WARNING: MENTION OF ABUSE

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Ji Yong POV

She was not saying anything and was just staring at me like I had betrayed her. Why was she mad? I was the one that had all the reasons to be mad, like very mad, right now.

• So Sehun was EXO’s Oh Sehun? You let that kid call you Aria-yah and you almost had a when I asked you to lower your speech?

She crossed her arms, still looking pissed.

• So what? Sehunie is my friend! He can call me whatever he want!
• Sehunie? Your friend? 불공평해 (Bulgongpyeonghae! It’s unfair)!! I asked to be your friend and you refused!!!
• Because I don’t feel the need to kiss Oh Sehun every time I see him! She yelled at me.

When her words got to my brain foggy with alcohol, she was already by the door. I opened large eyes and grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her back inside the empty room.

She was biting her lips while looking down. I gently put a finger below her chin and forced her to look at me.

• Say that again…you want to kiss me every time you see me?

She looked away, refusing to make eye contact. I smiled and leaned forward. I kissed her lightly, tasting . She tried to push me away but I hold onto her.

• If you want it so bad, why are you always pushing me away? I asked before kissing her.

I bit on her lower lips, making her open . Soon, our tongues were battling for dominance. After a minute, she pushed me away, trying to leave. This was not going to happen again. I wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her again, more avidly.

• …Please stop…please…Stop…please…

Something in her voice made me look at her. She was sweating and trembling, tears were running her cheeks. What the…??

• I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…내 잘못이야 (nae jalmot iya. It was my fault)…I won’t do it again…I’m sorry…Gabriel…please….

And she fainted.

Sehun POV

I looked down in front of Lee Soo Man cold glare. I was in deep …and because of me, my members too.

Lee Soo Man was the one who made us debut and…he was also the one who could crush us. We knew well that if he decided to end us, nothing will be able to save us: not our fans, not our fame, nothing. I shudder thinking about our 선배 (seonbae), TVXQ: they were 5 before and…

• Suho-ah, you’re the leader, the one responsible for those young’s ones, yours brothers…talk to me.

I saw Suho casting me a fearful glance and I tried to smile at him. I knew that he would have to say the truth and that he wouldn’t be able to protect me.

• We went to have a meal with Jang Aria-ssi, the woman in charge of the 사생 (saesang) research and…
• Mun Jae already told me all that cut Lee Soo Man. Tell me about Sehun and her.

Suho looked briefly at me before looking back at SM Entertainment founder.

• 선생님 (seonsaengnim), I…Sehun-ah…I…
• I’m the one who should be answering that question.

Everyone in the room looked at me and I swear that I saw a brief smile on Lee Soo Man 선생님 (seonsaengnim) face before he went back to his cold self. I swallowed to lump of fear that was in my throat.

• Really? So, go on and tell me.
• There is nothing going on between us I said looking at him in the eyes. Yes, she had caught my attention, she’s a nice person and some times my heart beat a little faster when she smile at me…but that’s it. I know my priorities and she’s not special enough to have me throw away my career for her.

Lee Soo Man sat behind his desk and look at me without blinking. I forced myself to keep looking at him, my heart almost jumping out of my chest. Did he saw through my lies? He suddenly turned to Mun Jae 형 (hyeong).

• I don’t think you are a good fit for our boys Mun Jae-ah…I don’t think you’re a good fit for SM at all…

What? Mun Jae 형 (hyeong) opened his mouth to reply when the door opened and the head manager came in. He bowed deeply before Lee Soo Man.

• Tae Min-ah, you should be the one looking after the kids. I would like you to organize a go away party for Mun Jae, it’s a shame that he won’t be with us anymore.

He got up and walked to the door. Before leaving, he stopped and turned to me.

• Sehun-ah, I’m glad that you know your priorities but I would be a bad 선생님 (seonsaengnim) if I didn’t help you strengthen your resolves.

!! Something bad was going to happen. Lee Soo Man turned to Tae Min 형 (hyeong) with a soft smile. Without any reason, I felt really scared.

• Tae Min-ah, bring me that researcher girl tomorrow morning. I need to have a talk with her.
• 선생님 (seonsaengnim)! I started. You…
• Thank you so much for your help said Suho, pulling me down.

Lee Soo Man flashed us a smile.

• Of course. Have a good night boys.

Then he left. The others just fell on the floor, relieved that it was over. D.O came to me and put a hand on my shoulder.

