Pay With Your Heart

503 Exchange

“Was that Mi-Cha?” Sena asked expectantly when she thought she overheard Eun-sun call her name.

Eun-sun looked at the phone and then back at her mother, whose also gazed at the phone and then back at Eun-sun.

“It wasn’t her. I thought she answered the call, but...it was voicemail.” She lied.

Her heart skipped as she hoped her words were believing enough.

Sena briefly observed the nervous shake of her hand, and she stared at Eun-sun unsure of what to make of the anxiety in her eyes and about her.

Maybe she was worried too for Mi-Cha. She reasoned.

That girl was always causing her so many heart tensions lately, and she wondered what she was to do with her.

“I don’t know why she’d even attempt such a stupid thing. Why would she even go and meet that animal? The cops could have arrested him and they’d torture the truth out of him.” She lamented, and Eun-sun’s countenance fell seeing Sena in such a state.

“S..she did because she wanted to help me. I should have gone after her.” She despondently said.

.....

“Of course, not!” Sena rebuked. That would only have made matters worse.

What would she have done having two children in the hands of a vicious being like Yong-Gun? She would have died on the spot had that happened.

She couldn’t lose any of her kids again. As a matter of fact, she wasn’t losing any of them!

She observed Eun-sun’s crestfallen countenance and slowly walked to her. She held her hand in hers. “You don’t have to feel bad or worried about it. Your father already has people looking for her. Her line has been active, and they’ve traced it to the southern part of town. They’d have an exact location soon, as far as the line is remains on, and I hope it does. When they find her, the cops will go get her. You don’t have to feel so bad about it.” Sena comforted her.

Eun-sun silently looked at her as she wondered if she should tell her the truth.

Tell her that Mi-Cha’s phone has been found and switched off, and that was probably in more danger than they thought she was. Or that she might be long dead even before they find out where she was?

Which of these truth was she supposed to tell her?

Eun-sun couldn’t bring herself to do it. She couldn’t tell her that not only has she heard Mi-Cha’s voice, she had also spoken to Yong-Gun and he had asked her to surrender herself in exchange for Mi-Cha.

Eun-sun thought hard about it. There was no way she could let Mi-Cha get hurt for this, neither would she let Dan-Han go to jail for something he didn’t do.

All these were once again because of her.

If she hadn’t gone looking for her parents, Yong-Gun wouldn’t have made an enemy of Dan-Han, and Mi-Cha wouldn’t have been in danger.

But her dad would have been long dead and she wouldn’t have gotten to know the kind of person he was, or experience the privilege of having a doting father who cared for her despite believing she was lost to him forever until they found each other.

No matter how she thought about it, this trouble was bound to come to their lives. But whether it destroyed them or claimed one of them was going to be dependent on what she does henceforth.

Sena sighed when Eun-sun’s face remained bleak and somewhat bemused.

She touched her cheek and faintly smiled. “You really do not have to worry about anything, Eun-sun. Everything will be fine, I promise.” She softly encouraged, but Eun-sun believe her. But despite her disbelief, she nodded knowing her mother needed the encouragement more than she did.

Sena took the glass of water in her hand. “You should stop drinking just water and eat something. You look pale, even worse than you did before we came here.” Sena told her.

“But I don’t feel hungry.”

“Same thing you’ve been saying for days. First you had Dan-Han’s office issue as an excuse, and now you’re using this as another excuse. At the rate you’re going, you’ll pass even before he gets released.”

“I—” Eun-sun wanted to protest, but Sena’s warning glare sent her words slurring off.

“I’ll try.” She said conceding to Sena’s request, and the woman’s face lit up in a small smile.

“Good. Go to your room, and I’ll send someone to bring something for you. I’ll check up on your father again in his study, and when we have news, I’ll come get you, okay?” She said and Eun-sun nodded, knowing it was better to concede than try arguing.

It was never going to end in her favor, and neither did she have the time for that. She had to get to Mi-Cha as soon as possible. Alone.

She turned around to leave for her room, but she stopped and glanced back at Sena.

She pulled in her for a hug, slightly taking her by surprise, but Sena silently hugged her back.

“I love you, mom.” She said making Sena nod and smile a bit more brightly than she has done in the last five minutes.

“I love you too, honey. Very much.”

Eun-sun was sure she did. She loved them both equally and that was why she had to bring Mi-Cha back.

She whipped out her phone and sent a quick text as she made her way to her room.

‘Need you help.’ Was all she sent, and she hoped she gets a reply shortly.

Few minutes later, Eun-sun was reported missing from the house by the maid Sena had sent to give her lunch.

A search for her began around the house, but no matter where they looked, she couldn’t be found.

“Where did she go?” Sena cried out in worry.

The sequence of events were becoming unbearable for her. All she wanted was to have her family complete in peace and harmony, and not this suspenseful drama.

...

Away from there, Eun-sun had a daring look on her face as she stuck between two burly men, one of which had a gun in hand, definitely to scare her.

