Chapter 4.4

Bringing Yoon-jae to his room was purely impulsive. To be precise, he hated seeing her continually harassed.  

Her somehow forlorn expression and fragile figure seemed to attract countless men, all of whom were eyeing her greedily.  

Every time he witnessed such scenes, Baek-geon felt an urge to rush over and twist the men’s hands, throwing them to the ground.  

But he couldn’t deny that he himself was plagued by base desires. The sight of her slightly shorter skirt revealing her slender legs was appalling.  

From beginning to end, she was a woman who kept his nerves on edge. Her soft thighs, her tender-looking lips.  

And the sensation of knowing her deeply, of knowing everything about her body, made him feel revolted. His head throbbed.  

If he had been younger, he might not have thought twice about it and simply taken her. He might have locked her away in his house, keeping her from ever seeing the light of day, and indulged in her every day.  

Why was it that the violent impulses he thought he had controlled poured out uncontrollably toward this woman? Baek-geon took a deep breath.  

The things that tainted his core—like cigarettes—were familiar. They soaked into his mind, sinking deeply and weighing down his entire body.  

The addiction was overwhelming. Baek-geon let out another hollow laugh. He could feel his desires becoming not just dirty, but sticky and unrelenting.  

He didn’t even realize his heart was beating faster. Every time he thought of the woman, primal desires flared up like flames, overshadowing everything else.  

He couldn’t distinguish whether his mind or body acted first. That confusion and discomfort irritated him. A bitter taste lingered in his mouth.  

Baek-geon pulled out a cigarette and was about to light it when he stopped. He heard a knock at the door.  

He stood with his back to the door, gazing out the window. The lingering residue of contempt prevented him from immediately facing the woman.  

“I brought the coffee.”  

The woman’s voice came softly. The moment he heard her voice, his desires ignited. Baek-geon clenched his teeth and tried to empty his thoughts.  

His chest muscles tensed, and his lower abdomen felt heavy. Baek-geon let out a small groan. He had never imagined he wouldn’t be able to control his desires under any circumstances.  

Yet his mouth filled with a sour taste. He could no longer maintain his composure between reason and impulse.  

He approached her swiftly and grabbed her wrist. The woman flinched and stepped back. What did it matter? Baek-geon held Yoon-jae’s wrist tightly and growled in a low voice.  

“I told you to carry the tray, not to wander around like that. Who gave you permission to roam freely?”  

“When did I…?”  

The woman’s face showed signs of bewilderment. Seeing that expression, a mix of satisfaction and unfulfilled longing stirred within him.  

Baek-geon grabbed the hem of her skirt, which hovered above her knees. Yoon-jae bent down in surprise and grabbed his hand.  

“You claim to be pregnant, yet you walk around exposing your thighs like this? Where’s your conscience? Oh, right, you don’t have one, do you, So Yoon-jae?”  

Yoon-jae’s face turned red. The absurdity of his accusations left her not just perplexed but angry. She suppressed her indignation and responded.  

“This is the uniform I was given today. The catering company required me to wear it for serving. Is that such a grave mistake?”  

“Ha.”  

Baek-geon scoffed briefly. His hand grabbed Yoon-jae’s chin and tilted it upward.  

“Is money really that tight? After months of slaving away in the cafeteria, you still can’t afford a single outfit? What are you even doing?”  

The anger she had been holding back erupted. Yoon-jae instinctively pushed his hand away and raised her chin defiantly.  

“Yes, I don’t even have enough for a measly deposit, and I certainly don’t have enough to get rid of the baby. I’m that incompetent and pathetic. Are you satisfied now?”  

Her large eyes filled with tears. Yoon-jae bit her lip. Baek-geon clicked his tongue. For all her defiance, what was the point of holding back and trying to restrain herself?  

It didn’t quell the flames raging in Baek-geon’s chest. If anything, her words had an overwhelming effect.  

His suppressed anger was on the verge of exploding. He spoke through gritted teeth, his voice heavy with restrained fury.  

“So what? Are you seriously thinking of getting rid of the baby?”  

“What’s stopping me?”  

Though she had no intention of doing so, Yoon-jae gritted her teeth and retorted. She was so furious that she barely registered what she was saying.  

But it was Baek-geon who truly lost his mind. It wasn’t anything else—it was her single statement about possibly aborting the child that drove him insane.  

He grabbed her firmly and held her in place. Yoon-jae’s throat bobbed as she swallowed dryly, her tension and fear evident.  

