JiYong's POV

I brought sushi to Hilary's hotel around lunch hour since I wanted to give her a surprise.  Just when I pulled over to the entrance of the hotel, I saw SeungHyun Hyeong got into his car.  The jealousy and anger rushed up to my head instantly.  I got out of my car with the bag of sushi in my hand and threw my car key to the valet with the other.  I walked into the hotel and went straight to the management office.

DaeSung was at his desk and looked up at me, "Kwon Sangmu Nim?"

"I come to see Hilary.  Is she here?" I said.

DaeSung hesitated a second and said, "Kim Isa Nim is not in the office at the moment.  May I take a message?  I will ask her to contact you as soon as possible."

I could tell that this guy was not telling me the truth.  I cleared my throat and said, "When is she coming back?  Is she in a meeting?"

"Kim Isa Nim will not return to the office today.  May I know if there is anything urgent?  Anything that I can be in your assistance?"

I frowned, "Yes, it's urgent.  The sushi can't wait!"  I raised the bag to his eye level.

He glanced at me and said, "That I'm afraid Kim Isa Nim will have to take a rain check."

This guy dared to slam the door at my face.  I took out my phone from my pocket and called Hilary right in front of him.  I rang for a while and it redirected me to the voicemail.  I called again and again.  No one answered.

"Where exactly is Hilary?  I saw Choi Jonmu at the entrance.  Was he here to see Hilary?" I asked.

DaeSung smiled, "I'm sorry but I don't know if Choi Jonmu Nim was here to meet Kim Isa Nim."

I groaned and stuffed the bag of sushi into his hands before I turned around to leave.

*  *  *

Hilary's POV

I was far more surprised to see my mother than SeungHyun, especially it was SeungHyun to open the door for her.  I again had no choice but to make SeungHyun leave despite of how much I wanted him to stay since I didn't want my mother to misinterpret anything.

Out of my expectation, my mother didn't look too pleased to see SeungHyun at my suite.  I expected her to be thrilled and get all excited to arrange for a wedding or something.  But she did not.

"Mother, why exactly are you here?" I sat down on the sofa with my legs up.  I pulled the blanket over my legs and looked up at her.

She stared me down while she stood not too far away from me with her arms folded across her chest.  She then sat down on the single-seated sofa and said, "You still haven't answered me why SeungHyun was here at this hour?"

I let out a sigh and asked, "Is that important?"

"Yes, of course it's important." She scowled at me.

"And why?" I truely did not know why.  She really needed to enlighten me on this one.

She tapped her fingers on the sofa-arm and said, "Are you two dating?"

"No."

She glared at me and asked, "If not, why was he here in your suite while you received him in your sleepwear?"

I let out a laugh and asked, "Mother, I will be 25 years old in a few months.  What is wrong with a man in my suite, even if I'm only in my sleepwear?  Not to mention, he is my arranged marriage partner, isn't he?  I thought you would be happy to see him here."

"I would be happy to see him here if you two are dating already.  But you said you are not.  And if you two are not dating, I don't see why he should come to check on you when you are sick and you receive him in your sleepwear.  This is Korea, not Paris.  I don't want any silly rumors about my daughter being caught in a hotel suite with a man, no matter who that man is." My mother was angry which I really didn't understand why.

I sighed, "I am not afraid of any rumors.  And I don't see why you should be bothered by them either."

"You two went to the gallery opening together.  He came to see you in your suite during office hours.  And you are still telling me you are not dating him?"  Oh, now she started to feel excited about this.

I rolled my eyes and said, "We are just not.  What exactly you are here for?  Please don't make me ask again!  I'm still having a fever, Mother."

"I came to have lunch with you.  DaeSung said you are not feeling well, so I came up to check on you.  Have you called Dr. Lee?"

I nodded, "She came already."

"Have you eaten yet?" She asked.

"SeungHyun ordered room service for me and I'm still waiting." Damn!  I shouldn't mention that.

She smirked at me, "SeungHyun ordered room service for you, huh?"

