Apollo’s Heart - Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Who is alone?

Si-yeon stared at Tae-jun’s reflection on the doors of the elevator. He was flippantly reclined against the wall, his deep orbs void of emotions, his chiseled face stone cold. Even though they were conversing, she felt as though he was not here. He behaved as if they belonged in different worlds.

The doors opened, Tae-jun was the first one to walk out. Si-yeon found she could not take her eyes off his back.

Taking this opportunity of this momentary privacy, Kim leaned in and whispered into Si-yeon’s ears.

“Director Seo’s secretary also does not have any idea. He said Mr. Seo did not even show up to the office today.”

“What?!” she asked in surprise.

Secretary Kim winced at her volume and brought a finger to her lips.

“Shhh… He might hear us.”

Suddenly, Tae-jun stopped and turned back towards them.

“Let me make a call before we go in.”

Without waiting for a response, he went outside to the terrace garden.

Tilting her head, Si-yeon then entered the lounge first.

The newly remodeled interior of the VIP lounge was exquisite and held a somewhat enigmatic aura. The high ceilings and the blue lighting overhead were reminiscent of the deep ocean and its abyss. Located at the heart of this mystic space, was Heart of Apollo.

As they saw them enter, the employees bowed towards Si-yeon and her secretary. A few steps away was Yuri, recording the installation of the piece with her tablet. When she sensed Si-yeon approaching, she lifted her head and greeted her.

“Oh! Hi Ms. Yoon.” She greeted jovially.

Si-yeon’s eyes glinted in satisfaction at the design before her.

“This is beyond my expectation! The lounge and the Heart of Apollo complement each other spectacularly!” She didn’t hold back on her compliments.

“I agree with you.” Yuri put a soft smile on her face.

The deal was fair for both parties involved, and she was proud to present the work, in which a great amount of effort had been invested in by her. She had always felt a sense of accomplishment when her work was to her satisfaction, the client’s praises were merely the cherry on the topping.

Looking closely at the Heart of Apollo, Si-yeon seemed to realize something.

“I didn’t realize it when I saw it for the first time in New York… But this piece somehow reminds me of you. Are you the inspiration?” she asked.

“No, I am not.” Yuri laughed sheepishly.

“Really? Hasn’t anyone told you that the piece resembles you?” Si-yeon asked. She couldn’t believe no one had pointed out the obvious yet!

Yuri gazed at the Heart of Apollo. She had recorded and taken pictures of it numerous times, but she had never quite considered who the inspiration behind it was. But saying that she was the inspiration seemed too far fetched for her.

Nah, it must be someone else– Roy’s late wife, perhaps. After all, he still wears the wedding ring.

Yuri shook her head.

“I am not the muse. It’s someone else.” She replied confidently.

“Oh, yes?” Si-yeon didn’t seem to believe her.

“Perhaps the resemblance stems from Roy’s environment. Artists are always influenced by their surroundings. I do spend a lot of time with Roy as an assistant.”

What Yuri said was not over the top. Many famous works were a fruit of the most unexpected source of inspiration. And since she herself was an artist, her explanation sounded logical.

“Aha, that makes sense.”

Si-yeon didn’t continue the topic and shifted her attention to admiring the work. Yuri, on the other hand, was lost in her thoughts.

Truth be told, her words were an extension of her subconscious behaviour. Every time she had picked the brush, she had ended up drawing the man. The man who frequented her dreams. When this could happen to her, why couldn’t it happen to Roy who was known to have loved his wife dearly?

As she thought, she was back to the matter that she’s preoccupied with. Although she had decided she’d regain her memories, she didn’t even know where to begin. But now she did.

The first piece of the puzzle was obviously the man in her dreams. He seemed like a key player in the game of her lost memories. However, she had no clue about his identity or whatsoever. The only thing she knew about him was his face.

At that moment, the shadow of a tall man blanketed in front of Yuri. She unconsciously raised her head towards the source. When her eyes met the face of the stranger, her jaw slightly dropped as her eyes widened to their limits.

“Ho… How…?” Yuri stammered, but her voice reached no ears.

It seemed surreal… as if this person had walked right out of her canvas.

When she saw the man from her dreams in flesh and blood, instinctively, Yuri took a step back.

The boundary between reality and dream collapsed, her mind started spiraling– she was shoved into a bottomless chasm unable to distinguish true from false. Due to the dizziness, her vision spun like the doll in the music box. Her hands were robbed of strength, she dropped the tablet in her hands.

Right before it could hit the ground and clatter to the floor, the man in front of her caught it.

“You should be careful, Yuri Han.” His cool voice told her.

This low voice… All of a sudden, the air surrounding her felt suffocating –

… Am I in another dream? Is he coming after me? He is going to grab me by the arms, push me against the wall, and force raw and violent intercourse – I have seen this gaze, the gaze of a brute. He will devour me like a beast!

The Si-yeon’s voice rescued Yuri before she plummeted into a deeper panic.

“Let me introduce my fiancé, Yuri.  Director Tae-jun Seo from Seoin Group.”

Tae-jun Seo.

Yuri repeated his name in her mind. She did not know this name, nor the man. Her gaze moved from top to bottom as she surveyed the man.

The prominent jaw, audacious lips, aristocratic nose… As though someone had thrown her off a perpendicular cliff, something vertiginous flashed before her eyes when her eyes met his.

She was determined to identify the man from her dreams but did not expect him to appear in such an abrupt way.

“Tae-jun, this is Yuri, Roy Jean’s assistant.”

Tae-jun introduced himself even before Si-yeon finished her words.

“How do you do, Miss Han. Glad to meet you.”

The sound of his voice tugged painfully at Yuri’s heartstrings.

Lies, he already knew who she was. He already knew her name.

You should be careful, Yuri Han.

He’d already called her by her name…

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