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nChapter 259: Chapter 259

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nYi Ruda waited patiently holding the phone. He couldn’t hear any following words but through the noise over the phone that had a good sound quality, he was able to roughly estimate the overall situation.

nThey would track the vehicle through the license plate, and at the same time, focus on finding out if Choi Yuri or the people around her recently rented a car. But, still…

nYi Ruda grimaced.

nThe vehicle used in the abduction would have definitely taken a remote highway. Thus, they should check the highway surveillance camera; however, it would still take time for the analysis. How long would it take for them then?

nYi Ruda knew the shortcut.

nHis mother, Yi Jenny, said that whoever has the most information always wins.

nShe then flung a question with a kind voice.

n“Then, how do we get the information?”

n‘At that time, did I answer back or not?’ he questioned himself.

nMaybe not. Instead, he might have raised his head and replied sulkily, ‘I don’t know.’ Yi Ruda, around that time, was so fed up with the successor training; however, Yi Jenny didn’t lose her smile. She just responded with a relaxed grin.

n“Simple. Plant a mole everywhere in the world. They can be your eyes and ears.”

n‘You’ll be the only one who thinks it’s simple,’ thought Yi Ruda.

nWhat he loathed the most about his mother were her cold eyes that didn’t allow him even the smallest pieces of secrets since he was a child.

nThat woman, Yi Jenny, couldn’t stand herself without knowing her son even from head to toe. Yi Ruda, therefore, wasn’t even able to make a common secret that any adolescent child could have.

nYi Jenny then spoke with a smile to Yi Ruda, who was kneeling on the ground with a pale face.

n“So, don’t even think about running away.”

n‘No matter where you are, I can always find you.”

n“––Gosh!”

nSuddenly being awakened from his thoughts, Yi Ruda hit his chest and gasped for breath.

nHe murmured, “That woman isn’t here anymore.”

nThat was why he ran away from her. For the last two years, he had been quite a good fugitive.

nYi Ruda couldn’t understand why he suddenly recalled the conversation he had had with her. No, that wasn’t true. He actually could perceive the intended meaning of why he did that.

nFurrowing his eyes, Yi Ruda spoke in a low voice.

n“She said that she can find me no matter where I am…”

nWhat about Ham Donnie then?

nIt was still noisy over the phone. They said they would also let him know if there was any progress; however, they told him nothing yet maybe because things still didn’t work out.

nYi Ruda bit his lips. Most of the security teams and members would have been stranded at Hanwool Group’s anniversary party, which overlapped with the return of Yoo Gun and Yoo Shin brothers.

nYi Ruda glanced over the phone. Every second went by nervously.

nHe, at last, picked up the phone; however, Yi Ruda was thinking hard even until the moment he typed the keyboard.

n“Shit, how… how hard did I try to run away from that place…” he murmured.

nThe nightmarish days in the mansion flitted through his mind. It took time for him to decide to not bear the weight of the successor, but there was also considerable difficulty in persuading his father, Ian. How could Yi Ruda go back to the mansion again to that end? Ian would think him crazy.

nWould Ian help him again to re-escape the place?

nWithout his assistance, the second escape would be impossible. Perhaps, Yi Ruda would be not able to find his way out of that mansion even with his father’s help.

nNo.

nYi Ruda shut his eyes tight. The thing he didn’t know until he came here flashed before his eyes.

nThe excessively noisy yet friendly classroom that he considered too loud at first…

nWondering if this was the average vibe in Korean schools, he followed the kids to get along with them as naturally as he could; however, the first Korean whom Yi Ruda imitated of all occasions was, none other than, Yoon Jung In.

nHe later discovered that Yoon Jung In wasn’t the standard Korean character, but instead, belonged to the very talkative side. He, however, couldn’t stop acting, which he already had started.

nSince when did Yi Ruda begin to feel comfortable wearing that unfamiliar mask? Before he knew, he found out himself laughing so naturally in public at some point.

nOver the phone, which Yi Ruda was grabbing tight, still, loud noises were coming out.

nHe asked himself, ‘Am I able to give up everything? All the things I’ve gotten so far? Will I be able to back down from my current life and go back to that dungeon-like mansion?’

n“No, never ever,” he murmured.

nWhat he then did after was ending the call and pressing another number. Scowling hopelessly at his cell that just began to beep the dial tone, Yi Ruda then slowly closed his eyes and brought the phone next to his ear.

nIf someone asked him whether he would regret this moment or not, Yi Ruda would, of course, feel very disappointed with his decision.

nHowever, he had to, eventually, admit that every delightful moment he went through ever since he was here would lose its meaning when Ham Donnie was gone.

nYi Ruda, at last, detached his lips. Feeling unburdened in deep despair ironically, he carefully opened his mouth.

n“It’s me… mother.”

nHe struggled to move his lips to barely drop the word, ‘mother.’ Her reaction was not as good as he expected.

nMother? I don’t have a son.

n“…”

nMy son gave up everything and left the house saying he was sick and tired of me and this place. So, I thought he was dead.

n“Ha…”

nYi Ruda let out a giggle in a subdued tone.

nHer heart was indeed ice-cold and rock-hard to get moved just by the name of the mother. Even a dagger wouldn’t leave a scratch on it.

nReturning to his usual voice, Yi Ruda replied leisurely.

n“Cool, there isn’t much between us to talk about, is it? It’s just all about doing business and getting what we want from each other.”

nYou said there is nothing you want from me at all. That was two years ago, wasn’t it?

n“I’m not trying to get something from you.”

nThen?

nYi Ruda stuck his tongue out to lick his lips then slowly detached them again.

n“I have a new thing that I got from here, which I like very much, but someone stole it from me.”

nHmm…

nThe voice coming over the phone was loaded with a deep interest.

nYi Jenny asked back.

nSo?

n“Help me to get it back. You’re an expert at finding things.”

nIs it a person?

n“Yes.”

nThe new ‘thing’ that you got before I even knew was none other than a ‘person…’

nYi Ruda tried to downplay her following words that showed a lot of interest in what he was looking for right now.

nWhether Yi Jenny became interested in Ham Donnie or not, he tried to deal with it later. For now, securing Ham Donnie’s safety was the first thing to do.

nAs he grew up in such an extraordinary environment, all kinds of bloody imaginations were running around in Yi Ruda’s head.

nThat was when he opened and closed his sweaty hand. Yi Jenny flung a question.

nYou said this was doing a ‘business,’ huh? But what can you give me as a runaway boy now? I guess nothing.

nThat was the question Yi Ruda had been waiting for the most. He, therefore, could recover composure and smile instead of feeling perplexed.

n“Nothing? I don’t think so. There is, what you’ve wanted the most,” he replied.

n…

nYi Jenny seldom remained silent.

nAs if it was the outcome that he barely earned from hard labor, Yi Ruda enjoyed the silence. He then blurted out a word.

n“Me.”

n…

n“Bring me back to you. The runaway is over.”

nYi Jenny still didn’t respond. Yi Ruda then got up and answered back.

n“It ain’t fun now, so I want to quit.”

nA moment of silence swept the space.

nAnd, at last, Yi Jenny let out soft laughter.

nYi Ruda put a full rich smile on his sweaty face.

nFar above his head, the pale light of the half-moon in the dark red sky flooded gently on his face with a gleam.

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