A satisfied smile formed on Ivan’s lips.

He wanted to help Yuhyeon, who was so blinded by revenge that he made foolish mistakes.

This was his way of repaying the man who had once saved his life.

Soo-min rushed to the second floor, her heart pounding in her chest. She dropped onto the sofa, her knees weak, and brought her fingers to her lips, biting her nails in anxious thought.

‘Could Ivan have lied?Should I have asked more about the fire…?’

Her mind raced. If someone really wanted to hide the truth, it wouldn’t be hard to come up with a convincing lie. She couldn’t confront him – not without certainty.

She sat in silence, her thoughts swirling, until suddenly she stood.

As if moved by instinct, she walked straight into the room.

Yuhyeon was still fast asleep, completely n*ked, his breathing steady. His back was exposed in the faint moonlight.

She hesitated, then picked up her phone and turned on the flashlight.

The harsh beam cut through the darkness, gliding slowly down his back.

Then she checked his chest carefully, thoroughly.

“Nothing…” she whispered to herself. “His skin is… completely clear.”

Not a single burn. No scar.

His skin was smooth and unmarked.

It should have calmed her. And for a moment it did.

But the unease still twisted in her chest like a knot that refused to loosen.

“What’s wrong with me…?”

Her voice cracked.

She checked again and again… He’s not Junhwan… so why… Why couldn’t she shake this feeling?

But what if, by some impossible miracle… Junhwan is still alive?

‘What if that man is Junhwan? Then everything he’s told me… every word, every touch, every look… it’s all been a lie. If he really is Junhwan… then the reason he came to me, the reason he’s been by my side… it’s not love. It’s revenge. To make me pay. To punish me for betraying him.’

Suddenly, a wave of nausea swept through her, rising quickly and sharply into her throat. It felt like her entire insides were being twisted and turned upside down.

Soo-min put her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom off the living room.

“Ugh… ughh…”

The moment she lifted the toilet seat, she collapsed and started choking violently.

Her lungs burned, her breathing was ragged – it felt like they were about to give out.

She threw up everything she’d eaten that day, her body shaking with each heave.

When it was over, her head throbbed with a splitting pain and she collapsed weakly on the cold bathroom floor.

‘Don’t go there. Stop imagining things.’

‘It’s a ridiculous thought. It can’t be true. He’s not gentle like Junhwan. Even the way he touches me is different. Everything is different.’

She clenched her fists, forcing the thought into her mind like a mantra:

‘He’s not Junhwan.’

“Maybe… I’ve become like Alice in Wonderland,” she whispered hoarsely, laughing bitterly at herself.

Soo-min shook her head hard, trying to push away the whirlwind of doubt and fear that threatened to engulf her.

“I have to stop doubting people without real proof,” Soo-min whispered to herself, trying to catch her breath. “Pull yourself together, Han Soo-min. This… this is a second chance at love. If I go on like this, I might lose it.”

She stepped out of the bathroom, her legs still shaking a little, and made her way back to the bedroom.

Climbing into bed, she snuggled into his wide, familiar warmth. His body was firm, his breathing slow and peaceful in sleep.

The comfort of it wrapped around her like a blanket, and the tenderness of it all stung the tip of her nose. Her eyes welled up.

‘This man is not Ji Junhwan.’

‘He is Beom Yuhyeon. Beom Yuhyeon.’

She slipped her arm around him, pulling herself deeper into the safety of his arms.

And then, as if in response, his arm moved in its sleep – wrapping around her waist, pulling her close.

Two heartbeats, pressed tightly together, echoed in sync.

“…Soo-min…ah…”

Her heart dropped in an instant.

Soo-min froze.

That voice, so soft, so familiar. The way he said her name… it was just like Junhwan’s.

Her heart started to race, pounding so hard it hurt.

It was crazy, she knew. And yet, as if caught in a dream, she leaned close to his ear and whispered his name – so gently it was barely a breath.

“…Junhwan…”

Silence.

No response.

‘What am I doing? I’ve lost it… I must be losing my mind.’

A hollow, helpless laugh slipped from her lips as she began to bury her face in his chest again – anything to escape the storm inside her.

But then a strange feeling crept over her. Something felt… wrong.

Slowly, cautiously, she lifted her eyes.

And her breath caught.

Yuhyeon was awake. His eyes – cold, unreadable – were fixed directly on hers.

She jumped back as if she’d seen a ghost. Her whole body stiffened, fear washing over her in a sudden, suffocating wave.

‘No way… he didn’t hear that, did he?’

Panic surged through Soo-min’s chest.

‘What have I done?God, what’s wrong with me? Why did I say Junhwan’s name right now?’

She silently cursed herself, her mind spinning in a whirlwind of regret and fear.

But before she could pull away, before she could even speak, his arm moved – wrapping tightly around her waist, pulling her closer.

Their bodies pressed tightly together.

Not heart to heart… but deeper. Their stomachs met, and the sudden closeness made her gasp.

Then came his voice, low and harsh at her ear.

“Once wasn’t enough… it seems the same is true for you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. Whether it was fear, guilt, or something more complicated, she couldn’t tell.

He grabbed Soo-min’s body and flipped her over in one swift motion.

He was on top of her in an instant.

“Calling another man’s name, I see.”

‘Ah!! He heard it! What should I do?!’

Soo-min’s mind went completely blank.

“I just… I didn’t mean to…”

“That man – he’s Junhwan, right? So should I become Junhwan for you?”

“What?”

“Let’s say I’m possessed by someone else.”

“Wouldn’t that bother you?”

“Not at all. Think of it as a new kind of game.”

“Ah.”

She had forgotten – this man had a slightly deviant side.

“What about him? You said your ex-husband was gentle, so… was the other man rough?”

