Their heated breaths mingled, the fierce kiss leaving her breathless as her body slowly began to respond.

“Bad men and bad women… make a good match.”

“Ah…”

Their lips met again. One kiss wasn’t enough – his tongue slipped past her parted lips again.

This time, the kiss was soft, feathery, and for the first time in a while, the heavy weight in her heart seemed to lift.

His tongue moved slowly, exploring tenderly, while one arm pulled her tightly around her waist.

With every movement, her body rocked against his, his strong arms anchoring her and pulling her deeper into the kiss.

He kissed her as if he couldn’t get enough, stirring something deep and consuming between them.

The soft kiss soon deepened, becoming wild and all-consuming.

Their tongues moved together with such fiery intensity that her strength seemed to melt away completely.

She couldn’t resist the taste of Yuhyeon – his saliva mixed with hers, slipping past lips still tingling from the force of their earlier kiss.

Her heart raced uncontrollably and a searing heat surged from within her, like flames climbing through her chest.

Without thinking, her legs parted and he slid her panties down.

His cool fingers traced a slow, deliberate path along her inner thighs.

She tensed as he paused at the w*tness, his touch careful – almost reverent, as if holding something fragile.

He inhaled sharply.

Her slightly tipsy body felt more sensitive than ever, every nerve awakened.

It was as if a scream was rising in her throat, desperately trying to break free.

“If I had been that man, I wouldn’t have been able to forgive you. You left me to marry another? I would have kept you by my side even if I had to kill.”

“I know.”

She knew – knew exactly how terrible he could be when it came to the things he couldn’t bear to lose.

“Touch me more.”

“I will.”

Yuhyeon’s tongue followed a taut line along her neck, moving lower, past her navel. As he descended, her thighs parted instinctively, surrendering to the heat spiraling inside her.

The moment his breath brushed beneath her cl*t, it was too much – pleasure washed over her in waves.

“Ah…ah…”

His nose brushed against her cl*t, and in that instant, her *rousal erupted in a sudden rush.

She could feel his ragged breathing against her most sensitive spot, wild and relentless.

The sharp bridge of his nose pressed deliberately, almost teasingly, against her entrance, and her hips instinctively clenched in response.

As a thick, hot length pushed its way inside, Soo-min let out a low, breathy moan.

A wet, needy sound filled the air as her movements stirred the soft heat between them.

His tongue moved purposefully, exploring her inner walls, flicking and tasting her deeply – each movement stealing the air from her lungs.

As he worked deeper inside her, the sensation sent her into a frenzy.

Her thighs trembled uncontrollably, a rhythmic spasm that rocked her body. It was overwhelming, dizzying.

A searing heat welled up behind her eyes, and her breath caught in her throat as if her lungs had forgotten how to work.

“Nngh…”

“Haa… haa… it feels so good…”

Yuhyeon rolled Soo-min’s n*pple between his fingers, applying just the right amount of pressure to make her body tremble. His tongue moved in firm, steady circles against her cl*t, soft sounds echoing in the heat between them.

Zzup, zzup – the wet, explicit sounds made her face flush, but the embarrassment only added to the thrill.

One hand kneaded her br*ast, the other never leaving her cl*t, stroking her with a rhythm that sent tremors through her core.

“Ahh…”

Soo-min tangled her fingers in Yuhyeon’s hair, pulling her closer. Her back arched instinctively, her body twisting under the weight of pleasure, her breath coming out in shallow gasps.

A dull ache throbbed deep inside her, begging for more.

“…Yuhyeon…ugh…”

It wasn’t enough. She needed him – deep, hard, all of him. Her thighs fell open, her hands tugging at his shoulders, pulling him in.

Their eyes met. His were dark, molten with desire, heavy with unspoken longing.

Then, with a wicked, knowing smile, he thrust into her with a single, powerful thrust.

Her jaw fell open in a silent gasp, her head thrown back.

As he filled her completely, her entire being was engulfed in heat, consumed by the sheer intensity of him.

Yuhyeon began to move his hips in a powerful, relentless rhythm. Her body responded instantly – her v*gina clenched and twitched around him, pulsing with each deep thrust.

Wet, lascivious sounds filled the room, sharp and unabashed, echoing with every movement.

Every time he hit that hidden, aching spot deep inside her, a tremor ran through her body – subtle, uncontrollable.

Her head felt as if it were on fire, the heat rising so quickly that it blurred her thoughts.

Overwhelmed by the pleasure – so intense that even her mind was throbbing – Soo-min parted her lips and cried out, her voice filled with ecstasy.

“Ahh-! Ah-! Yes! Ahhhh! Ahhhhh!”

“Hah! Hah, ngh… ngh… ugh…”

A flash of light flashed in front of Soo-min’s eyes. Her body felt like it was being torn apart. Every time his p*nis went deep and pulled back, her walls clung tightly to him.

“Ugh”-even Yuhyeon let out a moan. Her senses were overwhelmed.

Caught in the electric rush of sensation, Soo-min clawed at his skin with her nails.

Gasps escaped her lips each time he thrust deep and filled her again.

“Mmph-“

Yuhyeon’s tongue slipped into her mouth. Their tongues tangled wildly, moving with desperate urgency.

“Ugh… you’re mine. Soo-min… you’re…”

Soo-min was startled when Yuhyeon revealed his possessiveness. The change in their relationship made her heart flutter and tremble with excitement.

A loud, rhythmic thud echoed from where their bodies met. Smack, smack – the sound of skin against skin filled the room with raw intensity.

