#128.

Im Ha-yoon’s fingers twitched slightly. She desperately tried to untie her bound hands, but the restraints were too tight. Her ears focused on Lee Han’s words. She heard the sound of a chair leg scraping against the floor, and soon Lee Han’s voice came from nearby.

“While investigating the past incident, you felt that something was buried in that apartment, right?”

Im Ha-yoon’s movements stopped. All her nerves were focused on Lee Han’s words.

Lee Han’s voice continued. “Looking at just the crime itself, it’s a bigger case than you’d think, so why isn’t it being publicized and only getting a one-line article in the media before it ends?”

Im Ha-yoon’s eyebrows furrowed. Puzzle pieces began to fit together in her head.

“The direction Detective-nim is looking at the case isn’t wrong. And you’re the closest to the center.”

A sneer crossed Im Ha-yoon’s lips. “You think you can keep hiding it like this?”

Lee Han’s voice was laced with ease. “Of course, it’ll keep being hidden. Do you think this incident was done by just one person? Even a large corporation within Korea couldn’t hide it to this extent. So, how far are the strings connected?”

Im Ha-yoon gritted her teeth. “No matter how big the power is, they can’t keep covering up crimes.”

Lee Han’s laughter rang out softly. “The disappearance or crime of just one or two ordinary citizens doesn’t even get a one-line article. Besides, if the case isn’t a random murder and the perpetrator is caught immediately in a sex crime, it’s not really newsworthy.”

Im Ha-yoon’s mouth snapped shut. Her mind was tangled in complexity. If Lee Han’s words were true, the scale of this incident and the power of the forces involved were far greater than she had imagined.

Lee Han’s voice filled the space. “Of course, I’m just one person at the bottom, and probably a dispensable pawn who’ll be cut off immediately if I’m seen as a risk.”

Im Ha-yoon tried to maintain her composure. “If it continues, you won’t be able to turn back. Even now…”

Her words were cut off by Lee Han’s cold laughter. “I don’t have any complaints about my current position.”

Silence fell, and then Lee Han spoke again. “Detective-nim, let’s play a game from now on.”

“I’m telling you again, I don’t make promises like that with criminals.” Im Ha-yoon’s voice was sharp.

Lee Han’s tone changed. “If you win, I’ll provide you with the information you want. And if you win everything in the end, you’ll be released from here nicely.”

“How can I trust your words?” Im Ha-yoon scoffed.

“Aryong Group.”

At those two words, Im Ha-yoon’s breath seemed to stop.

Lee Han continued. “Aryong Group committed these acts, and Park Joon-ho is beneath them.”

Im Ha-yoon’s whole body stiffened. She desperately tried to hide her agitation, but her heart was racing like crazy.

“If the company finds out that I talked about this with you, they’ll try to get rid of me immediately. If that happens, you’ll never be able to get the information you want. That’s why you’ll accept my offer.”

Suddenly, something was forced into Im Ha-yoon’s mouth. She instinctively tried to spit it out, but it flowed down her throat.

“You son of a bitch, you tricked me again!” Im Ha-yoon cursed, but her consciousness was already fading.

In her last moment, Park Joon-ho’s face flashed through her mind. Betrayal, anger, and complex emotions were intertwined. But only for a moment, as Im Ha-yoon fell into a deep darkness.

–

Im Ha-yoon’s eyes snapped open. She looked around, seemingly confused. When she touched her wrists, she felt faint marks, but her clothes were intact and there were no other injuries on her body.

“Where is this…” Her gaze swept over the management office.

Lee Han was smiling at her from behind the desk. Im Ha-yoon instinctively tried to rush at him, but Park Min-ah and Kang Ji-won clumsily blocked her path.

“What… what is this?” Im Ha-yoon’s voice trembled.

Lee Han slowly opened his mouth. “I’ll give you a day. Come back if you’re going to accept my offer.”

The USB in his hand caught Im Ha-yoon’s attention.

“All the information you want is in here.” Lee Han’s voice was full of confidence.

Im Ha-yoon gritted her teeth. Anger and confusion crossed her eyes. As if she couldn’t stay there any longer, she hurriedly left the office.

Coming out onto the street, Im Ha-yoon instinctively headed towards the police station, but soon realized she was on vacation and turned back towards home.

