***

The next morning, on her way to work, people looked at Soo-min suspiciously. Even many of Yuhyeon’s regular visitors, who came like clockwork, gave her sideways glances.

What’s going on here?

As soon as she entered the office, all the team members turned to stare at her.

“What’s going on?”

“B-Boss! Have you… seen the article?”

“What article?”

Jeong-ah held out her phone. Soo-min’s eyes widened in shock.

The article about her and Yuhyeon had already gone viral. A photo of them kissing was plastered all over the news. Soo-min’s chest tightened as if she had suddenly lost her breath.

[The woman seen secretly meeting with Beom Yuhyeon, the famous VIP from Russia, is a florist from the Clitie Hotel who won the grand prize two years in a row.]

“The only person who has won the grand prize two years in a row is you, boss… Don’t tell me… is it true?”

“Ah…”

Eunhyuk stormed into the office. Judging by his expression, he had already seen the article.

“If this continues, bad rumours about you might spread in high society…”

“It’s common for men and women to date and break up.”

“That’s what frustrates me.”

Eunhyuk, visibly frustrated, adjusted his tie.

Knock, knock.

The secretary opened the door with a soft knock.

“Boss, you have a visitor.”

“Let them in.”

It was clear that the people who had seen the article had come to confirm the news. They were undoubtedly eager to find out who the woman was who was secretly meeting with Beom Yuhyeon.

Soo-min buried her face in her hands, feeling overwhelmed by the situation.

But then she suddenly heard Eunhyuk’s shocked voice.

“Chairman…”

Soo-min jumped.

“Good, you’re both here. I need to talk to you.”

This was the first time the chairman of the Jaewon Group had come to see the siblings in person.

Since the article had made big headlines, it was only natural that it had reached his ears.

Soo-min felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on her chest.

“Get married.”

“Chairman!”

“Jinseong told me everything. He said you two are in love. Then the solution is simple – just get married.”

“No, I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“Dating and marriage are two different things.”

Soo-min firmly refused. Chairman Go’s face darkened with displeasure.

“What is the problem? You’re still young and have a long life ahead of you. If you think that getting divorced was a mistake, then in this day and age, as long as you don’t have children, it’s no different than just living together. So it’s better to get married again while people are still talking about you.”

“To be honest, I’ve regretted arranging your marriage to Yedo for a long time. I know it wasn’t fair to you. But now, you finally have the chance to marry for love—shouldn’t that be all the more reason to go for it?” 

“No. I don’t want a marriage that feels forced just because of the media’s pressure. And more than that… I have no intention of getting married at all.”

“Do you have any sense? You’re involved in a scandal with Beom Yuhyeon! And not just anybody – he’s an important figure in Vladimir’s business empire. You know what this means for our group, don’t you?”

Soo-min’s anger flared.

“This has nothing to do with me. Weren’t you the one who refused to accept me as part of the Jaewon group from the beginning?”

“Ha! Do you think denying it makes it any less true? No matter how much you resist, we are still family.”

“You only call me family when it suits you. You did it the first time, and now you’re doing it again – using me to get what you want, aren’t you?”

Soo-min met Chairman Go’s gaze directly and refused to back down. Meanwhile, the Chairman clenched his fist tightly, visibly restraining himself from exploding in anger, and a curse almost escaped his lips.

“If we do well, won’t you benefit?”

“Even if you twist your words, at least be honest. It’s not us – it’s our maternal family that benefits the most from this.”

“Tsk, tsk… That sharp tongue of yours… always talking back.”

Chairman Go clicked his tongue in irritation and took a sharp sip of the tea the secretary had just brought in.

Eunhyuk finally spoke.

“I don’t think we should discuss this without considering Beom Yuhyeon’s opinion.”

“I’ve already talked to him.”

“What? What do you mean…?”

“Ah, there he is now.”

At that moment, as if on cue, the door swung open.

Soo-min’s pupils dilated in shock.

“……!”

Across from him, Yuhyeon took a seat, greeted him casually and then began to speak slowly.

“The order of things seems to have changed a bit, but the chairman came to me and asked what I intended to do.”

“Don’t tell me… you’re saying you want to marry me?”

“Yes.”

“Yuhyeon… we……….”

“We are in love. What’s the problem?”

As Yuhyeon looked at Soo-min, he spoke in a voice so soft and loving that it felt like it could melt everything away.

Soo-min looked at Eunhyuk. Hearing the word “marriage” directly from Yuhyeon’s lips, Eunhyuk looked completely shocked.

“Lovers.”

No, we just pretend to be in love.

He had forgotten.

“Soo-min, say it yourself. What is the reason for two people in love not to get married?”

“There are plenty of women who are better than me. Besides, we’re still in the early stages of our relationship…”

“Marriage first, love later. That sounds fun too. Discovering new things about each other one by one could be interesting.”

“…….”

Soo-min couldn’t find the right answer. Meanwhile, Chairman Go smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the two of them, and soon his loud laughter filled the room.

“Haha! This man answers so decisively. Of course! If you’re a real man, you should go ahead even if the woman you love hesitates. That’s the way it should be!”

It was clear that Chairman Go was determined to go ahead with the marriage, regardless of the opinions of those involved.

