When The Phone Rings

Chapter 67

"Pajal, stop messing around and sit down."

"It hurts, damn it!"

"I won’t say it twice."

Baek Saeon’s voice was as cold as ice.

Pajal shrugged and begrudgingly set the cup down before taking a seat beside Baek Saeon.

"She’s Asian too. Could she be from your country?"

Heeju, still rubbing her aching jaw, glanced cautiously across the table. Unfortunately, her eyes locked directly with Baek Saeon’s sharp, piercing gaze.

"How would I know that?"

His detached tone and the way he looked at her felt like a dagger to the heart.

Heeju bit her lip, trying to hold back tears.

There were so many things she had wanted to say when they met again. So many things—

Her vision began to blur.

"Forget negotiations, fuck this."

Suddenly, a string of Korean curses erupted.

Baek Saeon ran a hand through his hair, his jaw clenched in frustration.

Looking up at the ceiling as though searching for patience, he muttered something under his breath with an edge of irritation.

"Ask them how far out they are."

"…!"

Heeju’s expression wavered.

She didn’t know what the words meant, but she could tell it was some sort of code.

Hiding her anxiety, she relayed the message to the Chief. His eyes widened as he looked at her, but before he could respond—

Bang!

A gunshot cracked through the air, grazing the space between Heeju and the Chief.

"Aah!"

Heeju screamed, instinctively covering her head. A faint trail of smoke rose from Pajal’s pistol, aimed deliberately as a warning shot.

"Stop making eye contact with each other like that."

The acrid stench of gunpowder filled her nose. Frozen in fear, Heeju couldn’t move.

Baek Saeon, still staring at the ceiling, suddenly gritted his teeth and muttered something incomprehensible. Then, without warning, he grabbed Pajal by the head and slammed it onto the table.

Thud, thud!

The sound was dull, like a watermelon being split open.

When Pajal resisted, gritting his teeth, the Chief seized the fallen gun and shot him in the shoulder.

Seizing the opportunity, Baek Saeon pulled Heeju up and dragged her out of the warehouse. Without hesitation, he shoved her into a jeep.

"Get him! That traitorous bastard—catch him!"

Angry shouts erupted from the warehouse.

Baek Saeon gritted his teeth and slammed the gearshift into place. The military jeep roared to life, its engine growling as it tore across the barren plains.

"Ah!"

The rough terrain jolted Heeju’s body, slamming her into the hard interior of the vehicle. She let out small gasps of pain, while Baek Saeon’s face twisted into a mask of fury.

"Hong Heeju, what the hell are you?"

His voice was sharp, barely suppressing his anger.

"Are you insane?"

His jaw trembled as though he was struggling to keep his composure, but his frustration was palpable.

"Why the hell are you here?"

His booming voice was scathing, but all Heeju could do was stare at him, dumbfounded. It really is him. It’s really him.

Even in the midst of chaos, her eyes reddened with tears.

"I thought I was seeing things," he muttered, reaching out abruptly.

His hand cupped her cheek, her neck, and her ear, his touch both rough and trembling.

"Fuck, it really is you."

His curse was quiet, almost choked, as though it were the only thing holding back a flood of emotion.

"You were the one who called me first!"

Heeju’s voice wavered with barely contained sobs.

"Why the hell are you here, pretending to be dead, and then calling me like that?!"

Her tone was full of resentment.

"Why did you call me?!"

"…"

"You did, didn’t you?"

Baek Saeon didn’t reply, nor did he deny it.

That silence was all the confirmation she needed. Her chest tightened as she bit back tears.

"What if I’d moved on? What if I’d remarried—"

The jeep swerved sharply, throwing Heeju against the side of the vehicle.

"Don’t say stupid shit," Baek Saeon growled, his voice low and dangerous.

"What—!"

"Remarry? Did you actually think about doing that?"

"…!"

"How could Hong Heeju even think of something so indecent?"

"Watch the road!"

"Did you think I died just to let you remarry?"

"Watch the damn road!"

Heeju banged her fists on the console, her frustration boiling over.

"If I were going to disappear, it’d be as your husband, Heeju—"

"Stop talking about dying!"

Her sharp cry seemed to snap him out of his anger, and his lips curled into a faint, bitter smile.

"Hong Heeju, talking so much it’s giving me a headache."

"…!"

"Keep going. Maybe it’ll drown out the gunfire."

It was only then that Heeju realized she was speaking freely in front of him. Her heart raced as the weight of that fact hit her.

Bang, bang, bang!

Bullets slammed into the jeep.

"Ahh!"

Terrified, Heeju clung tightly to the grab handle. Rebels in jeeps were closing in from all sides, firing relentlessly.

The Chief tapped her shoulder from the backseat, signing urgently.

"Just stall for time. Our government forces are on their way!"

Heeju relayed the message hurriedly.

"They’re almost here! Just hang on!"

"Like hell I care about the old man. As long as you’re safe, it doesn’t matter."

His harsh words made her blood boil.

"What the hell have you been doing here all this time?!"

"The thing I do best."

As two jeeps flanked them, Baek Saeon stepped harder on the accelerator.

"Driving?"

Her dazed voice made him chuckle darkly.

"No. Scheming."

"…!"

"I’ve been collecting secrets—government, rebel, whoever I can exploit. I sell information to both sides."

He shifted gears roughly, the jeep lurching forward.

"That Chief back there? He got out of a prison camp because of me. It was my torture footage that made him famous. Probably lost his hearing in the process, too."

"…!"

Heeju’s eyes widened, darting between Baek Saeon and the Chief.

"And as always, Hong Heeju screws up my plans," he muttered bitterly.

"…"

His words hit like a blow to the chest, but she bit her lip and said nothing.

"You’ve ruined so many of my plans I’ve lost count. Anytime you show up, everything falls apart."

"…!"

She watched as the rebels drew closer, their jeeps bristling with gunmen. Anxiety clawed at her, fueling a reckless determination.

"You told me to find you."

"…"

"You called me, didn’t you?!"

The jeep swerved violently, almost veering off course before Baek Saeon regained control.

Heeju grabbed the fabric of her shirt over her heart, shaking with anger.

"You’ve always acted like you cared! Why did you do that to me? I’ve loved you for so long, but you never let me hate you or give up!"

Her voice broke as she poured out her frustrations.

"You kissed me, for God’s sake!"

"…"

"And we… we even slept together!"

Baek Saeon froze, his expression unreadable.

The weight of her words hung between them, the silence suffocating.

Tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to stop.

"You made me think I could have more. You’re the one who made me hope!"

His jaw clenched, the tendons in his neck taut as his grip tightened on the steering wheel.

Bang!

The sound of a tire bursting made the jeep lurch violently.

"…!"

The rebels had finally hit their mark. The vehicle tilted sharply as another tire was blown out, sending it careening uncontrollably down a steep incline toward the river.

"Heeju!"

Baek Saeon unbuckled his seatbelt and reached for her, pulling her into his arms just as the jeep plummeted into the rushing water below.