when the phone rings novel

On the way home.

"..."
"..."

The moment Hee-joo got into the car, she fell asleep almost immediately. Hugging her handbag tightly, she occasionally opened her eyes to scan her surroundings warily before drifting back into slumber. The faint scent of champagne lingered in her breath.

Baek Sa-eon reached over to steady her head, which swayed with the car's motion, before fastening her seatbelt securely.

"..."

Afterward, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, staring coldly at the now-ended call displayed on the screen.

"406..."

From the beginning, he had planned to reveal certain truths to her. However, not in that moment, nor in the chaotic way it unfolded.

"I only wanted to spin a story, to build a connection—"

But when the blackmailer began demeaning Hee-joo, everything spiraled out of control.

If he had joined in criticizing her at that time, perhaps the situation might have played out differently. But Baek Sa-eon couldn't bring himself to do it.

His gaze wandered to the rapidly passing scenery outside, his jaw tightening.

But he couldn't tolerate it.

"Damn it..."

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone suddenly vibrated. Without hesitation, he answered it, glancing at Hee-joo as he did so.

Before he could even speak, a voice on the other end burst out urgently.

"Senior! We found it! We've located them!"

"Calm down and speak slowly," he replied, lowering his voice to avoid waking Hee-joo. At the same time, he carefully brushed her loose hair behind her ear.

"It's the blackmailer! Do you know the call lasted over 10 minutes? We successfully traced their location. We got them!"

The assistant's excitement was palpable, but Baek Sa-eon only raised an eyebrow slightly.

Ten minutes? That wasn't like him. He rarely made such errors in timing.

"They're very close—at the Sogong-dong hotel where you were earlier today!"

"What?"

For the first time, his eyes left Hee-joo, his expression hardening.

"It seems to be someone who attended the event at the Mountain View Daily celebration today."

"..."

A cold laugh escaped him. This felt like a twisted game, one designed to toy with him.

Baek Sa-eon was no stranger to dealing with criminals, but 406 was different—a peculiar existence that stirred an almost visceral desire to crush them. This person had deliberately targeted his most hidden vulnerabilities, proving to be a master of manipulation.

He resolved to personally investigate the attendees, temporary workers, and staff at the event to uncover the connections.

"How's the progress on decrypting the altered voice?" he asked in a low tone.

"Ah, yes... It's not standard voice modulation but encrypted audio. It's complex, but the team is working to peel back the layers."

Baek Sa-eon adjusted the shawl that had slipped from Hee-joo's shoulders, though the worry on his face remained.

After dropping her off at home, he drove straight to the third office.

The dimly lit space was still bustling, with several staff members working late into the night at their computers.

As soon as he stepped inside, his exhausted assistant, Park Do-jae, approached with a stack of reports in hand.

"Senior, did you get the notification from the police?"

"Ah—"

Halfway through taking off his coat, Baek Sa-eon paused. The matter had been left to his assistant to handle, as he had been preoccupied with the Mountain View Daily event.

The issue concerning Hee-joo's biological father had been more of a procedural report, not something he'd placed much hope in.

But then, his thoughts flashed back to Hee-joo in the car, holding her phone pressed against her ear during the ride.

His sharp gaze darkened, as if trying to piece together something he had missed.

Standing motionless in the office for a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and deliberate.

"998가4568."

"What?"

"The license plate of a police car. I need the dashcam footage from around 3 p.m. on October 14th."

The request came so suddenly that the assistant tilted his head in confusion.

"Why the sudden interest—what's this about?"

Baek Sa-eon's tone remained calm and detached.

"I want to see my wife's face."

Baek Sa-eon remained silent as his assistant faltered.

"What?"

"Is there an issue?"

Park Do-jae opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to respond. All patrol cars and the Criminal Task Force vehicles' dashcam footage had already been commandeered by the NIS hacking programs.

"How long will it take?" Baek Sa-eon pressed coldly.

Under his sharp gaze, Park Do-jae hurriedly returned to his workstation. However, the assistant's blank expression transformed into a cold, calculated one as soon as he turned away.

"Let me out of the car."

"What?"

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

The faint glow of the monitor illuminated Baek Sa-eon's face in the dark office. His expression froze, stiffening as his eyes locked on the screen.

