"You can go now."
"O-Okay..."

The officer scratched the back of his head and walked back to the car. By then, Baek Sa-eon was standing firmly, blocking their view.

"How the hell did he get here...?

Heeju stared blankly at Sa-eon who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Judging by your expression, you're wondering how I got here."
"...!"
"I had a bodyguard watching over you, and the nurse at the nursing home has my number."

He loosened his tie in frustration.

So he already knew about this nursing home?

Apart from the bodyguard, this was all new to Heeju.

"I told them to contact me if your father's condition worsens."
"...!"

Heeju had never imagined this. Sa-eon knew that she had visited her father? Her biological father, not Chairman Hong?

Her lower eyelid twitched involuntarily.

"Transfer him to another facility, just in case."
"..."
"I think I know who's behind this."

The muscles in his face tightened visibly.

"...daring to mess with this place of all places."

His voice trailed off and his expression sank even lower. The icy tension was suffocating, making it hard to even breathe.

Yet, strangely, he seemed to be angry with her - something Heeju had never seen before.

"..."

She bit down hard on her lips to keep them from trembling.

The reasons for his anger were undoubtedly different from hers, but for that moment, in the same place and time, it felt like they shared the same emotion.

Even if it was just her imagination, that fleeting moment of empathy from her cold husband felt significant.

Twenty years had passed since she had first met him.

All those years she had admired him from afar, like a spectator.

For the first time, it felt as if someone had answered her silent SOS. She received an answer that bridged the gap of all those years.

"Let's go home."
"..."
"You don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of your father's business."

Those words made tears well up uncontrollably.

She couldn't hold back any longer.

The affectionate term "your father" and the fact that he had followed her all the way here - it was too much for Heeju to process or question. Instead, she grabbed his sleeve.

Baek Sa-eon tilted his head slightly as he held a cigarette in his mouth. There was no expression on his face as he looked at her while gripping his sleeve.

He didn't light the cigarette but chewed on it instead.

"Sorry, I'm not a psychic."
"..."
"But I do know one thing."

He grabbed her chin with one hand and tilted it up.

"Even if it wasn't me, if someone else had come here..."
"...!"

As he applied pressure, her lips curled into a pout. Baek Sa-eon stared intently at the soft curve of her lips.

"You would have shown them the same pitiful face, wouldn't you?"

He wanted to turn away, but couldn't after hearing Heeju's cries.

"...!"

His narrow eyes reflected a mixture of shock and observation. Sa-eon's impassive reaction only made her cry harder.

He hesitated to reach out a hand, only to pull it back. For a moment he stood like a statue, as if time itself had stopped.

"You make sounds now."

Sa-eon's voice was cold and flat, making it hard to tell if it was a sarcastic comment or some kind of twisted admiration.

Either way, it wasn't what a husband should say to his weeping wife.

This charmless man clearly had no idea how to comfort a woman.

"Gasp... Sob..."
"..."
"Hic... hic..."

Baek Sa-eon crouched down to study her closely. After a thorough examination of her tear streaked face, he suddenly spoke.

"I can't let you cry like this every day."

His words were cryptic and impossible to decipher.

"So you know how to cry like that... Why didn't you before?"

He stopped himself in the middle of his thought and stared at her with a strange look. Heeju finally came to her senses and covered her face, embarrassed by the possibility of snot or an unpleasant odour.

Was it because of her father's injury or the unhealthy remains of her long lasting one-sided love? Even she didn't know.

Baek Sa-eon exhaled sharply and his eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Why stop yourself when you finally show some signs of life?"
"..."
"You're supposed to be quiet, but now you're screaming loud enough for everyone to hear."

The corner of his mouth twitched into a slight smile. It was the first time Heeju had ever seen him smile so naturally.

In a moment, his face became indifferent. With a stern expression he grabbed her by the neck.

"Stop crying in the car."
"Hic...!"
"I can't sing you a lullaby to calm you down."

With that, Heeju found herself unceremoniously dragged into the car by the back of her neck.

***

Baek Sa-eon remained silent during the entire drive. He just looked at his tablet as if nothing had happened that deserved his attention.

The quiet atmosphere in the car was soon filled with the sound of sniffling. Heeju, holding back tears, blinked through swollen eyes.

Baek Sa-eon occasionally let out a hollow, almost inaudible laugh, but no one seemed to notice.

What did I just do?

Heeju pursed her lips in embarrassment.

'My goal hasn't changed. Even if I end up in prison on false charges, I'll get a divorce. If there's a chance of parole and divorce, it's divorce all the way.

But why did she end up crying when she saw her husband? She wanted to tear her hair out in shame.

Strangely, Baek Sa-eon's presence brought her relief.

Come to think of it, this is the first time we've been in a car together...

Sitting next to him, she felt strangely small.

"Heeju, are you going to throw up again?"
"...!"

He scolded her without looking up. Her body had been tense all day, and the soft seat finally allowed her to relax.

The car drove smoothly down the street and stopped in front of a high-rise hotel. Heeju's eyes widened as she recognised the place.

Ah...! Is today the day?

It was the day of the regular family dinner. Heeju felt a headache coming on.

"Rest until dinner."
"...!"

Here? In a hotel?

Baek Sa-eon tilted his head slightly.

"What's the problem? You can't go anywhere looking like that. Go upstairs and get an IV or something."
"..."
"Blow your nose properly too."
"...!"

He closed his tablet, opened the car door and got out. As Heeju hurried to follow, people's eyes were on her and she instinctively lowered her head.

Everyone knew that Baek Sa-eon was married, but there was no information about his wife. Soon, the curious eyes of the public would turn to her as well.

Baek Sa-eon was young, competent and the spokesman of the Blue House. He was the face of the president. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. He had made a name for himself as a foreign correspondent in his early twenties, braving conflict zones like Baghdad and Mosul without protection, and was the first to release footage of brutal interrogations to the world's press.

He was also revealed to be the only son of the leader of the ruling party, a member of a prominent political family, which again made headlines.

On his return to Korea, he worked as a political reporter and then as the youngest news anchor before joining the Blue House.

All this, combined with his good looks, made him a public sensation.

In other words, Baek Sa-eon was a well-known figure. And being his wife meant living under constant scrutiny...

"Do you want a strange rumour to spread?"

"What...!

Baek Sa-eon slowed down and gave her a cold look.

"Why are you shaking so much? You're making it uncomfortable."

Heeju didn't react. She was thankful that she hadn't tripped over her own feet yet.

"Anyway, you have to get used to it as my wife."

Absolutely not. I won't let you. I'll get the divorce first...'

"Get used to it."

His words made Heeju's face harden even more. There were rumours, scandals and blackmail. How could he act so unaffected by all this?

Was it possible that the blackmail calls didn't have the effect I thought they would?

Heeju bit her lip nervously.

Arriving at the top floor of the hotel, she immediately went to the bathroom. After rinsing out her dry mouth, she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes, nose and lips were swollen and she stared at her reflection, almost reproaching herself.

Only I can save myself.

Right now she had to make the phone call the kidnapper demanded. Crying wouldn't help. Instead of trembling in fear, she would get the divorce as soon as possible, fulfil the kidnapper's demands and then...

Disappear forever.

With this grim resolution, she stepped out of the bathroom. Suddenly, she bumped into Baek Sa-eon, who was leaning against the wall.