She went straight to her maternal grandfather’s house. It seemed that Chairman Go had been expecting her, as he was still awake late into the night.

“I thought you’d never show your face to me again. So? Have you changed your mind?”

“If I marry him, what will you give me in return, Chairman?”

“That’s the Han Soo-min I know. All right, I’ll be generous. I’ll give you 7% of the shares in Jaewon Group from your mother’s shares. What do you think?”

These were the shares in Jaewon Group that her mother had long coveted – the share she was supposed to inherit from her grandfather’s fortune.

The shares were substantial enough to give voting rights not only to her mother but also to her two children.

Her second marriage was a lucrative one.

A bitter smile formed on Soo-min’s lips.

“All right.”

“It would be best if you got married as soon as possible. You have to get it right this time. You should start by getting pregnant right away.”

She didn’t answer.

Soo-min walked out of the house with steady steps, pretending to be unfazed, but as soon as she reached the front door, her legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground.

Raindrops fell from her eyes like a sudden downpour.

‘Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Soo-min, if you cry, you will lose.’

But… but…

“Hhng… ugh… hnghh….”

Once again…

She has lost control of her life.

‘Junhwan… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I wanted to at least pray for your peace… but I must be a terrible woman after all.’

* * *

She returned to the hotel with a heavy heart.

[Come to my room.]

All she wanted to do now was lie down, but as someone bound by a contract, she had no choice but to obey his wishes.

It was midnight.

It was time to sleep, but for both of them this hour always felt like early evening.

She pressed the doorbell and with a soft click, the door slid open.

A man who looked like Junhwan held out his hand.

If she took his hand now, the contract would be sealed.

A life trapped in a marriage she could never escape.

Her chest tightened as she fought back tears.

How much more pain would she have to endure after marrying a man like Junhwan?

She already knew the answer – every day she would face a face like his. And every day it tore her apart, filling her with an unbearable pain of heartbreak and regret.

‘If this is the pain I must bear… if enduring it can bring Junhwan even the slightest bit of peace in the afterlife… then I will accept it without hesitation.’

Soo-min took his hand.

In an instant, he pulled her into his embrace.

He held Soo-min so tightly that it felt like she might break.

The deep scent he wore was so similar to the one she had longed for that she felt tears threatening to spill again.

“I’ll delay penetration until you’re ready.”

“How incredibly considerate of you.”

What was the point in hesitating at this point?

Soo-min just wanted to strip him right away and find any sign that would prove he wasn’t Junhwan.

Maybe that would make things easier.

But no – even if she did, nothing would change.

What did she expect? How foolish…

“I will accept the role of s*xual partner without love. But I will never love you.”

Not giving him her heart was the last shred of pride she had left.

No more than that, it was her desperate wish to keep her love for Junhwan unchanged.

For some reason, she felt his hands tremble slightly around her waist.

His deep voice pierced Soo-min’s ears.

“This is exactly what I want.”

“…….”

That was enough.

To get what they both needed and to live as something more than strangers but less than lovers – that was all she wanted.

Then he suddenly got down on one knee in front of her.

Soo-min jumped in shock.

Moments later, he took a small box out of his pocket and opened it in front of her.

“Since this is still a proposal, I thought I should at least pretend to do it properly.”

Inside the box was a large, shimmering, teardrop-shaped diamond.

Even a romantic proposal felt nerve-wracking in his intense presence – something she could never get used to.

He looked less like a man offering a ring than a knight drawing his sword.

With trembling hands, Soo-min reached for it.

The cold metal slipped easily between her fingers.

It fit perfectly, without the slightest miscalculation – but at this point she was no longer surprised.

As she stared at him, he suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

With a thud, her face landed on his shoulder, and the next moment her body was lifted effortlessly into the air.

“It’s the first night after the proposal – I can’t just let it pass.”

“…Ah…”

He headed for the bedroom without hesitation.

With a thud, she felt something soft against her back – then he began to loosen his tie.

Click, click –

As he unbuttoned his shirt, Soo-min’s eyes widened in shock.

For the first time, he took off his shirt – something he had never done before.

Then… would she find any marks on his collarbone?

But he only unbuttoned his shirt, not removed it completely.

“You don’t have to take your clothes off to have s*x.”

“Ah…”

Yuhyeon unbuttoned Soo-min’s blouse. Her nervous chest trembled and her plump br*asts rose through her bra. Yuhyeon looked at Soo-min’s br*asts. Then he grabbed them with one hand and touched them hard. It was dizzying. Contrary to his mind, his body reacted to him again.