“Listen carefully, So Yoon-jae. This is your last warning. Even if I deposit a billion won into your account for today’s work, don’t even think about getting rid of the baby.”  

It was an impulsive statement. But Baek-geon suddenly thought he wouldn’t regret it.  

“How much would you give me?”  

Yoon-jae muttered. Baek-geon looked at her with disdain.  

“It’s my child. You’ve already decided not to acknowledge it, haven’t you, Han Baek-geon?”  

She raised her eyes and glared at him. Her whole body trembled with anger. Aside from the humiliation, the man’s words were unbearably cruel and arrogant.  

“I heard you clearly and understood. So don’t meddle anymore in my life or my child’s. I’ll handle it myself.”  

She forcefully shook off his hand. But he didn’t budge. Instead, he leaned in closer, his gaze threatening.  

“Let go of me!”

Yoon-jae mustered all her strength and slapped the man’s hand away. She was so furious that she couldn’t think straight.  

She turned around, ready to storm out of the room. However, Baek-geon lunged forward and grabbed her, spinning her back toward him.  

“Let go of me! Let go…!”  

The man’s fingers brushed against her parted lips, sending a cold shiver down her spine. Yoon-jae froze, unable to say another word.  

Baek-geon’s face was so close to hers. His expression and gaze were unfamiliar, something she had never seen before. Frozen in place, Yoon-jae could only watch in stunned silence as his lips drew nearer.  

“You’d better watch that mouth of yours. If you open it carelessly, you might end up regretting it.”  

Baek-geon’s lips moved close to hers as he spoke. His hot breath brushed against her lips. Yoon-jae, unable to breathe properly, stood frozen, unable to move.  

F*ck.  

Even as Baek-geon cursed inwardly, he couldn’t stop himself from touching her lips. Her soft, pink lips looked fragile, as if they might tear or melt away at any moment.  

He ran his fingers over her lips. Suddenly, an intense urge to kiss her and bite down on those lips surged within him.  

What would they taste like? When she wasn’t under the influence of drugs and fully conscious, what kind of taste would this woman have? Would it be sweet, or spicy and bitter, or perhaps astringent?  

Just imagining it made his mouth water. He deliberately leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, whispering softly.  

The woman froze completely, as if turned to stone. Seeing her like this only fueled Baek-geon’s twisted satisfaction and sadistic pleasure as he whispered again.  

“This is a warning, but next time, it won’t end like this. If you do it again…”  

He bared his teeth and bit down on Yoon-jae’s lips.  

“Ah…”  

Yoon-jae let out a low moan. Her entire body trembled like a leaf in the wind, and yet, an unfamiliar heat seemed to rise in her lower abdomen.  

Even with such brief contact, her tense body quivered as if it were about to explode. The sensation of his lips biting hers was vividly imprinted, almost grotesquely so.  

Eventually, all the strength drained from her body. She collapsed into his arms as if crumpling like a flower petal. The force with which he pulled her closer filled her with fear.  

“Take care of yourself properly before I really lose my patience. And don’t even think about doing anything to harm the baby.”  

Baek-geon loosened his grip. Yoon-jae barely managed to steady herself. She stared blankly at him as he turned away, as if he had finished his business with her.  

“Get out. And come back here later.”  

It was a short dismissal, but it also sounded like a tempting invitation for a long night.  

“What if I refuse?”  

“Refuse? You, to me?”  

Baek-geon’s lips twisted into a smirk. It was a blatant sneer. To Yoon-jae, it was a laugh meant to remind her of her place—a subtle hint that she was nothing more than a disposable plaything.  

He wasn’t wrong. She had no power to stand up to him. She couldn’t even threaten him. Unlike the woman he had been engaged to before, she wasn’t even a cumbersome ornament.  

Realizing her reality once again, Yoon-jae staggered out of the room.  

The sound of the door closing made Baek-geon finally let out a long breath. Even though he had only bitten her lips briefly, the sweet taste lingered in his mouth.  

It would’ve been better if it had been sour or astringent.  

Feeling the weight in his groin, he let out a short curse. If he had just grabbed her and acted on his desires, regardless of the consequences, he wouldn’t feel this hollow now.  

No matter how much he tried to ignore her, he kept being drawn to her like a magnet, unable to stop himself from caring. Baek-geon let out a heavy sigh and pulled out a cigar ette.