Chapter 23

A cold gaze. Taeseok’s face was filled with fury, as if he might kill Jitae at any moment.

“Why are you here?”

A pungent stench of strong alcohol wafted from Jitae’s body.

“You, of all people, how dare you—”

The moment Taeseok saw Iseo standing there in her robe, her face pale, something hot boiled up from the tips of his toes. He felt as though he had lost all control.

“I warned you, didn’t I? I hate when someone touches what’s mine. Be it a thing or a person. Especially if it’s my woman—my person.”

Jitae was clearly drunk—excessively so, from drinking strong whiskey, unlike his usual self.

“You’d better stop pretending to be drunk and pull yourself together now.”

His voice was icy. Jitae, his face flushed red and blue, shook his head and finally opened his heavy eyelids to look straight ahead.

As the blurred figure came into focus, he saw Taeseok’s murderous expression.

“Han Taeseok?”

“So you can recognize me. Guess you’re not completely out of your mind. How did you know to come here? Did you have someone tailing me or something? If you don’t want to die, speak clearly. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Urgh—Let me go and I’ll tell you!”

Taeseok looked ready to choke the life out of him. His strong hand gripped Jitae’s neck, turning his face pale.

“Taeseok, stop! This is going too far. Let go of him and talk it out,” Iseo pleaded, visibly shocked at seeing this side of him for the first time.

“What’s the big deal if a bastard like him dies?”

“Please don’t do this.”

As Iseo clung to him, she barely managed to pull his arm away. Jitae gasped for air, exhaling violently.

He rubbed his neck and shifted his gaze to Taeseok and Iseo, frowning deeply at the sight of them together.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“He seems very drunk. I think he mistook me for someone else. Earlier, I clearly heard him calling another name.”

“If you’re drunk, just go home. Why would you come here?”

“…Taeseok, do you know him?”

Taeseok’s brow furrowed deeply as he spoke slowly through clenched teeth.

“He’s the one I said I was going to meet. The only son of Madam Min Hyejeong.”

“What?”

Iseo stared at Jitae, startled by Taeseok’s cold tone.

Now that she looked closer, his sharp eyes and lips did resemble Hyejeong, whom she had met a while ago.

What in the world was going on?

Seeing the two men together made her head spin with confusion, like a tangled thread.

“Then this—this can’t be right.”

Jitae let out a sneer.

“So this woman here is…”

“Watch your mouth.”

Taeseok glared at Jitae and spoke in a low growl.

“She’s not just some woman. She’s my future wife.”

A cold silence fell. Jitae chuckled darkly.

“So you’re getting married. Already playing house, are you?”

At that, Taeseok grabbed Jitae’s arm and twisted it.

“I told you to watch your mouth. My patience is running thin.”

“Let go of me!”

“What do you care if we’re getting married or living together? You’d have to meet her eventually. Since you’re Madam Min’s son, I figured I’d give you a formal greeting. But now I see that’s unnecessary. Respect is for people who deserve it.”

Jitae yanked his arm away, brushed off his coat, and turned to Iseo.

“My apologies for the rough introduction. I didn’t expect to meet you like this, but you’re just as beautiful as I’ve heard.”

Taeseok’s fist clenched, the veins bulging across his hand.

“If you’re sorry, apologize properly.”

“Judging by how worked up you are, you must really love her, huh?”

“You son of a—”

“Come on, I didn’t mean it. Don’t you think this is a bit much?”

His voice was chilled to the bone. Taeseok, his eyes icy, stepped closer to Jitae.

“Do you want me to show you what too much looks like?”

The air between them grew heavy, tense with hostility.

“If you ever so much as lay a finger on my woman again, you won’t be walking out of here on your own two feet. Consider yourself warned.”

A terrifying threat. It was the first time Iseo had seen Taeseok this cold and frightening.

“Jitae?”

The opposite door opened with the sound of a commotion. Inyeong stepped out wearing a robe over her slip.

