✓ GREEDY HEARTS | JAY

7 - Nobody's Son

JAY'S POV

If Baek thought I don't have my men in every fucking corner of the place, then she needs to think again. She might have walked into a lion's den, but she's not just any prey. The more I observe her, the more I realize she's not someone I can easily dismiss. A woman like her, bold, daring, and as beautiful as sin, has entered my world, and she's making a game of it. She's playing with fire, and she has no idea just how dangerous it can get.

Calling her by the nickname she goes by in the underworld was enough warning to make her rethink whatever plan she and Minho are cooking up. I have a feeling it's not just related to her dress choice. But right now, all I can think about is the reason why Minho could make her work for him.  

I can see him glancing around, no doubt wondering where I've disappeared to, but for now, I'm more interested in watching Baek's every move. She doesn't seem like the type who's easily intimidated, and that alone makes me want to know more about her. She walks back to Minho, her arm entwined with his while her eyes are on me. I can tell she's already planning how to get back at me for ruining her little attempt at tracking my movements. 

Raising my glass of whiskey to my lips, I take a deliberate sip, savoring the burn as it goes down. Let's see who can outplay the other in this little game of ours.

The rest of the evening unfolds in a blur of flashing cameras, clinking glasses, and polite smiles. I engage in a few conversations though I'm only half-listenin. These people go on long ass monologues about their accomplishments, their businesses, their wealth, but none of it really interests me. My mind keeps circling back to Baek Y/N and I clench my jaw, almost impatient for this night to end so I can dig deeper into her identity. 

"Sir, I think we should be more careful from now on. I suggest your mansion should be thoroughly checked for any potential security breaches," Jungwon suggests as I finish another conversation with a businessman who believes his latest real estate acquisitions will make him a billionaire. I can tell he's eager to network with me, but right now, my mind is elsewhere, and I give Jungwon a distracted nod in agreement. "Are you going to attend the after-party, sir?"

I glance around the room, the flashing cameras and the chattering elites. The after-party would be filled with more of the same, and the last thing I want is to engage in more mindless small talk. "No. I've had enough of this circus for one night. You can represent me if you wish. I need to attend to something else. Also, let my men know that Baek Y/N is on my radar. I want to know everything about her. Who she really is and what she's up to with Minho."

With that settled, I make my exit from the gala, the cool evening air hitting my face as I step outside. When I head to where my precious vehicle is parked, Baek Y/N is leaning against it and I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes at her audacity. She looks like she's been waiting for me, her red gown making me wonder if she's aiming to match the color of the blood that's bound to be spilled if she keeps on pushing my buttons. "You're quite persistent, Baek Y/N. Or should I say, Agent Red? You're a woman of many names, it seems."

The way her lips curl into a sly smile makes me press my tongue against the inside of my cheek. I fucking hate red and I fucking hate this woman's audacity. She pushes herself off my car and steps closer, her heels clicking on the pavement, echoing like a warning. "You've got me all figured out, haven't you? You've been trying to find out who is this woman who seems to be playing a dangerous game in your world. I'm sure I'm making you go insane because no matter how much you try to read me, you can't quite pin me down, can you?"

"I'm not sure if your life is interesting enough for me to care about," I reply, leaning in a little closer. I can smell her intoxicating perfume and if I let my guard down, I might even find it alluring. But I know better. "Apart from being a thug, what more are you? Let me tell you something, Agent Red, I suggest you crawl back to whatever fucking hole you crawled out of before you find yourself in a situation you can't crawl out of. Because the next time our eyes lock like this again, I'll have no reason to let you walk away."

I unlock the vehicle with a press of a button on my key fob and open the door, slipping inside while she shoots me a last, lingering look, a look that says she's not done, not by a long shot. I shift the car into gear, and drive away from the gala, leaving the woman in red standing alone in the darkened street. 

"Welcome back, sir-" When I arrive at my mansion, the security head greets me but I slowly approach him until there's barely space between us. 

"Someone managed to infiltrate my home last night and not one fucking guard was aware of it," I hiss, my voice a dangerous whisper. "I want to know how the hell she got in and why no one stopped her. Find the breach, fix it, and make sure it never happens again."

The security head swallows hard, his eyes widening while beads of sweat form on his forehead. "Sir, we- I wasn't aware of any breach. The guards on duty last night reported no unusual activities."

"What? Are you saying I'm being a delusional paranoid?" I lean in even closer until I can see every bead of sweat on his forehead. "You don't want to know what happens when I find out that someone has been incompetent under my roof. You're on thin ice, understand?"

He stammers, "N-no, sir, I... I'll launch a full investigation right away. We'll find out how she managed to get in and why our guards failed to stop her."

Rolling my eyes and letting out the heaviest sigh I've let in a while, I dismiss him and get in another car of mine, one that doesn't attract as much attention as the Rolls-Royce. I need to head somewhere and I need for no one to recognize my presence. The night air rushes in through the open car window as I speed through the dimly lit streets of Seoul. And when I stop in front of the hospital, I take a deep breath and switch from being the coldhearted businessman who would literally crush his enemies to the man who has genuine concerns and emotions, though he rarely shows them.

Inside the hospital, the antiseptic smell and soft hum of medical machinery greet me as I make my way to a private room. As I enter, I find my mother lying in her bed, frail and weakened by age. Choi Minho would love to know about my vulnerabilities, and my mother is one of the biggest. So, I keep her hidden from the public eye, guarded by the most trusted members of my security team.

"Who are... you?" The question, even after all these visits, still breaks my not-so-steel exterior. She doesn't recognize me. The woman who once held me in her arms, who told me bedtime stories, and who wiped away my tears when I was a child, now struggles to remember who I am. It feels like a fresh wound each time she asks.

I pull up a chair and sit beside her, taking her frail hand in mine. "It's me, Mother. Your son, Jay." Her frail fingers twitch slightly as if struggling to grasp the name, but the recognition never comes. It just never does. "How are you doing?"

My mother's gaze, though distant and unfocused, lingers on me. She doesn't answer; her voice was one of the first things that Alzheimer's had taken from her. Instead, her eyes do all the talking and I like to believe that what they're filled with is warmth. I gently squeeze her hand, aware that the conversation is mostly one-sided but unable to resist the urge to seek some form of connection with the woman who gave me life. 

As the night deepens and the hospital remains quiet, I know it's time to leave. I gently place her hand back on the bed, tuck her in, and lean down to press a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll visit you again, Mother. I promise." I don't get a response but I don't need one when she gives me a small, feeble smile, the one that tells me she knows I'm there. 

And that's all I need; for her to know I'm still here, that I haven't forgotten her, and that I'll always be her son.