Eventually, Seoryeong returned to her hospital room and perched on the edge of the bed. She stared absently at her arm, wrapped thickly in bandages.

What Lee Wooshin had said about compensation wasn’t a lie. The deputy director had come storming in with a strangely raised voice, pretending to give advice while fretting about what she’d do with her life from now on. Meanwhile, her account had been filled generously—with danger pay and a personal consolation bonus. Enough to live off of comfortably for a few months, no exaggeration.

But still...

She had joined the company with the express purpose of doing bad things—for Kim Hyun. To be kicked out like this left her with a helpless frustration she couldn’t quite swallow.

She just stared blankly at the noisy TV.

"Representative Park Gwangdu’s son, Mr. Park, was revealed to have received approximately 5 billion KRW in severance from Company A, currently under fire for special zoning benefits in the Seorim district. Mr. Park, who worked in the compensation department for five years, held the position of assistant manager at the time of resignation... The excessive amount of severance given his experience and position has stirred controversy..."

She couldn’t even tell how the anchor’s crisp voice made it into her ears and right back out again. Seoryeong just slumped her shoulders.

The road she had stretched out toward her husband had been abruptly cut off. That alone left her drained, her thoughts and movements sluggish.

And with her right arm injured on top of that, Kim Hyun’s absence felt all the more overwhelming.

His careful care and affection—his devotion, which now felt like a mirage—kept surfacing in her mind. The days she’d spent hospitalized had been torturous. Nostalgic, aching sighs spilled out of her constantly.

“――!”

That was when the hospital door slid open without even a knock.

What she saw first was a sleek, black cane. It tapped against the doorframe as it entered, and the eagle-shaped ornament near the handle made it immediately clear that it was expensive.

The man, who looked to be in his fifties or sixties, burst into hearty laughter as soon as he saw Seoryeong.

“You’ve still got a fiery look in your eyes, young lady—even after going through all that.”

“...Who are you?”

Instead of answering, he gave a sly smile and strode right into the room.

He plopped himself down on the couch without invitation, and his gaze toward Seoryeong seemed to say, Well? ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) Aren’t you going to sit?

He seemed thoroughly used to issuing unspoken commands and expecting compliance. Or perhaps people had always adjusted themselves around him before he ever had to speak.

Drawn in by that pressure, she found herself sitting across from him.

“I’m Kang Taegon, CEO of Blast Corp.”

“...!”

Seoryeong’s eyes widened. She must have shown how baffled she was that someone like him was visiting her. As if reading her mind, he responded nonchalantly,

“I was visiting our Channa and got curious, so I stopped by.”

“Oh... I see.”

The way he called her “our Channa” felt strange, but Seoryeong nodded to indicate she understood. When she didn’t react further, his eyes began to glitter with curiosity as he stared at her.

“We nearly lost a truly valuable asset, you know. So I wondered—who the hell managed to hold on to Hur Channa until the end? And turns out...”

“......”

“This was a real surprise.”

He rubbed his chin, scanning Seoryeong thoroughly. Maybe because he ran a security company, the way he looked at people was both dry and razor-sharp.

He didn’t linger on any one part, but swept across her as a whole. Even so, she got the feeling he’d instantly calculated her height, weight, and build.

“I wanted to personally thank you. Channa’s one of our company’s core personnel—someone I brought in with great care. If she’d been assassinated in Thailand, our side would’ve taken a huge hit. There are deals that simply can’t happen without her.”

Channa... She’d had no idea, but it turned out Channa was a real big shot.

But then, what did that make Lee Wooshin—who had so casually told her to leave that kind of person behind?

If this CEO had been the one on the line during that call instead, he probably would’ve ordered her to bring Channa back even if it meant getting stabbed in her place.

This company definitely assigned different values to different lives. And she, the woman who’d been sent just to cook some rice, was clearly a replaceable resource.