Seeing Inyeong call Jitae’s name, Taeseok chuckled bitterly.

“So you are playing house. I wonder if your precious mother Madam Min knows about this?”

“You’ve misunderstood. It’s not like that,” Inyeong quickly replied.

Her eyes locked on Taeseok’s furious face.

“We’re just business partners.”

“Is this how people dress for business these days?”

Inyeong’s expression twisted. She quickly moved to Jitae’s side and grabbed his arm.

“Jitae, what’s going on? I waited for you like you said. He must’ve gotten the wrong place because he’s drunk. I’m so sorry, you must’ve been surprised. Please let me apologize.”

Inyeong’s eyes briefly shifted to Iseo, who stood next to Taeseok. Her lips curled into a slight smirk.

“You’re Han Taeseok, right? What a surprise to run into you here. Life really throws unexpected things at you. Jitae drank too much today and made a mistake. Please understand.”

“The problem is, the person he made that mistake with is my woman.”

“I’m sorry. I heard you’re getting married soon. Congratulations.”

“I don’t need congratulations from you. Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Taeseok took Iseo by the hand and led her inside.

Once the two disappeared, Inyeong leaned into Jitae.

“What the hell was that?”

“Damn it.”

Blood welled between his tightly clenched teeth.

“I told you not to drink so much. You said you had too much tonight.”

“Why did you apologize?”

“Didn’t you see Taeseok’s eyes just now? He looked like he could kill someone. Of course I had to apologize. Don’t tell me you did something to that woman while you were drunk?”

“I didn’t.”

“But seriously, I can see why Han Taeseok fell for her. What a small world—who would’ve thought his fiancée lived in the same building? If I’d known she was our neighbor, I would’ve tried to befriend her.”

Even as Inyeong joked, Jitae’s expression hardened.

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Back inside, Taeseok loosened his tie halfway.

The moment he saw Jitae holding Iseo’s arm, an uncontrollable rage surged in him. Something beyond rational thought boiled in his chest.

“Are you okay?”

“Now’s not the time to be worried about me.”

Taeseok stepped closer to Iseo.

“That’s why you shouldn’t open the door so easily.”

“You’re the only one I know who comes here, so I assumed it was you.”

“Did he hurt you? Did that bastard do anything to you?”

“No, he just came to the wrong apartment. You heard him earlier…”

Before she could finish, Taeseok pulled her into his arms.

“W-What are you doing?”

Just the thought of what could have happened was unbearable.

Her mind spun with terrible possibilities.

“Han Taeseok, I can’t breathe.”

“If he had laid a hand on you, I would’ve killed him.”

“I’m fine, so please let go and talk calmly.”

As she wriggled free, Iseo’s face turned red. The faint floral scent of her shampoo lingered in her still-damp hair.

“But still, that was too much… If something really had happened, you’d be on the front page. Don’t do that again, okay?”

“Is that all you have to say?”

“He’s your mother’s son…”

“Only on paper.”

“Still, he’s your brother.”

“I told you—it’s just a technicality. We don’t see each other often, so don’t worry.”

Taeseok’s voice was serious.

“Choi Iseo, you’re my wife now. I’m the only man allowed to touch you.”

He stepped even closer.

“But I just came out of the shower. Can you wait a second? Let me change.”

Taeseok quickly grabbed her wrist before she could turn away.

“We’re getting married anyway. What’s the big deal? It’s not like you’re naked. You’re even wearing a robe.”

“Still, this feels…”

Iseo swallowed dryly, overwhelmed by the intensity in Taeseok’s eyes, hotter than her flushed face.

Their bodies were too close. His breath brushed against her lips.

She stepped back until her back hit the wall. Taeseok braced one arm against the wall beside her face and whispered into her ear.

“You didn’t realize this, but… up close, you’re even more beautiful.”

 

At his words, Taeseok’s long fingers reached for the sash of her robe.