• Dude, Suho just save your …and also Aria 누나 (nuna). You should call her and let her know that Lee Soo Man 선생님 (seonsaengnim) want to talk to her.
• Yeah…but she doesn’t even know that Sehun-ah is in love with her. She won’t get why. Said Xiumin.
• The solution will be for you to confess declare Chen. 막내아 (maknae a), 고백해 (gobaekhae).
• We will help you said Chanyeol.
• Please don’t look so afraid added Baekhyun, laughing. I’m sure that Aria 누나 (nuna) feel the same way.

I looked at my members and felt tears coming to my eyes. None of them had blame me for putting them in the spot or for making Lee Soo Man 선생님 (seonsaengnim) scoled them. On the contrary, they were dead set on helping me get the girl that I was in love with…

• 형들 (hyeongdeul. Brothers)… 정말 감사해요 (jeongmal gamsahaeyo. I’m really greatful)…and this is the last time that I’m calling any of you 형 (hyeong)!

Ji Yong POV

I took the delivery, thanking the doorman. I shushed his worries about my health by giving him a huge tip. The soup was not for me, but for Aria. She had pass out at the restaurant and I had put her in my car and drove to my house with her still unconscious.

Galleria Forest was one of the most expensive gated communities in South Korea. Security here was not a joke. For the first time since I bought the apartment there, that bother’s me. I didn’t want anyone to see me carrying a comatose woman to the 40^th floor for God sake!

Lady luck must have been on my side because there was no one in the lobby and no one in the elevator. The ride to my apartment was smooth and I breathed in relief when I got inside of my house. My boss, Yang Hyun Suk, lived in the same tower than me. I repress a giggle imagining his face if he had saw me.

I put the soup in a bowl and looked at my bedroom’s door. Aria was in there and today, I will found out about her panic attack. I know that it was not about me but about a guy named Gabriel.

I clenched my fists on the trail. Who the was that Gabriel guy? Why there were so many men in Aria’s entourage? I took a deep breath to calm down and I opened the door gently. Aria immediately got up the bed.

• Ji…Ji Yong-ah… I mean, Kwon Ji Yong-ssi…
• I brought you some soup…don’t worry I said smiling, I didn’t made it. I’m useless in the kitchen.

I made her sat again and started to blow on the soup.

• I can eat by myself…
• 가만있어 (Gaman isseo. Don’t move). Let me at least do that for you.

I made her eat the whole bowl without ever saying anything to her. She kept looking at me, probably wondering when I’ll ask me about her panic attack. She knew that I was not stupid and it was already the second time that she had a reaction after we kissed.

• You’re…why are you’re not asking?  She asked

She was looking at me and my heart went a little faster.

• Ask you about what? About how you said you wanted to kiss me every time you see me? Or why you’re keep having panic attack every time we kissed? Or about who’s Gabriel?

Her eyes widened and she chocked on her soup.

• How…Ga…How do you know about Gabriel?
• You don’t remember? You thought that I was him earlier and…
• 말도 안돼!! (Maldo andwae. Nonsense) she interrupted me. There is no way I will confuse you with that bastard!

My smile got bigger. I took the bowl away and sat on the bed with her.

• I’ll be right here. You can have every panic attack you want and call me by that bastard name, I won’t move. I’ll even open my arms if you scared.

Aria POV

I look at him, puzzled.  He will open his arms? He will stay with me? I snorted, yeah right! Once I tell him about me, he will throw me out of his apartment, out of his life and…I really didn’t want to lose him…

• Ice queen… no, Aria-yah, 날 믿어. 너는 나를 믿을 수있어 (Nal mideo. Neoneun nareul mideul su isseo. Trust me. You can trust me). I won’t move from here.

I tried to regulate my heartbeat by taking deep breath like Emi had showed me. When I felt like I was not going to pass out anymore, I look around.

• Why I am in your house?
• You really don’t remember? You passed out on me. I freak out thinking that you were sick! I even thought about taking you to the hospital but…
• 연예인 야! (Yeonyein ya. You’re a celebrity)! Be careful! I told him.
• You do know that I know that you’re trying to avoid telling me who’s Gabriel?

I gave him a sad smile. There was no way out and after he had witness my vulnerable state at least 2 times, I owe him that much. I took a deep breath and without looking at him, I started…

Aria Story

Once upon a time, I fell in love with the wrong person.

