Chapter 8 â Be Careful
Unlike Won-jun, whose face had gone pale, his friends were still noisy and laughing.
They pointed at Tae-woong, tossing around remarks like âWhoâs that?â and âHeâs handsome.â
Startled, Won-jun quickly pushed his friends out of the private room.
They grumbled a few shallow complaints as they were herded out, but he didnât care.
âLooks like I interrupted something,â Tae-woong said casually.
âNo, hyung. Not at all. I was just about to come greet you myself. What brings you here?â
âI heard this is your regular spot. Thought Iâd drop by and have some fun too.â
Tae-woong poured a drink and slid the glass toward Won-jun.
Won-jun took it with trembling hands.
âYou couldâve told me earlier. I wouldâve come sooner toââ
âWhat, do I not look like Iâm dying soon? You trying to make a good impression before I kick it?â
Won-jun nearly spat out his drink. He coughed violently, wiping his mouth with a tissue.
âAh, hyung. I misspoke that day. Iâm sorry. That womanââ
âNot that woman. The doctor.â
The correction was sharp. Won-jun froze.
âRight, the doctor. She got above herself, thatâs all. Mustâve annoyed you. Iâm really sorry.â
Tae-woongâs lips curved faintly, but his eyes didnât soften.
He slid both hands into his pockets. The tension in his expression made Won-jun swallow hard.
âYeah, I was annoyed. So I thought about whether I should grant your little request or not.â
Sweat started to trickle down Won-junâs back. The VIP ward deal was everything to him â a golden opportunity heâd bragged about to everyone.
âBut, you know, Iâve got a soft spot for sick people. So I went ahead and helped her out.â
Won-jun finally let out the breath heâd been holding.
âThank you, hyung. I swear Iâll never forget this favor.â
âDonât thank me. I didnât do it for you.â
A cold wave passed through Won-jun.
âI got close to her. Thanks to you, actually. So⊠thanks.â
It felt like his blood turned to ice.
The âmadamâ heâd introduced wasnât just anyone â she was the daughter of one of the countryâs biggest cash-rich investors.
His father had warned him to treat her like royalty. Months of charm and effort â gone, just like that.
âAnyway, have fun with your friends. The drinks are on me.â
Tae-woong opened the door, then paused and turned back with a smirk.
âOh, and⊠I canât cover your medicine money. Your uncle might blame me.â
He left, lips twisted into a half-smile.
Won-jun sat frozen, despair sinking in.
Even the secret heâd hidden so carefully â his old habit from his school years in the U.S. â was now exposed.
No⊠the real problem was Tae-woong.
Heâd always been the brilliant one. But brilliance shouldâve been the only thing he had.
The Lee myeong Group valued lineage first. And as the eldest sonâs child, Won-jun had always felt secure â until now.
He swallowed the rest of his drink in one gulp.
That one careless comment about sickly Ji-woong had cost him dearly.
The ice in his glass cracked between his teeth.
Eun-young, meanwhile, was showering, trying to cool her head.
She forced herself to think only of what needed to be done next.
She gathered every bit of cash she had â the emergency stash hidden from her aunt, the leftover living expenses, everything.
Then she mentally listed all the people she might borrow money from â and immediately felt ashamed.
Her aunt had already tried borrowing from Jung-won not long ago.
Thankfully, he had asked Eun-young first, so it hadnât gotten out of hand.
But years ago, her aunt had borrowed from one of Eun-youngâs old classmates without permission, and that had been a nightmare.
Why him? Why borrow from Kwon Tae-woong of all people?
She was already uncomfortable living under the same roof because of her cousin Ji-woong.
Now, thanks to her aunt, she was completely broke and considering loans again.
Frustration burned in her chest.
But what unsettled her most was that man â how easily he seemed to belong in a place like that club.
Men are all the same, she thought bitterly, but still, she couldnât shake the irritation.
A man who claimed to be âtoo busyâ for anything else, yet had time to look immaculate and sit in a VIP room â it stung.
And the idea that she mightâve mistaken his fleeting interest for sincerity embarrassed her.
What a fool. Iâm just another pathetic woman to him.
She turned the shower knob from hot to cold.
The icy water bit into her skin, making her shiver, but she didnât stop.
She wanted to wash him off her completely â his loosened tie, his hands, his half-smile.
When she was done, she wrapped a towel around her head and quickly got dressed.
Even slapping lotion onto her face felt harsh, as if she could beat the thoughts out of herself.
She took a deep breath in front of the mirror.
Trying to distract herself, she opened her laptop and read through a research paper â but the words swam before her eyes.
She wouldnât sleep tonight.
So she put on a cardigan and stepped outside quietly, careful not to wake the other house staff.
Her mind kept looping through the same things â
Aunt, money, Kwon Tae-woong. Aunt, money, Kwon Tae-woong.
She shook her head, muttering âstop it, stop it.â
The cool air helped calm her down.
Just as she turned to go back in, a low voice cut through the dark.
âWe meet again, Doctor.â
Eun-young turned, her expression carefully composed.
Tae-woong stood there â his shirt unbuttoned, hair slightly tousled, looking even more disheveled than earlier.
âYou look like you had fun tonight,â she said flatly, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
He smiled faintly.
âNot bad.â
She looked up at him, eyes cold. The irritation that had cooled during her walk flared back up.
Deciding not to waste words, she turned to leave â and stumbled on a stone.
Tae-woong caught her by the waist.
âBe careful.â
His voice was low, close to her ear.
Goosebumps rippled across her skin.
He released her, then glanced at her hair. A droplet of water slid down from the damp strands.
âYouâll catch a cold if you wander around like that, Doctor.â
Without waiting for an answer, he walked off toward the main house.
Eun-young stood there, cheeks burning.
âA gift from my brother,â Ji-woong had said when heâd introduced her â calling her a gift.
It had sounded sweet then.
But now, in Tae-woongâs hands, she really did feel like an object.
He touched her without hesitation â her waist, her shoulder â as if he owned her.
And yet, her heartbeat betrayed her.
Flustered, she pressed a hand to her chest and hurried back to her room.
Meanwhile, Tae-woong leaned against the wall beside the elevator, eyes closed, listening.
When he heard her footsteps fade, he finally pressed the button.
The memory of her waist beneath his palm still lingered vividly.
That damp hair… that scent…
He smiled faintly.
His phone vibrated â an email from his chief secretary.
It was about Eun-young.
Thanks to her insistence on repaying the money, keeping her close just got easier.
The elevator chimed, doors sliding open.
Without another thought, Tae-woong stepped inside, heading for his room.