"Mother, if you don't have anything else, I want to go back to bed."

She stood up and said, "Call Dr. Lee if you still feel ill.  Eat before you take your medicine."

"Yes, Mother!  I'm not seeing you out."  I forced myself to smile.

"I can find my way out.  Rest!"  She grabbed her Birkin and walked to the door.

I slid off the sofa and walked back to my room to get my phone.

*  *  *

JiYong's POV

I had a gut feeling that Hilary was in the hotel and that personal assistant has not been honest with me.  SeungHyun Hyeong must have come to see her.  I decided to go up to Hilary's suite.  Her door opened before I could press on the doorbell.  Hilary's mother came out from the suite.

"JiYong?" She looked a bit shocked to see me.

I bowed my head and said, "Mrs. Kim."

"What are you doing here?" She asked in a blunt tone.

I smiled, "I'm here to see Hilary.  Is she inside?"

"No." She closed the door behind her and slid her arm around mine, "Walk with me."

I controlled my breath to prevent myself from showing my temper.  She was the second person who kept me from seeing Hilary today.  What was it with these people?

"Anything important that you want to see EunHi today?" She asked with a smile.  Her arm still around mine as if she was afraid I would run away.

"We have lunch plan today."

She looked at me suspiciously, "Lunch plan?  Why would you come up to her suite to find her during office hours?"

If she wasn't Hilary's mother, I would probably swung her off me, "I went to her office and her assistant said she's not around.  I came up to try my luck."

She laughed, "I'm afraid no luck for you today."

The elevator was here and she pulled me inside with her.  My gorge rose and I held my fist tight and hid it behind my back.

*  *  *

Hilary's POV

I texted SeungHyun after my mother left.

Hill: [SeungHyun, I'm sorry that I made you leave like that.  Hope you are not mad at me.  Thank you for coming over!]

5 seconds later, SeungHyun replied.

SH: [Don't apologize!  I'm fine as long as you are.  You have no idea how worried I was when I left your suite.]

Hill: [Worried?  Why?]

SH: [I don't know why.  Just worried.  Worried that you would not want to see me again.]

I inhaled sharply and hesitated on how to reply him.

SH: [Are you still there?]

Hill: [Yes.]

SH: [I thought you went offline again!]

Hill: [I'm still here.  Just that I'm thinking of how to reply you.]

SH: [I see.]

Hill: [SeungHyun...]

SH: [Yes, Hilary.]

Hill: [Are we friends?]

SH: [Of course.  At least, you are a friend to me.]

Hill: [I'm sorry.]

SH: [For what?]

Hill: [Everything.]

He didn't reply me anymore.  A tear fell down my cheek involuntarily.  The fever has weakened my mind and heightened my emotions.  I threw my phone on the bedside table, wrapped myself with the quilt and closed my eyes to sleep.

*  *  *

I didn't know how many hours I have slept.  By the time I woke up, the sun was going down.  My temperature has gone down a bit but I could still feel the burning inside me.  I reached out for my medicines and swallowed the pills with the water SeungHyun brought me this morning.  I haven't eaten all day but I was not hungry at all.  I didn't have any appetite anyway.

I looked at my phone and found I had 10 missed calls.  DaeSung Oppa and Dara called a couple times.  The rest were all from JiYong.  None from SeungHyun.  I sighed and put the phone down before I stepped into the bathroom for a hot bath.

I sunk myself in the tub of hot water and rest my head on the headrest.  My phone rang again and again.  But I just didn't have the strength to get out of the tub to take the call.  My eyelids were heavy and I started to dose off.  Must be the medicine......

*  *  *

SeungHyun's POV

I did not know what to do with Hilary.  I was happy to receive her text.  But just when I thought we still had a chance, she apologized to me again for EVERYTHING.  Her 'everything' stabbed me on the chest and I just didn't know what else I could say.  I waited and waited for her to say something more, but she never did.

I was busy with meetings in the afternoon but I kept checking on my phone for incoming texts.  None from Hilary.  I thought of texting her back but I hesitate