A Suspicious Discovery

Seo-yeon paced around her office, anxiety building as she searched for her phone. She had been in the middle of an important call just moments ago, but now it was nowhere to be found. Her brows furrowed as she checked under papers, behind her desk, and around her chair, but it was gone. Panic began to take hold of her.

From the corner of the room, the secretary observed her quietly, her face betraying the unease that simmered beneath her calm exterior. Every glance Seo-yeon cast her way made the secretary more nervous, and she began to fidget with her fingers, hoping to avoid attention.

When Seo-yeon finally turned to her, her voice calm but tense, it sent a chill through the room. “Have you seen my phone?”

The secretary's hesitation was barely noticeable, but Seo-yeon noticed it immediately. Her eyes narrowed, suspicion rising. "You look a little… nervous. Is there something you're not telling me?"

The secretary stumbled over her words, trying to keep the lie intact, but Seo-yeon’s intuition was sharper than ever. The air was thick with tension, and it didn’t take long for Seo-yeon to piece everything together.

“Where is it?” she demanded, her tone now more insistent, the underlying fury in her voice unmistakable.

Reluctantly, the secretary’s defenses crumbled. “I… I’ve been spying on you,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “Your father… he ordered me to keep an eye on you. I never wanted it to go this far…”

The betrayal hit Seo-yeon like a physical blow. The words hung in the air, suffocating her. “So, you’ve been working for him all along? Spying on me?” Her voice was thick with disgust. “I can’t believe this.”

Her hands clenched into fists, and she fought to hold back the anger threatening to boil over. The secretary could only hang her head, too ashamed to look her in the eye.

A Desperate Race

With the truth now laid bare, Seo-yeon’s first instinct was to find Seok-ho. Her heart raced as she realized that he was likely in danger. She had no time to waste—her father had orchestrated this whole mess, and Seok-ho was paying the price.

She rushed out of her office, her mind focused entirely on finding him. But when she arrived at the location he had been called to, her worst fears were confirmed—Seok-ho was already there. She tried calling him frantically, but it was too late. He had left his phone in the car.

Her stomach churned with dread. She had to find him.

Confrontation

Seok-ho stood face-to-face with the thugs sent to harm him. His fists were already bloodied from the previous scuffle, but he refused to back down. He tried to stand his ground, but the thugs only laughed, taunting him.

“Fight back, and we’ll kill her,” one of them snarled, brandishing a weapon.

Seok-ho’s chest tightened. He couldn’t afford to fight back—not yet. But the tension was suffocating, and he knew he couldn’t last much longer. His head was spinning with fear for Seo-yeon. He needed to hold on, just a little longer.

But then, a sound pierced the chaos—footsteps. Seo-yeon burst into the scene, her eyes wide with panic as she took in the horrifying sight of Seok-ho being pummeled by the thugs. She ran toward him, her heart racing, but one of the attackers intercepted her, slapping her hard across the face. The sting of the blow sent her reeling, and her eyes welled with tears, but she refused to back down.

At first, the thugs didn’t recognize her, but Seok-ho saw everything. The moment he saw her hurt, something inside him snapped. His protective instincts flared, and with a roar, he surged forward.

Fueled by raw emotion, Seok-ho fought back with everything he had. His punches landed harder, fueled by a rage that grew with every moment that Seo-yeon was in danger. But the thugs were still too many, and he was growing weaker by the second.

As the chaos escalated, Seo-yeon, with trembling hands, managed to dial the police. Her voice barely a whisper as she gave them the address. The thugs, realizing the situation was turning, made a hasty retreat just as the police arrived. The sirens wailed, echoing in the distance, and the thugs scattered, leaving Seok-ho and Seo-yeon standing in the wreckage of their confrontation.

Reconciliation

That night, Seo-yeon and Seok-ho returned to her house, their bodies bruised and battered. The weight of everything that had just happened hung heavy in the air. Both were physically drained, but the emotional toll was far more overwhelming.

In the living room, the secretary stood before Seo-yeon’s father, her face pale and guilt-ridden. She had no excuses left. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I didn’t know it would go this far. I never wanted to hurt her. I quit. I can’t do this anymore.”

Her confession hung in the air, but it couldn’t erase the damage that had already been done. Seo-yeon’s father, still furious, stared at her with cold eyes. He said nothing in return, but his silence spoke volumes. He didn’t fire her—he couldn’t bring himself to do it—but the lines between them had irrevocably changed.

Emotions Exploding

Back in the dimly lit living room, Seo-yeon and Seok-ho sat side by side on the couch. The soft glow of the lamp cast long shadows across their bruised faces, and a thick, uncomfortable silence lingered between them. Both were exhausted, but their minds refused to rest.

“I’m sorry,” Seok-ho whispered, his voice filled with regret. His gaze lowered to his hands, still trembling. “I never meant for you to be dragged into this. You didn’t deserve any of this.”

Seo-yeon shook her head, her soft gaze meeting his. “It’s not your fault,” she replied, her voice firm despite the sadness in her eyes. “My father did this. He’s the one who put us both in danger.”

She leaned forward, reaching for his face, gently dabbing at the cut on his cheek with a damp cloth. Her touch was tender, and her heart ached for him. As she cared for him, the distance between them seemed to close, and their eyes locked with unspoken understanding.

Seok-ho’s heart pounded in his chest as he reached up to brush his fingers against her cheek—where the thugs had slapped her. His touch was gentle, yet it conveyed a raw tenderness. He couldn’t stand seeing her hurt.

The moment stretched between them, and without thinking, their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss. For a brief second, the world outside ceased to exist. But as the kiss deepened, it became clear that this was only the beginning of something far more intense.

As they pulled away, their emotions had already surged beyond what words could explain. And in that moment, Seo-yeon and Seok-ho both realized that everything had changed. Forever.