Chapter 1
The hotel lounge overlooked the dazzling night view of Seoul.
The mellow, smooth melody of a jazz piano wrapped around the room.
The beautiful atmosphere, the giddy year-end excitement, and the sharp edge of alcohol filled the air.
Among the people lifting their glasses with bright faces, only Hyun-jung seemed out of place, unable to share in the festive mood.
āPhewā¦ donāt shake. Donāt shake, Seo Hyun-jung.ā
So tense that her shoulders trembled, Hyun-jung let out a deep breath as she fiddled nervously with her empty glass.
The cocktail that once sparkled with pretty colors was already gone, and her flushed cheeks glowed with the heat of alcohol coursing through her blood.
This was the greatest act of rebellion in Hyun-jungās life. She had gathered all her courage to come to this hotel lounge bar.
Her eyes gleamed, a little glazed with drink, carrying the firm determination to succeed in the plan she had made for tonight.
āAn engagement without love, marriage without loveā¦ just thinking about it makes me shudder.ā
Tomorrow, she was to leave on a trip celebrating her engagement to Jo Jae-seokāa man she felt nothing for. That would mean spending her first night with him.
āAn engagement trip without even holding an engagement ceremony? Absurd.ā
He had already hinted at what would happen.
āHyun-jung, I can look forward to it, right? Ah, Iām so nervous. The thought that weāll finally be oneā¦ā
The memory of his leering eyes crawling over her body made her skin crawl.
Just picturing Jae-seok was enough to make her feel insects were crawling all over her. How could she possibly live with such a man? Even breathing the same air made her recoil.
She had resisted this trip, coming up with excuse after excuse, but once again she had caved under his threats.
Why was she so weak? Always afraid, always worried. Each time someone around her got hurt because of her, her dreams and stubborn will withered away piece by piece.
āStillā¦ itās before the engagement. Maybe I can decide at least one thing for myself.ā
Just once, she wanted to do as she wished. To live her desire.
Even if the marriage went ahead, forced by her father, she wanted at least her first experience to be her own choice.
That was why she had come hereādriven by the reckless urge to spend her first night with a man of her choosing.
To reach this night, she had layered lie upon lie, putting in heartbreaking effort. Tonight, she swore, her dream would come true.
Her target was already chosen. Any more hesitation would only waste time.
A quick glance.
Like a magnet, her eyes kept pulling toward one man.
Leaning back comfortably on the sofa with a drink in hand, he gave off the aura of a predator strolling lazily through the jungle.
Though he wore only a vest and shirt, his presence was overwhelming.
From the moment he entered, he had drawn every eye, as though the spotlight itself followed him.
Hyun-jungās eyes had been among them. From the instant she first saw him, her breath had caught, and her heart had pounded wildly. It hadnāt taken long before she decidedātonight, it had to be him.
Trying to calm her nerves, she set down the glass she had been rubbing for no reason and took a deep breath before rising from her seat.
Click, clack.
The sound of her heels rang confidently as she walked toward the man, but the closer she got, the faster her heart raced.
She worried that her legs might give out from trembling, but somehow she managed to reach his table.
She intended to greet him with the poise of a mature woman, but when their eyes met, she froze.
His hair was slicked neatly back with pomade. The buttoned-up shirt, the classic tie with its pin, the broad chestāall combined into a look that was both disciplined and sensual.
The atmosphere he gave off was austere, adult, overwhelming.
She thought: a man this perfect must have had countless women. A one-night stand with him would surely be nothing to rememberāa fleeting memory heād easily forget.
That thought gave her a sliver of courage.
Whether she spent the night with him or was rejected on the spot, she would just be one among many women he had known.
āHello.ā
Her voice had been so tense she feared it might sound stiff, but thankfully it came out clear and steady.
She expected him to tell her to sit or ask what she wanted, but the man stayed silent for a moment.
Holding his glass to his lips, he looked at her with an expression so cold and composed it seemed he would never easily allow anyone near.
Click.
Setting his glass down on the table, he spoke.
āWhat is it?ā
Up close, his sharply defined brow, deep eyes, straight nose, and firm lips seemed even more unreal than from afar.
And yet, his low, resonant voice rang sweetly in her ears.
Captivated by his dangerous dignity, Hyun-jung found herself unable to answer. Her fingers only twisted helplessly at her handbag strap.
She had to say something to hold his attention, but it was no easier than when she had first spoken.
As though bored of yet another meaningless encounter, he averted his eyes, stood up, and reached for his jacket and coat draped over the sofa.
āā¦ā¦ā
The shirt stretched taut across his body as he moved, revealing a solid build that could only come from dedicated training. She couldnāt look away.
He was about to leave. She had to stop him.
Snapping back to her senses, Hyun-jung spun around and grabbed his sleeve.
Feeling her desperate touch, his steps halted.
Turning his head slightly, he looked down at her. One eyebrow arched, annoyed.
āI asked, what is it?ā
His tone carried a hint of hostility, as though to sayāwhat could be so important that you waste my time?
Sensing she couldnāt delay any longer, Hyun-jung mustered every drop of courage.
Even if she could not boldly carve her own path in life, just for this moment, she wanted to claim this man.
āIf itās all right with youā¦ā
She released his shirt and pulled from her handbag the hotel room key she had checked in earlier, holding it out to him.
āWould you like to spend the night with me?ā
Her calm delivery surprised even herself.
Though she had spoken daringly, his expression did not change. He looked down at her with an indifference that suggested he had experienced this many times before.
No flicker of reaction. Just his steady gaze. What was displeasing him?
She bit the inside of her lip as silence hung heavy between them.
āDo you even understand what that means?ā
Was he asking because he thought she didnāt know?
But Hyun-jung was an adult. True, her pale skin sometimes made her look like a schoolgirl without makeup, but she knew instantly he wasnāt mistaking her for a child.
āOf course. I know.ā
She lifted her head proudly, though the corners of her mouth trembled with nerves.
She had prepared for this night. Makeup she usually never wore, hair styled, and a red dress that clung to her curvesāall boosting her confidence.
āAnd what exactly do you think you know?ā
He tilted his head slightly and leaned closer.
āā¦ā¦ā
āMen lose control when their eyes roll back. Do you really know what they might do? And yet you say you understand?ā
His tone was even, but it felt like anger.
āWith such an innocent faceā¦ā
