Separating flesh from the skin always requires high concentration. In particular, due to the low-fat levels in aging bodies, the movement of knives had to be more attentive and precise.

The blade must glide between the red flesh and the white layer of fat at a rapid rate.

Although the temperature in the workplace was intentionally set low just enough to prevent decay, drops of sweat still formed on the forehead of the man who looked intent in his work. By the time he finished, he cast a glance at the nearby window and in time, saw the break of dawn.

Alas, he lost track of time, being so absorbed in what he was doing.

The light creeping from outside soon enveloped his large silhouette moving around the room. His torso glistening with sweat, trailing from the deep ridges of his sculpted chest to his narrow waist.

He lit his cigarette as he sat down on the stairs and took a sip of the acrid smoke—one of his sources of comfort at this particular time. It filled his guts, ebbing the obnoxious smell of flesh.

He sighed. The number of cigarettes he consumed had significantly increased lately. The ashtrays filled in less than a few hours in his office was the glaring proof.

Once a year, this happens to him… Like a fever that hits him in a schedule. He crumbles in heaps—a disastrous feeling then rages inside him.

Here we go again.

His heart pounded. As if with life of its own, his hands started fishing for his cellphone in his pocket. Opening a folder from his gallery, his mouth was pressed into a thin line, especially when the screen revealed a picture of a woman sleeping peacefully.

The man looking down at the image froze. Like a sculpture, he stared at his phone unblinkingly. What on earth was he thinking? The memory of the time he took this picture rushed into him nostalgically. As soon as he woke up from a deep slumber, he carefully took a picture of the woman dozing next to him.

Nevertheless, the woman in the picture was a person whose heart was beating and whose blood was rushing hot. However, things had long changed…

She’s no longer in this world.

***

Dozens of journalists and celebrities from all walks of life flocked to the West In Hotel ballroom, where an engagement reception was in full swing.

“Are all the reporters gone?”

Amidst the turmoil of the party, the baritone voice of a man demanded a quick answer. His long fingers enclosed around a glass of champagne looked rough and callous, resulting from yesterday’s work. Standing tall at a height of 180 centimeters, his sleek and sensual figure towered amongst almost everyone in the room.

There was no denying that among the glamorous guests, he stood out. What’s more, tonight, he was the highlight of the engagement ceremony. Seo Tae-Jun, the Chief Executive Officer of West In Group of Companies joined this event.

When asked by his boss, Chief Of Staff Yi Jung-Su quickly confirmed the departure of the reporters by looking at a long list. “Yes, a little while ago. The K reporters were the last to leave.”

The fact that there were dozens of journalists who attended the engagement ceremony only showed how massive the event was.

The engagement between the West In Group, which owns pharmaceuticals, distribution, and hotels based on military classes, and Daejin Group, which has taken over the distribution market for generations was surely a scope everyone was eager to hear.

With the exit of the nagging reporters, the mood of the party began to lighten up. Formalities from the members of each family reverberated as they began to strike conversations that would last until midnight. Even so, Tae-Jun was not entertained one bit.

He was lost in his own thoughts when suddenly, a slap to his shoulder jolted him to consciousness.

“Why the straight face? You are the man of this evening!”

Tae-Jun’s cousin, Lee Jae-won, was the one who spoke in a cheery manner, flipping his thick brown hair to the back of his head—his known mannerism.

As the planning director of the Seoin Hotel, he was also the general manager of today’s party. But having noticed Tae-Jun sulked in one corner in company with his wine and barely socialized, he couldn’t help but approach him. Since he entered the hall, Tae Jun’s face looked already grim, quite contrary to what he had expected.

Lee Jae-won looked around and whispered into his ears, “Someone might think that Yoon forcefully brought you in this position… What’s the matter?”

Another main character of the day was Tae-Jun’s fiance, Yoon Si-Yeon. Jae-won and her were close friends who spent time together in elementary, middle, high and high schools.

For Lee Jae-won, it was a surprise that Si Yeon would become a part of the family, not to mention, she would be Tae-Jun’s future wife! But he had no power to argue with his grandfather’s decision.

Despite Lee’s persuasions, Tae-Jun answered indifferently, “I went to the villa last night and came back in the morning.”

“Why in the villa?”

“I got a word that Sebastian died,” He answered.

With the mention of the familiar name, Lee Jae-won’s forehead creased. “Ah!” He exclaimed upon remembering Tae-Jun’s favorite English pointer.

“The hound in the villa? I didn’t think he was still alive. He was too old.”

Tae-Jun replied flatly, “Thirteen.”

If Lee remembered correctly, Sebastian was a hound given by his grandfather, Chairman Seo Jung-ho, to Tae-Jun on his 22nd birthday. The dog was a loyal helper who spent more than a decade with them.

“Don’t tell me you stayed up all night for a dead dog the day before this event? Since when have you been so sentimental…”

“You can’t skin it if it’s already decayed.”

