“It’s painful to say goodbye to someone that you don’t want to let go. But it’s more painful to ask someone to stay if you know they really want to go.” – Unknown

~~~

Siwon is ready to leave his office when there is a knock on his door, and the door squeaked open before his sight was being greeted with Victoria’s smiling figure. Siwon is frowning in confusion on how she actually managed to embark in front of his door because he is very sure that he had ordered his secretary to not let anyone come to his office today.

“Are you leaving?” She said softly but there is a hint of demanding and ordering tone behind her voice as she walked slowly towards Siwon who is staring at her quizzically behind of his working desk.

Earlier that day, Siwon had come to his office to grab some important documents and approving an amount of paperwork, and when he is done, he packed his briefcase up hurriedly, ready to leave because he need to go to the hospital to meet Sooyeon. He certainly didn’t expect to see Victoria in her office, not now, not when there is Sooyoen waiting for him.

“Can we talk for a moment? I promise you it won’t take much of your time.” She said as she sits on one of the chairs in front of Siwon.

“I’m actually in a hurry. Can’t it wait?” Siwon sighed softly; because it is actually a rhetorical question, he perfectly knows that Victoria doesn’t need his word of approval nor his agreement.

“Like I said, it won’t take much of your time.” She assured him.

Siwon gives up on arguing as he straightens his back and sits back in his chair, gazing at Victoria questionably.

“How is Sooyeon-sshi doing?” Victoria suddenly inquired with a little smile plastered on her face.

“Fine, she’s... doing fine. She is recovering and I believe she’ll back on her feet very soon.” Siwon explained but at the same time he is wondering why Victoria is suddenly sounded so concern about Sooyeon.

“Good to know that.  Sooyeon-sshi...She is such a strong girl, isn’t she?”

Siwon raised one of his brows upon hearing Victoria’s remark, and based on Siwon rough judgement there is a mocking tone hidden behind her subtle voice. As far as Siwon knows, Sooyeon never had met Victoria rather than on a professional basis.

“Indeed she is. So, Victoria-sshi, what exactly bring you here? I’m actually is not expected to meet with anyone today.”

Victoria just let out a small smirk upon seeing Siwon looking so worked up and uncomfortable with her uninvited presence.

“Do you think she can handle another blow?”

“What blow? What do you mean? Can we just go straight to the point of this conversation? I actually need to leave.” Siwon stated.

Victoria chuckled lightly as she rises slowly from her seat and approaching Siwon who is staring at her with a big question mark suppressed at the back of his mind. She is now sitting at the edge of Siwon’s working desk, giving him a piercing stare that Siwon definitely never seen in her before.

“You do love her, don’t you?” Victoria said and Siwon can feel his face turned pale upon hearing her sudden remark.

“What exactly are you talking about? I don’t see any point of this conversation. If there is nothing important I believe that we shouldn’t waste any of our time here.”

“You perfectly know what I meant. Don’t act dumb with me, and you should stop living in denial. I know more that you actually think... Here’s the thing, can you imagine what will happen if something very important, something... you know very precious to her, is taken away from her... again?

“Wh... what? “I don’t get you. Stop talking in riddles and why exactly we are talking about Sooyeon? I thought you were here to talk about work?”  Siwon stuttered.

“It is work, very much related to work.” Victoria said as she runs her long fingers on Siwon’s face.

Siwon is restraining himself from jerking away from her touch because he really is not able to grasp what exactly is going on her mind at the very moment.

“You know that the deal that we’ve been working on? Do you think she will be able to handle the frustration of failure when I take the deal off from her? As far as I know, this deal means so much to her, is it not?”

Siwon is ready to retort back but Victoria finger immediately rested on his lips, preventing him from cutting her off.

“Shhh... Let me be the one who does all the talking here. Do you still remember that I once said that I really like you, and the fact that I want you? It looks like to me that you are never going to come to me with your own will, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.”

“What game exactly you are playing?” Siwon managed to say.

“The whole deal that we’ve been working on is actually just a show for me to get your attention, for me to get to you. Do you really think that my father will turn his back from his one and only precious daughter, huh? I can pull this deal off without much argument.”

There is a brief silence filling Siwon’s room before Victoria continues to speak again.

“So, I’m actually being nice here. I’ll give you two choices to decide on. The first one is, you can go to Sooyeon, leave me broken hearted, and sad... but... I swear to god that I will take this deal off from her. While the other choice is, you can forget about her, stick with me to give us a chance to work things up between just the two of us and the deal will be secured in her hands, as simple as that.”

“You won’t do that. We are dealing with serious business here, and this is not some kind of teenage drama game. And if you think that I’ll ever fall for your trap, you are just so wrong Victoria-sshi.” Siwon rises from his seat and backing away from her.

“I will. You can trust me on that. One simple phone call and the deals are off. How do you think she is going to react to that huh? Won’t it crash herself away again? Oh and yes, her grandfather. I bet the old man is so going to be so disappointed with her, don’t you think so?”

Siwon stood and looking disbelievingly at her as he tries to assimilate every single word that he just heard coming from Victoria. It seems so absurd and ridiculous at the same time, because the Victoria that he knew is a very professional woman who looks like the type that will never ever going to take advantage of other people.

“You perfectly know what it feels like to love in vain. I feel the same way too. Stop building castles in the air Siwon. She is never going to return your love. Even when Kyuhyun is now out of the picture, she is never going to feel the same way as you do. Never going to happen” Victoria’s tone softens.

“Wait... How do you know Kyuhyun?” Siwon exclaimed.

“Like I said, I know more than you think I do.” Victoria is now standing so close in front of Siwon’s stiff figure. She trailed her appreciative fingers along Siwon’s hard jaw and chest, breathing his muscular scent that she had been craving for so long. She cupped his muscular jaw lovingly, feeling Siwon turned rigid under her touch.

“This is just so wrong Victoria-sshi.” Siwon said as he stepped away from her, pushing her hand softly, trying to regain his personal space back.

Victoria is clearly taken aback upon seeing Siwon’s reaction. Never once in her life she had been treated and rejected like Siwon did to her now. Never once, anyone pushes her away and resisting her charm, and it pisses her off.

“Stop calling me that! It annoys the hell out of me. How many damn times did I tell you to drop the freaking formality between us? Why don’t you just make this easier? Why is it so hard for you to understand that all that I’ve ever wanted is for you to feel the same way like I do? You make me look and feel stupid” Victoria is now screaming in front of Siwon’s face, not caring if anyone might have heard them.

Siwon is really not able to give her any kind of answer, because how it is even possible to return her feelings when clearly his heart belongs to someone else? He never thought that Victoria is actually trying to get his attention all the time. Now it all makes sense to him; he is now able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. The way she is looking at him, the way she sounded so concern, and the way he treated him yelled that she actually tries to fish his attention, or maybe... love?

“I’m sorry.” Come Siwon short reply.

Before Siwon could further explain himself, his phone is buzzing constantly on his table and Victoria is the first to react. She reaches for Siwon’s phone, and the caller ID read Sooyeon’s name on the screen and she waves the phone to Siwon’s face.

“Jung Sooyeon. You rejected me because of her, didn’t you? I’m going to make her pay for all the pain and humiliation that you’ve caused me. This is not even a warning. You are going to regret this, and I swear you’ll come crawling to me one day.” Victoria’s eyes are b with tears as she slammed the phone on Siwon’s working table before she stormed out of Siwon’s office.

