Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 472: Is She Mine?

Eun-sun’s eyes widened with shock when she heard Sena’s voice and saw her standing with Mi-Cha as Dan-Han stepped aside to reveal them.

Sena had her eyes shuffling between them in demand for an answer to the question she had asked.

Did she hear them? How long had she been standing there? Eun-sun anxiously pondered. She peeked at Dan-Han, who was as surprised as she was.

She tensed up when Sena took a step forward and stopped in front of them, her gaze meticulously darting back and forth between her and Dan-Han. “What were you both talking about?” She asked with curious and intent eyes.

“W-what plan were you talking about? And what do you mean by Ki-Jun is your father?” Sena questioned, her eyes shifting to Eun-sun who suddenly had a lump in her throat as her heart thumped hard against her chest.

Sena shifted her gaze to Dan-Han when they both remained silent and she observed Eun-sun’s gaze of plea at him.

“Lee Dan-Han?” She drawled and Dan-Han sighed.

.....

“It’s nothing, aunt.” He lied, but Sena frowned at him.

“I’m not a fool, Dan-Han. Neither am I deaf. What were you both talking about? And what did she mean by-”

“Mum,” Mi-Cha cut in as she walked closer towards her mother. She put an arm around her to steer her around, “I’m sure you must have been mistaken about what you’ve heard.” but Sena didn’t budge.

Mistaken? Sena didn’t think she was mistaken. She had heard Eun-sun’s words clearly. She had come after Dan-Han to ask him to inform the doctor to immediately carry out whatever procedure they needed to do to wake Ki-Jun up, but she had heard Eun-sun talking.

She had just gotten her father and her mother back?

“Aunt,” Dan-Han called, but Sena looked back to Eun-sun, her eyes solely fixed on Eun-sun’s face, trailing every contour of her face; from her eyes, to her nose, her chin and her lips. They looked exactly like they were the first day she had seen her – like hers. Like her daughter’s would be had she been alive.

Her daughter. She whispered in her head.

Her mind drifted back to Ki-Jun’s sudden invitation of their family doctor after Eun-sun’s and Dan-Han visit, as well as the feeling of him keeping a secret from her, and her heart suddenly skipped a beat, before it losing its rhythm and began to thump erratically.

Her body stilled as her eyes slowly darted from Eun-sun to Dan-Han, who sighed exasperatedly, before settling back on Eun-sun.

“You’re twenty-five,” She mumbled to herself, before snapping her head to Dan-Han. “She is twenty-five, and my daughter would have been twenty-” She slurred when she felt another heavy thud in her chest that almost took her balance and she felt she could fall over. Mi-Cha observing her, placed her hand behind her to hold her steady.

Sena briefly turned to Mi-Cha and then at Dan-Han before settling back at Eun-sun.

Was this what she was thinking? Was this what Ki-Jun had meant when he said if their baby was miraculously still alive that she’d return? Was this it? She pondered in her head.

W-was she her child?

“Are you....is she mine?” Sena asked, her voice quavering with anxious curiousity, and her gaze intently peering at Dan-Han.

Dan-Han silently held her gaze, not sure of what to say. This was unexpected and he had not prepared for this to happen now.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?!” Sena snapped, her heart was thumping so hard she could hear it in her ears. Her eyes drifted to Eun-sun again, and the erratic pace of her heart became even more intense.

“Why are you quiet?!”

“Yes.” Dan-Han replied and Sena’s eyes widened with shocked surprise, as her body stiffened.

“Y-yes?” She mindlessly echoed, and Dan-Han nodded.

Sena turned to Eun-sun who stiffened at her gaze. “You’re her?” She was her child?

Sena didn’t think this was possible. It wasn’t making sense. Her child was dead.

But...hadn’t Eun-sun stirred up a familiar feeling in her the first time they had met. The shock she had experienced when she first laid eyes on her was currently stirring in her, so could deny it?

If this was true, did it also mean Dan-Han had a hand in Ki-Jun’s predicament as she had heard her say?

Sena’s widened eyes remained so as they darted towards Dan-Han. “Did you do something to Ki-Jun? What ploy do you have going on?” Sena questioned. She seemed overwhelmed by the questions running in her head.

Mi-Cha moved her hands on Sena’s shoulder and turned her to face her. “Mom, take a deep breath.” Mi-Cha told her, but Sena was too overwhelmed to follow on her instructions. She couldn’t take a deep breath. She couldn’t still her pounding heart, or even do anything.

Dan-Han stepped forward and held Sena, whose eyes kept darting between him and Eun-sun. “Aunty, take a deep breath. There’s indeed something going on, but I’m sure you know that I have no role in uncle’s predicament. Eun-sun is just worked-up and overwhelmed by his condition and yes, she’s your child.” He said and Dan-Han couldn’t help but notice as Sena’s widened again as she glanced at Eun-sun with shocked surprise.

She was still in denial and it was understandable.

Dan-Han cupped her cheek and directed her gaze to focus on him. “Aunty, can we have this conversation after the doctor wakes uncle up?” He asked, but Sena silently stared at him, distracting emotions flickering in her eyes.

“Aunt?” Dan-Han called, snapping her back from wherever her thoughts had drifted to.

Sena distractedly shook her head. “I don’t think I can.” She replied as her gaze traveled back to Eun-sun, who cautiously walked forward.

Sena turned to her, speechlessly trifling her from head to toes, completely astonished.

Eun-sun’s heart heavily thumped in her chest as she stood before Sena. She had severally imagined this moment where Sena would know who she was, but she had not really prepared for it.

She longed to say something, but no words formed in her head. No words came to mind and she found herself hugging Sena who gasped as tears instantly fell from her eyes and dropped on her shoulders.