Suddenly, Soo-min stood up from her seat. She looked at both Yuhyeon and Chairman Go with a firm gaze and spoke in a strong, determined tone.

“No, I don’t want to. Once is enough for marriage.”

With that, Soo-min stormed out of the CEO’s office.

She ran thoughtlessly.

Behind her, voices called out her name, but she blocked out the sound and ran on.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally reached the outdoor terrace.

Soo-min collapsed onto a chair, gasping for breath.

She felt on the verge of tears.

‘Marriage? Another arranged marriage?’

‘No, I can’t. I won’t.’

She had planned to spend the rest of her life praying for Junhwan’s peace, but now she is expected to become another man’s wife?

‘I can’t do it.’

Soo-min bit her lip hard.

The suffocating pain in her chest was the price of her guilt for leaving her love – her deep, unshakable regret.

‘Junhwan… I… I wanted to live in search of your forgiveness…’

Soo-min looked up at the sky.

The vast, clear blue expanse above felt cruelly bright – so different from her own heart, making it all the more unbearable.

Bzzzt.

The phone vibrated.

Checking the caller ID, Soo-min felt a sense of inevitability – this call had to come.

-” It’s me.”

“Oh… mother…”

– “I just saw the article. How long has it been since your divorce, and now a scandal like this? Don’t tell me… you were seeing him before the divorce?”

“No, that’s not true.”

– “I know I’m not supposed to believe everything in an article, but the news caused such a stir that I had to call. I also know that you’re not the kind of person who would do such a thing especially not now… This isn’t just about someone – it’s about Yedo, who still hasn’t regained consciousness. I know you wouldn’t see another man under these circumstances. I’m sorry. I don’t want to doubt you, but when I saw the article, I couldn’t help but worry. Please try to understand.”

“Of course I do. The article has only caused a misunderstanding. A correction will be published soon.

– “I see.”

“I will visit the hospital again soon. Please take care of your health.

– “Thank you, Soo-min. Having you around is still a comfort. I have to go back to work now, so I’ll hang up.”

“Alright.”

With Soo-min’s weak and lifeless reply, the call ended.

Beep.

The connection was ended, but her mind remained in turmoil, filled with scattered, disorganised thoughts.

‘How did it come to this?’

Soo-min bit down hard on her lip.

Then she felt someone’s presence.

When she turned around, it was Eunhyuk.

He sat down in front of Soo-min with a deep sigh.

“I feel the same way.”

“If you don’t want this, then I’m also against this marriage. Your happiness is the most important thing to me.”

“Thank you. It means a lot that you at least understand.”

“But I never expected Beom Yuhyeon to seriously consider marrying you. That really surprised me. To be honest, I thought he was just going out with you out of curiosity – nothing more. After all, men like him are never short of women.”

“But marriage…?”

“…….”

Now that Yuhyeon had mentioned to marry her, it was only natural that people were interested. He wasn’t just anybody – he was a powerful figure who controlled Vladimir’s financial assets.

Even Eunhyuk seemed somewhat conflicted.

“In terms of status and conditions, he’s an ideal match. But marriage is a serious matter, so you need to think carefully. Make your decision wisely. If you really love Beom Yuhyeon, you might not want to let him go forever, right?”

“No, love and marriage are different. For me, once is enough.”

“Then that’s settled. Just don’t give your heart too deeply.”

“Got it.”

Soo-min nodded.

***

From behind a pillar where he had been watching Soo-min, Yuhyeon’s lips twisted slightly.

The chief secretary spoke cautiously.

“You expected this, didn’t you?”

“I’ll have to let her go into the cage alone.”

“What exactly are you going to do?”

“Set a trap. One she’ll never escape.”

Yuhyeon’s eyes shone coldly.

As soon as he entered the room, he impatiently uncorked a bottle of wine.

He poured the wine into a large glass until it swayed near the rim and drank without pausing to catch his breath.

A wry grin spread across his lips.

‘I won’t stop.’

‘I won’t regret it.’

‘Han Soo-min, I’ve been running all this time just to trap you.’

‘There is nowhere for you to run to.’

Yuhyeon reached out into the empty air and Soo-min’s figure appeared in his mind’s eye like an illusion.

‘I may not be able to break that delicate white neck with my hands, but I will make sure that you step into the cage I’ve built for you.’

Yuhyeon slowly clenched his hand into a fist.

Then he sent a message to Soo-min.

[Come to me. Now.]

While waiting for Soo-min, Yuhyeon drank several glasses of wine in quick succession.

After a while, Soo-min arrived, her body slightly damp as if she had just stepped out of the shower.

The moment he saw her, a sharp jolt of heat ran through his core.

A body that reacted with excitement at the mere sight of her face.

Even if he thought it was f*cking ridiculous, it was an involuntary reaction – something he couldn’t control.

His body only burned for a woman he wanted to destroy, so he had to satisfy the frustration that was building up deep inside him.

Yuhyeon grabbed the back of Soo-min’s head and crashed his lips against hers.

As she gasped in shock and tried to pull away, he caught her receding tongue and sucked on it forcefully. He wrapped both arms around her, holding her so tightly it felt like he was crushing her.

He felt like he was going mad.

As if he wasn’t crazy enough already.

More – he was becoming an even bigger madman.

But it didn’t matter.