Chapter 45
Yuna’s POV
The elevator doors slid open with a soft chi. My heels clicked steadily against the polished marble floor as I made my way down the quiet corridor.
Harin was already waiting outside the eting room, her posture straight, though her eyes carried a trace of unease.
“Chairwoman,” she said quickly, bowing. “Miss Hwang has already arrived. She’s waiting inside.”
I gave her a brief glance, my expression unreadable. “So eager,” I murmured, brushing a strand of hair back behind my ear.
Pushing the door open, I entered with deliberate calm. The sound of my heels filled the silence before the door clicked shut behind .
At the far end of the table sat Hwang Sera. Her arms rested lightly on the table, her back straight, her gaze fixed on . Usually, she wore her confidence like a smile—a subtle curve of the lips, a hint of amusent in her eyes. But today, her expression was void of that playful arrogance. Instead, her face was cold, her eyes sharp, as if every ounce of her composure had crystallized into quiet fury.
“Sera,” I said evenly, letting her na roll off my tongue with a hint of disdain. “It seems these past few days, outsiders have developed quite the habit of visiting without conscience.”
Her gaze didn’t falter. She didn’t even flinch. No smile, no clever quip—just silence that carried its own weight.
I pulled out my chair and sat with asured grace, crossing one leg over the other. “I thought the next ti I saw you would be during the eting with the Minister Jang. Am I mistaken?”
Her voice, when it ca, was calm, but every word cut cleanly. “You’re not mistaken. I had no plans to et you before then. But… I ca here today for another reason.”
Without another word, she slid a docunt across the polished surface of the table toward . The sound of the paper brushing against wood seed louder than it should have been.
I lowered my gaze, flipping the docunt open. My eyes scanned the content. My fingers stilled.
Before I could open my mouth, Sera’s voice cut through the air. “After what happened yesterday—after the things you said to , Yuna—I tried not to believe it. I told myself it was just another one of your mind gas.” Her lips curled faintly, but her eyes were anything but amused. “But then I saw it with my own eyes, the evidence right in front of . And now—” she leaned back slightly, her gaze narrowing into mine, “—turns out it’s true after all, isn’t it, Yuna?”
I kept my face blank, expression calm.
She continued, her voice slow and deliberate, each word laced with weight. “You really are powerful, Yuna—I’ll give you that. Powerful enough to bend everything to your favor. You actually had the audacity to erase every trace of your marriage—registration records, hospital files, even travel docunts. I went through them all myself. And yet… everything was spotless. Not a single mark. Not even the faintest hint that it ever existed.”
Sera rose from her seat, heels clicking softly against the floor as she closed the distance between us. She leaned forward slightly, her hand pressing against the docunt in front of . “Until this.”
The room sank into a heavy silence, the weight of her words thick in the air. She pointed toward the signature at the bottom of the page—Harin’s na.
“Seriously, Yuna?” she went on, her tone deceptively soft, though her eyes were steady and unyielding. “You put your own assistant down as his guardian? You forced him to drop out of university? Tell —are you trying to strip your husband of his future with your own hands?”
For the briefest mont, I felt my hand clench beneath the table, my nails biting into my palm. But my expression remained smooth, composed.
“And what,” I said finally, my voice calm, “does that have to do with you, Sera?”
Her lips curved faintly—not in amusent, but in sothing sharper. “Is it because you’re afraid?” she asked quietly, her eyes boring into mine. “Afraid that I might see him behind your back?”
My silence must have told her more than I intended.
Sera’s brows lifted slightly, her voice dropping lower. “…So it really is because of that, huh.” She exhaled a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. “I didn’t think you were the type, Yuna. Overly jealous. Willing to destroy your husband’s future just because of sothing so petty.”
I let out a soft, cold laugh of my own, my lips curving faintly. “My husband’s future,” I said, stressing each word, “is none of your concern.”
I rose slowly, deliberately, my movents controlled. The room seed to shrink as I closed the distance between us, standing tall in front of her.
“Since you’ve already uncovered the truth,” I said softly, “let give you one piece of advice. Stay away from my husband. Don’t be so shaless, Sera.”
For the first ti, a flicker of amusent returned to her face, though it was sharpened into a smirk. “Strong words,” she murmured. “But tell , Yuna—aren’t you afraid? That I might expose your secret to the world?”
I tilted my head slightly, returning her smirk with one of my own. “Afraid? Hardly. If I wanted, I could silence every whisper before it even left soone’s lips. And besides…” I let my voice drop lower, colder. “Don’t act so innocent, Sera. You took advantage of Haemin’s kindness, cornered him, and forced him into going out with you.”
Sera’s composure shifted—just a fraction—but I caught it.
I leaned in just enough, my eyes never leaving hers. “So tell , Sera—if you’re so eager to ruin , what happens when I decide to show the world that you’re nothing more than a woman who can’t keep her hands off soone else’s husband?”
