IDTE 10

Chapter – 10

His neat black formal suit and styled hair made him look almost like a model in a brand advertisement—perfect.

“The ceremony will start soon.”

“Yes. I’ll get up shortly.”

“We’ll try to finish it as quickly as possible.”

“That’s good.”

I tried to adjust my dress and stand, but it wasn’t easy.

As I struggled, there was a soft knock at the door again. To my surprise, it was Kim Gun who opened it.

“Mr. Gun?”

“Wow, Minha, you look really beautiful today!”

“Thank you. This is the first time anyone’s said that today.”

Now that I thought about it, no one had complimented me yet today. My mom and my friend, who had come to the waiting room first, had been too busy worrying about this engagement. Not to mention Doi Hyun next to me.

“Oh, Hyun is here too.”

“Then where should I be?”

“Hey, on a day like today, at least try to smile.”

“What brings you here?”

Kim Gun quickly turned his signature gentle gaze toward me and smiled.

He was the only one smiling in this room. Anyone seeing this might think he was the one getting engaged.

“You came to see Minha, right?”

For a moment, the air felt slightly awkward.

“I just met Minha’s friend, and they seemed really worried. So I thought I’d check if everything’s okay.”

“Kim Gun.”

It was a strange situation, and it was interrupted by Doi Hyun.

“I got this.”

By now, it seemed Doi Hyun was the type who would stand in anyone’s way for me.

Still, Kim Gun didn’t break his smile.

“Yeah, with Doi Hyun around, there’s nothing to worry about.”

He looked back at me one last time as he left the room.

“I’ll call someone to help adjust your dress, Minha!”

No matter what was going through his mind, he remained thoroughly kind. I returned his friendliness with a smile of my own.

Before stepping out the door, Doi Hyun glanced at me.

“You’re better at calling people by name than I expected.”

Finally, the ceremony—which had felt like a thousand years—was over.

I tapped my stiff neck from all the tension as I got out of the black sedan that Doi Hyun had driven.

I looked back at the car—I should at least show some gratitude for bringing me here.

But before I could say anything, Doi Hyun drove off without a word. Figures.

Once inside the house, I went straight to the shower, washing away the dust and lingering thoughts from the day. Then I slowly surveyed the empty house.

Somehow, a small part of me felt uneasy. But there was no time to dwell on it.

I composed myself and pulled a small key from my bag.

During the chaos after the ceremony, I had slyly taken it from Doi Hyun’s belongings.

I knew it was technically theft. I didn’t feel justified. But if this key could open Doi Hyun’s bedroom…

I carefully tried the key in the lock. But unfortunately, it didn’t open.

“Curious about my room?”

A chill ran down my spine at the voice from behind.

I stiffly turned, and there was Doi Hyun, draping his suit jacket over his arm as he entered.

“W-Why are you here?”

“Is there a problem with me coming to my own home?”

“I thought you went somewhere else.”

“I had to park.”

I was at a loss for words, so I awkwardly hid the key behind my back.

“And what’s that key for?”

He approached, and the air around him carried a coldness.

“Give it to me. It’s not the key you’re looking for.”

He took the key from me and used another to unlock the bedroom door.

At last, the space I had been curious about unfolded before me.

It was simpler than I expected. A large bed, a table, a lamp, a mirror—nothing more.

Then it happened.

His large hand grabbed mine and pulled me toward him. I flinched at the cold touch of his hand.

It slid beneath my shower gown and gripped my thigh.

“So you really wanted to come into my room, huh? Surprising.”

His hand on my thigh began creeping upward.

Wherever his hand touched, it felt like it left a trail of heat. At the same time, a fact I hadn’t fully realized hit me.

I wasn’t wearing anything under the shower gown.

His hand reached dangerously close to the underside of my right breast.

“Are you crazy? Are you in your right mind?”

“I think you’re the one who’s not.”

His thick lips brushed my neck, and his hand grasped my right breast firmly.

Every touch on my hypersensitive body was electrifying.

“Ah…”

I couldn’t help but exhale at the unfamiliar sensation.

His tongue traced my neck toward my ear, and a strange tingling sensation began to spread downward.

In an instant, the spacious room filled with the sticky sounds of lips and intermittent breathing.

“…Stop!!”

It was dangerous.

Clinging to the last shred of reason, I forced myself to push Doi Hyun away.

“Are you insane? Didn’t we agree that unwanted physical contact is prohibited…!”

For some reason, Doi Hyun’s gaze seemed different than usual, even after being pushed away so easily.

“You know your stuff.”

His eyes returned to their cold, familiar look as he adjusted his attire.

“Remember the agreement? Respect privacy, no intrusion—don’t you? You crossed the line first. Or…”

His lips curved into a sly half-smile.

“Are you really under the impression we’re actually engaged?”

His attire now perfectly neat, it was hard to believe this was the same man who had just touched me so aggressively.

“Well, if that’s the case, carry on with whatever you were doing.”

A deep, indescribable mix of anger and embarrassment surged within me. My face burned.

“Crazy bastard.”

I had a fierce desire to punch his smug face.

I hurried past him toward my room, hands trembling from unrelenting rage. That crazy lunatic.

Of course, I didn’t try to justify sneaking into his room. If he wanted, I would have at least pretended to apologize.

But what he just did wasn’t merely crossing a line—it was destroying it.

“Ha…crazy…”

I tried to restrain myself, but the tangled emotions escaped my lips.

More than anything, I was furious at myself. In that brief moment, I had not rejected him. Not that I couldn’t have.

Would my vow to take down Sungjin Capital be powerless against even this man’s provocative acts?

At this rate, it wouldn’t be Sungjin Capital that falls—it would be me.

When I opened my eyes, the weight on them was unusually heavy. No wonder they were swollen.

It was just past 7 a.m. on Monday.

When I opened the door, only silence greeted me.

Doi Hyun was gone. And yesterday’s events left no trace, like a nightmare from a midsummer night.

Glancing at the time, it was almost time to leave for work.

The neighborhood where I lived was far from the city center, so catching the bus required an early start.

Ordinarily, the commute would have been irritating, but under these circumstances, having somewhere to go was comforting.

After getting ready quickly, I opened the heavy front gate, bracing myself against the cold wind.

“Where are you going?”

I nearly froze. A large man was standing at the gate like a guard.

“Who… are you?”

“I’m here under the director’s orders. Where are you headed?”

“To work.”

“You won’t be able to go alone for the time being. We’ll accompany you.”

“I’m just going to work.”

“Director’s orders.”

The man’s persistence made sweat bead on my forehead despite the chilly autumn morning.

Suddenly, a clause from the agreement flashed in my mind—one that had always felt particularly uncomfortable:

“During the contract period, Party B agrees to be accompanied by personnel designated by Sungjin Capital during public events or external activities.”

At the time, I had intended to revise this clause after negotiating with Doi Hyun.

But as our relationship became increasingly awkward, I had given up and let it slide.

Now, the guard gestured toward the black sedan parked outside the gate.

I realized that I hadn’t been paying attention to the bigger picture—I was so focused on the trees that I couldn’t see the forest.

And of course, it was Doi Hyun, that bastard, who had ensured I never saw the forest.