So then, it was Wooshin who was the anomaly. How could he say so easily to abandon Hur Channa? That someone like her held no utility value?

Then why had he tried to save her?

A faint, unpleasant feeling crept in.

“Is there something you want from me?”

“I’ve already signed a non-disclosure agreement.”

Seoryeong’s answer cut right to the heart of things, and the man burst into hearty laughter.

She would never disclose anything that happened in Thailand. That was all Kang Taegon really wanted. The gratitude was secondary—maybe even fake. He had probably stopped by just to confirm the contract.

“Sharp. I like that.”

He laughed so hard his cheeks bulged. He seemed pleased that she had instantly grasped his intent.

“Of course, the NDA reflects my values, but personally, I love giving people extras. Greed is like an illness—it runs deep, and you have to manage it your whole life.”

“......”

“So, from time to time, you need a little injection. Otherwise, it always comes back to bite you.”

Maybe this was his method of management. A secret, after all, was a weakness. And those who witnessed or got caught up in that weakness? You reel them in with sweet bait.

By giving them exactly what they want most.

“So let me ask again—and I’d appreciate a real answer this time. Do you want something from me?”

Faced with the direct offer, Seoryeong was momentarily speechless. The reason she was stunned, now and always, was that there was only one thing she wanted.

Kim Hyun. A way to get back to him.

“A person. Can you kidnap someone?”

“...!”

His leisurely smile faltered for a second. He blinked, as if trying to confirm he’d heard her right.

“Depending on the situation. But... are you saying you want to file that request through Blast Corp?”

“Preferably through the Special Security Team.”

“Can I ask... who exactly you want to kidnap?”

“The deputy director of the NIS.”

“...!”

Kang Taegon’s expression froze momentarily.

“I’m fine with someone higher-ranked too, but no bottom-feeders. It has to be an executive.”

“...May I ask why?”

The man shook his head slightly, like someone struck by something unexpected.

As for the real reason—only a handful of executives had access to information about Black Agents.

And back when Kim Hyun was branded a spy, she’d received a single phone call. The person on the other end? The "deputy director."

That was who she wanted to meet.

But Seoryeong brushed all that aside with one simple line.

“Because I want to do something bad too.”

Kang Taegon rubbed the corner of his mouth, like he was weighing something.

“And is another reason even necessary? If I’m asking for it in exchange for Channa’s life, that should be enough.”

Seoryeong had no shame using whatever she could. Even Channa, unconscious and clinging to life, became her bargaining chip.

All she cared about was figuring out how to shove the juicy opportunity in front of her straight down her throat.

Just then, Kang Taegon, who had been quietly observing her, asked seriously,

“...Young lady, do you have nightmares? Any PTSD symptoms?”

“No.”

Seoryeong tilted her head, looking like she found the question completely boring.

Kang said nothing for a moment, then stared at her like he could see straight through her.

“That’s what I was thinking. Why is it that someone like you—who went through all that—still looks completely fine?”

He rested both hands atop his cane, lost in thought.

“You were the first to discover the corpses. You saw through a rare transgender assassin. You held pressure to stop Hur Channa’s bleeding and fired a gun. And yet...”

“......”

“What I really wanted to ask, from the moment I walked into this room, was—how are those eyes still intact after all that?”

Seoryeong blinked in surprise. Her hand, as it brushed her lower eyelid, trembled just slightly.

“...I didn’t break?”

“So it seems.”

He smiled as he rubbed his chin. Something shadowy and strange flickered through his pupils.

“I don’t need anyone who gets PTSD. People with too much humanity don’t belong in this world. But you... it seems like you left all that behind somewhere.”

His gaze lingered on her, satisfied. His raspy smoker’s laugh boomed through the hospital room.

Seoryeong suddenly remembered Lee Wooshin.

Don’t even look in this direction, he’d said. Cold. Final.

And yet now, the exact opposite words were being said to her.

She didn’t know who was right. But right now, it was clear which man she needed more.