“He was gentle.”

“How gentle?”

His fingers slid down and began to tease her in the most intimate way.

“…Ugh…wait, just a moment…”

But his voice came, deep and relentless.

“Did he suck here? Or here… and here too?”

His fingers traced deliberately, possessively.

“I’m sure he touched even more private places, didn’t he?”

“Yuhyeon… why are you asking me these things…?”

Her voice trembled with a mixture of confusion and rising emotion.

He leaned closer, his breath hot against her skin.

“Because,” he said, almost with a grin, “it’s fun to compare. And I want to prove that I’m better than him.”

“Ah…”

“Even though this all started as a fake marriage, don’t you think it gets more interesting the longer it goes on? I’m really enjoying it. I feel like I’d never get tired of you… even if we spent a lifetime together.”

His gaze remained on her, intense and unreadable.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.”

“Now,” he leaned closer, “I want to hear your thoughts.”

“I feel the same way. I want to spend a lifetime playing all sorts of… fun games with you.”

Their lips hovered, breath mingling in the space between them – so close, yet not quite touching.

Then, in a low, sultry whisper, he said:

“They say a married couple becomes one in body and mind… seems they were right.”

He grinned.

“All right then – let’s have some fun. Moan all you want.”

Years ago, when he’d first come to Korea to study, he’d thrown himself into wild nights of partying with the bandmates with whom he’d formed a close bond.

But this, now – this thrill – felt very different. And much more dangerous.

Awakened early by the sharp, grating sound of drilling, Ivan groggily made his way to the basement – only to find workers installing security cameras.

His stomach sank.

‘About yesterday… That one slip was enough to *rouse suspicion.’

But what really shocked him was the sight of a camera being installed in his own room.

“Was this really necessary? Installing CCTV? I have a right to privacy too, you know.”

“If you don’t like it, leave. I won’t stop you.”

Yuhyeon replied coldly without even looking at him.

“Tch. Are you serious? I just wanted to help you.”

“I don’t need your help.”

The installer, sensing the tension, quietly packed up and left without a word.

Yuhyeon turned on his heel and headed for the kitchen.

Ivan followed close behind, like a restless shadow that refused to go away.

“Liar. Are you for real? Are you for real right now?”

“What exactly do you want to hear?”

“Your true feelings.”

“If it’s about how I really feel, I’ve already said it many times. Do you want me to say it again?”

“No… I’ve heard it so many times that it’s practically echoing in my head.”

“Then that should be enough.”

“But today… today feels different than the others. You look like spring now,” Ivan said quietly. “And a while ago, it felt like a snowstorm was coming.”

He had expected Yuhyeon to lash out when he realized his mistake – but to his surprise he didn’t.

“Mind your own business.”

“Hm… Don’t you think it’s time for your true identity to come out? Sister-in-law seems to have feelings for you too…”

“It’s because of that face.”

“So what if it is? It’s still you either way.”

“It’s not that simple.”

Ivan was silent for a moment, his mind running through all the things Yuhyeon had done to get here.

All the strings he’d pulled, the boundaries he’d crossed – just to find her again.

The obsession had consumed him so much that he’d even destroyed an entire family in the process.

“Ah… yeah, I guess it would be kind of embarrassing to suddenly announce that Ji Junhwan is alive now, huh? You would at least owe her – my sister-in-law – an apology, right?”

Yuhyeon said nothing, just turned away to fill the kettle with water. The silence between them grew heavier.

“Come on, just be honest with yourself, revenge isn’t what you really wanted, is it?”

“No. You got it all wrong.”

He turned slightly, his eyes dark.

“I wanted to build a cage. One I made with my own hands… and lock her in it. Keep her there – forever. And the day she finally falls in love with me again…”

A small, bitter smile touched his lips.

“Then I will take my revenge.”

“Pfft!!”

Ivan burst out laughing, half in disbelief, half in despair.

“You’re really messed up, you know that?”

Ivan suddenly burst out laughing. He couldn’t help it – it was just too ridiculous.

The man who used to scoff at love, calling it childish, was now pushing thirty and acting more like an impulsive teenager than anyone Ivan had ever known.

Yuhyeon’s lips curled in irritation.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.”

Ivan said, wiping the grin from his face, though the amusement still lingered in his eyes.

“It’s just… your words and your actions don’t match at all. Look at you, making coffee for her like it’s the most natural thing in the world.”

Yuhyeon froze in mid-movement, coffee pot in hand.

A faint twitch flickered at the corner of his mouth. His cheek tightened, trembling slightly.

Ivan quickly swallowed another laugh, realizing that he might be pushing his luck.

When Yuhyeon gave him a sharp, cutting look, Ivan threw up his hands in surrender.

“All right, all right – don’t get mad. I’m just saying… maybe being so confused is a sign that you’re actually changing. In a good way.”

Yuhyeon’s voice dropped, deadly serious.

“Don’t say another unnecessary word to Soo-min. This is your last warning.”

After a pause, his eyes narrowed.

“Or I’ll personally put you on a plane back to Russia.”

Ivan blinked, the humor finally draining from his face.

“…Got it.”

Although Yuhyeon’s warning was delivered in a voice as cold as ice, it didn’t shake Ivan in the slightest.

If anything, it only confirmed what he already knew – right now, Yuhyeon needed him more than anyone else.

“Yes, sir! Got it, Captain!”

Ivan replied with an exaggerated salute and a grin.

Yuhyeon didn’t react. He just turned away, the tension still in his shoulders.

Ivan watched him quietly as he walked away.

Something was changing. Slowly, subtly – but unmistakably.

And for once, it felt like a change in the right direction.

For a man who had spent years consumed by hate and revenge, there was only one cure.

‘The woman he had never stopped loving.’