Bound by a Ruthless Contract - Chapter 147

After ascending to the suite from the banquet hall, Ga-eun had reportedly never left the room. She had always moved according to her own calculations, never straying from the expected path. That’s why he was certain he would find her if he went to the hotel.

“Ga-eun…” Si-heon’s voice carried a weight of concern.

“Sir, we- we had guards stationed at every entrance. No one saw her leave,” the guard stammered, his face turning pale under Si-heon’s intense gaze.

“Are you suggesting that my wife, who never left the room, simply vanished into thin air?” Si-heon’s voice was deadly quiet, his eyes blazing with a fury that made the guards bow their heads in submission.

“We deeply apologize.”

“Did I hire you to spout meaningless apologies?”

“…”

“Find her.” At his command, the guards scattered immediately, each beginning their search for Ga-eun in their own way.

Si-heon took a deep breath and roughly ran his hands over his face. Though he had rushed to the Royal Hotel as fast as possible, his expectation of finding Ga-eun had been brutally shattered. The suite where Ga-eun and her supposed aunt had gone up to was empty. Only a hollow void awaited him.

“…hah.” He tried to calm himself. There was no need to be hasty. He would find her soon. She couldn’t escape his grasp. No matter where she went. And yet… Why wouldn’t this paralyzing anxiety leave him? Why did his heart feel frozen with unprecedented urgency?

Despite searching every corner of the suite, there was no trace of Ga-eun. ‘Unless…’ A thought flashed through his mind. After instructing the guards to continue the search, Si-heon quickly headed home. He went straight to the bedroom, past the bed and into the dressing room, turning to the right side that belonged to his wife.

Nothing appeared to be missing. Except for what Ga-eun had worn today, everything was in its place – all the clothes, bags, and jewelry he had personally ordered brought in.

The luggage carrier remained untouched as well. However… the small Boston bag that had been beside it was conspicuously absent. Though he tried to rationalize that she must have taken it to carry items from the bazaar, the unsettling feeling refused to dissipate.

Her room office suddenly came to mind. Without hesitation, Si-heon strode up to the second floor and entered his wife’s private space. Her signature subtle fragrance lingered in the air, gradually soothing his agitated state. Nothing appeared to be missing here either even her laptop remained in its place. Yet why did this faint sense of disquiet persist?

Si-heon never ignored his instincts. His primal intuition had never led him astray. He made his way to his own study first, where he kept his contingency plans for the scenario he desperately hoped wasn’t unfolding. The moment he sat in his chair and looked at his desk, his breath caught.

The fountain pen’s position was slightly askew – a detail only he would notice. And there it was… faint but unmistakable Ga-eun’s scent. Unlike him, she had never entered his personal space without permission. When someone deviates from their usual behavior, it signals a change – or that something significant has occurred.

His gaze fell on the memo pad. Though he hadn’t used it in some time, today there was a small paper fragment still clinging to the perforation. It was clear that Ga-eun had used his fountain pen to write something here. Instinctively, he knew whatever she had written would bring him no comfort.

Where would she have placed it? Having come this far into his study, she wouldn’t have left it outside. With sharp eyes, Si-heon scrutinized his desk. He would start here before moving on to the bookshelves. Even if she had slipped the note between the pages of one of countless books, he would find it – no matter what it took.

The note, however, proved surprisingly easy to find. In the deepest recess of the first drawer lay a neatly folded piece of paper. The moment he unfolded it…

“…ah.” Si-heon’s face contorted. It felt as though something massive, and scorching had suddenly constricted his airways.

[I will not overstep my bounds.

I’ll live remembering only that.

Please be happy.]