Chapter 9

Haruka’s shoulders flinched at Ryota’s whisper.

A tail? What was he talking about?

Just as she started to turn her head, Ryota spoke again.

“It’s Jin Ihan.”

“…!”

“He’s walking this way.”

The tension she had managed to release tightened again. Her heartbeat, which had steadied, pounded heavily.

Noticing this, Ryota’s eyes darkened slightly.

He loosened his arms and took a step back, wiping away the sharpness that had flashed across his face moments earlier.

‘I let my guard down.’

Losing focus always brought danger.

She had missed something so basic because her body had briefly relaxed after the tense car ride.

“You alright?”

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

Haruka gave a small smile and turned around.

Seeing her, Ihan stopped walking. She approached him first.

“Mr. Jin. Did you need something…”

But Ihan’s gaze wasn’t on her. It was fixed on Ryota behind her.

He slipped one hand into his pocket and tilted his head.

“Who’s that man?”

“Is that something I need to answer?”

“If you don’t, I’ll ask him myself.”

Ihan’s behavior was far from reasonable.

Offering her a ride had been one thing, but following her here was something else entirely.

And that look in his eyes.

He was blatantly showing displeasure, like jealousy.

Almost as if he’d reverted to the old Jin Ihan.

“He’s a colleague.”

“Colleague?”

“Yes. He’s the head researcher at the Aromapis Korea branch. He and I were dispatched from Japan together. Is that what you came here to ask me about?”

Ihan shifted his gaze back to her.

Emotions still rippled in his eyes, refusing to fade.

For the first time, Haruka genuinely found herself curious about his behavior.

“To be honest, I don’t understand. Why are you doing this to me, Mr. Jin?”

“…”

“You did the same thing when we first met. You pushed me like you already knew me.”

As she spoke, the lingering emotions in his eyes began to dissipate one by one.

“I don’t know who you’re confusing me with, but…”

“I know.”

His voice was low, strained, forced through dry lips.

“I know. Because she’s dead.”

* * *

Right after Ihan left, Haruka entered the building with Ryota.

Even as they waited for the elevator, she looked a little dazed.

“I know. Because she’s dead.”

Ihan’s words echoed in her ears like a haunting refrain.

And his faraway, sunken gaze lingered vividly in her mind.

‘What right do you have to look at me like that after you killed me?’

How could you… why?

“Haruka. You’re not losing your nerve, are you?”

Ryota’s sudden interruption cut through the spiral of thoughts.

“That’s ridiculous.”

Losing her nerve? It was absurd.

Even the doubt itself was like the ghost of the weak Yoo Haru.

Ryota gave a small grin.

“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

Just then, the elevator arrived.

As they ascended to the top floor meeting point, Ryota’s gaze stayed on her the entire time.

When the officetel door opened, the calming scent of a diffuser welcomed them.

“Wait here. I’ll grab it.”

Ryota disappeared into the room.

And right on cue, Ihan’s voice echoed sharply in her head.

‘Stop.’

The harder she tried to shake it off, the more persistently it clung to her.

“What’s got you so deep in thought?”

As her empty gaze drifted through the air, Ryota returned carrying a small box.

Her eyes refocused sharply.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

He looked unconvinced but sighed and changed the subject.

“Here. Take it.”

Inside the box were a pair of pearl earrings and a small dark green bottle of oil.

There was also a recorded video from Baek Jin-ha.

When they plugged in the USB, the tablet screen filled with the image of Baek Jin-ha in his wheelchair.

“Haruka.”

His voice hit her like a stimulant, clearing away Ihan’s lingering presence in an instant.

In the recording, his face was expressionless as always.

“First, congratulations on entering the mansion. The earrings I sent are miniature cameras. When you wear them and activate the app on your phone, we’ll be able to see everything inside the mansion along your route. There are many areas where CCTV hacking won’t work, so keep them on as much as possible.”

Haruka touched the earrings, then lifted them to her ears.

“And the medicine is something you’ll use soon.”

The colorless, odorless poison was meant to be mixed into Jin Seonghan’s oil during aromatherapy sessions.

As Baek Jin-ha explained the composition and usage of the poison, Haruka stared down at the brown bottle.

Its weight in her hand felt impossibly heavy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ihan had parked near the Aromapis branch.

His secretary, Jung, shifted nervously, glancing repeatedly at the rearview mirror.

‘Everyone’s already on standby…’

Today was the final blind test for the new product line.

The process couldn’t move forward without Ihan’s approval. His exceptional business sense combined with his extraordinary sense of smell made him indispensable for the evaluation.

Especially today, since it was the Night Relaxing line, a product that had taken a year and a half of research and failures to complete.

‘Is this because of that woman?’

Something about him had changed after giving Haruka Suzuki a ride.

It was the first time he’d ever let a woman ride in his car.

The first time Jung had ever seen his boss act that way.

And the look on Ihan’s face when he’d followed her out of the car…

“Mr. Jung.”

A deep, low voice made him jump.

“Yes, sir.”

“Look into Aromapis.”

Ihan’s gaze remained fixed on the elegant building in front of them.

Jinseong’s aromatherapists were carefully vetted from the very start.

Background checks, recruitment, everything was tightly controlled.

Rechecking wouldn’t change much, and Ihan knew that.

“Not the usual information. Get the detailed stuff.”

“Is there something that’s bothering you?”

“There’s more than just one or two things bothering me.”

His eyes darkened even more.

“Focus on Haruka Suzuki. Everything. Birth, family, acquaintances, medical history, finances.”

He rolled up the window, pulling his gaze away.

“Legal or not. As fast as possible.”

The added words made Jung’s heart race.

It was an unspoken order to make this his top priority.

“Understood, sir.”

* * *

A few days later, a little past 9 p.m.

Haruka was on her way to Jin Seonghan’s bedroom.

He had left work early, had dinner with his daughter, then summoned her.

She had blended the oil she’d received two days earlier, diluting a single drop to use as an aromatherapy mist.

“You won’t get addicted. You already have resistance.”

Baek Jin-ha’s voice echoed in her ear.

Even if she did get addicted, death was the worst that could happen.

Haruka wasn’t afraid of the poison.

What terrified her was the possibility of failing to finish her revenge.

After the accident, she had barely survived countless close calls, clinging to life through sheer will.

Losing it all now would be unbearable.

She had to carefully observe Seonghan’s skin and breathing for any initial reactions.

Even if it slowed her timeline, the key was making sure he didn’t suspect anything.

Knock knock.

She tapped lightly on the door. A crisp response came from inside.

“Come in.”

Dressed casually, Seonghan greeted her with a soft smile.

It was polite and businesslike, but the wariness in his eyes had faded a little.

He looked her up and down, then tilted his head slightly.

“Those earrings look nice.”

It was an unexpected compliment, but knowing the earrings held a hidden camera made it hard to enjoy.

Haruka didn’t flinch, answering with a faint smile.

“Thank you.”

“Were they a gift? I didn’t see them yesterday.”

“No, they’re something I’ve had for a while. I found them while unpacking today. Should I take them off if they bother you?”

“No need. They look good.”

Seonghan chuckled softly, then unbuttoned his polo shirt as he looked at her.

“Shall we start?”