Throughout her walk home, Im Ha-yoon’s mind was in turmoil. Lee Han’s words, the information contained in the USB, and the connection between Park Joon-ho and Aryong Group… everything was tangled together, tormenting her.

Opening the front door and stepping inside, Im Ha-yoon let out a deep sigh. She threw herself onto the sofa. Closing her eyes, Lee Han’s face came to mind. His confident smile, and the ‘game’ he had proposed…

“What the hell are you after…” Im Ha-yoon muttered.

Her hand unconsciously clenched and unclenched into a fist. Should she accept Lee Han’s offer? Should she jump into that dangerous game? Im Ha-yoon fell into deep thought.

Im Ha-yoon stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Her fingers slowly ran over her body, but she couldn’t find any traces. The USB that Lee Han was holding flickered in her eyes.

‘If I could just get that…’

Im Ha-yoon gritted her teeth. Her pride was hurt by the thought of negotiating with a criminal, but reality was harsh. She had nothing in her hands.

The file that Kang Ji-won sent came to mind. But it only revealed the noise of the relationship and Park Joon-ho’s baseness, and it was far from enough to be a clue to solving the case.

‘If Park Joon-ho falls… they’ll cut off the tail immediately.’

Im Ha-yoon’s hand tightly gripped the cold sink. Her eyes wavered. After a long deliberation, she let out a deep sigh.

With a trembling hand, she took out her cell phone. Lee Han’s name appeared on the screen.

[I’ll accept.]

The moment she sent the message, a corner of Im Ha-yoon’s heart grew heavy. She knew very well that she was stepping into a dangerous game. But now there was no turning back.

‘I’ll uncover the truth.’

A determined will settled in Im Ha-yoon’s eyes. She had to win this game no matter what. That was the only way to reveal this huge conspiracy.

The cell phone screen lit up. It was Lee Han’s reply.

[A wise choice, Detective-nim.]

Im Ha-yoon took a deep breath. Now, only unknown dangers lay before her. But her eyes became sharper. In this dangerous game, she will definitely win.

–

Im Ha-yoon entered the management office. Lee Han greeted her with the same smile as usual. There was no sign of anxiety in his attitude.

Lee Han handed her a glass of water. Im Ha-yoon looked down at the glass for a moment. Her eyes sharpened.

“You have to keep your promise.” Im Ha-yoon’s voice contained a warning.

Lee Han smiled gently. “I’m in the same boat as Detective-nim. Don’t worry.”

Im Ha-yoon hesitated for a moment, then lifted the glass of water and emptied it in one gulp. Her gaze was fixed on Lee Han.

In an instant, her vision began to blur. Even as her consciousness faded, Im Ha-yoon desperately tried to keep her eyes open.

Lee Han’s face came into her blurry vision. The smile on his lips became clearer and clearer. Im Ha-yoon tried to read the meaning in that smile, but her consciousness was already falling into darkness.

In her last moment, one thought flashed through Im Ha-yoon’s mind.

‘Is this… the beginning of the game…’

And her consciousness fell completely into pitch-black darkness.

Im Ha-yoon’s eyes snapped open. She was still tied up. “What the hell are you doing!” she shouted.

Lee Han’s voice echoed from the darkness. “Calm down, Detective-nim. The game hasn’t even started yet.”

Im Ha-yoon desperately tried to find Lee Han beyond the blindfold.

“Don’t waste your energy beforehand.” Lee Han said.

“You son of a bitch…” Im Ha-yoon growled.

“Since you accepted the offer, let me give you a gift first.” Im Ha-yoon listened carefully to Lee Han’s words.

“You know that Aryong Group built this apartment, right?” Im Ha-yoon was silent.

Lee Han continued. “Why did Aryong Group start this kind of charity work? Is it to monitor the members of the apartments they built themselves?”

Im Ha-yoon’s mind raced. “There are surveillance facilities in every room?”

“That’s correct.” Lee Han came closer and removed the blindfold.

Lee Han’s figure was revealed in the darkness. Im Ha-yoon spat on his face.

Lee Han calmly wiped it off and smiled. “You’re like a rough wild horse. It’s a good thing to tame a wild horse and turn it into a wonderful steed.”

