Hilary's POV

The sunlight pierced through the draperies and woke me up.  I hugged my pillow to my chest as if I hugged him close.  It felt like he was with me, yet he was so far away.  I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes.  I could still feel his body warmth and his touch and smell his cologne.  Everything was so clear in my head.  So real.  So familar.  Yet, so far away.

I let out a heavy sigh and sat up straight.  I looked around the empty bedroom and could somehow feel his presence.  I jerked my head and slid off my bed.

I looked myself in the mirror as I supported myself with my hands on the counter top.

"Kim Eun Hi, be strong!  Everything will go away!"  I forced a smile to my reflection and realized the glow I had a week ago was gone.  I jerked my head and splashed the cold water on my face to clear my head.

"Focus, Kim Eunhi.  You can do this." I said to myself.

*  *  *

SeungHyun's POV

Hilary and I haven't contacted each other ever since Minzy's welcoming party, which was already a week ago.  I still remembered what Minzi said at the party.  She said she was sure Hilary would try to run away from me.  I wanted to ask Minzi what she meant but Hilary came over and I lost my chance to ask.  After that, I never had the chance to talk to Minzi alone.  What Hilary said to me during our dance was like a bucket of ice water poured over my head, that it sent shivers down my spine and at same time frozen my head which made me not able to think properly.

I wanted so much to text her but I was afraid of the waiting and the disappointment that might come after.  I didn't know why I became a coward when it came to love relationship.  I wouldn't blink an eye when facing any challenges or crises while doing businesses.  I was fearless and could make a decision without any hesitation no matter how much money it involved.  But now I felt the fear inside me.

I stared at the painting on my wall and couldn't get Hilary's face out of my mind.  She became a distraction to me somehow and made me not able to focus on whatever I did.  I let out a heavy sigh and sat down at my desk.  I jerked my head and tried to concentrate on my work.

*  *  *

Hilary's POV

I looked at the painting on my wall and couldn't help but think about him.  Inhale love.  I inhaled deeply but the hollowness in my heart expanded at the same time.  I still remembered what SeungHyun said to me at Minzy's party.

"I will do ANYTHING to keep that smile on you, if you give me the chance."   It sounded so beautiful, yet his words were like an antidote to the magic casted on us.  An alarm to wake me up from my dream.  Telling me to stop everything before it was too late.  Our friendship, our relationship broke apart when we no longer saw each other as only a friend.

Someone knocked on my door.

I sat down at my desk and said, "Come in!"

DaeSung Oppa came into my office and passed me a file, "Kim Isa Nim, this is the revised operation plan for the charity event.  If you have no further comments, the team will work according to it."

"Mmm...  Put it down.  I'll look at it later on." I said.

DaeSung stood there and didn't move a bit.  I looked up at him and asked, "Anything else?"

"EunHi..." DaeSung said.  He never called me by my name in the office, no matter how I pushed him to.  I looked at him in the eyes and said, "Yes."

He sat down in front of my desk and asked, "What happened?  Why are you not yourself lately?"  He looked me in the eyes which somehow made me want to cry.  I forced myself to smile and said, "Nothing.  I'm fine."

"You are not, Kim EunHi.  I knew you since you were three.  I may know you better than Sajang Nim.  You can't fool me with your smile.  Tell me.  What happened." DaeSung looked at me sincerely.

I stared at my own hands and just didn't know what to tell him.

"Is it about Choi Jonmu?"

I looked up at him instantly.

"So, I guess correctly, huh?"

I lowered my head and didn't respond.

"What is there to hesitate about?  He likes you and obviously you like him too.  What else is missing?  Last time when you were sick and almost drowned yourself in the tub, do you know how worried he was?  And at Minzy's party, I haven't seen you smiled like that for a long long time.  No one makes you smile and laugh like he does.  Does it not tell you what that is?  Or you are just backing away because of Mrs. Kim?"  DaeSung asked in a serious tone as if he was a little angry at me.

I gasped and didn't know what to say.

"Kim EunHi, do you seriously want to let go of your happiness just because you don't want to follow your mother's arrangement?  Should you not be glad that she somehow chose you someone you actually like?  Don't kick away your own happiness because you want to fight back your mother.  It's not worth it.  It's not fair to Choi Jonmu too."

I took a deep breath and said, "Oppa, you don't understand."

