Chapter 51

Yaein knew how to handle Taeheon’s body just as well as Taeheon knew what Yaein liked.  

When she rode on top, moving back and forth as if rubbing the walls herself, he especially enjoyed it. However, knowing how desperate it made her look from below, she rarely did it.  

Despite the humid air, her mouth felt dry. Yaein gradually increased her movements.  

As the entrance tightened, even the deepest, most sensitive parts of her body trembled. Shallow waves rippled across the surface of the water. The sound of flowing water echoed lewdly through the bathroom.  

It was difficult to keep her balance. Without Taeheon holding her, she would have collapsed. Yaein fought to keep her eyes open.  

He loved it when their melting flesh rubbed together and when their gazes met—his own feverish eyes brimming with desire.  

Feeling Taeheon’s intoxicated gaze on her, Yaein arched her back. A climax stabbed through her insides.  

Her thighs lost their strength. *I can’t anymore.* Yaein mumbled, her voice smudged with exhaustion.  

“Just a little more… Move a bit more.”  

Taeheon pleaded breathlessly.  

“Just enough that it’s not dangerous… just a little…”  

Just a little more. That sweet, devilish voice tempted her. Who could possibly refuse him?  

A man that handsome, pleading in a husky voice, carried an irresistible force. She felt herself grow wetter inside.  

Yaein hesitantly lifted her hips a little. The flesh of her slightly fuller hips—having gained some softness from a few peaceful days—rose and fell against Taeheon’s thighs.  

The sound of splashing water mixed with the desperate sound of their breathing. The tub water, already overflowed when Taeheon got in, sloshed again.  

“Ah… Ahh… Hnn… Ah!”  

Taeheon quickly supported Yaein, who was moaning with her head thrown back. His large hands caressed her back, and a hot sensation trickled down her spine, throbbing near her tailbone.  

It happened every time she moved. Her lower back tingled as her belly grew hot. The sweetness of being completely filled sent shivers through her, pooling pleasure low in her abdomen.  

Yaein rubbed her cheek against Taeheon’s, whimpering softly.  

*Could we melt into one another and never separate again?*  

If only that were possible. She didn’t want to be apart from him.  

***

The same man who had spewed such vulgar, shameless words while they intertwined was now carefully selecting a children’s book.  

His side profile, with slightly damp hair swept back, looked not just composed but almost elegant. Even the loosely draped bathrobe looked refined, as if it were tailored for him.  

If someone else wore it, it definitely wouldn’t look like that.  

Taeheon, holding a picture book thoughtfully, glanced at Yaein. Caught staring, she quickly looked away, feeling awkward.  

“Why were you watching me?”  

He didn’t pretend not to notice. Instead, he sat beside her on the bed, making sure she couldn’t ignore the question.  

“I was just… curious.”  

“Were you turned on by me picking out a book?”  

When Yaein didn’t respond, Taeheon placed a finger on her neck. His fingertips hovered just enough to make her skin tingle.  

Yaein instinctively hunched her shoulders. She knew he was doing it on purpose, but she couldn’t help reacting. His touch was unbearably ticklish.  

“Are you still embarrassed just because I said you were turned on? It’s been years since we got married.”  

Taeheon leaned in, whispering into her ear, making it tingle too.  

She wanted to act nonchalant, but whenever her handsome husband looked at her directly, she couldn’t help blushing. Even when he wasn’t saying anything suggestive, just his gaze made her cheeks burn.  

“The baby will hear.”  

“It’ll be a long time before they learn how to talk.”  

His cheeky response was annoyingly smooth. To be honest, she didn’t dislike it. When he was around her, Taeheon always turned into a mischievous boy.  

As Yaein stared at him, Taeheon flashed a wicked smile. Unfairly, even at moments like this, he looked attractive.  

“Do you think they’ll like it when I read it to them later?” 

Taeheon mumbled to himself as he flipped through the storybook.  

“Will that child like me too?”  

Yaein immediately caught the fading words that sounded like a soliloquy.  

“Of course they will. Since they’ll take after me, they’ll definitely like you.”  

She spoke with as much certainty as she could muster, but Taeheon only gave a faint smile. He looked happy, but deep down, he didn’t believe it.  

How could she make him believe? Yaein was now caught up in that thought.  

“Taeheon, shall we go back to Seoul now?”  

After much deliberation, Yaein finally spoke up, and Taeheon’s expression twisted slightly.  

“Already?”  

He asked reluctantly.  

“We can’t just stay here forever. We’ve gathered more stuff than planned, but I think it’s better to go home before it piles up even more.”  

“It’s your hometown. We can rest a little longer.”  

“But you said we’re being watched.”  

“That’s why I was planning to put someone on guard here. I’ll even assign a driver from tomorrow.”  

“Is it dangerous in Seoul?”  

Instead of denying it, Taeheon remained silent. His silence was a clear confirmation.  

Yaein made up her mind. She had to tell him—for his sake.  

“Actually, your mother stopped by.”  