There she was—Hong Hee-joo.

"You think this is a taxi?"

"Just let me out. Please."

"But we're in the middle of the road. How—"

"It doesn't matter if I'm alone. Everything will be fine."

What the hell is going on?

"Please, I'm begging you. Let me out, please. Ugh—"

On the screen, Hee-joo was frantically banging on the car door, kicking it with her feet in a full-blown panic.

At the same time, her voice echoed clearly:

"Let me out. Please."

"Ha..."

He grabbed the back of his neck as his coffee cup tipped over, spilling across the papers on his desk, soaking them in black.

But Baek Sa-eon didn't even notice. His burning gaze was glued to the screen.

Hong Hee-joo can... speak?

She spoke?

Since when...?

Running his hands over his tense face, his trembling eyes refused to settle.

What the hell is going on...

Even as the coffee seeped into his sleeve, staining it dark, he paid no attention. Instead, he replayed the video.

His face remained a twisted picture of disbelief, his expression unrelenting.

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

The voice was crystal clear, devoid of distortion.

He forced himself to listen to Hee-joo's voice over and over again. Yet no matter how many times he replayed it, the disbelief remained.

That mouth, which had been closed nearly her entire life, how could it have produced such a sound?

So effortlessly, so fragile, so heartbreakingly delicate.

"Ha..."

His fingers pressed the replay button again.

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

His obsessive gaze fixated on her lips in the video, unrelenting.

For twenty years.

Twenty years of silence.

Perhaps it was because of that silence that he had never doubted her muteness. But now, it felt like a brick had struck him square in the back of the head, leaving him numb and cold.

"You can ring my be-e-ell..."

As the faint pop song played in the background, he replayed the video once more.

The entire night passed like this.

By morning, Baek Sa-eon had accepted a fact he could no longer deny.

Hong Hee-joo could speak.

His brows knitted tightly together.

When Hee-joo opened her eyes, the morning light nearly made her scream.

"—!"

Thankfully, the sound lodged in her throat transformed into a sudden, violent sneeze.

Why, why...

Standing beside the bed, Baek Sa-eon stared down at her with an expressionless face.

But what was more unsettling than his sharp gaze were his unnaturally still movements, as though he had been standing there for a long time.

Though he wore the same clothes as the night before, they now bore subtle differences. His tie was missing, and his sleeves were stained with what looked like dried coffee.

What happened last night? How had his usually immaculate appearance become so disheveled?

Hee-joo instinctively clutched her reddened neck and moved away from him.

Baek Sa-eon's eyes followed her every movement, unblinking.

"Hong Hee-joo, did you sleep well?"

"..."

His tone sounded nothing like a casual greeting. Beneath it was a strange, simmering anger.

Sensing the tension, Hee-joo furrowed her brows.

When she didn't respond, he let out a cold chuckle.

"Ah—this feels worse than I imagined."

He laughed softly, rubbing his temples as if battling a severe headache. A faint wrinkle appeared between his brows, his frustration evident.

"I always thought Hong Hee-joo was just a quiet person—"

He added, his voice carrying a peculiar, sticky quality.

His gaze lingered on the area around Hee-joo's lips, scrutinizing her intently.

"Let's start with the tremors."

"...!"

"Want to give it a try?"

He licked his lips, his tired eyes blinking slowly as if weighing his options.

"I always thought there wasn't a secret in this world I didn't know. But today, I got slapped in the face hard."

Resting his head against the wall, he muttered to himself, "This is an utter mess."

"Hong Hee-joo knows how to pick her moments."

Climbing onto the bed, he collapsed heavily onto it. A faint scent of coffee clung to him.

Startled, Hee-joo hurriedly tried to leave the bed, but before she could move, his hand seized her ankle.

The grip was far stronger than she expected, leaving her unable to budge.

He pulled her ankle, straightening her leg, and then tucked the blanket securely over her.

"The timid Hong Hee-joo... knows exactly how to pick her battles. Makes me..."

Half-lidded eyes gleaming faintly, he muttered curses under his breath.

Then, with an unusual intensity, he lifted his gaze to her stiff, motionless figure.

"An expensive mouth, indeed."

Hee-joo could only stare at him blankly, utterly at a loss for words.

On the way home.

"..."
"..."

