Going reluctantly to the door, Young Saeng found his visitor was Choi Siwon, HyunJoong's brother-in-law. Wearing a well-cut business suit, he looked sophisticated and serious, more serious than Young Saeng had ever seen him look.

There was something about his handsome face, the way Siwon was looking at Saeng, that flustered him. "I'm afraid HyunJoong's out," Saeng said hesitantly.

"I'm aware of that," Siwon said briefly. "I've just left him at office."

Saeng felt a wave of relief wash through him. "So, he's at office?"

"Didn't you know?"

"I...I wasn't sure..." Young Saeng's words trailed off, and Saeng found himself wondering what Siwon was doing here when he knew HyunJoong was not at home.

As though reading his thoughts, Siwon informed him, "It's you I wanted to see."

Flushing a little, Saeng answered, "sure, come over," and turned towards the drawing room.

"The kitchen will do fine," Siwon said.

Wanting time to collect himself, Saeng murmured, "I'll make some coffee."

While Saeng busied himself with the percolator, Siwon strolled over to the window and stood for a minute looking out over the wet garden. Then, turning around, he asked abruptly, "What's wrong between HyunJoong and you?"

"What makes you think there's anything wrong?" Young Saeng asked innocently.

"Have you looked at him lately?" Siwon demanded. "Don't you realise what you're doing to him? If he didn't love you so damn much..."

"He doesn't love me," Saeng quickly cut Siwon's words.

Siwon laughed incredulously. "Surely you don't believe that? That man's crazy about you... If he weren't, you wouldn't have such power to hurt him."

'Such power to hurt him...' The words seemed to echo inside Young Saeng's head, and suddenly he recalled HyunJoong saying bleakly, "Love's the very devil..." And it was! It was love that tore one apart, that caused such torment and pain.

"Don't you think I'm also hurt by his actions?" Saeng flared.

After a critical look at Saeng's ravaged face and dark shadows beneath his eyes, Siwon admitted, "you certainly don't appear too good either. If it was merely a lover's tiff...But its more than that, isn't it?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"I did, and he told me to mind my own bloody business."

Young Saeng lifted his chin, and meeting his gaze squarely suggested, "then may be you should do that?"

"Maybe I should. But I owe HyunJoong a great deal, and I've no intention of standing idly by while he's on the rack."

As they faced each other like antagonists, Siwon went on, "Do you know he's working himself into the ground?"

"Being away so much, there must be a lot to catch up on," Saeng muttered in defense.

Siwon scoffed at Young Saeng's meek defensive words. " Do you take me for an idiot? HyunJoong's always been able to delegate, and I've been on the spot to see that things kept running smoothly..." Then in exasperation, "What the hell are you doing to him, man?"

So, Siwon was blaming him for everything. Young Saeng saw red. "You should be asking what he's doing to me."

"Okay, I'm asking...And it better be good enough."

Sinking into a chair, Young Saeng pressed his fingers to his temples for a moment, as if to help still the throbbing. Although he was not looking at Siwon, Saeng could feel the impact of his waiting gaze right through his slender body.

Raising his head, Saeng said, "all right... Perhaps you don't know just how much he 'helped' my brother Hyungjun and my unwell mother? And oh, also my friend, Jungmin."

When Siwon looked blank, Saeng went on bitterly, "As well as hiring Mrs. Oh to take care of Ha Eun, Hyungjun's step sister, he arranged for a private ward for my Omma, created a better job opportunity for Hyungjun, and later for Jungmin..."

When Siwon continued to look blank, Saeng added, "You have any idea why he did all these? He did it solely to have a hold on me."

Dropping into the chair opposite, Siwon frowned, "Are you trying to tell me he blackmailed you into this marriage?"

"I'm not trying, I am telling you. He threatened to withdraw his support if I didn't marry him."

"You could have called his bluff. Told him to go to hell."

"Easy for you to say," Saeng cried, "but I cared about Hyungjun, Ha Eun and my Omma... So, though I hated him, I dared not take a chance."

"I don't believe you hated him," Siwon told him bluntly. "You seemed uneasy when he came up with the forthcoming marriage proposal, but there's absolutely no doubt about the chemistry between you two."

Biting his lip, Young Saeng admitted, "Maybe...Right from the start I knew there was an almost irresistible attraction."

Siwon looked smug. "HyunJoong must have been aware of that, so why did he feel the need to use strong tactics?"

"I was fighting it. Determined not to get involved with that man I knew was responsible for destroying almost everything I cared about..." Young Saeng swallowed hard, then went on, "You see, by some strange quirk of fate he had been my sister's lover."

Clearly taken aback, Siwon echoed, "your sister's lover? Are you sure about that? Certain there's no mistake?"

Flatly, Saeng said, "I had seen them together. In any case, he admitted the association, though he kept denying that he and Mi Young had been lovers... When he ended the affair she took an overdose. Her death caused my mother to go into a heart attack and on the day of Mi Young's funeral, my father kille