Shin Hye placed her palms on top of Min Ho’s hands and tugged them down from her face. “Had your fun now, chaebol?”

Min Ho’s brows furrowed just a little bit, his mouth opening slightly before turning into a crooked smile. “I wasn’t aware I was joking.”

Min Ho couldn’t help it, he was getting a little pissed off now. Because he couldn’t have imagined it. He felt Shin Hye react to him, to his nearness, to his words. Her eyes were lost in his and for a long while, he saw the vulnerability in those big, brown orbs.  But this time, it wasn’t just a flash. It lingered, sending a sweltering warmth through him. He could almost read her mind as she fought an internal battle with her thoughts. And even though he didn’t speak out loud, he was begging for her to give in to that moment, using his thumb to caress her face. She flinched at his delicate touch, but he was absolutely sure that Shin Hye felt it, too – that raw, pulsating force that’s drawing them to each other.

He was about to let himself slip and close the distance between them, but like some boulder out of nowhere, her expression hardened. She brought up her walls once more, crushing Min Ho in the process. Before he knew it, Shin Hye was back to the stone-faced, unfeeling assassin. Naturally, his hands loosened around her face, making it easier for her to pry them off.

“You must have mistaken me for someone you could toy with,” Shin Hye spoke coldly, lifting the wine glass to . Min Ho noticed her hand quiver, but he couldn’t tell if she was really mad or just masking how flustered she was with a cruel joke.

He waited a bit more to see if she would buckle under his gaze but she didn’t. The moment was gone now, and he knew it. Shin Hye knew it, too. With a sigh, Min Ho backed off, scooting away from her on the couch. His heart was no longer pounding because of her presence but from the anger bubbling up inside him.

“You must think really low of me to come to that conclusion,” he spat, making no effort to hide the gruffness to his tone. He hunched over and brusquely picked up the wine glass he had laid down on the table and downed everything in one go. He caught Shin Hye fidgeting from the corner of his eye. When he finished his glass, he turned to her again, his eyes more fired up.

“Am I wrong to assume so?” Shin Hye challenged back, matching his icy stare. Whatever weakness she showed was gone now, cloaked in her sharp tongue. He always had a feeling that her words were a defense mechanism to repel people so they don’t see how she truly felt. He was similar to her in that regard. When he couldn’t bear people seeing through him, he would say unkind words to keep them from being too close.

But even when he knew this, he couldn’t help but feel hurt.

“You’re no innocent boy. And I’m not some naive girl born yesterday,” she continued. “ I’ve been around a lot of men and I know exactly what you’re doing. But I have to admit, you really are in a league of your own, Lee Min Ho. For a moment there, I almost fell for it.”

Min Ho’s jaw dropped as he let out an exasperated huff. “Wow. The first time you say my name and it’s to insult me,” he raked a hand through his hair. “And to think I’ve been waiting for you to stop calling me ‘chaebol’ and start acknowledging that I’m a real person and not some target you rescued. But that’s all I’ll ever be to you, am I right?”

“I apologize if you were offended,” Shin Hye frowned, her voice unsteady. “But you should know by now that I’m not one of those women you wrap around your finger and will give you the world in exchange for a few sweet nothings .”

Min Ho clenched his fists. A part of him wanted to deny that he was toying with her and make her believe that he was being sincere, but an even bigger part of him was enraged that she couldn’t distinguish the difference. After what they’ve been through, he at least thought Shin Hye would have seen past his reputation by now.

“I forgot you know so much about me from your research,” he smirked, sarcasm dripping from his words.

Shin Hye looked at him blankly. “Look, I don't want to fight anymore. We’re in a ed up situation, let’s not it up even more, eo?”

He didn’t know which hurt more: that she basically called him the worst kind of womanizer or that she thought he would ever treat her like all the other women in his life.

“You may be an expert at handling ed up situations, but I’m not,” Min Ho retorted. He wanted so much to brush it off coolly and walk away, let Shin Hye think what she wanted to. But every part of him wanted to protest. He was about to continue when he noticed Shin Hye’s frown growing deeper.