“My God,” Sena gasped again, as more tears trickled down her face, and Eun-sun hugged her a bit more tightly.

She still didn’t know what to say, so she let every of her emotions, every word she could ever think of saying at this moment weave into their hug.

“I’m sorry,” Eun-sun whispered under her breath, not exactly sure what she was apologizing for. Maybe it was for the years they’ve spent apart, or maybe for the times Dan-Han had said she had mourned her and had been broken beyond words. Or maybe it was for bringing her ill-luck into their homes the moment she returned. She didn’t know what she was apologizing for, but it felt like the only thing she could do.

Eun-sun felt her heart skip, when Sena slowly raised her arms and wrapped them around her and her body began to reverberate as she cried. “Oh my baby,” She wept, and Eun-sun’s heart tightened once more around her and so did Sena.

Eun-sun’s eyes welled with tears and she couldn’t hold them back as they freely fell and streamed down her face.

Sena pulled away and her fingers fidgeted as they reached for Eun-sun’s face. Her eyes gleamed with incredulity as she touched her tears. “Is it really you?” Sena asked with disbelief, and Eun-sun nodded as she wiped Sena’s tears.

“I can’t believe it. This isn’t a dream, right?” She could swear it was.

Dan-Han placed a comforting hand on her back. “I can assure it’s not, Aunt. I understand how you feel right now, but can we move this reunion somewhere more appropriate, or better still have it after we confirm uncle’s condition.” Dan-Han suggested.

Sena briefly glanced at him before staring back at Eun-sun who flashed her a small smile, and she nodded.

Dan-Han signalled Mi-Cha to come help her back to the room, and she stepped forward and hooked her arm around Sena who couldn’t stop looking at Eun-sun while her eyes glistened with tears.

Eun-sun held her hand and gave it an assuring squeeze. “I’m not going anywhere.” She assured her, after noticing the fear in her eyes.

Sena reluctantly nodded before glancing at Mi-Cha who said, “Let’s go. She isn’t leaving.” She told her, and Sena nodded and followed her back to the room, but she kept looking over her shoulders till they were out of sight.

Dan-Han hooked an arm Eun-sun when he saw the tears in her eyes, and Eun-sun buried her face on his chest.

“Why are you crying?” He asked, but Eun-sun shook her head.

“I don’t know.” She said and Dan-Han nodded in understanding.

He silently hugged her before wiping away her tears. “You don’t have to cry anymore. I promised to give you your family, and I’ll keep to my words. Not just on this, but to always make you happy.” He told her, and Eun-sun nodded as she sniffed.

“I’m sorry,” She apologized. She knew Dan-Han would never do anything to hurt her or her family, and he was doing his best for them.

Dan-Han cupped her cheeks and pecked her lips. “Don’t be. It’s only natural for you to be angry. So don’t be sorry. We’re going to get through this.” He told her and Eun-sun nodded as he hugged her back, but she was careful of his wound.

“I have to go get the doctor, so we can get this out of the way.” Dan-Han told her when she finally broke the hug.

“Okay.” She nodded, while Dan-Han tucked a few tendrils behind her ear.

“Would it be doctor Tan, or the other doctor?” She inquired, but thinking about it, she hadn’t seen doctor Tan, since after the surgery. He had been the lead doctor on her father’s case and had learnt he was the family physician, but somehow he had gone missing since they wheeled her father from the theater.

“Why haven’t we seen doctor Tan?” She asked before Dan-Han could give a response to her previous question.

“I don’t know.” Dan-Han blankly replied, while Eun-sun frowned. She couldn’t tell why, but it felt strange he’d suddenly disappear at such a time, or was he busy with other cases?

She thought he could be.

Away from there, doctor Tan stood with quavering fear in the presence of Yong-Gun, and his men who were standing guard at the stairways.

“I did as you asked? When do I get my son?” Doctor Tan demanded, but Yong-Gun gave him a condescending stare.

“When the job is complete.” He drawled. “I told you to kill him, not put him in a coma.”

“I did what I could. I wasn’t the only doctor performing the surgery. I had others assisting me, and junior doctor learning from the observatory, and even the director of the hospital. Your brother is the hospital’s major benefactor, so there were a lot of eyes.” Doctor Tan fired back.

He had done his best and all he wanted was his son. He still couldn’t believe how cruel that Yong-Gun could be this cruel to want his brother dead. He still hasn’t gotten over the shock of seeing him at the rendezvous with his son strapped to a chair and a gun pointed to his head.

Who knew the man was this cruel?!

Yong-Gun frowned at his excuses. Though Ki-Jun being in a coma was as good as him being dead, but he’d prefer if he was dead. Because him being alive only meant he still hadn’t succeeded in his plan.

“How are sure you, he isn’t going to wake up?” Yong-Gun asked, he wasn’t ready to take chances.

Doctor Tan tried not to frown or yell at him for being this evil. His brother was a nice man who loved him and everyone around him, but here he was wanting him dead, and using him as a weapon of murder.

But for the sake of his son, he bit his tongue and stopped himself. “He isn’t going to wake up. If he’s taken off life support, he’s dead.” Doctor Tan said.

“Then take him off it. I heard that Lee brat is trying to wake him up. But as soon as he fails, I want you to take him off life support. If I remember correctly, Ki-Jun signed a DNR few years ago when he did that heart surgery before retirement, right?” He asked, surprising Doctor Tan who had thought no one remembered.

“Right?” Yong-Gun cocked a brow and doctor Tan nodded.

“Good, then that’s your final excuse for doing as you’ve been instructed. And if you fail, then be prepared to see your son returned in different body bags.” He threatened.

.....