Juri

I narrowed my gaze as I studied the two. 

Nari frowned. "But you don't need to go that far to marry her. Can't you see how much it hurts me to see you two together? What about the times we've spent together?" She put her hands on his, covering her face with her other hand as tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

What a snake.

Juwon diverted his gaze and gritted his teeth, "I'm not saying I regret what we've shared, but I need to take my relationship with Juri seriously. We need to end this before someone finds out."

How long exactly has this been happening under my nose? The news shuttered me, and suddenly, the echoes in the restaurant grew very very quiet.

"But," she started. "I just found out that I'm pregnant. We can't end it like this." My eyes widened, as did his. At that moment, I was too lost in my thoughts to even process what Juwon had to say.

She was pregnant too?!

The news hung in the air like a heavy curtain, plunging my world into utter darkness.

A violent tremble seized my body, shaking me from the inside out. It was a suffocating mix of fury and shattering grief, making it hard to breathe. Turning to Sunjae, I suddenly didn't care who he was or what he thought of me as my hands gripped his tailored suit. I tried to stop the shaking, but my knuckles just turned white, trembling even harder as I held back my tears.

Sunjae

A few minutes ago

After ordering, Taeho started talking about how the board members' trust in me would grow if I ended up in a serious relationship, as my fingers slowly tapped the table.

He folded his arms, "Are you even listening to me? I think Chairman Lee might even end up calling because of all the dates you've been missing," he said.

I reached for my phone, which was supposed to be in my pocket but wasn't.

"I'll be back," I said and stood up.

"Where are you going?" he asked

"I left my phone in the car."

He sighed in defeat, probably because I wasn't paying attention to him.

Before making it to the exit, I turned the corner and stopped in my tracks. My eyes widened upon seeing the woman from earlier hiding behind a wall.

We almost bumped into each other.

My brows furrowed, annoyed, "What are you--" she looked up at me and immediately took my hand and pulled me towards her. Staring down at her in confusion, I muttered, "You--", she pressed her index finger against her lips.

"Shh," she said, and my frown deepened. What was wrong with this woman? She ignored the look on my face and peeked out the wall again, clearly occupied with something.

My gaze rested on her face once again. I had already gotten a good look at her earlier, but the longer I stared, the more I could point out unique features. Like the mole on her left earlobe, her dark, long eyelashes, and that she smelled like lavender that felt powdery and sweet. Almost like her scent was giving me a floral hug.

My eyes moved down to her lips. Her lips were full and a tinted pink color. However, she was biting her lower lip, signifying that she was tensed. I stared down at them, cringing at the thought of her hurting her lip. She was frowning deeply as well, as she paid attention to whomever she was spying on.

A woman with a high-pitched voice spoke up, snapping me back to reality, "I just found out that I'm pregnant. We can't end it like this."

My brows twitched slightly, leading me to turn my attention from scrutinizing her to assessing the situation. Her eyes widened upon hearing that, and she began violently trembling. Widening my eyes, all I could do was continue to stare as she broke down.

Perhaps I should leave.

My attempt to create distance between us failed as she immediately grabbed hold of my blazor and squeezed it until her knuckles turned white. Each second that passed made her tremble even more.

Should I call an ambulance? Is this normal?

I cleared my throat, not knowing what to do or say. After a moment that felt like hours, she took a deep breath and looked up at me as she released her grip on my now wrinkled blazor. My gaze narrowed as I tried to read her face. Surprisingly, there were no tears at all. She was mad.

Very mad.

"Those little spineless Judases," she muttered, her words felt like poison.

My eyes widened. I've never heard that before. Nor have I ever seen a woman behave like that in such a situation. I'd expect her to cry or at least freeze.

She clenched her teeth and almost bolted out of our now hiding place to confront them, and I unconsciously caught her by her arm to stop her. Her eyes shot back at me, her face filled with anger, sadness, and betrayal. I braced for a struggle but she didn't fight. Instead, she went eerily still.

"You're being impulsive," I said smoothly.

She stopped, staring back at me. Her gaze dropped to my hand on her arm, then traveled back up to my face. It finally clicked. Her frantic ruch to get inside. Her sudden agreement to join us upstairs. This was a textbook case of adultery. 

"This has nothing to do with you. I didn't ask for your help." She didn't scream or struggle. Her voice was unnervingly level.

"I know," I replied holding her gaze.

"Then move."

I didn't budge. Not because I cared about her personal tragedy, but because I utterly despised public spectacles in my presence. Regardless of whether I was involved.

"I said move," she commanded, her voice rose slightly.

It was clearly my last warning.

I sighed and stepped back. This drama wasn't worth my time. Still, I wasn't going to let her cause a riot. I cocked my head, studying her tense silhouette. "Look around you. Keep in mind the establishment you are currently standing in. This isn't a bar."

Her jaw tightened as her eyes scanned the place. Despite how eerily calm she was after violently shaking earlier, I could still see the sadness and betrayal in her eyes.

"Whatever I decide to do doesn't concern you." she shot back as she glanced back at me, her doe eyes narrowing.

I casually slipped my hands into my pockets. "Do as you please," I challenged, taking another step back to grant her a clear path.

She clenched her fists, locking eyes with me. Neither of us wanted to back down. Her mind seemed to wonder for a moment before she let out a sigh of defeat.

Without a word, she turned on her heal and stormed towards the receptionist.

"I'd like to have my bags back, please," she said with a contrasting demeanor from a few seconds ago. 

Once she gathered her things, she turned around. Our eyes locked one last time. Her expression hardened, her jaw gritted tightly before she stormed out into the afternoon heat. 

Through the massive bay windows, my eyes followed her as she aggressively hailed a cab and disappeared inside.

What an incredibly intriguing woman.