Why did he come home so early?

The tall, striking silhouette came around the corner and stopped walking.

Heeju froze, still holding her cutlery.

"......."
"......."

A casual, unconcerned look was exchanged.

It could be called a passing glance. From Sa-eon's reaction, it seemed like there were only furniture and objects in front of him.

'......!'

But Baek Sa-eon was staring in their direction with a slight frown on his face.

His look, searching and critical, made Heeju feel uncomfortable. Heeju was not immune to such intense scrutiny and wanted to hide somewhere.

But I don't want to let things slide any more.

After regaining her composure, she opened her mouth to bite down on her cutlery. She scraped the spoon with her incisors, scooping up the rice, and still managed to meet his gaze.

Sa-eon raised an eyebrow.

"Today..."
"......!"

A deep, husky voice broke the silence. His gaze lingered on Heeju's face for a long time.

"I received a trivial call."

She left her wrecked car, walked up the hill without a pair of shoes, came home, took a shower, cried a little and tore off her dirty clothes. Only her throbbing body told her it wasn't a dream.

Did he call the whole thing 'trivial'?!

"Someone threatened to kill you."

Heeju just scooped up the rice and took a bite nonchalantly. She really did come back from the dead!

"But you seem... alive."

His voice was dry and devoid of emotion. Still, there was something subtly wrong with it. Heeju poured water down her throat to ignore the anomaly.

He narrowed his eyes searchingly and stared at her. Heeju couldn't tell if he was reprimanding her or annoyed. His unreadable gaze swept over her again.

Fortunately, the kidnapper's stupidity prevented a worse outcome.

What if her cries for help had been silenced forever? What if the criminal had done something worse to her?

She deftly stifled another sob. Heeju didn't want to show the slightest sign of emotion in front of Baek Sa-eon.

"It doesn't matter."
"......!"

She thought she had become numb to such remarks, but his words had a different effect when paired with that direct look.

Unlike on television, there was no camera lens, no editing, no barrier between her and the overwhelming presence of Baek Sa-eon. His words, now raw and unfiltered, cut deeper than ever.

Biting her lower lip, she suppressed the unexpected surge of frustration.

"Why do you think I married someone as young as you?"

He shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over a chair. The exhaustion of his long day was evident on his face as he loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar.

"Because you're quiet."

To Heeju it sounded like he married her because she wasn't a nuisance.

After taking off his watch, he let out a heavy sigh, his face betraying the weariness of the day.

"When you get it, don't ever think of bringing up such things again."

It was almost a threat.

But too bad.

A faint blush rose to Heeju's cheeks when she thought: "From now on, I'm going to drive you absolutely crazy.

Heeju got excited just thinking about it.

1. The bride cannot ask for a divorce first.
2. The couple can't get divorced, especially during the presidential election.

The goal was to get Baek Sa-eon to propose a divorce within a month. This was the only way to end the marriage without any fuss.

If I could only get that one word out of Baek Sa-eon's mouth - 'That should be the perfect method.

This should be the perfect method...

A plan was already in motion and Heeju had to hone her blackmailing skills.

"I won't go easy on people who dare to mess with me."

Baek Sa-eon clicked his tongue when he noticed the strange blush on his wife's cheeks.

The silence between them was no longer the same.

 

***

 

"What happened to the task I asked you to look into?"

Baek Sa-eon entered a stark, lifeless room without a single living plant. The matte black floor and dark interior gave off an air of dryness and gloom.

- "Sir, well..."

Did she always eat at home? The savoury smell of rice wafting from the house seemed artificial.

The man sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hand over his now irritable face. The tiredness he had been ignoring seemed to flood him all at once.

Baek Sa-eon wiped his warm forehead and closed his eyes with measured calm.

This house, as quiet as the depths of the ocean, was his only sanctuary, free of noise and chaos. Returning to such a place soothed the nerves that had been on edge all day.

"I told you not to stammer when reporting."
- "I'm sorry, sir. It seems we can't trace it...!"

His previously closed eyes opened sharply and a faint wrinkle formed between his eyebrows.

- "Since the call didn't go through a mobile tower, the number alone is untraceable. It's a US area code, and apparently it's a virtual number, so the only option is real-time tracing..."
"Real time?"

The words made him furrow his brow.

- "Yes, but for that we'd need another call."

The perfect lines of his face, so often admired, were now marred by a grimace of pain.

"So you're saying I have to wait for that b*stard to call again?"

Baek Sa-eon sneered as he stood, his voice laced with contempt.

"The one who talks nonsense about killing an official's wife."
- "C- Considering the lengths they've gone to avoid detection, it's unlikely they'll back down so easily. The motives seem quite different".

The timing of the threatening call was too coincidental - almost calculated.

The hostage situation wasn't just a matter of personal safety; it was a matter of national prestige. If Baek Sa-eon or the government failed, there were plenty of parties who would revel in the chaos. It was possible that someone had orchestrated the threat to derail the negotiations.

Even if it was just a voice phishing, the execution was disturbingly methodical.

- The call was made from a US-based number, which allows them to manipulate the caller ID. With that level of effort..."

Baek Sa-eon pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek and smiled inwardly.

"They might call again."

He took long strides towards the towering bookshelf in his study.

The stress of recent events had increased, but in a way he welcomed it. If they dared to use the same lines in another call that very day, Baek Sa-eon would make them his personal punching bag.

- If the call comes through, try to extend the conversation as long as possible. I know you're very good at it, sir, but they're suggesting that you elicit personal details..."
"It's a man."

He tossed the words out carelessly as he paced in front of the bookcase.

- "...Pardon? But the voice was modulated..."
"It's a man. I'm sure of it."
- "Y-yeah... got it!"
"Probably also drugged, high or otherwise out of his mind."