(10) Catching the Culprit

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Gu-won, pulled up in his sleek black car and stepped out.
"Why are wearing sunglasses at night? You think you're famous or something?" He grinned.
"I am, you made me an instant celebrity." I pulled up a news article on my phone, showcasing a picture of me and him.
"They blurred the wrong face, my face would have gotten them more views-"
I sharply cut him off, "So why did you turn me down at the speed of light?"
"Like I said, I plan on staying single forever."
"Same here."
"Good then let's forget about this."
"Thanks for offering to forget something so embarrassing for me, the whole world already knows about it." Frustrated, I removed my sunglasses and looked straight into his eyes, there was a brief silence as we locked gazes.
"Why me though? Why did you choose me out of all the people present there?" He leaned closer.
"That's... because I sleep-talked, didn't I tell you earlier?"
"Humans tend to be more sincere in sleep."
"I wasn't being serious."
"Then why should I play along with your inexplicable whims? Find another person who will marry, no questions asked."
"Don't worry, even if you were the last guy on Earth, I would never, ever marry you." I sneered.
"That's a relief." He sighed.

"Did he just turn me down again? He turned me down twice in a day!?" I muttered.
"I'll give you a lift." He gestured towards his car.
"No, thanks."
"What if there's another acid attack?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Start the car." I scoffed, accepting my defeat.

As I sat in the car, exhaustion crept over me and I dozed off, only to open my eyes when I heard the sound of knocking on my window. It was then, when I realized we were already in my apartment's parking lot.
"Let's go..."  Gu-won called out.
I rubbed my eyes and stumbled out of the car.
We got inside the elevator, I pressed the button to stop the lift at my floor.
Stepping out into the hallway, Gu-won finally spoke up, "You were snoring so loudly."
"Really? I must've been very tired, I usually don't snore." I replied.
As we walked towards my doorstep, I noticed that Gu-won kept glancing around, checking all the surveillance cameras & security system of the building.
Reaching at the entrance of my apartment, he turned to me & said, "I don't want you to go out alone and get in trouble, so call me if you need me, though I'd rather you didn't."

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I sat on the couch and reached for my phone.  As I scrolled through the array of apps on my screen, a thought suddenly struck me. I realized that there was someone I felt incredibly safe with, someone who'd always find me in problems & save me from them; Jeong Gu-won.
I navigated to my contacts and began typing in his name and saved it in my emergency contacts, I should have done this before he's my bodyguard after all.

I took out Yejin's letter from my bag. With trembling hands, I unfolded the paper.

Yeona, if you're reading this it means I have left you all alone. Just think of it like a mischievous prank, I know it's not easy for you, so crying once is enough but you need to be strong in front of others otherwise they might take advantage of your weakness. The position I'm leaving you with, is a battlefield where tears aren't allowed. You must be wondering why I required you to marry in order to become chairwoman. This position is extremely lonely, I've felt it to my core all this time but still I had you by my side. I required you to marry in order to become chairwoman. This position is extremely lonely, I've felt it to my core all this time but still I had you by my side. I don't want you to experience the same hell, I went through. So if you're determined to take my place, be sure to find someone who will keep you company and be on your side.
If you fail to find such person, just throw the position to the hungry wolves and save yourself. This is the only thing I can do, as I leave you behind in the den of the wolves.
Also, I just want you to remember that I'm always there for you even if you can't see me.

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