Chapter 198 - What it Means to be a Baekhwa Executive
"Hayoung-nim...? You seem to be in a strangely good mood?"
Suhyeon, sitting on the sofa beside Hayoung, spoke up as she noticed the silly, lingering smile plastered on her boss's face.
'Did something good happen?'
Suhyeon blinked, momentarily lost for words. Hayoung's smile was odd—almost devious.
"Huh? Do I really look like that? No way~"
Despite her denial, Hayoung continued to giggle as if she were walking on air.
It was that intoxicating sense of superiority—the thrill of being the only one who knew Minseo's secret.
None of you have any idea.
I'm the only one who knows how to break Minseo, how to make him cry out in pure ecstasy.
From now on, I'm going to monopolize his love all for myself.
Hayoung was already spinning a devious, lewd web in her mind, counting down the days until she could finally have him.
"What's with that stupid look on your face?"
Seoyoung chimed in, unable to ignore Hayoung's foolish grinning any longer.
"Anyway, why did you call us here?"
Hayoung had summoned the executives, cutting into the rare, relaxing time they were spending with Minseo. Naturally, there had to be a reason for the gathering.
"Just wait a second. I'll tell you once Minseo gets here."
Right on cue, Minseo appeared, trudging down the stairs from the second floor. He looked completely disheveled, like he'd just been dragged out of a nap.
"Our Minseo is so cute~♡"
Seeing his messy state, Chae-ryeong wasted no time, lunging forward to pull him into a suffocatingly tight embrace.
"Ugh..? Hmph.."
Still half-asleep and suddenly buried in Chae-ryeong's soft breasts, Minseo's eyes flew open as he began to struggle for air.
"Eonni! He can't breathe!"
Ji-ha, watching from the side, glared at Chae-ryeong and pried the two apart.
"Heehee.. Sorry."
Chae-ryeong, whose dignified image as the eldest eonni had vanished in favor of being a mischievous prankster, giggled as she linked her arm with Minseo's.
"Heu-ah.. Thank you, Ji-ha-nim."
Minseo let out a ragged breath, looking like he'd just come back from the dead.
He knew he needed to get used to the way these women constantly initiated physical contact, but...
He still couldn't quite adapt to how they constantly pressed their bodies against his in such explicit, suggestive ways.
They'd crush their breasts against him every chance they got...
Caress his thighs...
Or bury their faces in the crook of his neck just to inhale his scent.
The affection was far more intense than before, and Minseo felt like his very soul was melting under the sweetness of it all.
Lately, it felt like the executives were in a constant competition.
If one of them so much as linked arms with him, the others would immediately pierce them with icy glares.
Just like right now.
Every executive in the room was staring daggers at Chae-ryeong for hogging him.
It wasn't like the old days when they all bullied him together; now it was a fierce, silent civil war... and Minseo was stuck in the middle, walking on eggshells.
'I'm going to die of exhaustion at this rate. God dammit.'
Minseo sighed, pressing a palm to his forehead.
"Everyone, stop playing around and sit down. It's time for an Executive Meeting. It's been a while."
Hayoung patted the sofa, beckoning them over.
'...Executive Meeting.'
Minseo flinched at the words. His memories of these meetings were anything but pleasant.
Usually, he was stripped naked, forced to endure vibrators or strange devices inserted into his body, and subjected to relentless humiliation.
Just the thought of it sent a shiver down his spine. It was a trauma... but now that his mind had been twisted into that of a masochist, he couldn't help but wonder how it would feel if they did those things to him now.
Minseo felt a confusing surge of fear and anticipation, then quickly shook his head to clear the intrusive thoughts.
"Minseo? What are you doing?"
"Ah. Yes, coming."
At Hayoung's call, Minseo immediately took a seat among the executives.
"First, the most important matter."
Hayoung got straight to the point, her eyes turning serious as she placed an object on the round table.
It was the latest iPhone.
"Is this the 'important matter'?" Seoyoung asked, blinking in confusion.
"Are we getting into the mobile phone business now?"
Minseo bit his lip to keep from laughing as he watched Ji-ha stare blankly at Hayoung with a totally clueless expression.
As he grew more comfortable with them, he found himself smiling and relaxing naturally.
"Ha... How did I ever make it this far with kids like these..."
Hayoung looked between Seoyoung and Ji-ha with a look of pure pity before speaking again.
"This is for Minseo. Since he isn't a slave anymore."
At her sincere words, the executives finally turned to Minseo and nodded.
"I'm sorry we did those awful things to you on a whim."
"I apologize."
"I'm sorry, Minseo-ya."
Once again, the executives acknowledged their past cruelty and apologized. Their eyes were filled with genuine remorse.
"...No. It's fine. It's all in the past now."
Minseo gave an awkward smile as he accepted the phone.