But looking at the weapon in his hand, Eun-sun had no trace of fear in. All it required was one push on the trigger, and she’d become a pile of meat, but she wasn’t scared.

Not because she had made preparations for her rescue, but rather because being with Dan-Han had exposed her to so many things she’d never thought she experience and get accustomed to.

But now she was beginning to feel less afraid of things like this.

It was long drive from where they had picked her up to wherever their destination was, but soon they arrived some antiquated manor, which looked too haunted to be a residence for any human being, but then again, she remembered Yong-Gun and the minions that worked for him weren’t humans.

“Get down!” One of the men snarled at her as they roughly pulled her into the house.

They literally dragged her to a faintly lit room and toss her to the ground, causing to fall and hit her stomach against the concrete floor.

A musky and dank smell smeared the air making her stomach churn.

She tried to listen to what was going on outside the door, and just as she pressed her ears towards the door, it swung open, and she reflexively made a jump back barely saving her face.

Her heart skipped when she Yong-Gun stepped into the room, with a smirky smile.

“Well, well, well, I never knew you’d be stupid enough to come.” He said, giving her a once over with a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Eun-sun scowled at him and looked behind him. “Where’s Mi-Cha?” She questioned, not wanting to hear his voice.

She wanted to confirm she was okay and fine.

“Why?” He cocked a brow at her. “You think you’re more family than I am?” He archly asked, while Eun-sun scowled at him.

“I’m sure you already know the answer to that. Where is she?” She demanded, staring more coldly at him.

Yong-Gun despite not wanting to indulge her, stepped aside and Stephen walked in with Mi-Cha standing in front of him, with her mouth taped.

“Mi-Cha!” She cried out, more with relief than in horror.

She hurried towards her, but Stephen held Mi-Cha back and crudely pushed Eun-sun to the floor.

She wailed out in pain as the sharp pain surged through her waist and back.

Mi-Cha’s eyes widened in horror at the crude treatment towards her sister. She looked at the monsters beside her, and she desperately wanted to thrust a knife through them.

Eun-sun winced as she tried to stand up but the pain she felt traveled across her back, and even her wrist.

She turned to the evil master and it’s demonic puppet and wickedly glared at them.

Yong-Gun tsked and sighed as he stared at her. He slowly walked towards her.

“You know, I thought someone dating the formidable Lee Dan-Han would be very sensible, but it’s so disappointing to see you’re just as stupid as that father of yours.” He said as he walked closer till he was towering over her.

He crouched down and looked her in the eye which was defiantly staring back at him. “You’re very stupid for coming here.” He said.

Eun-sun eyes darkly sharpened at him. “Call me whatever you like, but let her go. You have me now, so you can do whatever you like.” She said.

Yong-Gun silently peered at her for a while and sighed again. He brought out the phone that had been collected from her by the boys he had sent to pick her up.

“Who have you given this to?” He asked, but Eun-sun stink eyed him, completely ignoring his question.

He gripped her by the chin and gave it a tight squeeze. “When I talk to you, you answer me. Who has seen this?” He drawled, tightening his grip till her face was burning with pain and colored red.

“No one.” Eun-sun blurted out, and he squeezed her chin a little more before letting go.

He observed her a bit more before standing up to his feet. He turned around and gazed at Mi-Cha, who was cussing him with his eyes.

“You better keep this rudeness out of your eyes, before I gorge them out.” He snarled, but Mi-Cha only glared harder at him.

She cussed him over and over again in her heart, since he was coward enough to stop her from saying the truth by sealing her mouth.

Yong-Gun felt his blood seethe at her defiance. He turned away from her and glanced at the man still gripping her tightly by her arm.

“Your hand gun.” He asked, stretching his hand out for it.

Mi-Cha looked at him as her eyes went wide in horror. She knew without a doubt what he wanted to do with and she glanced at Eun-sun.

She had prayed in her heart for her not to come, but she did. She darted her eyes to the man, who was reaching for the gun from under his belt and she pushed him with all her force and will.

She swiftly turned and tried kneading in the groin, but Yong-Gun grabbed her by the hair.

.....

Muffled scream came from her sealed mouth and Eun-sun cried in horror.

She forced herself off the ground and lunged at Yong-Gun. She elbowed his hands, setting Mi-Cha free from his grip, but just as she shoved Mi-Cha behind her, Stephen delay her a slap on the face which had her falling to the ground.

“You dirty whore!” Yong-Gun screamed as he fiercely kicked her stomach, and Eun-sun cried out in pain.

He kicked her several times more before snatching the gun from Stephen in rage.

He cocked the gun and pointed it, but not at her, but rather at Mi-Cha.

Eun-sun tried to move but her body wasn’t willing to respond, but somehow she forced it to.

She didn’t know if she was quick enough, but she moved over towards her as the sound of a gunshot filled the room, followed by another.

Eun-sun wasn’t sure of what she felt or what she heard, but her body felt too weak and too tired as it slipped into darkness.