Prey (Lee Seohan) - Chapter 157

Do Jeonghan was the heir to Cheonkyung, but how his parents were killed remained a mystery.

However, the conversations between the two didn’t seem like they were making things up.

To commit murder…

They said Do Jeonghan’s father was killed because he refused to sell his technology.

Even his mother too.

Over something so trivial, so utterly trivial…

Suhyeon wiped away the tears streaming down her face with the back of her hand. She bit her lip and stared at the freezing sea with tear-streaked eyes.

Do Jeonghan had deceived her as well.

He married her for revenge, and yet…

‘No, maybe he didn’t deceive me.’

Suhyeon let out a bitter laugh.

He hadn’t said anything, so perhaps it wasn’t deception. He hadn’t lied, after all.

But does that change anything?

I was nothing more than the target of his revenge.

Just… the daughter of the murderer who killed his parents.

‘I love you.’

Jeonghan’s earnest confession swirled in her mind.

No… you didn’t love me. You only sought revenge. You just got confused for a moment with your target.

‘I love you, Seol Suhyeon.’

No, no!

To escape the echoing voice that felt like an auditory hallucination, Suhyeon covered her ears and shook her head.

“Please, stop.”

I can’t love you.

How could I, the daughter of Seol Hee-nam… how could I love you?

I’m the daughter of that devil of a man.

Suhyeon covered her face and sobbed. The sorrow welling up from the depths of her heart was so overwhelming it felt as if it were tormenting her very soul.

* * * * *

A few days later, Suhyeon searched for hotels online and moved to another one.

The previous hotel wasn’t bad, but she thought staying at a hotel closer to the ferry terminal for the islands would be better.

Her daily routine became taking the ferry to the islands and sitting by the beach. The winter sea was tranquil and quiet.

She spent the entire day sitting and staring at the ocean.

After sitting there long enough, she would suddenly feel a chill so deep it seemed to reach her very bones.

Only after that did Suhyeon curl up tightly and return to the hotel.

She didn’t even think about taking a hot shower and instead fell asleep shivering uncontrollably.

After spending a few days like that, it was inevitable that Suhyeon caught a cold.

Unable to take any medication, she suffered from a high fever for several days, drenched in sweat and feeling as though her entire body was shriveling up.

‘My throat feels like it’s burning…’

The two water bottles replenished daily in her room became her lifeline.

She was so weak that it took several attempts just to lift a bottle and drink.

Overcome by an intense thirst, she hastily emptied a bottle and then collapsed back into sleep.

It took three grueling days of suffering from what felt like a severe feverish cold for Suhyeon to regain her senses.

She vaguely remembered a phone call from the front desk during that time, but the fever had left her too delirious to recall it clearly.

‘Did I ask for water?’

Perhaps she had, as a small cage holding several bottles of water hung on her door handle.

With a pale, gaunt face, Suhyeon opened one of the bottles and drank it all.

Then she ordered room service and ate some warm soup.

Each spoonful of the seafood soup scraped against her sore throat, which still felt raw, but she slowly finished it without leaving a drop.

Looking out the window with her emaciated face, Suhyeon gazed at the bleak winter sky, which had somehow grown familiar.

‘…It wouldn’t be so bad to live here.’

Such thoughts faintly crossed her mind.

If she stayed here, she could live without entangling herself with anyone, earning money doing whatever work she could find.

Without hurting anyone, without being hurt by anyone… just completely alone.

‘Am I just running away?’

Suhyeon let out a bitter smile.

She knew, deep down, that it was a foolish thought. She also knew she couldn’t stay here forever.

When the time came that she could forget Do Jeonghan and feel okay again, then… she would return.

Once she had sorted out her thoughts and the turmoil in her heart had subsided.

When Do Jeonghan exacted his revenge on Seol Hee-nam, she would have her part to play.

To do that, she would need to return. Running away like this wouldn’t solve anything.

“…….”

With that thought, Suhyeon looked up at the cloudy sky, which seemed ready to pour rain at any moment.