She’s never going to believe me. It was a lost cause. Shin Hye made it clear how she thought of him and she wasn’t going to budge no matter what he said or did now. His jaw tightened as he tried to hide the disappointment on his face.

“You’re right Shin Hye, let’s not  this up. Don’t worry. I got your message loud and clear now.”

Shin Hye pressed her lips in a tight line, and Min Ho swore he saw a pained look in her expression. But it was so brief he must have imagined it.

“Hey guys.”

They glanced up at the same time and saw Shi Yoon by the staircase with his laptop. Both of them didn’t hear him come down.

“The transfer wasn’t legal at all,” Shi Yoon said without prelude, completely oblivious to the tension in the air. “Lee Maeng Hee wired the five million dollars to an offshore account in the Cayman Islands. ”

“Meo?” Min Ho straightened up, still reeling from the exchange with Shin Hye.

“Yeah. Security is much tighter in Cayman banks so it’s hard for me to hack without sending red flags. Hopefully I find a crack soon so we can figure out who’s been accessing that account.”

“Is it possible Lee Maeng Hee is just trying to avoid taxes?” Shin Hye asked softly.

“Why the hell would he transfer just five million if that were the case?” Min Ho replied, his tone more biting than he had planned. Shin Hye looked taken aback but he only scowled and looked at Shi Yoon again. “Anything else?”

Shin Yoon shook his head, looking dejected. “That’s all I could figure out at this point. Sorry.”

Min Ho stood up and filled his glass to the brim, almost emptying out the bottle of wine. “Good night,” he mumbled, feeling pissed off. If he’d stayed longer, he had a feeling he’ll hurl more hurtful things at Shin Hye. It was best he leave it at that before things escalate and their relationship – whatever the it was – could no longer be repaired.

Shin Hye watched Min Ho walk away and felt a squeeze in her chest. She’d been keeping it in but her heart felt like it would burst the longer Min Ho stayed in the room. When he was out of sight, she let out the breath she’d been holding. ‘And to think I’ve been waiting for you to stop calling me ‘chaebol’ and start acknowledging that I’m a real person and not some target you rescued. But that’s all I’ll ever be to you, am I right?’

Min Ho’s words kept repeating in her head and she felt so awful that she almost wanted to throw up. This was something she wasn’t accustomed to, and she didn’t know how to handle the multitude of emotions running through her.

“Did something happen?” Shi Yoon asked, looking concerned.

“Nothing,” Shin Hye got up from the couch swiftly and left for her room. She knew that if she stayed with Shi Yoon, he’ll figure things out.

She shut the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily. She tried to push back the thoughts of Min Ho and the way he held her face, the way his eyes seemed to pierce through her. She tried to wave away the pained look on his face when she said things she truly didn’t mean. But she had no choice at that moment.

He’s a player, Shin Hye. He was playing you. But deep down, she knew he was sincere.

She shook her head, mentally scolding herself for even allowing herself to think about him in that way. Everything about Lee Min Ho from the start had been wrong. She hated that her body betrayed her whenever he was around. He her in more than anybody has, and she never liked it. Now it was entering a dangerous territory. There were different feelings involved now, things she has never felt for anyone before.

“You did the right thing,” she told herself. She could have given in to what she was feeling and just kissed him the way she did last night. Because she really, really wanted to. But she knew that would just complicate things. Even if Min Ho had been sincere, there was just no time and space for them to act on certain urges.

So how come when he implied he would back off, Shin Hye felt her heart drop to the ground? What did she expect to hear? She flat out told him he was a playboy and not to toy with her, shouldn’t she be happy he got the message?

She threw her head back, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. The day had been long and exhausting, all she wanted to do was come home and rest. Now, she had to deal with the complex feelings for Lee Min Ho she’d been trying to keep at bay on top of everything else.