Wait a minute, skin it? For a moment, Lee Jae-won almost dropped the champagne glass he was holding.

“Don’t tell me that you ‘stuffed’ the hound?”

“Yes.”

His pupils narrowed and seemed to flee from the expanding whites of his eyes, “Are you out of your mind?”

“What’s the problem? It’s not like this was our first time stuffing animals.”

“No, it’s not that, but…” Of course, it’s not the first time. It was their grandfather who taught them to hunt and stuff animals since they were teenagers. In particular, Tae-Jun, who showed the greatest talent, started making stuffed animals when he was 15 years old.

But isn’t that limited to the “loot” hunted?

Looking around the hall with disdain, Tae-Jun told Lee. “I’ll be out for a minute. Call me when the atmosphere is a little more to my liking.”

“You mean empty and silent?” Lee said playfully, but when Tae-Jun’s face remained stoic, he added, ” But we are having a party right now!”

Tae-Jun shrugged his shoulders before saying, “It seems like someone would still enjoy this party without me.” He pointed to someone and Lee Jae-won craned his neck to see who it was. A couple of meters from them, Si-yeon was enjoying champagne in the centre of the hall with her chin up. Wearing Oscar de la Renta’s dress, she flashed the brightest smile and enjoyed the attention she was receiving.

When Jae-won whipped his head back to address the man he was talking to, Tae-Jun’s broad, retreating back was already facing him. Left alone so suddenly, he could only massage his temple in annoyance.

“What just happened?”

“Yes?”

“Mr. Lee, what’s going on with the chief executive?” Jeong Jin-Wook was suddenly in front of him.

“Nothing. Don’t mind him. At this time of the year, he always gets moody.” 

This was an annual event that has been repeated every year but Tae-Jun seemed to have despised this event. Lee remembered that time when his change became drastic. Four years ago, his cousin became very sick, which was quite bizarre since Tae-Jun had always been healthy as a horse. In fact, since they were kids, he was the one who rarely had colds and fever.

Noticing the sorrow that had filled his grandson, President Seo placed someone next to Tae-Jun to investigate like a shadow. And it was not long before the truth came to light—Tae-Jun had a woman who died in an accident.

All the family members were anxious that he would follow the precedent of his father, Seo Jeong-hoon, who went crazy over women and abandoned his family and even died.

Fortunately, Tae-Jun returned to his usual self, as if nothing had happened. But once in a year, he would be sick and distant like this. Like what his father did, he isolated himself and avoided everyone… he was mourning. The wound caused by the woman’s loss had never healed.

Jae-Won asked Ji-Wook while he was at it. “You said you didn’t know the

“I’ve told you before. I don’t know anything about it. He’s such a private person, keeps things to himself.”

In particular, Chung’s secretary, Jeong Jin-Wook, has been by Tae-jun for almost 20 years. Though they belong in the same company, there was an implicit rule to never mix business with personal affairs. Hence, employees never intrude on each other’s territory.

He kept his mouth shut as much as he could about the woman.

What kind of woman was she?

To Jae-won, Tae-Jun was an object of awe even if he had grown beside him. 

Tae-Jun was Chairman Seo Jung-Ho’s only “Seo” grandson. Since childhood, he has never been swayed or revealed his feelings, thanks to his strict upbringing and the pressure that left weight on his young shoulders.

With this, sometimes Lee wondered if Tae-Jun had a heart at all. If so, is the blood flowing properly? And, is it red?

It was only natural for him to be curious about the woman who captivated such a man. Jae-won’s face looked torn as he watched Si-Yeon quietly. Poor Si-Yeon…

After leaving the banquet hall, Tae-Jun received a call from one of his co-workers. 

“There is no need to negotiate further with them. Yes, I’ll come forward if it gets more complicated. That’s how we must deal with it.” He said with a slight sneer.

It was not an easy problem as three competitors were after the pharmaceutical company’s purchase of new sites. The end of the call made him crave cigarettes; so he fetched a stick from the cigar case he kept inside the ****** pockets of his tux. 

As he tried to light a cigarette in his mouth, he soon remembered the hotel’s prohibiting rules about indoor smoking, and his hand ceased with its actions.

I’m getting sick.

Throughout the evening, Tae-Jun was forced to stand up and do little chats. Now, he felt suffocated, his chest seemed to be clogged. 

I need to get some fresh air and clear my head.

Even though it was quite late, the lobby was still crowded with guests, attendants and reporters invited.

He got off the elevator with a look of indifference and set foot in the lobby. At that moment, a woman brushed past him, talking on her cell phone. 

Tae-Jun’s eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of the passing woman’s side profile. Her voice chimed in his ears…

His gaze was glued on her back. Terrible disbelief hitting him at once.

Jin Hye-Yeon?