“I see it every time, but your n*pples are nice. They seem to be underused.”

“Ugh…”

“Your body is definitely a perfect fit for me. Can you feel them standing up?”

His hardened p*nis was pressed against her abdomen. When Yuhyeon gently thrust his hips as if they were having s*x, their g*nitals rubbed against each other. Soo-min gripped the sheets tightly. A moan threatened to escape, but she held it back.

“Moan. I like to hear it.”

“…….”

But Soo-min remained silent. Perhaps displeased, he took Soo-min’s br*asts in his mouth.

“Ugh…”

His body arched like a bow.

The way his n*pple was caught between the other’s teeth and gently bitten felt incredibly lewd.

Suck, suck – he sucked on the n*pple, rubbed it with his tongue and cupped it roughly with his hand. Meanwhile, his other hand slipped between her skirt and into her panties.

Large fingers slid slowly into her wet v*gina.

“Aah…”

Soo-min felt like her head would burst. A woman aroused by a mere touch – it was shameful and humiliating.

At the same time, she felt guilty about Junhwan. Too many emotions were intertwined and she was completely confused.

“Look forward to married life. I’ve prepared a special gift for you.”

She hoped it was her imagination that made his voice sound so eerie. But she could think no more. His lips trailed down from her navel, slowly descending until they reached the dark spot between her legs.

His breath was dangerously close. Soo-min tensed.

This was the moment when the dangerous man would become a beast.

Her thighs parted seductively as the straps of her panties slid down and caught on his fingers.

Burying his face between her legs, he extended his tongue and pressed it against her cl*t.

“Ah… Ah…”

As his tongue moved in and out, mimicking the act of lovemaking, Soo-min felt like she was going crazy. Gasping for breath and with nothing else to hold on to, she clung to his shoulders and let out soft, muffled moans.

Zuuut, zut – his tongue moved in and out quickly and relentlessly, sucking on every part. He bit and released her cl*t with his teeth, sometimes scratching vigorously with his finger. The clear fluid continued to flow with each movement.

And all of it, nothing was left behind – he licked and sucked it all in. It was as if he didn’t want a single drop to go to waste, so he sucked it up with all his might, drowning himself in extreme happiness.

***

Two days later she received notice that the case had been closed without charges. Just like that, it was over. It had all happened so quickly, and she knew that without Beom Yuhyeon’s intervention, she would never have been able to clear her brothers’ names so easily. 

Relief washed over her. At least it was done before Eunhyuk found out. 

That afternoon, Eunhyuk returned from his late summer holiday. He didn’t even bother to unpack his suitcase. Instead, he went straight to the office. 

She could already guess why. Jinseong – always quick with his mouth – must have told him everything.

“Marriage? Have you really been proposed to?”

“Yes.”

“Noona… are you serious?”

Eunhyuk looked incredulous. Soo-min looked at him with the happiest expression she could muster.

“I love him. I think I’d regret it if I let him go.”

“Are you really okay with that? You’re sure you love this guy, right?”

“Of course I do. Look, I can’t even explain how happy I am.”

Soo-min showed the ring she had received from Yuhyeon the night before.

“I don’t know. It’s just so sudden…”

“I’m really going to make it this time.”

Her fake marriage was something she could easily play out through experience. Seeing Eunhyuk’s expression relax, she felt reassured.

“Well then, I guess I should congratulate you.”

***

The preparations for the wedding have gone faster than expected. The ceremony will be held at the Clitie Hotel and invitations will be sent out to the guests of honour shortly.

“Looks like it was a success.”

“This is just the beginning.”

Yuhyeon smiled slightly.

“But I’m a little worried. If Byeon Yeodo opens his mouth, the fact that the incident was fabricated will come to light.”

“For now, we have to keep him from waking up.”

“Then…”

“Let him continue to sleep. It would be nice if he stayed asleep forever.”

“Yes. Understood.”

Yuhyeon had bribed a nurse – money was all it took. 

The reason Byeon Yedo remained unconscious wasn’t fate or misfortune. It was deliberate. A drug smuggled in from Russia had been injected into his veins – a substance so rare, so undetectable, that even a blood test wouldn’t reveal its presence. It sent him into a sleep so deep he might as well have been dead. 

‘This is where things get interesting. Han Soo-min, look closely. See for yourself the kind of man you’re about to marry.’

〈End of Volume 1〉