CAPTURING REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 19: I'LL COME BACK TO YOU

A man dressed in a dark suit took a deep drag from his cigarette, letting the smoke fill the deepest parts of his lungs before exhaling it slowly, hoping the nicotine would calm his nerves. But just as he had anticipated, the anxiety only seemed to grow with each passing minute. Jeong Jaeui rubbed his temple, his thoughts spiralling as he began second-guessing his decision to obey his friend. It had been over fifteen minutes since he parked the car at the back exit, and the wait was filled with thoughts he didn't want to entertain. Thoughts that were horrendous, and worse, had a real chance of materializing.

Chu Sangwoo was not a man to be trifled with.

And Kwon Taekjoo—his favourite punching bag—was alone with him.

Jeong Jaeui took another long drag, blowing the smoke into the air. His train of thought was abruptly interrupted as the soft haze of smoke parted to reveal his friend approaching the car. He quickly rolled down the window. "Hurry up!" he shouted, opening the door of his Lexus in urgency.

"Did he do something? Did he say something?" the manager asked anxiously as Taekjoo slid into the passenger seat, still trembling from the earlier confrontation. "You're good, right?"

Taekjoo's hands shook slightly as he fumbled with his seatbelt, his mind replaying the encounter over and over. "Drop me at his apartment building, be as discreet as possible, and then leave. I don't want any calls until tomorrow morning, alright?" His voice was steady, but there was an unmistakable tension beneath it, as if he was trying to avoid dwelling on what had just transpired.

Jeong Jaeui glanced at him through the rear-view mirror, concern etched on his face. "Tomorrow morning?" he echoed, unsure of the plan that seemed to change with every breath.

The car pulled away from the Vogue Korea building and merged into the bustling traffic. Kwon Taekjoo's impulsiveness had always been a source of concern for Jaeui, yet time and time again, the actor had proven himself to be a strategic thinker and a leader who could take calculated risks. However, when it came to the reporter and their precarious relationship, even the slightest deviation from the plan sent Jaeui into a state of near panic. They were surrounded by danger on all sides, and Taekjoo was playing with fire—a single misstep could mean the end of everything they had fought for. As if reading his manager's thoughts, Taekjoo mumbled just loud enough for him to hear, while he fiddled with his backpack, "Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless. Maybe we'll fuck and, I don't know, have a nice dinner."

Jeong Jaeui couldn't hide his disgust. "Sometimes, I wonder if you've lost a screw or something. Don't bring your feelings into this, man. You and I both know that he hates you."

Kwon Taekjoo's expression faltered for a moment before he sighed, "Well, let me enjoy it while I can. Of course, he'll get what he wants, and we'll get what we want."

"If you say so, master," Jaeui replied with a sarcastic edge.

"Shut up, and drive," Taekjoo chuckled, pulling out his phone from his backpack. As he unlocked it and opened the messaging app, he sent a text to the one person he wanted to see more than anyone, someone who could make him forget everything else.

"On my way. Cook for me tonight."

Despite knowing that Yevgeny Bogdanov's words were often laced with ulterior motives, Taekjoo was certain of one thing: he would rather fall into Yevgeny's traps than let Chu Sangwoo get to him again. Their last conversation had been a revelation, not just confirming that Yevgeny was ready to play his part, but also that the time was near to turn the tables on Sangwoo. A part of Taekjoo was glad that Yevgeny hadn't changed. He was still as faithful and predictable as he had been ten years ago, still so easy to manipulate. In a strange way, that predictability was comforting, even endearing.