Chapter 49 - Choi Taek

The heavy footsteps almost shook the earth. A group of men dressed in dark clothes made their way towards the ward, pushing aside the hospital staff. They looked furious but none more than the elderly man who was leading them.

He was in his early eighties and used a cane to walk. His hair was almost gone except for a few white patches on the side while his ears were large. His beady eyes were wrinkled and sunk into his pupils but instead of fatigue, there was a blazing fury in them. 

"Out of my way!" he wheezed at a couple of nurses. The men around him were also pushing away the staff who were terrified of them. They were carrying armed weapons and it did not take a genius to figure out that the men were from the mafia.

"Where is he?" The old man demanded from his men. "Where is my grandson?"

"He's in room 209," one of his bodyguards piped up. The old man did not wait but rushed in a surprising speed towards his beloved grandson's room. Barging into it, he saw his grandson, Kibum, lying on the bed. Kibum's eyes were moving and upon seeing his grandfather, he tried to move them. His mouth was slightly open and saliva dripped from it.

Kibum grunted at his grandfather, pleading at him with his eyes.

"Arrr...arrr…" Kibum tried to speak but only incoherent sounds came out of his mouth. He was completely paralyzed and could not even move an inch of his muscles. His whole body was locked, rendering him completely useless.

A doctor stood by his side, worried as the old man strode towards his grandson.

"You'll be alright," the old man consoled his beloved grandson. "We'll cure you!"

He looked up at the doctor who was standing in a corner, feeling nervous.

"How long will it take to make him recover?" the old man asked in a cold tone. The doctor gulped.

The man standing in front of him was Choi Taek, the most influential criminal in the country. It was an open secret that he was the mob boss but his activities were hidden behind several dummy businesses which were portrayed as legal firms. As a person with a vast network, Choi Taek was a force to be reckoned with and had connections in several countries' governments. There was a rumor that the civil war in Country I took place because of this man but no one knew the truth.

"S-sir," the doctor stammered. "I'm afraid that your grandson may never be able to move his muscles again."

Taek raised an eyebrow. He was not a patient man nor a forgiving person. His heart was benevolent when it suited to his needs but other than that, he was not in the mood to hear no.

"What did you say?" he asked in a quiet tone.

The doctor immediately backtracked. "W-we'll try our utmost best to cure him!" he said at once. "My team is-"

"What drug has been used on him?" Taek demanded.

The doctor hesitated. "It was not one drug," he stated. "There were several paralyzing agents mixed in the injection which had been used on him. Someone injected it into his spine and paralyzed it."

Taek's lips quivered. His bodyguards were alarmed, knowing fully well that their boss was not going to spare the person who did this.

"Get me the CCTV footage from the club!" he yelled at them. The men winced, unsure of what to say. His head bodyguard, Hyo, cleared his throat.

"Sir, whoever did this had planned well," he said. "The CCTV footage from that night had been altered and the original one was deleted by a hacker. We tried to trace the IP address but it was set to a location abroad-"

Taek grabbed a flower vase and threw it at him. Hyo only dodged it by mere inches while the rest of the room was startled by their boss' reaction. The old man's agility was no joke and when it came to his equally rotten grandson, Taek was ready to kill.

"Find that bitch!" he ordered. "He was with a girl, right? Find her and bring her to me! I'll teach her a lesson she'll never forget! I'll torture her until she begs for death!"

He panted in anger. His precious grandson's life was destroyed because of one girl and Taek was not going to spare her.

"Yes sir!" Hyo said at once. "We'll find her!"

He motioned his men to start executing the order. They had a basic sketch of the woman who was playing poker with them and they would be able to identify her if they see her. Taek returned to caring for his grandson who was grunting in agony. The sheer torture of not being able to move his body was killing Kibum from the inside.

"I'll find her," Taek vowed. "And I'll destroy her…"

He was not going to spare that woman who had dared to mess with his family. She was going to pay very dearly for her indiscretion.

….

Sunye was at her office, working till late night. She held a kimbap roll in her right hand while typing on her computer with her left. Taking a bite out of her kimbap, she was writing down the details for the case regarding Hyun. The Finance Minister had been officially sacked that morning and his case was going to the court for trial.

Ever since the news had broken out, Sunye had been bombarded by the media with questions. This irritated her as they called at odd hours so she kept her phone silent. All she wanted to do was to work in peace.

"Hi hi!"

There goes my peace! She groaned inwardly as SD's annoying figure barged into her cabin.

"Don't you know how to knock?" she hissed.

"I do, but it seems like a pain," SD sighed, taking a seat opposite to her. He leaned against the chair, crossing his legs while grinning at her.

"Uh oh," Sunye said. "You're smiling. That can't be good."

"It's not good at all!" SD said cheerfully. "I bring you very disturbing news."

Sunye was now truly alarmed. SD's news was never good but whenever he smiled like that, it was a guarantee that he was concocting an evil plan and needed a guinea pig. And she happened to be his favorite one.

"You have a dinner date tomorrow night," he revealed.

"What?" Sunye frowned. "With who?"

"Whom," SD corrected. "Grammar is important, Ms. Lawyer."

"Oh shut up!" she snapped. "Tell me the news!"

He leaned forward, his blue eyes twinkling with a glee as if he was a kid who got his first taste of candy.

"Prime Minister Lee has invited you and our boss to his mansion tomorrow," SD smirked. "At his weekly family gathering."