TTILY CH 03

The unexpected reunion had driven Ria to the edge of a cliff. She wanted to run out immediately, but her feet refused to move. All she could do was silently endure the cruel words coming from his mouth.

When she lowered her head slightly, he caught her chin and forced her to look up.

“Shouldn’t we throw a party to celebrate seeing each other again?”

There was something ominous beneath the word party. Ria simply stared at him without saying anything.

Inside, she kept repeating that she would quit. She had already said it aloud, but Baek Shin-woo had ignored her words.

Ria vowed that once she left this place, she would never set foot in Village again.

Then Baek Shin-woo pulled a phone from the inner pocket of his jacket and made a call.

“Chief Yoo, contact the security team immediately and have them come in.”

Security.

At that word, Ria stared at him in stunned disbelief. He tilted his head once from side to side, and the corner of his mouth twisted.

Surely he isn’t planning to keep an eye on me.

Or had he already anticipated that she would try to run away?

A chill slowly spread through her entire body.

Ria became increasingly nervous at how quickly he reacted. If he really had someone watching her, Yoon’s existence could be discovered. She absolutely had to prevent that.

“If you’ve finished what you wanted to say, then I’ll—”

She began speaking, hoping that he wasn’t planning to monitor her, but he slowly shook his head.

“We’re not finished yet.”

The ominous feeling approached without form, like a wind, and shook her to the core.

Baek Shin-woo took out a cigarette and placed it between his lips. He lit it without hesitation and exhaled the smoke toward her face. Ria barely managed to suppress a cough.

Seeing him smoke again felt unfamiliar. Five years ago, he had always accommodated her. When she coughed whenever he smoked, he had willingly quit for her.

Things were different now, of course. Still, she couldn’t stop the sorrow rising inside her.

After taking a deep drag, he exhaled another stream of smoke.

“From this moment on, you’re in the palm of my hand.”

Her fears had become reality.