Angel Smile 184 Scene 184
Yeo Ri laughed to herself as she walked along the sidewalks. She was reminded of Hyuk's silliness as he entertained her teasings earlier during her visit.
She was in a jolly mood.
Yeo Ri thought that nothing could make her less happy. But she was wrong.
As she walked along the long, empty road, she felt that something was not right.
There was no one else other than her, and the road was virtually empty, save for one car. Everything about the car was peculiar; for some reason, the driver drove slowly despite the road being so open and free. Although the car kept a distance away from her, she had noticed that it was strange since the car had yet to pa.s.s her even though she was just walking at a leisurely pace.
Yeo Ri suddenly stopped walking, and turned back to look at the car. She looked cold and serious as she prepared herself to confront the potential robber or kidnapper.
As though the driver had understood that he was found out, the car picked up its speed and parked close to where Yeo Ri was standing.
The driver opened the car door, then jogged to Yeo Ri's front. He bowed politely in greeting to the younger girl, treating it as if she was of higher status than him. "Please get in, Miss Yeo Ri."
"You are...?" Yeo Ri apprehensively stared at the man. How did he know her name? Who was he? Why did he want her to get into the car? In a split second, countless questions emerged in her mind.
"You can call me Secretary Kwon. Mr. Heo sent me to fetch you. It is dangerous for a girl to walk alone, especially since it is getting late. Please, miss, let me take you home," he explained. He opened the door to the backseat for her, gesturing for her to enter.
"..." Hearing Mr. Heo's name, it clicked in Yeo Ri's mind. "Why?"
"Pardon?"
"Why did he tell you to do that?" Yeo Ri asked, her frown revealing a hint of antipathy. "Is he stupid? Or did he lose his mind?" She wondered if he was really okay with sending one of his employees to do something like this. Is he not worried about someone discovering their relations?
Secretary Kwon broke into cold sweat. His boss had warned him that the girl would probably be unfriendly to him if he mentioned his name, but he didn't know that she was downright hostile towards his boss.
"He was simply worried about your safety, miss. As, um, your father," he said, hoping to soften the girl's heart.
As one of Heo Woo Seung's close confidants, Secretary Kwon naturally knew about his boss' secret daughter. His father, whom he inherited the position from, had been the person in charge of looking for Han Yeoreum all those years ago, so he knew a little bit about Yeo Ri's past. This knowledge made him the most suitable person to keep a close eye on the girl, especially since his face was not really known in the political circle since he had just officially stepped into the position merely a few weeks prior.
Yeo Ri scoffed, "Sure he was."
"Please, miss—it's getting late. The sun is setting; let me take you home," he insisted. As an employee, and as a sensible person, it did not sit well with him if he left the girl to her own devices at a time so late. It was both dangerous and worrying.
"How long have you been following me?" Yeo Ri dismissed his request, instead posing a question to the man.
"...Since you left your house, miss," he replied honestly. He didn't see why he should keep it a secret. Mr. Heo himself did not specify for him to keep himself hidden, after all. He was merely told to 'watch her from a distance and keep her safe'.
"Since when?"
"Yes?"
"Since when did you start following me around? Knowing that person, this isn't the first time, is it?"
"No, miss. I've been told to look after you since you left the hospital," he responded. He was someone who took his job seriously, and he was under impression that this girl was a very important person to his boss. Putting aside her status as his illegitimate daughter, if the media found out about their relationship, Heo Woo Seung's career might as well be over. It was his duty to make sure that n.o.body finds out about her or harm her. Therefore, he had been constantly watching her from day one. It was not part of the job scope he was expecting, but work was work. What his boss says, goes; his boss told him to watch her, so he did.
"..." Yeo Ri stared at the man with a critical gaze. How could he be so loyal to that person?
But then again, Heo Woo Seung was a politician; he was bound to have some sort of trick under his sleeve to make people loyal to him, she thought while inwardly clicking her tongue in contempt.
"Miss, if you'd please?" He politely requested again, urging her to get into the car through body language.
Yeo Ri frowned, thinking. Should she take on the offer? The bus stop was ways away, and it was getting dark. Gun might come home at any minute and it would not be good if he finds out that she was not at home.
"...Whatever." Yeo Ri reluctantly slipped into the backseat, crossing her arms across her chest sulkily. She couldn't believe she owed that person another debt now. First it was the hospital room, then it was the fees, next was the apartment's deposit, and then part of Gun's education was funded by him. If he kept doing useless things like this, her debt would keep piling up.
She did not want his charity. If he was really sorry to her, then he should've, a long time ago... ... ... .
Looking at her surly face, Secretary Kwon almost cracked his pokerface. She very much resembled a spoiled young miss that had just thrown a tantrum after not getting what she wanted. It made him feel somewhat melancholic, especially knowing her history. Unfortunately, she never got to live the life she was supposed to live. He pitied the little girl who should have been raised preciously like a true spoiled young miss.