Pay With Your Heart

"Tell me he's trying to escape," Dan-Han spoke through the phone the moment he answered.

"He's currently at the airport with his family." The person at the other side of the phone replied, causing Dan-Han to chuckle. He wasn't surprised to hear this as he had anticipated this foolish and cowardly move from that old man. This made him wonder why humans could always be so brave to do many atrocities, but they could never be brave enough to face the consequences.

"What should we do, boss?" Tae-Ho asked. He knew what he was supposed to do, but he had to know if the boss had the same thought, as he knew he was really pissed and impatient with that crazy family.

If there was one thing Dan-Han was good at, it was torturing people, not just physically but psychologically.

"Let him have the next few hours."

"Yes, boss," Tae-Ho replied. He knew what he meant by that. He would let the thought and fear of being caught, punished and imprisoned taunt the old man. When he'd think he had escaped Dan-Han's clutches, that was when retribution would fall upon him.

Dan-Han had only ended the call when someone came knocking on his door. His lips curved up when the doorknob turned. He already knew who was at the door.

"You're late." He said the moment she stepped into the office.

"I had a few of things to do at the department. My boss-"

"Should be fired." He said, standing up from his seat. His eyes intently scanning her from head to toes while Eun-sun stared at him with widened eyes.

"Why do you want to fire my boss?" She asked as she watched him approach her.

"I'm your boss, not him." He stated. "And you don't want me to fire him?" He cocked a brow and asked as he carried out his usual routine of always tucking a stray strand behind her ears.

"No." She exclaimed. Did she ask him to fire anyone? Dan-Han raised a brow at her when she passionately said no.

"Are you getting familiar with him?" Though his voice was calm, Eun-sun could feel the stiffness lingering over it. She knew that look on his face. It was the jealousy look.

She sighed inwardly. How had she gotten herself such a jealous man? Just how?

Walking closer to him, she hooked her hand around his waist and flashed him a disarming smile, "I'd never get familiar with other men, only you. So please don't do anything to that kind man, okay. He wasn't the reason I came here late. I was just a bit slow doing my job." She tried to soothe him. "And I'm here now, so let's eat." She said with a sweet smile etched on her face.

Dan-Han silently glanced at her for a while. He lowered his head and briefly kissed her lips before saying, "Okay."

Dan-Han led her to the table and laid out the food his mother had packed them for lunch. Making lunch for them has become her daily routine since he moved into the manor.

He chuckled when he saw her eyes glimmer as she salivatingly licked her lips at the sight of the food.

"Mother sure knows how to spoil you." He said when he noticed the food were mostly her favourite.

With a happy smile on her face, she quickly picked up her chopsticks, "She's the best." She said as she dug into the meal while he amusedly watched her as she ate hastily.

"Eat slowly," He told her, but the girl was too engrossed to listen to him.

"With your appetite, you're definitely going to eat me poor." He teased, but she ignored him. She was too busy to mind his words.

They were both eating in silence when Dan-Han remembered his discussion with his mother this morning.

"Mother wants to take you on a field trip with her," he said, making Eun-sun finally look at him.

"Field trip?"

"Her charity outreach." He explained on seeing the confusion in her eyes. "She wants you to come."

Eun-sun was surprised to hear that, "B-but what about work?" She asked. She didn't think she could easily take a break for a few days; people were going to talk. As a matter of fact, they were already talking about her. Her prolonged breaks and her constant visit to the higher floor was attracting gossips.

"It seems you've forgotten who your boyfriend is."

"I-"

"You don't have to worry about anything. I'll fix things around here." Of course, he knew and understood her worry. Chang-wok had informed about some of the things going on at the company, and he was going to see to it soon.

Without much hesitation, Eun-sun nodded her head. "But you'll have to come too." She said, making Dan-Han look at her.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because I can't leave the company for a whole month," He explained. There was no way he'd be absent from work. He had never been absent for a day, and way before they started dating, he worked during the weekends, so what she was asking for was impossible.

Eun-sun understood that it was difficult for him to leave the company, but she really wanted him to come along. She had promised herself to make Dan-Han spend more time with his mother, and that she was going to do.

And she could vividly remember the look on his mother's face when she showed pictures of her and Dan-Han during charity work today. She had taken note of how happy she looked as she reminisced about those days.

"I know it's hard for you to leave, but when was the last time you've had a vacation?" She asked, slowly shifting closer to him.

"Vacation?" He mumbled while Eun-sun nodded her head. "I've never had the luxury of going on one." He told her. 

As expected.

Hooking her hand around his neck, she smiled brightly, "then consider this as your first vacation. Go with me and take me on that date you owe me." Her eyes were glistening happily as she said those words.

Dan-Han opened his mouth to say something, but he sighed inwardly when he saw the expectant look in her eyes. How could he say no to her?

To be honest, he had also thought about going on this trip with them, most especially when his mother had said she would be taking Eun-sun with her. It was already a given that she'd willingly agree, and he had been bothered about her safety. Yes, he had the Choi's under control, but that doesn't mean she was out of harm's way. She had crazy and dangerous bunch of people around her, and there was this unease he has been having recently. He couldn't tell what it was, but it felt it was related to her.

And also, going on this trip might be a good idea, as he would have the opportunity to talk to the woman whose daughter has been missing for years since his mother would be taking her along on this trip as well, at least that was what Jae-Hyun told him. Issues with his father had kept him preoccupied, and he lost his focus on that investigation, but he thought it was about time he talked to her and helped his mother find the missing girl. That way, he'd ease her burdens a bit.

He sighed again before snapping his head towards her, "Fine I will go," Eun-sun's face lit up when she heard him, but her smile wavered when the next words left his lips, "But on one condition."

'Condition?' Since when where there conditions between them? Eun-sun asked herself, but seeing the serious look on his face, she knew that whatever condition he was about to make was serious.

"What condition?"