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Episode 11 :

Hyun-jin’s breath came shallow, uneven.

The words still rang in her ears—Joo-wan’s low command, deliberate and merciless:

— “Go on, Hyun-jin. Let’s see how well you handle… unexpected challenges.”

Her chest tightened. Her pulse thundered like a drum she couldn’t silence. Downstairs, the fiancée waited. Elegant. Powerful. Someone who belonged to Joo-wan in a way Hyun-jin never could—at least not officially.

Her fingers trembled against the desk. “Sir…” she whispered, voice barely audible, “I… I can’t—”

He didn’t turn from the window. His silhouette stood sharp against the golden city skyline, hands in his pockets, posture radiating control. “You can,” he said softly, cutting through her protest. “And you will.”

The intercom buzzed again, harsher this time. The receptionist’s voice carried the weight of urgency:

— “Sir, your fiancée insists on coming up. She says she won’t wait any longer.”

Hyun-jin froze. The air grew thick, almost suffocating. She turned toward Joo-wan, but his smirk only deepened.

Then came the sound.

The ding of the elevator.

Hyun-jin’s breath caught. She wanted to sink into the floor, to vanish into shadows, but the sharp echo of heels clicking against the polished marble grew louder, closer. Each step was a countdown she wasn’t ready for.

The door opened without a knock.

A woman stepped in—poised, radiant, draped in a cream-colored dress that whispered of wealth and taste. Her beauty was undeniable, her presence commanding. But it wasn’t the clothes or the flawless smile that unsettled Hyun-jin. It was her eyes. Sharp, assessing, already fixed on her.

“Joo-wan.”

Her voice was smooth, confident, tinged with entitlement.

Joo-wan finally turned, unhurried, as if this moment were a performance he had scripted himself. “You’re late,” he said casually, though they both knew he had been the one to keep her waiting.

Her lips curved into a polite smile, but her tone was edged with steel. “I’ve been downstairs for twenty minutes.” Then her gaze flicked to Hyun-jin, standing stiff behind the desk, clutching a folder like a shield. “And I see… you weren’t alone.”

Hyun-jin’s stomach dropped.

The woman took a step forward, the soft click of her heels echoing in the silence. Her perfume filled the room—subtle, expensive, suffocating. “And who is this?” she asked, her smile never faltering, though her eyes were already dissecting every inch of Hyun-jin.

Hyun-jin opened her mouth, words fumbling on her tongue, but Joo-wan answered first, his voice smooth, deliberate:

— “This is Seo Hyun-jin. My assistant.”

The pause before assistant was intentional. A dagger cloaked in silk.

The fiancée tilted her head, her smile widening just slightly. “Assistant. How… convenient.”

Hyun-jin bowed politely, her throat dry. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”

The fiancée’s gaze lingered on her, cold and unblinking, before shifting back to Joo-wan. “So this is what keeps you at the office so late?” she asked, tone light, but her grip tightening on the designer bag at her wrist betrayed the tension beneath.

Joo-wan’s lips curved into that maddening smirk. “Perhaps.”

Hyun-jin’s cheeks burned. Heat shot through her body, equal parts shame and something darker, something she didn’t dare name. She gripped the folder tighter, wishing she could disappear.

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Then, softly, the fiancée laughed. A sound too sweet, too sharp. “Well then,” she said, stepping closer, her arm brushing deliberately against Joo-wan’s, “I suppose I’ll need to keep a closer eye on things.”

Her eyes locked on Hyun-jin as she slid her hand possessively through Joo-wan’s arm. A silent warning. A declaration of territory.

Hyun-jin’s throat constricted. Her legs felt weak, as though the marble floor beneath her might crack open and swallow her whole. She forced herself to keep her composure, but her trembling fingers betrayed her.

And through it all, Joo-wan watched silently, his eyes glinting with dark amusement. He was letting this unfold—no, orchestrating it. Every pause, every glance, every cruel smirk was part of his game.

The fiancée leaned closer to him, her voice soft but cutting, meant for both of them to hear:

— “Shall we talk… privately?”

Hyun-jin’s heart lurched.

Joo-wan’s smirk deepened. His eyes flicked briefly to Hyun-jin, lingering just long enough to remind her that he hadn’t forgotten she was there—that he wanted her to witness every second of this torment.

Then, finally, he spoke. “Of course.”

The fiancée tightened her grip on his arm, but her gaze never left Hyun-jin’s face. The message was clear.

Hyun-jin stood frozen, caught in the crossfire of a storm she hadn’t asked for. Her body screamed to flee, but her mind, traitorously, couldn’t stop replaying the low hum of Joo-wan’s voice, the sharp edges of his smirk, the dangerous thrill that made her heart race even now.

Cliffhanger : Joo-wan let himself be led toward the inner lounge of his office, his fiancée clinging to him, her eyes still locked on Hyun-jin. And before disappearing behind the glass door, he murmured just loud enough for Hyun-jin to hear:

— “Don’t go anywhere.”

Hyun-jin’s knees weakened. She was trapped.

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