The words hung in the air like venom.
Her lips pressed together, then curved into a faint, cold smile. “You’re right. If I wanted to, we’d both be dragged down. But don’t worry.” Her eyes hardened as she straightened, her composure sharp and deliberate. “I never intended to expose you in the first place.”
She stepped back, her heels clicking softly against the floor as she made her way toward the door. With one final glance over her shoulder, she said, “But rember this, Yuna—if you don’t take care of your husband properly, soday…” Her hand rested on the door handle as she paused. “…another woman might take him away from you.”
________
Haemin’s POV
When I finally opened my eyes, the room was already bright. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, hitting my face like it was mocking for oversleeping.
I groaned, rolling slightly onto my side. My body protested the movent, a deep ache radiating through my shoulders and down my back. Every bruise from last night pulsed like a reminder etched into my skin. Even breathing felt heavier than usual.
For a long mont, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling. My head was foggy, caught between sleep and exhaustion, but I couldn’t stay in bed all day.
I forced myself up, dragging my body upright. My legs felt stiff, the floor cold against my feet as I stood.
In the bathroom mirror, I caught sight of my reflection and winced. A faint bruise marked the edge of my jaw, just dark enough to be noticeable. I touched it lightly with my fingers, hissing as pain shot through . I splashed water on my face, hoping to wash away the fatigue clinging to , but it barely helped.
By the ti I left the bedroom, the apartnt was quiet. Yuna wasn’t ho yet. Relief loosened the knot in my chest, though only a little.
I wandered into the kitchen and began tidying, more out of habit than need. I rearranged the spice jars, straightened the chairs, wiped the already clean counters—busywork, nothing urgent, but it helped settle my thoughts.
I moved slowly, my arms heavy, yet I forced myself through it—dusting, sweeping, setting things in order that didn’t really need fixing. Each motion pulled at sore muscles, each one a sharp reminder of last night.
By the ti I set the broom aside and straightened the dish towel on the counter’s edge, the sky outside had already begun to dim. I sank onto the sofa, leaning back with a quiet sigh.
The click of the front door lock jolted upright. My heart leapt into my throat. I quickly moved toward the entryway. The door opened, and Yuna stepped inside. I didn’t know what mood she was bringing ho with her.
“Welco back,” I said softly, hoping my voice sounded steady.
Her eyes swept over , unreadable, before she stepped closer. Her fingers reached up, brushing my hair aside with a gentleness. Then her hand moved lower, stroking my cheek, tracing the faint bruise along my jaw.
I tried to hold still, but my body betrayed . A small wince slipped out when her fingertip pressed too close to the tender spot. I instinctively leaned back, just slightly—but it was enough.
Her hand froze.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Her gaze sharpened, and for a mont I wished I could take it back, that tiny flinch. But it was too late.
“…Did you just pull away from ?” Her voice was low, controlled, but there was steel beneath it.
“I–It’s not that,” I stamred quickly, panic rising in my chest. “I just—my cheek still—…”
“So… you can’t even let touch you now?” She cut off before I could finish, her tone deceptively calm. “Is that what it’s co to?”
Her eyes sharpened, colder than before.
I shook my head frantically. “No, Yuna. That’s not it. H-here, Yuna.” Panicked, I grabbed her hand and pressed it against my cheek, nuzzling it gently, hoping to calm her. “You can… touch it.” I ignored the sharp sting of pain as I held her hand there.
“I wasn’t rejecting you,” I continued, desperation lacing my voice. “I swear I wasn’t.”
For a long mont, she didn’t move. Her hand rested against my cheek where I’d placed it, but her gaze stayed locked on , sharp as glass. The silence stretched, and I felt the weight of it pressing down on my chest.
Then, slowly, the rigidity in her eyes eased. Her fingers flexed faintly against my skin, brushing across my cheekbone, and a quiet breath slipped past her lips.
“Please, Haemin,” she said, her voice cool, almost gentle, though her eyes glead with sothing darker. “Don’t make feel like you despise … I couldn’t forgive you for that.”
Her hand slid from my cheek to the back of my neck, drawing closer. Her eyes softened, though the intensity never left them, and her breath ward against my ear.
“…I missed you, Haemin.”
Before I could answer, she leaned closer, the warmth of her presence pressing against . Her lips t mine, soft at first, then more insistent, claiming every inch of space between us. Her grip tightened at my nape, as if daring to even think of escaping.
The bruise along my cheek throbbed with every press of her lips, the sting sharp enough to make flinch inside. I didn’t dare show it. If I pushed her away, it would only make things worse.
So I stayed still, letting her take from what she wanted, my breath caught between the sweetness of her touch and the quiet throb of pain beneath it. Her scent, her warmth, the firm weight of her hold pressed in on , leaving no room to resist—only to endure in silence until she decided to release .
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