Chapter 10

“Era… where the hell are you?” he said, with a desperate voice. “Please come out”

She gulped, her heart beating quicker than usual, and she pushed the door close, making him turn around and she the lights to find out that she guessed right.

“M-Mr. Hwa?!” She covered , eyes widening in disbelief.

“E..ra?” he his heels to look at her and she backed-off, seeing him narrowing his eyes and peering at her, drawing nearer as he looked unsteady in his steps. “There you are” he smiled, and her heart almost leapt out of as she found herself trapped by his body against the wall. He arched his brows and closed his eyes as he leaned over at her, with her getting a bit dizzy at the strong manly aroma that numbed her senses.

“W-What happened to you?” she asked, trying to push him away, her heartbeat drumming in her ears. But he suddenly slammed his palm on the wall behind her and yelled: “I should be asking you that question Era” she grimaced to his loud tone. “How could you… not come to my party… after all the dresses that…” his head was moving along his words, and he slowly started to lose his balance and slouch, holding into Jang Mi.

She was blinking several times as she felt his breath on her neck, more like he was burying his face in its nape, sending a ticklish sensation in her to which she jolted.

What’s he doing?! Oh my Lord! How could he come in in the first place, and this drunk?!

“Why aren’t you answering me?” He whispered, right into her ear, his voice sounded so seductive and she started to panic, because she became so shaken by him. “Are you doing it on purpose? Driving me crazy that is…”

C-Calm down Era, Calm down, he’s just drunk… maybe, no certainly, he’s mistaking you for someone else.

She took a deep breath, in trial to make herself simmer down just to feel his arms squeezing her in, closer to him, his fingers pulling her hair strands behind her ear:

“H-Hey!” she couldn’t help but scream, because her body was getting alarmed by his touch. “Wake up! I’m not… who you think I am!” she started to push on his chest, to get her jaw lifted up, now that his face was just an inch away from hers, and then a weird grin crept onto his lips.

“W-Why are you smiling?!” she questioned, doing her best to distract him, not knowing what else could be done in her current situation.

His lips covered hers without him saying any words next, her hands gripped his shirt and squeezed onto its fabric, as she kept trying to push him away but their kiss only got deeper and more passionate. And as soon as he pulled away from her, she slapped him. So hard that her palm left a red mark on his cheek. She was panting, gasping for air as she covered . He turned his back on her, and started to walk without reacting or uttering a word.

What had just happened? Cha Jang Mi.. did you just allow a complete stranger to kiss you?

However, her eyes then glanced up as she heard a small thud followed by a creak.

“Oh no! Not my bed!” she hurried to Yu Jin, who was lying head-first on her bed. “Oh darn it!” she whined in a desperate voice as she clutched her forehead. “What am I going to do about this?! What if someone comes in and see him?!” she fell to her knees.

Stop drumming you stupid heart!

*****

There was a buzzing sound, and his phone started to vibrate in his pocket.

“Argh” Yu Jin covered his face as he started to set himself up. “I feel like…my head’s… bursting out” he felt a slight pain all over his body and then he opened his eyes as he reached for his phone and checked out the screen.

“A message from Secretary Kim?” His eyes shot wide open at what he just read and he sat up at once. “No freaking…way” his lips parted and he covered his mouth.

The Cha daughter’s… dead?

He clenched his fists and shut his eyes close. “Damn…” he felt a pain in his head. Then he just realized that he wasn’t in his room.

“W-Where the heck..?!” his voice trailed down as his gaze settled at the girl who was lying on the floor. “Wait…” scenes from last night’s outburst streamed in his mind, giving him another headache but making him reach his hand to his cheek, remembering Era slapping him.

Oh no… oh no Lee Yu Jin… what the hell did you…?!

“I’m so screwed” he said with a breathy voice.

He pushed away the old blanket that was covering him for some reason, and he just realized that Era, who was lying on the ground, had nothing beneath her. His eyes softened as he glanced down at her, starting to gather her up in his arms, feeling a tingle of pain in his chest as he spotted her innocent features. “What have I done for you to slap me like that.. Era?” he whispered, almost talking to himself.

A sad smile crossed his lips.

And to think that I was… hoping for you to be the daughter, although I know it wasn’t possible. But now that her death is confirmed…

“How will I be given the right to save you from this hell?” he kept staring at her peaceful face.

He placed her body that felt so cold on the bed and then took off his own white jacket and covered her with it: “Sorry, I know it reeks of alcohol…”.

He noticed the ring that she still had on then picked her hand up and kissed it.

“You should protect this angel, ok?” he smiled.

Then he pulled the blanket over her body and then grabbed his phone out of his pocket, checking the time.

I’m very lucky since it’s Sunday and it’s still too early for anyone to be up…

“ I hope.”

He cautiously opened the room’s door, then went out trying not to make any noise, the house was still partly dark and the sun didn’t rise yet. He passed by the many rooms of the second floor but then was a bit surprised to see a dim light peeking from the door of one of them.

He approached the room, warily and then stole a glimpse to see Mrs. Cha sitting to a desk with a pc in front of her.

What is she doing this early? He wondered.

“Are you criticizing my judgment?!” She yelled, took Yu Jin by surprise.

A video call?

“How dare you blame me for the current bad situation that the company is facing now?! Are you implying that I am a bad leader?” she was furious.

“No… President… it’s not like…” the voice of the man was stammering.

“If this company is bound to fall, then nothing could be done and it’s not like his daughter could’ve done any better!” she crossed her arms. “She’s dead now… well, and she always was dead to me, I mean such a lowlife with no education or manners, how do you expect me to hand her the rights of inheriting the company?! That’s out of the question and you know it!”

