Back at the Song Estate
Park Hyun Woo slipped his phone back into his pocket as if he had merely checked the time.
"It's done," he said simply.
Kate Song and Song Minkyu exchanged glances.
"You mean…" Kate began.
"Yes," he replied calmly. "Mo Han won't be leaving his office anytime soon."
A heavy realization dawned on them.
Park Hyun Woo hadn't gone after Ji Eun.
He hadn't raised his voice.
He hadn't even stood in her way.
Instead...
He had removed the place she was running to.
Outside the Estate
Ji Eun sat in the back of her car, her fingers gripping her phone tightly.
"Drive faster," she said urgently.
"Yes, Miss."
Her heart raced with anticipation and frustration alike.
Just a little more… I just need to see him.
She dialed Mo Han again.
This time, it didn't connect.
Her brows furrowed.
That was strange.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
A flicker of unease crept into her chest.
Just then, her phone buzzed with an incoming message.
Unknown Number.
Her irritation spiked.
She almost ignored it… but something compelled her to open it.
The message was short.
Painfully simple.
"He won't be able to see you today."
Ji Eun's heart skipped.
Her eyes darkened immediately.
Another message followed.
"Turn back, Ji Eun."
And then..
"You're running in the wrong direction."
Her breath caught.
Slowly… very slowly…
She lifted her head and looked ahead.
Through the tinted glass of the car, at the intersection just beyond the estate gates, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom rolled smoothly into view.
It came to a quiet stop, blocking the road ahead.
The license plate was unmistakable.
Her driver stiffened.
"Young Miss… that's..."
"I know," Ji Eun cut in, her voice low and dangerous.
The rear door of the Phantom opened.
And Park Hyun Woo stepped out.
Impeccable.
Unshaken.
As though he had always been meant to stand exactly there.
Waiting.
Ji Eun's anger surged instantly.
Her car came to a halt.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then...
Park Hyun Woo walked forward slowly, stopping just beside her car window.
He bent slightly, his knuckle tapping gently against the glass.
Once.
Calm.
Certain.
Ji Eun stared at him, fury blazing in her eyes.
Slowly, she rolled the window down.
"What do you want?" she snapped.
His gaze softened just a fraction as he looked at her.
Not at her anger.
Not at her defiance.
But at her.
"I told you," he said quietly.
"You're not going anywhere."
Ji Eun let out a sharp, incredulous laugh.
"You think blocking the road will stop me?" she challenged.
"No," he replied.
His voice was still calm.
Still steady.
"I think you already know you have nowhere to go."
Her expression faltered, just for a split second.
He continued, his words precise, deliberate.
"Mo Han can't see you."
Silence.
"He won't answer your calls," Park Hyun Woo added. "Not today."
Ji Eun's hands tightened into fists.
"You did something," she said through gritted teeth.
"I handled a situation," he corrected calmly.
Their eyes locked again.
This time...
There was no mistaking it.
This wasn't coincidence.
This wasn't interference.
This was control.
Cold.
Calculated.
Unavoidable.
"You're insane," Ji Eun whispered, disbelief laced with anger.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Maybe," he conceded.
Then his voice dropped slightly, softer, yet infinitely more dangerous.
"But effective."
The air between them grew tense.
"Get out of the car, Ji Eun," he said.
Not a request.
Not a command shouted in force.
But something far more powerful...
A certainty that left no room for refusal.
Ji Eun's heart raced wildly.
Every instinct told her to fight.
To resist.
To run.
But for the first time...
She felt it.
That invisible net tightening around her.
Not by force.
Not by violence.
But by a man who had quietly taken control of every path she could run to.
And now...
He was standing right in front of her.
Waiting.
As though he already knew...
She had nowhere left to go.