Page 65 of Ruthless Touch

“What have you been up to anyway? You’ve been absent often this past week. You wouldn’t be getting yourself into trouble, would you? You wouldn’t be fucking up like so many times before?”

It’s clear that even now he has no respect for me as a Yongsa. He sees me as his foolish, incompetent son who can never—and will never—do anything right.

Father he looks at me like everything about my existence is wrong and disappointing. That comes down to even my face, even my features bothering him. They remind him too much of the woman who supposedly tricked him into marriage.

I should tell him to fuck himself. I shouldn’t be so hell bent on trying to prove myself to someone who will never see me as anything more than a reminder of his own poor judgment.

But as I meet his suspicion head on, I know that’s not going to happen.

Despite everything—his contempt, his constant criticism, his obvious preference for Ho-seok—Istillwant his acceptance.

I want to prove to him once and for all that I can rise to the occasion. I can be the son he’s always wanted.

And Elise made her choice clear. She chose her vendetta over whatever was building between us. She’d rather face potential death than have anything to do with me.

My loyalty belongs to the Cheongryong.

The path forward couldn’t be clearer.

A slow grin quirks the corner of my lips. “Actually, Appa, I’ve been very busy. I’ve been doing exactly what I told you I would—handling the situation with our assassin.” I pause long enough to watch the curiosity flicker on his face. “I know the identity of Black Silk. It’s no man. It’s a woman, and I know who she is.”

FIFTEEN

ELISE

When I makeit home for the first time in a week, KD and Priscilla are both waiting for me. I already expect the outrage from KD. That’s a given.

But it’s Priscilla’s hurt reaction that takes me most by surprise.

She nudges her glasses up the bridge of her nose and then crosses her arms. “Eli, where have you been? Do you know we were really worried!?”

I kick off my boots and walk past them on the way to my room like I’ve only been gone for seven hours and not seven days.

“Right… about that… I was out of town.”

“Out of town?!” KD repeats incredulously. His mouth hangs agape at how insane my story sounds.

Both follow in my wake, signaling their inquisition is far from over. I stop midway down the hall and stick to the story I half-assed in my head.

“Yes, out of town. I was visiting my uncle.”

“Bullshit!”

“Your uncle,” Priscilla says, brows knitting. “The one you said was in Thailand for a few weeks? Why didn’t you mention it before?”

“Do I have to?”

“Yeah, you do,” KD growls in offense. “When you and me go on a mission, then you call it off last second and go missing for seven fucking days—I’ve got a right to know, EQ!”

Shit.

He’s got a point.

I blow out a sigh, avoiding their pointed gazes and running a hand over my thick braids. “Alright, so… that’s kind of fucked up. But just know my phone was smashed and I had no way of reaching out.”

“It’s 2025—there’s always a way to get in touch,” KD says.

“And how did you go to Thailand with all your personal stuff here?” Priscilla asks. She looks me up and down like a mother would. “Aren’t those the same clothes you were wearing the night you left with KD for your job? You’ve been wearing the same clothes all week?”