✓ UNLIKELY MATCH | HEESEUNG

47 - Beneath the Checkered Flag

SENA'S POV

"Do you really think your father would do such a thing?" Steph's voice is muffled, distant, like she's trapped underwater. My vision swims with unshed tears, my fingers clenching the phone so hard my knuckles turn white. Her voice is laced with a disbelief that mirrors my own but the truth, the ugly truth my mother just revealed, sits heavy in my gut.

My father, the man who built an empire on the backs of others, who wouldn't hesitate to crush anyone who threatened his dominion—wouldn't killing Heeseung be the ultimate act of control? A way to clip my wings, to punish me for daring to defy him?

A fresh wave of nausea washes over me. Heeseung is in danger because of me. The thought is a physical blow, the air knocked out of my lungs. "I don't know," I manage to choke out, my voice barely above a whisper. My world has tilted on its axis, and all the carefully laid plans, the newfound strength I'd gathered, crumble like dust in the face of this new threat.

"He wouldn't," Steph insists, her voice firm despite the tremor in her hand as she reaches out to squeeze mine. "He might be a lot of things, Sena, but I don't think he'd stoop to murder." I want to believe her. Desperately. But the chilling certainty in her message, the woman who knows him better than anyone, casts a long shadow of doubt.

"But what if he does?" I ask, my voice shaking. "What if Heeseung is in danger because of me?" Steph falls silent at my words and the tension in the car thickens like a fog. The moment I received that message, the two of us decided to head to Japan and find Heeseung before anything could happen. It's an impulsive decision, fueled by fear and a desperate need to see Heeseung safe, but it's the only but it's the only course of action that makes sense in the whirlwind of my emotions.

Though Heeseung is a target, he's also the reason why Father's business is thriving. His association with a Ferrari driver like Heeseung has boosted their prestige and market share. Hurting Heeseung wouldn't just be a way to punish me, it would be a calculated blow to his reputation. My father may be ruthless, but he's not stupid. He wouldn't risk a public scandal, especially one that could damage his precious empire. What he could do is frame me for Heeseung's demise.

It's a sickening realization, the idea that my father could manipulate circumstances to make it appear as though I had a hand in harming Heeseung. But it would be so perfectly executed, making both Heeseung and I disappear from his world without causing him further trouble. A cold sweat prickles my skin. I can't let that happen.

Our trip to Japan is conveniently timed with an influencers' event that I'm supposed to attend and it's the perfect cover story. I'll be playing dress up and engaging with the other influencers all while keeping an eye on Heeseung. The media would love to see me traveling along with him and attending his races. This trip might be impulsive but it's what I need to do to protect Heeseung and myself. The more public our presence, the harder it will be for my father to pull off his twisted scheme.

Hours pass in a blur and we're in Tokyo, in Heeseung's world, with no concrete proof and a plan that felt like a flimsy house of cards in a hurricane. The two of us haven't talked in what feels like ages and I miss him so damn much. Yet, the hurt is there and it festers like an infected wound, but for now, I need to push it aside. The thought of Heeseung in danger sharpens my focus like nothing else.

The sterile air of the Tokyo airport hits me like a slap. Gone are the familiar Seoul streets, replaced by a neon-lit cityscape that feels both foreign and thrilling. Steph throws her arm around my shoulder and off we are to the hotel where Heeseung is staying. She's booked a room there using her connections to pull some strings and probably a hefty credit card bill. 

The security inside is ridiculous. Ex-military looking men with laser focus pat us down, their eyes scanning us like potential threats. Steph, bless her heart, tries to crack a joke, but the guards don't even blink. This isn't a joke, it's a fortress. Heeseung must be even more important – or perhaps more vulnerable – than I ever realized.