Taeheon’s eyebrow twitched. Yaein gently massaged his furrowed brow with her thumb.  

“Promise me you won’t get mad at your mother after hearing this, okay?”  

“Depends on what you’re going to say.”  

“That makes it hard to tell you.”  

Despite showing his clear reluctance, Taeheon eventually relented.  

“Fine. I won’t do anything, so just tell me.”  

It sounded as if he was still planning something, but Yaein didn’t point it out. She knew Taeheon would keep his word.  

“She asked if I would consider going abroad.”  

Taeheon’s eyes darkened. His already pitch-black eyes became even darker, almost swallowing the light.  

“So, what did you say?”  

“I told her I would think about it.”  

“Because you think the baby will be in danger if you stay with me?”  

Even without further explanation, Taeheon immediately understood. The expression on his face vanished, leaving him looking less frightening and more desolate.  

“I thought about it and made my decision.”  

“Alright.”  

Taeheon swung his legs off the bed and stood up, hiding his face. Once he was up, his figure seemed even more distant. Yaein noticed a few stray strands of hair sticking out and felt the urge to fix them.  

“I’m staying with you.”  

Taeheon slowly turned to face her.  

“So, tell me what’s going on with your father and what I should be careful about.”  

Yaein was looking at him the same way she did before he turned around—straightforward and unwavering. Taeheon swallowed hard.  

“You want me to stay by your side, right?”  

Taeheon nodded.  

“You don’t want me or the baby to get hurt, right?”  

He nodded again.  

There was no more room for lies between them.  

“But going abroad would definitely be safer.”  

It was something he didn’t want to say but had to—because it was the truth. It would be better for Yaein to stay far from him.  

“If you just come back, you can go abroad.”  

He pretended to give permission, as if to take the lead. If she decided to leave, he wouldn’t be able to stop her anymore. The thought of breaking her legs to keep her by his side was no longer an option.  

Taeheon paced the room, trying to calm the chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind. The calmness from earlier felt like a lie as waves of unrest crashed within him.  

“You’re in danger too, aren’t you?”  

Taeheon hesitated, then finally nodded after a long pause.  

“Then I’ll stay here too. I’d worry too much if we were apart.”  

Taeheon froze in place. In that brief moment, he had considered every possible outcome of her decision, but he had never expected her to say she was worried about him.  

Yaein had once said she had no choice but to pick Taeheon because there were no other options.  

He thought she would obviously choose the baby.  

But now she was saying that she was worried about him and didn’t want to be apart.  

His facial muscles twisted uncontrollably. He didn’t know what kind of expression to make. The blank, emotionless mask he had worn all his life shattered and crumbled away.  

Yaein stood up and grabbed his hands, examining his face.  

The burning ice of his resentment slowly melted, leaving room for a different emotion—something sweeter and kinder.  

If his father wanted everything, then let him have it. Even if he wanted to tear flesh and break bones, Taeheon would give it all up to maintain this fleeting peace.  

He could endure pain. He could endure humiliation.  

For this woman.  

“…….”  

He wanted to shape his feelings into words, but he was like a foreigner who didn’t know the language, unable to say a single thing.  

His parted lips hung open awkwardly, and his clumsy silence spoke more than any confession could.  

As if to say it was okay, Yaein kissed him on the lips, as if forgiving his pettiness.  

***  

When a call came in from Shanghai, Taeheon already had a good idea of what it would be about.

The president of the Shanghai logistics company, who had once handed Taeheon a gun, greeted him just as cheerfully as he had at the Chinese restaurant.  

— Have you been doing well?  

His Korean was still smooth, aside from the occasional sudden spike in intonation.  

— It seems what I warned you about is happening.  

It was about his father. For just a business partner, taking Taeheon’s side in a family feud like this was overstepping boundaries.  

— You need to be prepared.  

Taeheon couldn’t help but wonder why Chen Liu’s side had chosen him.  

Of course, Taeheon was indeed someone worth forming an alliance with. When Kwon Seonghwan’s successor appeared and started shaking up the game, those quick on the uptake rushed to curry favor with him.  

Chen, too, knew exactly whom to side with on this chessboard. That’s why it was even stranger. Someone as savvy as him should have known better than to involve himself so deeply in someone else’s family matters.  

Now, Taeheon knew the reason.  

Because he, too, was a son unloved by his father.  

He had heard stories of the previous boss—an absolute tyrant who pitted his children against each other, taking pleasure in their brutal rivalries. Even after stacking corpses like trophies, that man retired to a luxurious island, living out his days in leisure.  

Chen couldn’t exact revenge. Taeheon knew all too well what Chen must have thought upon learning about his own father. The familiarity of it all was unsettling.  

“My father is an invalid. He doesn’t have much time left, and he’s not going to stir up trouble over a dying man.”  

There was a scoff from the other side of the line—a clear, mocking breath.  

— The Taeheon I’ve seen was far more ruthless. Why are you acting like this now?  

After his father collapsed into sickness, Taeheon had fully taken over the business.