Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 458: Protect Herself

Dan-Han’s plan was by no chance fool-proof as it bore too many risks, so much everyone had reservations towards it, all except Dan-Han.

He knew they didn’t like the plan, and he wasn’t expecting them to.

Some didn’t even call it a plan but a suicide mission – as Mi-Cha so favourably called it. She was the least receptive to it.

Mi-Cha still couldn’t believe the incredulous plan Dan-Han had come up with. A staged accident only to gather proof?

What in the devil’s name was that? What if something really happened to her father?

Mi-Cha couldn’t see herself being in support of it, and neither was Mr Philip or Eun-sun, but despite their attempts to sway Ki-Jun from joining Dan-Han in his madness, the man seemed decided on heeding to the ‘plan’.

Mi-Cha sighed infuriatedly. Knowing she couldn’t convince her father made her all the more livid.

.....

She believed a call to her mother would put an end to all this, as only she would talk some sense into her father, but she couldn’t make that call as he had her phone and he wasn’t letting go.

“Everything will be fine, Mi-Cha. You don’t have to worry.” Ki-Jun tried to comfort and assure her, but Mi-Cha was far beyond comforting. She didn’t even need the assurance that he also didn’t have. What was the probability that he would get out of all this unscathed?

“Don’t tell me not to be worried, Dad, because I can’t help it.” She told him matter-of-factly.

“I know, but I’ll be fine,” Ki-Jun assured her, but Mi-Cha didn’t want to hear him. She just wanted to go home.

She gloomily turned away from him and stared into space, not wanting to meet his gaze or Dan-Han’s.

Eun-sun slowly ran her gaze across all their faces till they settled on her father in concern. He seemed bold and keen to go on with this, but she didn’t want him to. As Mi-Cha said, he had just got her back, and she had just found him, so she wasn’t sold out to this idea.

She felt an urge to say something, to tell him that Dan-Han might have a knack for being reckless with his life, but he shouldn’t join him in it.

But despite her urge, Eun-sun couldn’t bring herself to say a word. It was somewhat strange talking to him, especially now when he knew she was his child. There was an awkwardness, and she couldn’t help it, and she was sure Ki-Jun could feel it too.

Her gaze softened when Ki-Jun turned towards her and met her eyes. There was a way he looked at her that made her feel different, and she wanted nothing but to beg him not to go. She didn’t want anything. They could keep all their wealth. She was happy to know she had a family. But as Dan-Han said, they couldn’t let the enemy be, but she only wished this wasn’t the plan.

Peering at her, Ki-Jun realised the worrisome look on her face, and he knew it was for no one else but him.

He could feel her hesitation to reprimand him as freely as Mi-Cha did, and that brought a warm smile to his face. There was undeniably an awkwardness between them, and he guessed it was only natural for it to feel so. Even though he didn’t want that, he clearly understood why. He was happy seeing her worry for him, and despite it not being his intention to worry her or Mi-Cha, this was something he’d gladly do to make whoever had made them suffer, pay.

“There’ll be time for all of us.” He suddenly said while staring at her, and everyone knew he was talking to Eun-sun.

Eun-sun, at first, wasn’t sure if he had said those words to her or if he was only assuring himself of that, but seeing how he stared at her, she gave a nod because somewhere in her heart, she believed he had spoken to her.

Ki-Jun glanced at Dan-Han. “So how exactly are we to go about this...this plan?” He asked, and Dan-Han gave a detailed run down of how things would be, and they all listened attentively.

“So all I have to do is sit in the car?” Ki-Jun asked, and Dan-Han nodded.

“Yes.”

“And after that?” Ki-Jun inquired.

“We’ll let him come to us,” Dan-Han replied, and they all looked at him.

“Come?” Mi-Cha asked with a frown. “How are you sure he’ll come?” She inquired. She wondered how he seemed to have all these calculations in his head.

She wanted to know what exactly gave him the confidence whoever it was they were onto would act as he had predicted. He seemed to have it all figured out, but something in her told her Dan-Han had something else in mind – Something he wasn’t letting on.

Dan-Han casually shrugged. “Let’s just say he wouldn’t want to take chances anymore,” Dan-Han said, not wanting to say any more than that.

He turned to Mr Philip, and he observed how shaken up he was, but he didn’t say anything.

He sighed and reached for Eun-sun’s hand before pulling her to her feet. “I guess we must all wait a bit before setting the ball. A family reunion such as this would normally last for a while. And while we wait, I’ll book another room for Mi-Cha and Eun-sun.” He said.

“Another room? Why?” Mi-Cha asked with a frown, wondering if this was also part of his plan.

