BREAK THE WALL | JENLISA, CHAESOO

Chapter 29

After her conversation with Jisoo, Rosé decided to try everything in her power to somehow save the situation. Through her old connections, she dug up Mr. Yang's contact information and asked for a meeting with him, which, to her surprise, he agreed to. Afraid of going to see him alone, she took Lisa with her and both girls were now walking towards the private room in the restaurant where the crime lord was waiting for them.

"Miss Park, Miss Manoban, what a delight to see you again." he greeted them with a fake smile while both girls experienced the exact same emotion: the irritating feeling of powerlessness against the man who once had destroyed their lives, fabricating evidence to put their parents in jail. "Please sit down."

"We prefer to stand." Lisa blurted out, but it didn't seem to anger him in any noticeable way.

"Ah, the younger girl is rebellious as always. But do as you wish." he said, putting a piece of meat in his mouth. "So to what I owe this unexpected visit?" he asked, waiting for their reaction.

Lisa was so enraged by his cheeky attitude that she was about to yell a bunch of obscenities at him, but was stopped by Rosé squeezing her arm.

"Mr. Yang, I know about your deal with Jisoo Kim." Rosé said, trying to steady her nerves.

"You do?" a slight surprise could be heard in his voice. "I didn't expect her to tell you about it."

"You are using her information to destroy their company, why?"

"Because when Kim's company is taken out, my companies will take their share of the market. It's nothing personal, it's just business."

"Please, Mr. Yang, Jisoo only gave you this information to protect me, please, don't do that to her, she's very sick and needs treatment-"

"Enough!" he raised his voice. "Why do you try to appeal to my feelings? I have none. Make me a rational business offer, why would I stop now when I'm so close to reaching my goal?"

"I have no such offer, I can just beg you. I refuse to think you're completely heartless... You're cold and ruthless but not evil."

Mr. Yang's left eye twitched a bit, it was difficult to say if he was touched by those words because other than that his expression didn't change. He slowly put the fork down and hesitated.

"Very well, let's make it interesting. I give you a choice: I can stop the campaign against Kim's company, they will lose a lot of money but won't go bankrupt. But on one condition." he paused. "Your parents won't get out of jail for another two years and you'll have to keep paying me my debt. So choose: freedom of your parents and easy life for you or saving Kim's company."

"What?" Rosé whispered in disbelief, her heart racing madly. "You're really offering us this choice just for your own perverted pleasure?"

"I am. I must admit I enjoy having this kind of power over people's lives. Even more than I enjoy earning money, but you probably won't be able to understand that. So tell me, what's your decision?"

Rosé stood silent, her brain analyzing her options, but it had no ideas left, she had to make this dreadful choice, as much as she hated it. Her thoughts went to Jisoo: "She's the one who made the sacrifice to help me in the first place, don't I owe her the same? And what if Kim's company goes bankrupt and they don't have money for her treatment? She can be paralyzed for life." she almost burst into tears when she imagined it. Then she turned her gaze to Lisa, who looked equally confused. "I'd do anything to save Jisoo, I'd sacrifice my happiness, even the freedom of my parents..." Rosé thought. "But I can't expect the same thing from Lisa. She has suffered enough. I'm so sorry Jisoo..."

With her eyes wet with incoming tears, she cleared her throat and said to Mr. Yang:

"If it was just up to me, I'd choose to save the Kim's company... for Jisoo, I care about her a lot, probably more than you have ever cared for anyone in your life. But I just can't do this to Lisa, she deserves a normal life-"

"Wait, are you saying you'd make a different choice if it wasn't for me?" Lisa asked in surprise and Rosé nodded, not being able to speak because tears rolling down her face. "My dear Rosie, but I'd make the same choice as you, I'd save the company."

"Really? But why?" the question made Lisa blush a little.

"I have my reasons." she avoided the answer.

"Jennie?" Rosé asked with a whisper and Lisa's cheeks reddened even more.

"She told me they'd probably have to leave the country if their company goes under..." Lisa replied quietly and Rosé reached for her hand and squeezed it thankfully. Then she turned to Mr. Yang and said, her voice a little firmer now:

"We've made our choice Mr. Yang. We're ready to keep paying our debt and we accept that our parents may stay in jail a little longer, but please stop destroying the company."

"You're insane." he said, this time not even trying to hide his shock. "That's unbelievable. Have you really thought that through? You'd keep your parents in jail for two more years and go back to living in small hole of an apartment just because you fell for someone? I give you the last chance to reconsider."

"Our decision is final, Mr. Yang." Lisa replied, proudly looking him straight in the eyes. The crime lord slowly rose from his seat and walked to the window, staring outside, his gaze fixed on something in the distance.

"You ruined my fun." he complained, his back still turned towards the girls. "I only gave you this choice because I was sure that you'd choose yourself. I wanted to prove one more time that deep down we're all egoists... I swear that's what I've seen all my life. People love to talk a lot about helping others but when it's time to choose, they always put themselves first. Damn it, life can be so funny sometimes, who would have thought that a couple of young girls will teach me such a lesson?" he snorted and turned around. "As you wish, tomorrow the Kim's company will be saved. And because you made this choice, I also cancel your debt. Expect your parents to be freed in a few weeks. And you don't have to worry, you'll never hear from me again, I promise."

"Thank... you..." Rosé barely managed to utter because a giant lump formed in her throat, she just couldn't believe Mr. Yang had some heart in him after all.

"Get out before I change my mind." he commanded, trying to sound cold but the tone of his voice was unexpectedly soft, as if the all powerful Lord of the Underground had suddenly gotten emotional.