The moment Hee-joo got into the car, she fell asleep almost immediately. Hugging her handbag tightly, she occasionally opened her eyes to scan her surroundings warily before drifting back into slumber. The faint scent of champagne lingered in her breath.

Baek Sa-eon reached over to steady her head, which swayed with the car's motion, before fastening her seatbelt securely.

"..."

Afterward, he pulled his phone out of his pocket, staring coldly at the now-ended call displayed on the screen.

"406..."

From the beginning, he had planned to reveal certain truths to her. However, not in that moment, nor in the chaotic way it unfolded.

"I only wanted to spin a story, to build a connection—"

But when the blackmailer began demeaning Hee-joo, everything spiraled out of control.

If he had joined in criticizing her at that time, perhaps the situation might have played out differently. But Baek Sa-eon couldn't bring himself to do it.

His gaze wandered to the rapidly passing scenery outside, his jaw tightening.

But he couldn't tolerate it.

"Damn it..."

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone suddenly vibrated. Without hesitation, he answered it, glancing at Hee-joo as he did so.

Before he could even speak, a voice on the other end burst out urgently.

"Senior! We found it! We've located them!"

"Calm down and speak slowly," he replied, lowering his voice to avoid waking Hee-joo. At the same time, he carefully brushed her loose hair behind her ear.

"It's the blackmailer! Do you know the call lasted over 10 minutes? We successfully traced their location. We got them!"

The assistant's excitement was palpable, but Baek Sa-eon only raised an eyebrow slightly.

Ten minutes? That wasn't like him. He rarely made such errors in timing.

"They're very close—at the Sogong-dong hotel where you were earlier today!"

"What?"

For the first time, his eyes left Hee-joo, his expression hardening.

"It seems to be someone who attended the event at the Mountain View Daily celebration today."

"..."

A cold laugh escaped him. This felt like a twisted game, one designed to toy with him.

Baek Sa-eon was no stranger to dealing with criminals, but 406 was different—a peculiar existence that stirred an almost visceral desire to crush them. This person had deliberately targeted his most hidden vulnerabilities, proving to be a master of manipulation.

He resolved to personally investigate the attendees, temporary workers, and staff at the event to uncover the connections.

"How's the progress on decrypting the altered voice?" he asked in a low tone.

"Ah, yes... It's not standard voice modulation but encrypted audio. It's complex, but the team is working to peel back the layers."

Baek Sa-eon adjusted the shawl that had slipped from Hee-joo's shoulders, though the worry on his face remained.

After dropping her off at home, he drove straight to the third office.

The dimly lit space was still bustling, with several staff members working late into the night at their computers.

As soon as he stepped inside, his exhausted assistant, Park Do-jae, approached with a stack of reports in hand.

"Senior, did you get the notification from the police?"

"Ah—"

Halfway through taking off his coat, Baek Sa-eon paused. The matter had been left to his assistant to handle, as he had been preoccupied with the Mountain View Daily event.

The issue concerning Hee-joo's biological father had been more of a procedural report, not something he'd placed much hope in.

But then, his thoughts flashed back to Hee-joo in the car, holding her phone pressed against her ear during the ride.

His sharp gaze darkened, as if trying to piece together something he had missed.

Standing motionless in the office for a long moment, he finally spoke, his voice low and deliberate.

"998가4568."

"What?"

"The license plate of a police car. I need the dashcam footage from around 3 p.m. on October 14th."

The request came so suddenly that the assistant tilted his head in confusion.

"Why the sudden interest—what's this about?"

Baek Sa-eon's tone remained calm and detached.

"I want to see my wife's face."

Baek Sa-eon remained silent as his assistant faltered.

"What?"

"Is there an issue?"

Park Do-jae opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to respond. All patrol cars and the Criminal Task Force vehicles' dashcam footage had already been commandeered by the NIS hacking programs.

"How long will it take?" Baek Sa-eon pressed coldly.

Under his sharp gaze, Park Do-jae hurriedly returned to his workstation. However, the assistant's blank expression transformed into a cold, calculated one as soon as he turned away.

"Let me out of the car."

"What?"

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

The faint glow of the monitor illuminated Baek Sa-eon's face in the dark office. His expression froze, stiffening as his eyes locked on the screen.