Shin Hye violently removed her shirt and headed to the bathroom for a shower. She needed to wash away the events of that day. She faced the water streaming down, basking in its warmth for a little comfort. She fought the thoughts swarming in – all of which were about the chaebol – and tried to empty her mind. She ran her hands through her hair and settled them on her shoulders, giving herself a little massage, before sliding them down her sides.

Min Ho’s face flashed in her mind, and she felt more warmth pooling at the pit of her stomach. Despite all efforts to clear her mind, she pondered on the way she kissed Lee Min Ho last night. That was a stupid move, but she didn’t exactly have control. Did he kiss her back? She wasn’t sure. She groaned when she realized she let her mind drift off again. She pounded on the tiles to release the tension in her body that had been heightening the longer she thought about him.

When she was done showering, she got herself ready for bed, turned off the lights and decided to sleep everything off. The darkness did nothing to relieve her, even the silence seemed to be mocking her. So after what seemed like hours, she was still tossing and turning, her thoughts never giving her peace. With a grunt she rolled to her side and her lamp to check her clock. 2:43 AM.

She sat up and ruffled her hair, feeling the need to let out some steam. Honestly, the only thing she could think of is to visit the gun range for some rounds, but that was too extreme. She didn’t want to continue drinking, for fear that she’d do something strange again. Plus, she was genuinely scared she was going to turn into an alcoholic if she keeps it up. Gym? She was afraid she’d wake Shi Yoon and Min Ho up. She sighed inwardly at the thought of Min Ho and decided there was nothing else to do but try harder to fall sleep.

She laid back and stared into the darkness, hoping it would bore her to death so she can slip off into dreamland. Not even five minutes after turning off her lamp, she heard a knock. She stiffened at the sound, wondering if she’d imagined it. Her head darted to the direction of the door even though she couldn’t see a thing. She waited, her heartbeat quickening with every second of silence.

Then the sound came again. Knock. Knock. Knock.

A mixture of dread and excitement filled her immediately. She bit her lip as she slowly sat up, careful not to make a sound. The knocks sounded hesitant, as hesitant as she was about opening the door. Her heart was beating a mile a minute, her thoughts running wild. It could be Shi Yoon, of course, but why would he be coming to her at this hour? And if that was her best friend, he’d have asked her if she was still awake or came barging in without permission.

She pushed the blanket aside and dangled her legs over the bed. Should I? Her brain was screaming at her to just ignore it and go back to sleep, but her body acted like it had a mind of its own. Before she knew it, she had her lamp again and stood up. She walked slowly to the door and stopped a foot away. Taking a deep breath, she waited for another knock, her eyes glued to the doorknob.

She didn’t know how long she stood there but there was just silence at the other side of the door. For some reason, she felt utterly disappointed. She was sure that he was gone by now, but her hand reached for the knob and slowly turned it. Expecting no one, she finally opened the door and was met by a sight that made her in a breath.

His hand was leaning on the doorframe, his shoulders hunched. She could tell he looked up just as she was opening the door, giving her the impression that his forehead was leaning against it as he waited. She opened to ask what he was doing there, but no sound came out

Min Ho had a conflicted look on his face as he met her gaze – he looked like he was in pain. “Did I wake you?” He asked, his voice almost a whisper.

She shook her head, still unable to speak. She was afraid her voice would be unsteady and would give away exactly how she was feeling right now.

Min Ho stood up straight and rubbed the back of his neck. “I couldn’t sleep,” he continued, looking down at his feet.

Me, neither, she thought.

“I wanted to apologize for what I did and said earlier,” he said, meeting her gaze again. He did look contrite, but there was something else in his eyes. Something that made Shin Hye’s hands turn clammy, and her stomach do back flips. She didn’t know if he was communicating this on purpose or if he just couldn’t hide it. “I wasn’t toying with you and I’m sorry if you felt that way.”

“You could have told me this in the morning,” she mumbled, attempting to sound cold. But all it sounded to her was a nervous reply. Her body was betraying her again and she could only wish her face wasn’t giving her away.