“Crazy bastard.” Im Ha-yoon spat out.

Lee Han brought a syringe from somewhere in the room. “In order to receive the next gift, you have to endure what I do.”

Im Ha-yoon’s eyes widened. “What the hell are you doing!”

Lee Han raised his hand to try to calm her down. Fear and anger crossed Im Ha-yoon’s eyes.

The syringe, which was bigger than she thought, was filled with liquid instead of a needle. Im Ha-yoon’s eyes widened as she saw Lee Han holding it and carefully approaching from behind.

“Don’t do anything crazy!” Im Ha-yoon screamed, twisting her body back and forth.

Lee Han warned her. “It’s dangerous if you keep moving.” He forcibly grabbed Im Ha-yoon’s buttocks and waist.

Im Ha-yoon was completely exposed to Lee Han in a helpless state. Her heart was pounding violently. Fear and shame about what was about to happen washed over her.

When the cold object touched her anus, Im Ha-yoon stopped breathing. In that instant, her whole body stiffened with tension.

As the liquid slowly flowed into her body, Im Ha-yoon felt an unbearable discomfort. A groan escaped her lips as she felt her abdomen gradually expand. Humiliation and helplessness overwhelmed her.

“Ugh…” Im Ha-yoon gritted her teeth. Tears welled up in her eyes.

When Lee Han took out a stopwatch after the process was over, Im Ha-yoon was already in extreme pain and humiliation. The time ahead felt like an eternity to her.

“You have to endure for 10 minutes.”

Im Ha-yoon tried to get angry, but she couldn’t say anything and only twisted her body because of the bloated feeling in her lower abdomen. Cold sweat ran down her forehead. The sound of the second hand rang in her ears. Tick, tock, tick. Each second felt like an eternity.

Im Ha-yoon closed her eyes tightly. She tried to breathe evenly, but the pressure in her lower abdomen became more and more intense. She gritted her teeth. ‘Endure, I have to endure…’

How much time had passed? One minute? Or 10 seconds? Im Ha-yoon couldn’t tell. Her consciousness was focused solely on enduring. Even Lee Han’s presence faded.

Just when she thought 5 minutes had finally passed, Im Ha-yoon tried to let out a sigh of relief. At that moment, an unexpected sharp pain pierced through her lower abdomen. “Ugh…” She barely endured it once, suppressing a groan. But it was dangerous. Her whole body stiffened with tension.

“8 minutes have passed.”

Lee Han’s voice was faint, as if it were coming from far away. Im Ha-yoon’s consciousness was focused solely on enduring the remaining 2 minutes. Her heart was beating fast, and with each passing second, her patience reached its limit. Time seemed to have stopped, and Im Ha-yoon felt as if this painful moment would last forever.

Just when she was about to reassure herself that she only had to endure a little longer, Im Ha-yoon’s faint hope collapsed in an instant. Her eyes widened at the sudden cramp in her lower abdomen.

“No…” she muttered desperately.

She tried to twist her tied legs, but it was no use. Fear and despair washed over her. The sound of the stopwatch rang in her ears as if mocking her.

Suddenly, Im Ha-yoon felt her self-control collapsing. “Ah…” A miserable groan escaped her lips.

The moment Im Ha-yoon’s last resistance crumbled, she felt a low gurgling in her body. Then, with a sudden pressure, the liquid began to gush out of her body.

A sharp, unpleasant smell spread through the air. Im Ha-yoon’s nose wrinkled. She constantly heard the sound of liquid and solids mixed together falling to the floor.

Im Ha-yoon’s whole body trembled convulsively at the warm, sticky sensation flowing down her thighs and buttocks. Her skin was contaminated with unpleasant moisture and filth, and the surrounding air became heavy and disgusting.

Im Ha-yoon bit her lip, but couldn’t stop the painful groans. Hot tears streamed down her face. Extreme shame and humiliation completely overwhelmed her.

Lee Han’s cold voice added to her pain. “Failure.”

Im Ha-yoon glared at him with tearful, angry eyes. Her whole body trembled with shame and humiliation.

Im Ha-yoon sent a furious gaze at Lee Han, but he immediately took out the syringe again and said, “Let’s go one more time.”