~~~

Sooyeon stood stiffly as she stared at the lanky figure standing in front of her with a reassuring and warm smile plastered on his face. She definitely doesn’t expect to see him, but the smile that he was giving her melted all the questions and wonders that had been clouding Sooyeon’s mind and she can’t help but to return his smile back.

“Hangeng-sshi...” Sooyeon exclaimed.

“Hey. Are you feeling better?” Hangeng said with the same soft and concern voice that always makes Sooyen to feel utterly comfortable to be around the said man.

“Yeah, I am. Finally feeling like myself again. I just can’t wait to get back to work, and resume everything that I’ve left.”

“I’m glad that you’re feeling better. I’m here to check on your condition and I would like to assure you that you don’t have to worry about work, okay. Your health should be your main priority you know.” Hangeng said with care thick in his voice.

Sooyeon is smiling upon hearing Hangeng’s remark. Since Sooyoen had known him, Hangeng has always been so thoughtful of her, his concern and care makes Sooyeon feels nothing but safe and secure to be around him. Somehow, Hangeng provides the indescribable feeling that Sooyeon doesn’t seem to feel even when she is around Siwon or Kyuhyun. Hangeng gives her a comforting and consoling warm emotion; something that feels a lot like home.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Hangeng asked.

“Yes I am. But it’s been almost 2 hours since I tried to reach for him, but until now he didn’t return any of my calls.” Sooyeon explained as she took a quick glance to her wristwatch, and can’t help but to wonder what exactly has kept Siwon to come and pick her up. 2 hours late is something very uncommon to Siwon. The Siwon that Sooyeon knows is a man of his words, and punctuality is one of his best traits.

“Have you been excused by the doctor already?” Hangeng said, as Sooyeon is no longer wearing her hospital gown. She is now wearing her simple white baby T with bleach skinny jeans to match and she tied her hair in a loose ponytail. She looks very casual yet it enhances her natural beauty even more.

Sooyeon nodded briefly.

“I was about to call a taxi. I don’t think he will come anyway.” Sooyeon said with a slightly hurt tone glimpsing on her voice. Sooyeon can’t deny the fact that she actually feels a bit sad with Siwon sudden absence. When she woke up that morning, she finds that she was alone in her room; no Siwon curling up against the sofa next to her bed like he did on the previous night, and the fact that he had left without even noticing her kind of makes Sooyeon to feel upset.

Over the past years, Sooyeon had accustomed to the fact that Siwon has always been with and beside of her, through thick and thin, picking her up when she falls, and providing a warm embrace for her when it gets so lonely for Sooyeon to bear. So today, when he is suddenly not there when she actually needed him to be, Sooyeon can feel that there is an incomplete part of her yearning to be filled with nobody but Siwon.

Hangeng nodded in return, and there was a moment of mutual silence filling the room before he finally speaks again.

“If you don’t have anyone to get you... Maybe I could drop you off at your place?” Haangeng asked as he is staring straight into Sooyeon’s light brown eyes.

“I don’t want to trouble you. I can get a taxi from here; you don’t have to worry about me.” Sooyeon said politely as she returned Hangeng’s gaze and there is a pleading look in his eyes that Sooyeon doesn’t have the heart to say no to him.

“Hey, it’s nothing okay. You can pay me some other time, but I need you to accompany me somewhere first.” He answered with a playful smile on his handsome face as he grabs for Sooyeon’s bag and her medical supplies before he ushered her towards the door.

~~~

TBC

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A/N: Hi guys, I’m terribly sorry for the late of updates. I was so pre-occupied with, you know... life. Sigh. I hope this update will somehow make it up, and I promise (crossing my fingers) that there will be more updates coming soon. Thanks you so much for reading and commenting. It means a lot to me.