“Just to be safe, Mi-Cha.” He told her before pulling Eun-sun with him to the room, leaving all eyes to follow after them.

Dan-Han closed the door after them. He pushed her against the wall and hardly kissed her lip.

“Dan-Han..” Eun-sun mumbled against his lips as she tried to shake him off. He pulled away only after getting the satisfaction he needed.

“You trust me, right?” He asked, and Eun-sun silently looked at him. She would have said she did because she has always trusted him, but right now, she wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I don’t like this plan of yours.” She told him, and Dan-Han nodded.

“I know, but everything will be fine. I promise.” He assured her. Eun-sun stared at him a bit longer before nodding her head.

“I trust you.” She said.

“Good.” Dan-Han nodded and held her hand, and led her towards the wardrobe. He opened his suitcase and pulled open a small silver briefcase. Eun-sun wondered what he had in it, but the moment he opened it, her eyes widened, but she said nothing.

It wasn’t strange to see him having a gun, as she had known he had one since the day he shot someone before her eyes. But what she was surprised about was how he had carried it over here. Well, they had flown privately, but still...

“Why do you have three guns?” She asked. People usually had one or two, but three for a businessman? Her eyes sparked with interest when Dan-Han pulled one out of the box, and he slipped in a magazine.

Dan-Han frowned when he looked at her and registered the interest in her eyes.

“You want to make me regret doing this.” He said, and Eun-sun blinked at him confusedly.

Dan-Han hesitated and sighed, his fingers scratching his forehead.

He deeply hissed. “I want you to have this.” He said.

“Me?” Eun-sun looked up at him with eyes as wide as saucers.

“Yes,” Dan-Han nodded. Eun-sun’s eyes widely stared at him before dashing towards the weapon in his hands.

“Are you serious?” She looked back at him again, and Dan-Han nodded.

“I didn’t really want to do this, but it seems I have no choice. I actually brought it for you so that I could teach you, but...” He paused and hissed again, showing how reluctant he was in handing her a gun.

Giving her a weapon such as this meant he was expecting her to shoot it at someone, which was the last thing he wanted. He didn’t want her to see any violence again in her life, but the situation right now was precarious.

“Maybe I should -”

“No.” Eun-sun grabbed it from his hand before he could pull it away. “I should learn to protect myself, too, since it seems danger is always lurking around. It’s high time I start protecting myself well.” She said while Dan-Han’s frown darkened.

“You don’t have to protect yourself. I’ll protect you.” Dan-Han firmly declared, totally displeased about her wanting to protect herself.

Eun-sun sighed when she saw the frown on his face. She wanted to tell him it was okay if she protected herself sometimes as it was the most efficient way, but she knew this was a matter of his pride. Dan-Han wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and as such, he wanted to protect her all the way.

She leaned over and hugged him. “I know you will.” She said against his chest. She pulled away and looked at him. “But today, let’s do it together.” She told him, and Dan-Han reluctantly nodded.

“Then show me how to use it.” She said, and Dan-Han nodded, quickly getting to it. Seeing her raptly listening to him, he wished he had taken her to the shooting range as he wanted to. He didn’t want her firing an arm, but there was no harm in being safe, and after today, he wasn’t ever going to let her hold one unsupervised, or maybe never again.

“Do we really have to change rooms?” Eun-sun asked as Dan-Han passed her a change of cloth.

“Yes,” He said. Eun-sun wanted to tell him it might not be necessary, but she stopped herself.

“Just stay in the room with Mi-Cha. I’ll request the manager to personally deliver lunch.”

“I don’t think I can eat.” She told him.

“You haven’t had breakfast either. So eat something even if you don’t want to.” He told her, and Eun-sun obediently nodded.

“I promise this will be quick.” He told her.

“Be safe, Dan-Han. Don’t be reckless.” She told him, and he smiled.

“I won’t. I promise.” He promised.

Dan-Han pulled a jacket over her before leading her back to the sitting room. When they returned to the sitting room, Dan-Han announced it was time to leave. He called the front desk and made reservations for a new room.

The atmosphere was stiff as they all boarded the elevator. Eun-sun and Mi-Cha stopped at a different floor, where they met a hotel staff waiting for them.

Eun-sun looked at Dan-Han and then at her father. “Be careful.” She said while Mi-Cha stormed off in annoyance.

Eun-sun stared at the attorney and bowed. “Mr Philip, be careful too.” She said.

“Thank you, Ms Park.”

Eun-sun looked at Dan-Han one more time before following after Mi-Cha, who was already standing in front of the room door that was opened for them.

“Your boyfriend is an idiot.” She said the moment Eun-sun stepped into the room. “He better be right about this, or I’m going to kill him if you don’t.” She drawled.