“Y-Yes, but who mentioned the daughter? The truth about her existence will never be revealed to anybody and besides, I made sure to burn the late president’s will so nothing could come in our way”

“Wait… what? His will?” Mrs. Cha repeated, a sick expression of amazement was drawn on her face.

Yu Jin was not believing what he was hearing.

“Yes, the President had a will which he hid and only a few employees knew about it… and I was able to get the information from one of them who apparently was the one who hid the will and was supposed to hand it up when the legal daughter shows up. But I made sure to get rid of it for you” he explained, and the woman’s eyes started to shine as she let out a laugh.

“Oh my god! I don’t know what would I have done alone without you, Mr. Kim” she clapped her hands. “So you mean that even if Jang Mi was to revolt, she won’t be able to do anything! Ahaha!” Her happiness and rejoice could not be described.

Yu Jin’s fists squeezed tight in rage. Then he started to head out, gritting his teeth, he had only one thing in his mind:

He had to find the daughter –by any mean possible, he had to do it for him to be able to convince his father about the wrongdoings of Mrs. Cha and to stop them from preceding with any further transactions.

****

Era heard a loud scream that made her open her eyes and sit up to find her stepsisters gaping at her.

“Y-You…” Yoon Yi’s lips shook as she pointed her finger at her. “Y-You !”

The two girls dragged her up to her feet, and she couldn’t understand what was happening. Yoon Song drew her face close to Era’s body, started to smell the jacket that she wore.

« Wait… this perfume… » She inhaled the smell of it, making Era gasp aloud as she noticed the Jacket she was wearing. “It’s Bleu De Chanel!” Yelled the other sister, blinking.

“No, not just the perfume… there’s a strong smell of Alcohol!” Yoon Song’s hand tightened on Era’s arm. “No way!”

“You met with a man last night?!” Yoon Yi couldn’t bring herself to believe what she was saying.

“Not just any man… look at the jacket!” Yoon Song started to take it off by force.

“Wait, doesn’t it look exactly like the one that the prince last night…” the younger sister thought but Era quickly pushed her hands behind her back, seeing that her ring was glittering because of the sun that streamed from the opened window.

Oh Lord, why is this happening? Why?

She was biting her lips from anxiousness, heavy sweat dropping down her face and even when she opened to protest, her voice didn’t come out.

“This will be the end of you, I’m telling you Era!” Yelled Yoon Song as she cruelly shoved her back. “We’ll take this jacket to mom, she needs to know what this pure, innocent and angelic girl has done!” she smirked, and Era’s eyes became tearful without her knowing, as she shook her head.

The younger sister arched a brow:

“Why is she sweating like that?” her voice was shaking.

“Don’t mind her, let’s just go and tell mom then see what will happen! It should be fun to watch!” the older sister pulled her by the hand and the two exited the room.

“No wait!” but Era felt so dizzy and was unable to stop them from leaving. She fell to her knees and gripped her head that hurt her as she coughed.

“Oh no… it’s not the time for me to be sick!”

Soon then, the stepmother and the daughters came in the room, with a big hassle.

“You sneaky wench! If you won’t tell me the truth, I swear that you’ll regret it!” The stepmother’s voice boomed in the small room as she raised her palm, starting to slap the poor girl that had her eyes glaring at her, as she panted:

“Why.. do I have… to be scared? Huh?” she barely said with her throaty voice “It’s not like there’s something worse than this that you could do…” she smiled, and the woman’s hand hang in the air, shaking from anger.

“S-Shut up…” Mrs. Cha ordered, her voice shaking for some reason.

“Why? You want me to stay put forever and do nothing?” Her tears started to stream down her face: “I had enough with your unfairness!” she yelled, making the three back off, “You threatened my mother and made her kill herself…” Era’s accusing finger that pointed at the stepmother started to shake, “You somehow managed to kill my father, the man who loved you more than his own daughter… and you enjoyed turning my life into a living hell…” she was panting, her eyes shooting daggers at the woman who got taken by shock. “So what else can you do? Huh? Tell me!”

The two girls hid behind their mother, Yoon Yi trembled:

“W-What is she saying… m-m-mom?”

“K-Killing… Y-You… killed…?” Yoon Song was as shocked as her sister was.

But the mother brushed her daughters’ grips as she shook her head, and yelled:

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything! This girl has gone crazy apparently!” she gritted her teeth.

Era was breathing hardly, slouching slightly.

“I’m scared mom! She doesn’t look ok!” Yoon Yi was biting her nails.

“Just go… the two of you should take a stroll around the city… and I will deal with Era” she tried to speak with a composed tone, urging the two girls to leave.

But just as she turned to look at Era, she found her lying on the floor, unconscious.

“W-What happened to her?!” she approached her slowly, to get suddenly taken aback by what she saw, on the finger of the girl. “No way…” she crouched down and picked up Era’s hand in hers. “A-A promise ring?!”

She gazed at the big red ruby decorating it and she gasped. “How could this valuable thing…?”

She tried to pull it out of Era’s finger but she couldn’t.

“It’s stuck!” she exhaled sharply, then pulled Era up by the hair and looked at her face. “Who’s this guy that bought you such an expensive ring?!” she said among her gritted teeth.

But seeing no response or reaction, she touched the girl’s forehead and found out that it was very hot.

“She’s sick?” she grimaced in disgust and pushed her back on her bed. “Oh great…”

She left and closed the door.

I guess all of this need to wait until she regains her consciousness, that if she regained it in the first place. She smirked.

*****