ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ ɪɪ || ᴋᴛʜ & ᴊᴋ

Chapter 2 || The Project

SEVEN YEARS LATER...

Yeri was at the dining table, having breakfast with her grandfather in the Kang Mansion. On a few rare mornings, when her grandfather was able to make it, she tried to spend an hour or so with him. She usually updated him with the general progress and events occurring within the Kang Estate and the province.

"... I think this will be good for all of us, Grandfather," she told him softly.

As usual, her grandfather approved or disapproved with his eyes the only way he had left to communicate. After the Kims had shot and killed his wife, they had shot him several times in his back, badly damaging his spine and completely paralyzing him.

Yeri was almost done with breakfast when she heard a huge antique clock on the wall strike seven. She dabbed her mouth with a clean napkin, and then snapping her fingers, she pointed a finger to her cup. One of the men, who hovered around the large dining table, jumped to attention and came towards her with a steaming pot. "M-madam. C-coffee," he stammered.

She gave him a curt nod to go ahead, but the man was so nervous, his hands trembled and he spilled the coffee outside the cup and onto the table.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, m-madam," he said with fear-widened eyes.

Yeri frowned at the mess, especially at the few drops that had spilled on her dress from the table.

The man began to clumsily dab the spilled coffee with a napkin, making it an even bigger mess. "P-please. Don't k-kill me. I'm so s-sorry, m-madam."

Yeri gave him a narrow-eyed look. "Get this fool out of here," she ordered softly.

Two men appeared next to the table and escorted the loud, sobbing man out of the dining hall.

"Who was that, Dong-ha?" she asked the man standing right behind her during the time she was having breakfast. Dong-ha was her bodyguard and as well as her personal assistant.

"New recruit, madam, I'll make sure he's not allowed inside the household until he's ready." She nodded and got up from the chair.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Grandfather," she said, before kissing him lightly on his cheek and walking to the main door.

She tried to wipe away the stains of coffee with the wet napkin that was offered to her. "Shit, these stains are not going to disappear, and I don't have time to change now. We have to be there at nine."

Handing back the wet napkin, she strode to the SUV that was waiting for her outside.

"Sehun," she addressed the man waiting next to the SUV. Sehun had been working at the Kang Mansion for a while-almost three decades. He was the caretaker of the estate and handled issues within the province.

"Yes, madam?"

"About the discussion we had last night... I want you to go ahead with it."

"But madam, we had also discussed that it's very risky, and that"

"Do it," she said softly, cutting him off.

Sehun inhaled sharply, but he didn't protest. He nodded his head. "I'll be done by the time you return home."

"Good," she said and climbed into the SUV, "Let's go," she ordered. As soon as the SUV drove out of the Kang's tall, iron gates, Dong-ha began to brief her about the day's schedule and the details surrounding it.

When Dong-ha finished, he had a small frown on his face. "I'm not sure if this will work out, madam. All of our people hate the thought of working with the Kims. Personally, even I think-"

"Stop," she said quietly, cutting off whatever he was about to say. "This project is critical to our people. I want you to take the lead responsibility for maintaining peace as the work progresses. Understand?"

"Yes. I understand, madam."

"Good."

Yeri looked ahead as the SUV was driven along the dusty roads towards the canal construction site.

She knew what Dong-ha had voiced was a legitimate concern. It wasn't going to be easy for the Kangs to be working alongside the Kims. But like she had said, the project was critical for the Kangs-not just for their development, but also for their future survival. The drought had taken a toll on the people. Unlike the Kims, they did not have good access to drought-resistant crops or other modern technologies.

A feeling of guilt and helplessness rose within her for not being able to provide those to her people. Unlike Kim Tae-hyung, she did not have the necessary education or even the contacts to bring such developments to her people. All she could do was pump in money to get basic necessities such as food and water transported to the Kang province along with exporting the ethnic goods. Even she knew with the way things had been happening lately, it wasn't a sustainable plan because her share of the Kang money wasn't entirely bottomless. But it was all she could do. Until now.

With the canal project finished within a year or so, there would be water for the crops. And the manufacturing units would ensure the people were properly employed and busy, keeping them away from the feud. Yeri sighed internally as the SUV drew closer and ultimately stopped in front of a temporary structure right next to the Kim Dam.

Immediately, her eyes fell on a figure of the tall, well-dressed man.

Standing outside at the construction site, lording over everyone, was the person she hated the most in the entire world.

Kim Jungkook.

[Words Count : 943]