One wall of the room was completely lined with shelves, densely packed with negotiation materials.

Baek Sa-eon had a background that included participation in the FBI Academy training programme during his master's degree in political science and completion of a hostage negotiation course run by the NYPD.

When dealing with hostages, nine out of ten trainees became emotionally involved. But Baek Sa-eon didn't flinch, not at the perpetrator's provocations and not at the barrel of a gun.

The basis of negotiation was interpersonal understanding.

An exceptional negotiator needed to be able to disarm his counterpart using "empathy" as a weapon.

But Baek Sa-eon had completely undermined this principle with cold indifference and calculated, unethical questions.

The meticulous manipulation of emotional states was an approach that deviated significantly from the qualities of an ideal negotiator. Instead of focusing on the hostage's safety, he took pleasure in breaking the hostage-taker.

Recognising her son's lack of empathy, his mother forbade him from pursuing the field.

"You're just a person with a quick tongue, not a negotiator."

That was her cold verdict.

Ironically, it was this very skill set that made him a political strategist.

"A sneaky rat who can't even reveal his own voice."

A rhythmic tapping echoed as his raspy voice rasped through the air.

***

Heeju couldn't take her eyes off the monitor.

『 "I will silence you forever." 』

She imitated the line with a deliberately solemn expression. Her face hardened, her jaw stiffened. She mirrored the actor's hostility.

She had considered other options.

Once she had sought legal advice about the unjust marriage contract she was trapped in. But whether it was a free consultation or a top law firm, the answer was always the same.

"Excuse me? Do you mean Congressman Baek?"
"The owner of Sankyung, you say?"

Her father-in-law and father had already established themselves in the legal world. No lawyer was willing to take on a case against a politician rumoured to be a future presidential candidate.

No lawyer dared take the case. They had the power to take everything away from them.

In the media room of the sign language interpreting centre, Heeju's hands moved swiftly, perfectly fluid in their movements.

"If you dare to do anything, I'll k*ll you."

Her neatly shaped eyebrows twitched, mimicking the actor's anger.

Today was the day. Tonight... she will call Baek Sa-eon.

As a sign language interpreter, Heeju was adept at conveying other people's tones and emotions with precision.

Her years of practice interpreting in a variety of media had made imitating a hostage-taker almost effortless.

"Heeju, you came?"

The head of the centre peered through the slightly open door, stammering.

On the monitor, a terrifying man was threatening a bruised figure hanging from the ceiling, spitting out lines about flaying skin and other horrors.

"Heeju, hey... H-Heeju...?"

The nervous man in his early forties stepped into the room, but Heeju remained absorbed. She kept moving her arms.

"...H-have your tastes changed or something?"

A confused Heeju finally turned to face the man.

Standing there in a Hawaiian shirt and a long gold chain that would suit a rapper, the man blinked in disbelief.

"Is this because you had to give up the broadcasting job? I can..."

I'm just practising," Heeju said in sign language.

If her gestures had carried a voice, it would have been soft, graceful and poised, like that of a well-mannered lady.

"But why is your training material so... grim?"
"Just in case.
"In case? Of what?"

The man looked at her worriedly.

"Nothing's come in from the police or anything, has it? No debt collector hired you because the debtor is deaf or..."
"No.
"Then why are you doing this? You're scaring me here!"

The head made a dramatic statement, clutching his chest.

"I'm looking for new jobs for you, so just take it easy until then. And don't blow off steam with such morbid stuff, okay?"

Heeju was only a "halfway" sign language interpreter.

Her chronic inability to speak in front of others severely limited her opportunities.

She was relegated to supporting others or doing one-way interpreting jobs that didn't require interaction.

Sign language wasn't just about moving your hands. To fully convey tone and emotion, a rich repertoire of facial expressions was essential.

In this regard, Heeju excelled, flawlessly capturing nuances such as the subtle difference between "good job" and "g-r-e-a-t job".

Her lip movements, arched eyebrows and body angles were deliberate and precise. Though her presence was usually slight, her ability to convey emotion was undeniable.

It was all the more tragic that she, a messenger for others, couldn't express herself fully.

A sign language interpreter who couldn't speak could only ever be half complete.

"Heeju, if this is just to improve your skills... You could practice with Baek Sa-eon's videos."
"...!"

For some reason, a tingly uneasiness crept over him.

In her oversized T-shirt, jeans and baseball cap pulled down low, she looked innocent, like a college student.

But under the brim of her cap, there was something unsettling in her gaze.

He brushed off the chill and added hastily, "You know, Baek Sa-eon has been giving a lot of briefings lately. I could get some of those videos for you. Didn't you say his clarity of speech was textbook material?"

"..."
"And back when you kept failing your certification tests, didn't you tell me-"
"..."
"That it was your dream to be in the same frame as Baek Sa-eon, even for a sixteenth of a second?"

Suddenly Heeju stepped forward without a word. The man instinctively took a step back as she snatched the remote control out of his hand.

I'm done with Baek Sa-eon's videos. I've had enough.

"Oh... o- okay."

Her decisive thought left him speechless.

Heeju focused on the grim film again, her hands and facial expressions perfectly reproducing the profane, violent lines.

Her fierce determination and inexplicable obsession made the man in the room feel uneasy.

Seriously, what's this all about? This wasn't the Heeju he knew - the shy, faint-hearted girl.

Her dull eyes now shone with an almost disturbing sharpness. His head trembled at the realization.

***

"Finally...!"

Heeju's legs continued to shake as she stared at the phone sitting idly on the desk.

The reason she had feigned ignorance in response to the Centre Chief's concerns was simple.

Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that her first job as a voice interpreter would be... a threatening phone call.

Voice modulation, fake caller ID, untraceable location - the phone had received exactly zero calls for days.

Amazingly, the hostage-taker had been right. Baek Sa-eon couldn't find anything.

Whether he had lost interest in the "prank calls" or simply couldn't find the trail, her life remained perfectly intact despite the hostage-taker's phone.

Her daily routine hadn't changed a bit.

The man who had once bared his soul to her now dismissed her with a chilling indifference. Whenever their eyes met, his face was the first to harden.

She still couldn't decipher what his expression meant. Was it disapproval? A hint of unease? Either way, his sharp gaze cut through her like a blade.

If that was the case, there was only one thing she could do.

"Haa..."

Heeju set the timer for nine minutes and took a deep breath.

Every movement elicited a reflexive groan of pain from her.

"Ugh!"

The bruises still made her suffer. A wave of bitterness washed over her, but the fleeting emotion was quickly replaced by her unyielding determination.

Everything was ready now.

"Ah... ah..."

Her trembling voice, as shaky as a goat's bleat, clawed its way out of her throat.

The only son of a presidential candidate. A media manipulator known for his barbed tongue.

"I could never hope to win against someone like him..."

But it didn't matter. This was it - time to embrace her role as the defiant divorcee!

Reciting her mantra, she steeled her gaze and pressed the phone to her ear.

The weight of the device felt as terrifying and heavy as bomb.