There she was—Hong Hee-joo.

"You think this is a taxi?"

"Just let me out. Please."

"But we're in the middle of the road. How—"

"It doesn't matter if I'm alone. Everything will be fine."

What the hell is going on?

"Please, I'm begging you. Let me out, please. Ugh—"

On the screen, Hee-joo was frantically banging on the car door, kicking it with her feet in a full-blown panic.

At the same time, her voice echoed clearly:

"Let me out. Please."

"Ha..."

He grabbed the back of his neck as his coffee cup tipped over, spilling across the papers on his desk, soaking them in black.

But Baek Sa-eon didn't even notice. His burning gaze was glued to the screen.

Hong Hee-joo can... speak?

She spoke?

Since when...?

Running his hands over his tense face, his trembling eyes refused to settle.

What the hell is going on...

Even as the coffee seeped into his sleeve, staining it dark, he paid no attention. Instead, he replayed the video.

His face remained a twisted picture of disbelief, his expression unrelenting.

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

The voice was crystal clear, devoid of distortion.

He forced himself to listen to Hee-joo's voice over and over again. Yet no matter how many times he replayed it, the disbelief remained.

That mouth, which had been closed nearly her entire life, how could it have produced such a sound?

So effortlessly, so fragile, so heartbreakingly delicate.

"Ha..."

His fingers pressed the replay button again.

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

"I can't do this anymore. Please, let me out here."

His obsessive gaze fixated on her lips in the video, unrelenting.

For twenty years.

Twenty years of silence.

Perhaps it was because of that silence that he had never doubted her muteness. But now, it felt like a brick had struck him square in the back of the head, leaving him numb and cold.

"You can ring my be-e-ell..."

As the faint pop song played in the background, he replayed the video once more.

The entire night passed like this.

By morning, Baek Sa-eon had accepted a fact he could no longer deny.

Hong Hee-joo could speak.

His brows knitted tightly together.

When Hee-joo opened her eyes, the morning light nearly made her scream.

"—!"

Thankfully, the sound lodged in her throat transformed into a sudden, violent sneeze.

Why, why...

Standing beside the bed, Baek Sa-eon stared down at her with an expressionless face.

But what was more unsettling than his sharp gaze were his unnaturally still movements, as though he had been standing there for a long time.

Though he wore the same clothes as the night before, they now bore subtle differences. His tie was missing, and his sleeves were stained with what looked like dried coffee.

What happened last night? How had his usually immaculate appearance become so disheveled?

Hee-joo instinctively clutched her reddened neck and moved away from him.

Baek Sa-eon's eyes followed her every movement, unblinking.

"Hong Hee-joo, did you sleep well?"

"..."

His tone sounded nothing like a casual greeting. Beneath it was a strange, simmering anger.

Sensing the tension, Hee-joo furrowed her brows.

When she didn't respond, he let out a cold chuckle.

"Ah—this feels worse than I imagined."

He laughed softly, rubbing his temples as if battling a severe headache. A faint wrinkle appeared between his brows, his frustration evident.

"I always thought Hong Hee-joo was just a quiet person—"

He added, his voice carrying a peculiar, sticky quality.

His gaze lingered on the area around Hee-joo's lips, scrutinizing her intently.

"Let's start with the tremors."

"...!"

"Want to give it a try?"

He licked his lips, his tired eyes blinking slowly as if weighing his options.

"I always thought there wasn't a secret in this world I didn't know. But today, I got slapped in the face hard."

Resting his head against the wall, he muttered to himself, "This is an utter mess."

"Hong Hee-joo knows how to pick her moments."

Climbing onto the bed, he collapsed heavily onto it. A faint scent of coffee clung to him.

Startled, Hee-joo hurriedly tried to leave the bed, but before she could move, his hand seized her ankle.

The grip was far stronger than she expected, leaving her unable to budge.

He pulled her ankle, straightening her leg, and then tucked the blanket securely over her.

"The timid Hong Hee-joo... knows exactly how to pick her battles. Makes me..."

Half-lidded eyes gleaming faintly, he muttered curses under his breath.

Then, with an unusual intensity, he lifted his gaze to her stiff, motionless figure.

"An expensive mouth, indeed."

Hee-joo could only stare at him blankly, utterly at a loss for words.