After hours ✓(editing)

22.

For anyone looking from outside, it'd look like nothing was going through Sehee's mind. She was as calm as a millpond.

Thoughts flew at a lightning speed through her mind though. Fast enough that she couldn't catch any one particular thought long enough to contemplate it.

Her legs felt like jelly as she approached the man who was the boogeyman in her nightmares. Balancing the large tray containing his order, she walked towards him with a practiced smile.

The man looked up, grinning as if she was his long lost friend but she knew the malice that laid behind his mask.

"Choi Sehee, you've grown up a lot." He said , his voice booming through the otherwise silent restaurant. Sehee smirked, putting down his food infront of him. "It has been a long time, Mr. Shin."

"Won't you sit down and talk with this old man." He said, slurping on his noodles. "Naturally. It's not as if I have a lot of choices." Shin laughed at the young woman's words. "You are smarter than your father. I can tell."

She shrugged nonchalantly, her smile never slipping. "Let's cut the chase here, Mr. Shin. As you might know and understand, I'm not particularly fond of you."

The man bellowed with laughter, choking a little and she wished, he'd die by choking right then and there.
"I like that attitude very much, Miss Choi. I'd be a little careful if I were you though."

She scoffed. "If you think you can scare me just because you were once the monster in my dreams a long time ago, doesn't mean you can make me submit. I'm not a five year old kid now, Mr. Shin. I haven't survived this long being entirely pure."

His smile fell suddenly as he put his chopsticks down and leaned forward, his elbows on the table. "Fine, Choi. We'll do this your way then. Like I said almost a year ago, I want my payment back. Along with the interest. But the thing is you can't pay me back that big amount. So, you are left with only one choice. Hand over this restaurant to me and start working for me."

Sehee released a long breath and started laughing. A humourless laugh filled with all the pain she still felt for what happened to her parents, for what he did with them. "I can't believe you still want me. I don't understand what I'm missing here, Mr. Shin but I won't give up anything."

"Tsk-tsk", he tsked. "Don't be a fool, Sehee. I know everything about you and I can kill you right here, right now. It's better you listen to me." Still smiling she leaned forward. "I don't care what you do to me, Mr. Shin. I'm not going to bend according to you here. Like you said, I'm not like my father."

He clenched and unclenched his jaw, his patience running out. Giving a nod, he pulled out something from his pocket. He placed a few photographs infront of her and Sehee's blood ran cold.

"This," he started pointing to the first picture. "Is your adopted sister. She is a very good artist I must say. I bought a few paintings from her a few days ago. This is your best friend. Currently in America, trying to save his business there. And this," he said finally putting forward the picture of the man her heart beated for.
"This is your beloved boyfriend who can do anything for you. He got you that expensive chain in your neck. Those are real diamonds, you know. I must say, you date very rich men."

Collecting the pictures and putting them in his pocket, he turned to look at her. Satisfied to see her cocky smile drop and her face fearful.

"You know, what your father's biggest mistake was? He thought he could keep you and your mother hidden from me. I have eyes everywhere. I was bound to know. He did dirty work for me, Choi as opposed to what you think of your mighty father. He thought he could get away with not returning my money. He promised that time and I quote, 'I will give you my daughter to you if I fail to pay you back.'"

He chuckled even as tears started flowing down Sehee's face hearing but not believing.
"I would have made you a killing machine, he knew." Shin continued as if he wasn't just crumbling everything she knew about her parents. "He was reluctant to make that deal but he was desperate. Greedy bastard but like I said, you are different from your father. I hope you do the right thing if you don't want me to hurt your loved ones again. I'm giving you a month."

He stood up, tossing money on the table for the half eaten food. "You should give me your answer before that or you know what happens. And one more thing." He said flashing her a bright grin. "I love spicy food and women."

With that he left.

Sehee a sobbing mess as she tried to think straight but couldn't. The fates just couldn't see her happy.

~~~~
A/N:

I bet you didn't see that coming.

I don't know if you've noticed but I have a habit of leaving a lot of sentences incomplete. Like not describing everything in depth.

I just like to give my readers a chance to feel how the characters might be feeling by being in their shoes.

I hope I'm succeeding.

Thank you for reading!!