Chapter 23

The place where the party was being held was the Litten Hotel, the most famous among the five-star hotels. The moment they arrived at the party venue, people’s attention poured onto them.

It stung at the back of her head. They whispered among themselves, asking who the woman was that had come with Cha Do-ha.

It was the first time in her life that so many people had focused on her like this, and Soyoon felt extremely awkward. She was supposed to smile naturally, but she could not manage it.

Maybe the effect of the cold medicine was fading, because every time she exhaled, she felt heat. And her leg was another matter.

Judging by how the throbbing kept getting worse, it seemed likely that it had swollen badly.

“Well, look who this is. President Cha, have you been well?”

“Chairman Park, how have you been?”

“Hoho. Yes, yes. I’ve been very pleased with you these days. I always thought, even from when you were young, that you’d grow into someone important.”

“Thank you.”

The way he smiled slightly and only dipped his head a little looked so effortless. It overlapped with how he had been in the past. He had always been polite and elegant.

That was why he was receiving the attention of everyone here.

Even in her own eyes, he was a truly impressive man. A man who had become so much more impressive that it could not even dare be compared to how he had been six years ago.

“And is your father doing well?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, he asked me to pass along his regards to you, Chairman Park.”

“Yes, yes. Then I’ll contact Chairman Cha separately.”

The man they had been greeting glanced at her. Then he looked at Do-ha and signaled with his eyes, asking who she was. But Do-ha said nothing.

A few people outright asked who she was, but he only smiled faintly and did not introduce her. Then he left, telling her to wait just a moment.

She stood there only fidgeting with her wineglass, watching his back as he walked away into the distance.

Feeling as though she had been left alone in this vast place, she kept looking at him as he moved farther and farther away.

She watched him warmly greet some woman. Seeing him smiling brightly as he whispered in her ear felt very unfamiliar, and she lowered her eyes.

Her high heels came into view. The ankle that she had been enduring so well suddenly hurt too much. So much that it was hard to bear any longer. Biting her lip tightly, she looked for a place where she could rest. No, she needed a place to hide.

Come to think of it, she remembered seeing the powder room before entering this place. Trying not to limp, she made her way into the powder room. It seemed fortunate that she had brought painkillers.

She collapsed into a chair and took off her shoes.

As expected, her ankle was slightly swollen. As she rubbed the swollen area, she touched her forehead and found she had quite a fever.

She had been about to take a painkiller, but instead took cold medicine. The cold medicine would probably make the pain in her leg better for a little while too. She needed to go back out to the party now. She knew she had to go out.

“……”

She did not want to go out.

That place was somewhere that did not suit her.

The ring on her finger felt terribly uncomfortable. There was not a single thing that did not feel uncomfortable.

She just wanted to hide here until the party was over.

In the mirror was a glamorous and beautiful woman. But she looked very sad. What was the point of dressing up and wearing nice clothes?

Inside her heart there was only a pathetic woman filled with jealousy.

She closed her eyes.

Maybe the medicine was taking effect, because her head felt light and floaty.

***

Do-ha was angry all the way to the top of his head.

Lee Soyoon really was like a wild colt.

At a gathering where he had brought a partner, she had disappeared again in the moment he looked away. The bow tie hanging around his neck felt suffocating, which irritated him. No, it was because Lee Soyoon was nowhere in sight that he was getting worked up.

He was worried sick, yet people kept catching hold of him, forcing him to repeat greetings he had no desire to make.

In the end, it was only after the party was completely over that he was finally able to properly go looking for her.

Just let me find her.

He felt so frustrated he wanted to smack her on the backside.

People had even been asking where his partner had gone, to the point that sweat had broken out on him.

He had been planning to snap at her in anger once he found her, but—

“You’re driving me crazy, seriously.”

When he found her in the powder room, Do-ha let out a sigh of relief. The sight of her sleeping soundly like a baby left him dumbfounded. When he shook her shoulder, her lips moved slightly.

Do-ha’s eyes sank endlessly.

“Lee Soyoon. Lee Soyoon!”

“…Mmng.”

“Wake up.”

Her clouded pupils gradually darkened. Her eyes widened slightly. Realizing where she was, she sprang to her feet, only to lurch forward, and Do-ha quickly caught her.

She stood up straight and hurriedly put her shoes back on.

You, who were clearly in the wrong and yet were looking at me with eyes that said, ‘I don’t know anything at all’—

“Are you playing around?”

What am I supposed to do with you?

“I-I’m sorry. I must have accidentally fallen asleep.”

“I told you today was a place where I had to bring a partner, didn’t I? Honestly…… because of you. Haa.”

“…I’m sorry.”

He gripped her wrist hard as she bit her lip and lowered her head, then walked on. Even knowing she was following as though being dragged along, he pretended not to notice.

He should have felt relieved seeing her safe and right in front of him, but strangely, he was angry.

Why are you doing this to me? Why are you putting me through this kind of trial?

Then why did I bite the lips of someone who had been living perfectly well? 

He pinned it on that absurd reason, telling himself that this was all her fault, was it not?

Ignoring her when she called his name, he got on the elevator.

“Be quiet.”

He could feel the pulse in the thin wrist he held. When she twisted her wrist, saying it hurt, he gripped it even tighter.

“Where are we going?”

Soyoon had thought they were going outside, but instead he was heading upward, and when she asked, no answer came back.

Because he only stared at the elevator doors, she felt uneasy. He was extremely angry. Knowing that it was because of her, Soyoon let the strength go out of the wrist she had been pulling at.

“Go in.”

“……”

“I said go in.”

Before she had any time to argue with him in front of the room, her body was pushed inside.

Before the door had even closed, he immediately bit down on her lips.

Before she even had a chance to feel the pain, something soft pushed into her mouth. Soyoon’s eyes shook wildly. At his merciless kiss, she grabbed the lapels of his clothes with both hands. Both of her hands trembled violently.

Under her right hand, she could feel the beat of his heart.

At the sound of his heart pounding frighteningly hard, Soyoon let go of his collar and wrapped her arms around his neck.