"You don't need to be restricted by us anymore. Go out whenever you want, eat whatever you want. However..."
Hayoung, who had been speaking so seriously, suddenly trailed off.
"However?" Minseo prompted.
"It'll be more fun... probably... if you go with us."
Minseo smiled warmly as he watched Hayoung mumble, her face flushing a deep red.
She really does get shy about the strangest things.
"Yes. You're saying it'll be more fun if I go with you all, right? Then of course I'll go with you."
"Wow, seriously?"
"Where do you want to go? Should I get ready now?"
"Can't you just go with me? Just the two of us?"
The executives erupted in excitement, their eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Hayoung held up a hand to quiet the rowdy atmosphere caused by Minseo's sweet response.
"Everyone, calm down. I still have more to say."
She continued, her tone regaining its authority.
"As Minseo wished... he will now officially take on the position of a Baekhwa Executive. You'll have your own territory and office to manage."
"Yes. I understand."
Now that Minseo was an executive, Hayoung had no intention of letting him just sit around as a trophy. While she would have been perfectly happy keeping him tucked away by her side, she knew he wouldn't want that.
Since he had earned the title, it was only right to give him the responsibility of managing a territory and an office to match his rank.
She worried that other organizations—or other women—might target him again, but Minseo was no longer a helpless slave. He was a Baekhwa Executive with an army of subordinates at his beck and call. That thought allowed Hayoung to breathe a bit easier. Plus, she knew the other executives would probably be 'visiting' his territory every chance they got.
"Minseo's getting his own territory and office?!"
"Can't you put it right next to mine?!"
"Can I just move my house into Minseo's office?"
The women reacted violently to the news, practically vibrating with excitement. Surrounded by their intense, sparkling gazes, Minseo broke into a cold sweat, looking flustered and overwhelmed.
"There's even more important news," Hayoung said, her voice dropping to a low, serious tone.
"Regarding the secretary and security guard who will assist Minseo with his duties..."
Before she could even finish the sentence, the executives' eyes sharpened like blades.
"Hayoung eonni. I don't want to be an executive anymore. I'm going back to being Minseo's secretary."
Ji-ha nodded firmly, ready to demote herself on the spot.
"Hayoung-nim, I believe the role of secretary and guard suits me perfectly. Technically, I'm not even a full executive. I will work tirelessly as Minseo-nim's personal shadow."
Suhyeon, usually composed, began rambling in a desperate bid for the position.
"I'm the best fighter here! And I can learn the paperwork! I'll do it!"
Seoyoung shouted, her breathing heavy with excitement.
"Whew... You all need to listen until I'm finished. First of all, none of you are doing it."
Hayoung sighed at the chaos, shaking her head in exasperation.
"Why?! Why not? I'd be a great secretary for him..."
"Because you are executives of this organization. You have your own territories to run. It makes zero sense for you to quit just to be his assistant. And Suhyeon, you have your own mountain of work to do as
my
secretary."
Hayoung firmly brought them back to reality. Their power had grown significantly after absorbing the Hwayeon organization; they couldn't afford to lose executives. If anything, they needed more hands on deck.
This meant that Minseo's secretary and guard would have to be someone new.
"Minseo, would you like to choose them yourself?"
Hayoung decided to trust his judgment. As a new executive, it was better for him to personally select the people he would be working with every day.
"M... Me?"
Minseo's eyes widened, looking momentarily panicked, but his gaze soon sharpened with resolve.
"Yes. I'll do it."
Minseo understood the weight of the situation. Baekhwa was the most influential mafia organization in the country. Becoming an executive wasn't just a title; it was a position of immense power and danger.
They were laughing and joking in the living room now, but they all knew the truth. Leading men and holding territory was a heavy burden. That was why they had tried to stop him from becoming an executive in the first place—they wanted to protect him.
But they couldn't stop him from doing what he wanted. After everything they had put him through, they no longer had the right to dictate his life.
They saw the fire in his eyes. Minseo was no longer a slave. He was a Baekhwa Executive. In a way, he had finally returned to where he belonged.
"I'll do my best, everyone."
To them, he was still their lovely, precious Minseo. But the moment he stepped into this role, a massive storm of change began to swirl.
Who would be the ones to stand by his side as his new secretary and guard?
And then...
"Minseo. I debated whether or not to tell you this..."
"Tell me what...?"
"Yoon Seol. We're still holding her captive."
Minseo's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes began to tremble violently.
The head of the police. The woman who had nearly dismantled Baekhwa. The one who had tried to end his life.
Yoon Seol was still alive, rotting in a mafia cell.
"Do you... want your revenge?"
At Hayoung's question, Minseo's trembling gaze turned cold and razor-sharp.
Revenge.
Revenge against the woman who had violated and humiliated him.
Honestly, it's a pretty tempting offer, isn't it?
The time for payback was drawing near.