A tall woman, with long hair tied in a single braid which runs down her skinny back, bore an expressionless face while crossing her way to the exit of the hotel.

It’s her. No, it can’t be.

However, before he could even realize it, the name of the woman he lost years ago slipped out of his lips. 

“Jin Hye-Yeon…” He never thought he would hear himself speak this particular name again.

The doubtful tone soon changed to a desperate shout, “Jin Hye-Yeon!”

Even if he called her name multiple times, the woman seemed to not hear him—she did not once turn around. In desperation, Tae-jun started running without even realizing it. All eyes were on him as he bumped into people. But he couldn’t care more, catching up to the woman before him was the only thing that mattered.

However, as soon as the woman stepped out of the hotel lobby, she quickly boarded a waiting taxi and immediately drove out of sight… far from Tae-jun’s reach.

Was it an Illusion? Or a ghost?

She had remained a vivid figure in his mind…Too vivid to be a mere imagination. He could not be mistaken. She was the person that he pictured in his head thousands of times. More than anything, she was the very reason for his life’s eclipse…

Tae-jun clenched his teeth and placed his hand on his chest. This painfully beating heart was proof of what he had seen. He felt his mouth dry up and even so, his brain. After four years… The woman whom he thought was dead and had mourned over, just appeared before his very eyes.

❆❆❆

“Are you out of your mind? You left the party all of a sudden only to come back to ask for the guest list?”

A mithering Jae-won opened his office door, his steps heavy and brows furrowed. Upon walking in, he pressed the power button of his computer and crossed his arms in displeasure. Jae-won was on the edge.

Tae-jun, annoyed by his endless complaints, tapped the plaque on his table bearing the words ‘Lee Jae-won, Planning Director, Seoin Hotel’ with his long fingers. The tapping sound seemed like a death wish to Jae-won’s ears.

“Do you want to lose your title?”

Sh*t.

Jae-won cursed in his mind.

Jae-won sighed and recalled what had happened a while ago.

It was only ten minutes ago that Tae-jun, who said he would step out from the event hall for a moment, came back inside with a ghostly, pale face. And it was probably seven or eight minutes ago when he looked around the hall and like a mad man, snatched Jae-won by the collar without a moment’s hesitation. Hauling him into the elevator forcefully was perhaps 5 minutes ago.

Along the way, not a soul dared to talk to them and somehow stop Tae-jun’s barbaric actions. Not even his manager, Mr. Lee, who had been with him for seven years or so.

His fiancée, Si-yeon, could only manage to open her eyes wide and mouth: “Jae-won, what’s going on?”

Wow, what a surprise-filled engagement party.

Once the computer booted, Jae-won keyed in the security code and opened the guest list. This process, at best, took only five minutes or less. Nevertheless, he felt that Tae-jun’s patience was running out in real-time, so his hair stood on end.

“What the hell are you looking for? Is a notorious terrorist on the guest list? Like IS?”

Hotel Seoin was a go-to place for domestic and international VIPs, celebrities, and millionaires. So, the reservation system was under constant scrutiny spanning over several stages. Of course, terrorists couldn’t stay, but who knows if one snuck in?!

Instead of a proper reply, Tae-jun simply uttered a name, there was no telling whether it was a joke or not.

“Hye-yeon Jin”

Clearly, it was a girl’s name. Jae-won asked back in a puzzled voice. “Hye-yeon Jin?”

“Find her on the list.”

At that moment Jae-won’s lips pursed.

Nonetheless, Jae-won’s fingers flew over the keyboard trying to press his anxiety. A ‘Not found’ message appeared on the screen. 

“She is not on the list.”

“How about the foreigners’ list?”

Tae-jun closed his eyes and touched his furrowed brows.

“There is none. Who is she?”

To Tae-jun, the Jae-won’s voice coming from just next to him sounded distant. He was immersed in recalling the details of Hye-yeon and the phone conversation. 

What was she wearing?

Two words came into his mind. Additionally, she was talking in quite a friendly voice.

“Is there any foreigner who made a reservation then cancelled it?” Jae-won quickly searched on the list.

“We have two.”

“Name?”

“CHRISTOPHER SHAWN, LOUIS ERNEST. I do not see them as girls’ names?”

Tea-jun’s gaze went dark by Jae-won’s next words. “Could be her husband or boyfriend.”

If she had got out of the situation ‘in that way’ four years ago, she would be twenty-nine years old now. That seems old enough for her to have a husband or a boyfriend.

Tae-jun pushed Jae-won aside, sat down and skimmed through the details of each and every guest. This information was confidential. Still, unable to get the information that he wanted, he gave Jae-won another order.

“Call the security department and tell them to bring the original CCTV footage of the lobby over here.” T/N: Liking the story so far? You can support Apollo’s Heart by leaving a review and/or a rating here in . Thank you, we will deeply appreciate it!