He gave her a lopsided grin that made her heart skip a beat. “You’re right,” he bit his lower lip. “I just thought maybe I needed to do it now so I can feel less guilty and finally fall asleep. So… are we okay?”

Shin Hye looked up at him and smiled a little, slightly amused that Min Ho was capable of looking shy. “Yeah, we’re good.”

She expected him to say good night and leave, but he remained standing there, looking like he wanted to say something more. Shin Hye should have shooed him away, but instead, she waited. She saw his eyes skim her body and panic dawned on her. She glanced down at herself and realized she was only wearing a loose shirt that cut off at her mid-thighs. Instinctively, she stepped back, but Min Ho caught her hand in his. She lifted her face in surprise to see Min Ho frowning. That pained expression was back, his eyes growing darker.

“Do you really not feel anything?” He asked, his voice more desperate.

Shin Hye swallowed hard, her heart beginning to thump wildly against her chest again. Min Ho only held her hand but his touch sent a jolt of electricity that made every hair on her body stand up. How was she going to lie out of this one when everything about her movement already answered his question? Of course she felt something. She felt everything in that moment. She looked away so he doesn’t see her hesitate, but Min Ho cupped her chin with his other hand and tilted her face gently to look at him.

“You do, don’t you?” He sighed, taking one step inside her room.

A squeal of protest was stuck in . The heat in the room spiked up that she felt the need to tug her hand out of his just to steady herself. But before she could say anything back, Min Ho enclosed her waist with a pull and she found herself pressed against him. Her hands landed on his chest to steady herself, and she flushed when Min Ho went rigid at the touch. She looked up and saw his eyes graze on her lips just as her eyes leveled with his mouth. Min Ho lowered his head.

“It’s unfair for you to tell me never to kiss you again, and then kiss me the way you did last night,” he whispered next to her ear.

Shin Hye’s eyes widened. Min Ho must have caught the guilty look on her face because he frowned. “You remember,” he said, more as a statement than a question.

Her jaw slacked as she thought of a fitting response. Her whole body was on overdrive, her mind thinking of ways to retaliate, but every part of her wanting to melt into his arms. “I don’t,” she lied, her voice reduced to a squeak.

Min Ho’s expression hardened, but he kept his arms around her. “Let me remind you, then,” he mumbled before he captured her lips with his. Shin Hye let out a muffled groan as his other hand made its way to the back of her head. She balled her hands on his chest, caught between the thought of pushing him off and giving into the blissful feeling of his mouth on hers. Min Ho, sensing her hesitation, pulled her in closer and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Shin Hye’s face felt hot as her body reacted to his touch. His lips were soft and gentle, almost pleading her to give in. Min Ho’s hand travelled from her head, to the back of her neck, leaving behind a hot trail on her skin even with her shirt on. When his hand rested on the small of her back, she let out a tiny gasp. Min Ho took that chance to slip in his tongue, and Shin Hye moaned onto his lips from the sensation. Before she knew it, her arms wove around his neck, pulling herself up slightly for better access. Min Ho grunted at her surrender, his tongue now hungrily dancing with hers, sending Shin Hye in a dizzying trance.

She didn’t know how they ended up lying on her bed, but she couldn’t care less anymore. She kissed him back with fervor, her insides fluttering. Min Ho pulled away and gave her a gentle peck on the cheek before his mouth trailed her jaw line, then her neck, his hot breath sending ripples down her spine. When he kissed a sensitive spot at the base of , she let out a whimper. Min Ho lingered there, nibbling and , as his hands fell down to her legs. He easily reached inside her shirt, his hands slithering from her thighs to her waist, riding up the shirt in the process and exposing her sheer underwear. Shin Hye shuddered at the feel of his strong hands on her skin, setting ablaze every inch he came into contact with. Min Ho’s fingers teased the base of her s, and Shin Hye wheezed when he cupped one of them – a mixture of pleasure and longing for him to touch her some more enveloping her. Min Ho caught her lips again and kis