I’m from a small town next to North Carolina. So small that is not even in the map. My dad got exiled there when he fell in love with my mom and got her pregnant. They were 19 years old. My mom was not that in love with my dad but more with his money… You see, my grandmother from my dad side was a Rockefeller, my dad last name was Walton…you know like the richest family in America, the Walt-Mart family… and my mom was just the daughter of a daycare’s teacher. Their union was forbidden and the fruit of that union – me- was the Rockefeller’s and the Walton’s biggest shame.

My parents’ marriage became really unstable: my dad blaming my mom for trapping him into a loveless wedding, my mom hating my dad because she was not having the life that she dream off and of course both of them hating me because they felt like everything was my fault.

I studied really hard to have a scholarship to Cornell University. That should make my grandparents proud of me right? Cornell University was currently ranked 16th in the world, and was among the top 10 US universities and it was a member of the prestigious Ivy League group.

I actually made it and got my grandparents’ attention for the first time in 20 years. I also made a friend, Emilie Vanderbilt. She was from the 5 most powerful and ancient's families in New York and her friendship got me an apartment next to my grandparents’ mansion in the Upper East Side. When I was 25, I decided to continue my Ph.D. and to celebrate; I got invited to the infamous white party in the Hamptons…. and that’s where I met Gabriel.

In Canada, the Bombardier family is like the Rockefeller family in New York or the Lee family from Samsung here in South Korea. The fact that an amazingly rich, handsome, proper gentleman had taken interest in me, help me made my debut in New York’s crème de la crème society. My grandmother even suggested that I change my last name to Rockefeller and forget about the Walton. At the end, I got both of them.

Emilie was my dating coach, I was new to that world and even more new to the rich dating world. But Gabriel was so nice and patient. I told him my life story and I had to stop him from going to hurt my family. He even talked about taking me with him to Canada. He was not sure about leaving me alone in the Rockefeller family. I had assured him that I was okay and we spent a wonderful summer together.

My parents got back in my grandparents’ grace and moved back to New York…every one was happy.

The last day of summer, before Gabriel went back to Canada, I gave myself to him. I was in love and he loved me back. We even talk about our children names and how many we wanted to have. He promise to come back soon and to introduce me to his parents.

I went back to school and Emilie, Emi, introduce me to her brother that was living in England and had just moved back. He was like the black ship of his family too…I didn’t get why. He was nice, funny and really honest. He was the first one to tell me that I wasn’t in love with Gabriel but blinded by all the affection I get by dating him.

I got so mad at him that he never bring that back and to make it up to me, he invited me to the opera.

I still didn’t know how that happens, but pictures of us together and laughing got out and Gabriel found out. He flew back to New York and my nightmare began.

Gabriel had hit me, hard. He broke my arm that day and told me the next time that I would cheat on him; he will kill me.  He just left me like that, with all the bruises, scared, crying. But before leaving, he kissed me.

I didn’t tell anyone, I was too ashamed. Emi saw that something was wrong with me and ask about it. I couldn’t say anything. Her brother came to see me at my place and wouldn’t leave before seeing me. He finally left at 2 in the morning after I had promise to see him the next day...I was not able to.

Gabriel had me followed and in the pictures, it showed that Emi’s brother got into my luxury apartment at 10 pm and left at 2 am, smiling. This time, I had broken ribs, bruises from the neck down and of course a kiss. I was so scared that I told my parents’, the only ones that can protect me.

They told me to take it in because Gabriel Bombardier was our ticket to a better life. The next time that Gabriel visit, he came with his parents and throw a diner party to introduce me to them. I didn’t want to go and my mom called Gabriel to tell him that I was scared and a little shy.

He came to talk some senses into me…that what he told my parents but he beat me again…never on the face. He will always kiss me after and says that he’s sorry. That night, I had to smile to a bunch of people telling me how lucky I was when under my dress; my body was a mess. He also asked me to marry him in front of everyone. I was cornered and I said yes.

After that, I got really depressed and stressed. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep and even when Gabriel was sweet to me, I was really afraid of him. He would lose his temper over nothing and then beat me. That’s how he got excited…ually excited: seeing me in tears, hurt and begging.

Emi finally got the truth out of me and when I told her that I was still in love with Gabriel, she told me that Gabriel was seeing numerous other women and that she was sure he had a child somewhere. My lack of reaction made her really mad.

• He lied to you a thousand times. He hurt you twice as much as that. And you’re gonna tell me you still love him? For what? Breaking your heart?
• I don’t know what to do…I…My family…
• Do you want to escape?

I said yes and that’s how she found me that internship at Hongik University and help me changed my identity. You see my real name is not Jang Aria…it’s Elisabeth. Elisabeth Walton Rockefeller.