"Really?  Tell me then.  Enlighten me with your concept!  I myself don't see any reason for you to let him go.  EunHi, I treat you as my sister.  I don't want to see you bury your happiness because of your hard feelings for your mother.  No matter how much you don't like your mother, this is your life.  Don't make choices around your mother.  Make good choices for yourself, even if you have to take some risks.  I want you to be happy.  I don't want to see you drag your body to work each day with your soul flown away to somewhere else."

His words reddened my eyes but I took a deep breath to hold them down, "Oppa, I know you love me as your sister and I love you as my brother too.  But I do know what I'm doing."

He let out a heavy sigh, "OK!  Let me say one last thing.  Don't make any choices that you'll regret later.  Be brave to take risks.  Sometimes it may look like a wrong choice to you, but the outcome doesn't necessary to be as bad as you think.  You just have to follow your heart and don't let the outside elements to influence your decision.  The Kim EunHi I know would never back down so easily."

He stood up and patted me on my head, "Remember I'm here to listen if you want to talk."

I looked up at him and smiled, "Thanks, Oppa!"  He smiled at me before he left.

I turned around and looked at the painting again.  My phone rang.  My heart pounded super fast all of a sudden.  Part of me wished it was SeungHyun who called but part of me was scared at the same time if he really called.

The disappointment overwhelmed me when I looked at the caller id.  It was not him.

"Oppa?"

"How is my baby sister doing?" WooBin Oppa said.

"Good.  How is my brother doing?"

"Good.  How's the preparation of the charity event?  Mother is really concerned about it."

I sighed, "Don't worry!  Everything is under control.  I won't let anything slip.  Not because of her but for the sake of the poor children."

"I have confidence in you.  EunHi?"

"Hmm?"

"Is everything OK?  I'm not talking about work."

People around me seemed to sense it all.  I said, "Everything is OK.  Why would anything not be?  Oppa, I need to get back to work.  I'll talk to you later, OK?"

"Mmm...  Call me anytime!"

"Yeah!  Bye!"

*  *  *

The annual fundraising dinner for the Children's Cancer Fund was to be held at our Hotel this year since my mother was the Chairman of executive committee this year.  Government officials, celebrities and everyone in the elite circle were invited.  Meaning I would see SeungHyun finally.  I was not quite myself the whole day.  All I could think of was what I should say or how I should act when I saw him at the dinner.

"Kim Isa Nim.  Kim Isa Nim?" One of my staff patted me on my shoulder.

I turned around to her and said, "Yeah!"

"The guests are about to arrive.  Maybe you should go get changed."  She said.

I looked at myself and realized I was still in my casual wear, "Yes.  Thanks for reminding me.  I'll go change now.  Tell Kang Biseo to go through everything one last time.  I'll be back in a moment."

"Yes, Kim Isa Nim."

*  *  *

SeungHyun's POV

I was a little nervous since I was about to see Hilary after two weeks of zero contact whatsoever.  I missed her like crazy.  I never imagined I would miss a woman like this, as if there was a hole in my heart and the emptiness was so overwhelmed that it even made me difficult to breathe and my mind couldn't think straight.

"Choi Jonmu Nim, welcome!  Please sign here!"  DaeSung bowed to me and said with a smile.

I signed on the autograph book and couldn't help but look around for Hilary.  DaeSung stepped to my side and said softly, "Kim Isa Nim will come down soon.  She went upstairs to get changed."

I slightly nodded my head and we walked into the ballroom.

"Choi Jonmu Nim, enjoy the evening!" DaeSung said.

"Thank you!"

My mother was already here and was with Mrs. Kim.

"Mother."

My mother looked up, "SeungHyun, you are here.  Where's SeungRi?"

"He's on his way.  Mrs. Kim, how are you?" I bowed my head to her.

Mrs. Kim smiled, "SeungHyun, welcome!  We have an auction tonight.  Don't forget to make your bid!"

"Of course!" I smiled.

"Oh, EunHi is here!" Mrs. Kim said.

I turned around immediately.  My heart fluttered as I saw Hilary walked over to us in that single-strapped figure-hugging long black dress.  Our eyes met at one point.  Her gaze melted me already.

"Hello, Mrs. Choi.  Hello, Mother." Hilary said softly with a smile to our mothers but she avoided any eye contact with me.  It broke my heart to see her acting so cold to me.

My mother said, "EunHi, your mother told me that you will be involved in the auction tonight, is that right?"

Hilary slightly nodded her head with a polite smile, "Yes."

"EunHi, take SeungHyun to his table.  Mrs. Choi will sit with me tonight." Mrs. Kim said as she glanced at me.

H