Yuhyeon’s thrusts were powerful, relentless – so much so that Soo-min’s body kept shifting across the bed.

But each time she slipped, his hands gripped her shoulders tightly, grounding her, holding her close.

Pleasure surged through her, flooding every nerve until even breathing felt impossible. It was too much – so overwhelming she wondered if she would collapse from it.

Explosions of light danced behind her eyes, warning of an even more intense climax quickly building inside her.

Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst through her chest. She couldn’t stop it – didn’t want to.

‘I’m happy…but it feels like this happiness isn’t really mine…’

Despite the pain in her chest, she reached up and pulled him closer, clinging to the fleeting warmth as if it were all she had.

***

A long time had passed.

Yuhyeon had fallen asleep, exhausted, but Soo-min remained wide awake, her eyes dazedly fixed on the ceiling.

‘I’m so tired… why can’t I fall asleep?’

The clock dimly read 2 a.m. With a soft sigh, she slipped out of bed, thinking that a cup of coffee might help calm her restlessness.

Faint voices floated up from downstairs.

‘His friends are still here… Should I make some snacks?’

Although it felt a little strange, she was technically his sister-in-law. It didn’t seem right to ignore the guests.

She opened the refrigerator, pulled out some fresh fruit, and began cutting it into neat, bite-sized pieces.

She arranged them on a tray and made her way to the basement where the wine bar was located.

But as she descended the stairs, she stopped – voices.

They were speaking in Korean.

And something about their tone made her stop.

“I really thought you were dead. I was so shocked when I saw the article.”

“I almost died. The burns still throbbing sometimes.”

“Let me see. I thought you only hurt your hand?”

“It went up to my shoulder.”

“Gasp… This scar is no joke. Even after the operation, it’s still like this…”

“They said my skin tissue is different from my brother’s, so it was hard to restore. Although, to be fair, my burns were more severe than his.”

…!!!

‘What… what did I just hear? Different skin tissue from his brother? So Ivan wasn’t the only one who got burned?’

Soo-min’s hands began to shake, the tray trembling in her grip.

She remembered clearly how Yuhyeon had flinched today, just at the sight of fire.

That subtle, fleeting moment had meant something.

‘What is going on…?’

Her knees buckled under her.

The tray wobbled and a piece of fruit slipped off and rolled to the floor with a soft thud.

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

Her mind screamed at her to turn around, to run back upstairs, but her vision dimmed, as if the weight of what she’d just heard had sucked all the light out of the room.

The voices downstairs suddenly stopped.

Then the sound of approaching footsteps.

A moment later, Ivan appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

“Sister-in-law…”

“I heard everything. If the one who was burned… if it wasn’t just you…”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief, her trembling hands clutching the tray.

“Your brother. That person… don’t tell me… was it Yuhyeon?”

Ivan froze. Then he shook his head slowly.

“No.”

“No…?”

“It was my bodyguard.”

“Bodyguard…”

Her breath caught.

‘It was the bodyguard…’

Her heart dropped and wouldn’t stop pounding.

Even though he had said it wasn’t Yuhyeon, her chest twisted painfully.

Because somehow, deep down, her heart refused to believe it was anyone else.

“It was an older guard that I looked up to like a brother. He was burned in a fire – that’s the story I told you.”

“Are you sure?”

Soo-min asked, her voice fragile, her eyes still searching his face for any trace of hesitation.

“Of course,” he said firmly. But then his eyes narrowed. “Why are you shaking? And sweating…?”

“If it’s not that, then… never mind.”

She forced a small smile and wiped the sweat from her brow with a trembling hand.

“If you’re not feeling well, maybe you should see a doctor-“

“I’m fine,” she interrupted quickly. “Oh, I brought some snacks.”

She held out the tray, her voice straining to sound normal.

“Thank you.”

Ivan replied, still watching her with a faint concern.

“Well then…” She took a step back, trying to keep her legs steady. “I’m going back upstairs.”

Her smile held for a second before she turned away, but inside her mind was a storm of doubt and fear.

Only then did Soo-min manage to turn and walk away, her steps heavy with everything she was trying to process.

“Sister-in-law!”

She stopped and looked back.

“Yes?”

“Can you promise me one thing?”

Her brow furrowed slightly.

“What is it…?”

Ivan looked at her with a soft, almost pleading expression.

“Please… don’t hate my brother too much.”

“What do you mean?”

She turned all the way around to face him. His eyes met hers, and then he smiled – bright, but somehow bittersweet.

“My brother, Sergei… he’s someone who carries a lot of scars,” he said quietly. “Sometimes he can make you worry. He doesn’t mean to – but it happens.”

“Scars?”

“The kind that come from being adopted. That kind of pain doesn’t heal easily.”

Soo-min’s expression softened. Her voice, when she spoke, was soft but firm.

“Just like how much you care about your brother… I care about this man too.”

A faint, heartfelt smile touched her lips.

“So you have nothing to worry about.”

“Then I’m relieved.”

Ivan said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Soo-min gave a small nod and turned away, her only thought now being to get back upstairs. Her feet moved faster, the need to escape the whirlwind in her chest growing stronger with each step.

When he was sure she was gone, Ivan’s expression changed.

He stared down at the tray in his hands, then muttered to himself, his voice low and laced with something unreadable.

“Keep doubting, sister-in-law. Keep searching for the man… no, for the love you have extinguished.”

A faint, sad smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

“But still, it’s a relief that you loved my brother in the end. At least the worst case scenario… won’t come true.”