“What exactly happened to you? Your lips and your hands are all bruised. And why are you wearing a scarf even at home?” Han Ki Ae asked, looking at her worriedly.

Park Shin Hye moved her hand to the scarf that was wrapping securely around her neck, faced down, embarrassed. She didn’t reply her question and just let out a light smile. “I’m fine. But I’m a bit tired. Can I sleep for a while?”

Han Ki Ae sighed. She knows Shin Hye doesn’t want to talk about it and there was no use to force her. She squeezed her hand softly before she stood up of her bed. “Okay, you take a rest now. I’ll wake you up when dinner is ready.”

After she heard the door closed, she pulled her legs up and slowly crawled to the middle of her bed. She let out a long sigh as she laid herself down, hugging the pillow tightly. Tears started to form in her eyes as the memories of what happened this morning slowly creep into her mind.

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Shin Hye slowly came awake when she felt the soft lips gently tracing kisses along her neck, giving her a tingling feeling early in the morning. She smiled when she smelled the familiar scent filling her nose. Her eyes slowly flutter open to find everything was still dark and black. The smile on her face slowly faded away and she felt a pang in her chest. How she wish that she could wake up this morning, with a miracle happened. Since she was blind 8 years ago, she never had one moment wanted to regain her sight so badly like now. It must be very happy to wake up beside the person you love, looking deep into each other eyes without the need to say anything. But she will never able to have this kind of feeling.

“You are awake.” Min Ho whispered in her ear. “You can sleep a little longer. It’s still very early now.”

Shin Hye ran her fingers through his hair as she smiled. “How can I continue to sleep when you keep doing this? I barely sleep last night because of you.” She bit her lip when Min Ho slid his hand under her shirt, caressing her delicate sides softly. “Did you even sleep last night?” She asked.

Min Ho grinned as he buried his face in her neck, brushing his tongue on her smooth skin. “I told you I can do this all night. With you staying so close to me like this, I don’t think I want to waste any time sleeping. You just don’t understand how irresistible you are. I’m kind of impressed with my own self-restraint.” He said as his lips were still busy showering her neck with kisses. “Can we stay like this forever?”

Shin Hye smiled without replying his question. “What’s the time now? Should you call Ha Neul-sshi to come over now to pick me up? I think Han seonsaeng will be very worried about me. I should go back already.”

Min Ho looked at the clock and rolled to the side of the bed to take his phone. “It’s 7am. I’ll call him now.” He said as he started to dial his number.

“Ha Neul, it’s me. Come to fetch Shin Hye at 9am later. Asked Han seonsaeng to pack her clothes with a scarf and you bring it along here. She needs to change. Yes, a scarf. Don’t forget about that. I’ll see you later.” Min Ho ended the call as he put it on the bedside table before he moved back to Shin Hye and half hovered on her.

“A scarf? Why do I need a scarf?” Shin Hye asked confusedly.

Min Ho smiled sheepishly as his hand moved to her neck and caressed it softly. “What is wrong with my neck?”

Min Ho cleared his throat and looked at her with an awkward smile. “Erm… your neck is covered with a lot of…” He paused as he bit his lip. “… love bites.”

Her face immediately flushed in crimson red. “A lot?” She asked worriedly. She then hit his chest and pouted her lips. “Why did you do that?” She asked again in a grumpy tone.

“I swear I didn’t do it on purpose. I saw that bastard left few marks on your neck last night and I was too angry. I didn’t think straight and I just want to cover it with mine. But then… I just continue and wasn’t able to stop.” His voice was getting softer and softer.

“How many is a lot?” She asked as she touched her neck nervously.

Min Ho smiled cheekily. He leaned down to her neck and kissed on the marks softly, making Shin Hye squirmed at the sudden touch on her skin. “Few here.” He said in between the kiss. He slowly trailed his lips downward and on it seductively. “Few here.” He whispered again. He smiled when he heard Shin Hye’s breath became heavy and uneven. He continued to kiss and along her neck down to her collar bone. “Is that considered a lot?”

Shin Hye bit her lip, trying to stop herself from . Although he has been doing this the whole night but she still felt her blood rushing in her veins and tingled with the pleasure he brought to her. “You have to stop doing that. If not, I’m going to need a cold shower too.”

He laughed softly as he buried his face in her neck, inhaled in her scent that driving him crazier by the minute. “I just want to hold you like this and don’t want to let go.”

Shin Hye gently the back of his head and sighed softly. “I wish we could but I think it’s time to wake up from the dream.”

He pulled back slightly and looked at her. “Dream? We are not dreaming. We are real.” He put his face close to hers and nuzzled his nose in her jaw gently. “Are you worried about your father?” He asked.

“Should I be worried about him? I think he already know by now about what happened last night. If he knows I’m sleeping in the bed with you like this, I think he will pull his gun out and shoot you in the head.” Her heart felt heavy just by thinking about it.

Min Ho trailed his fingers along her jawline, slowly moved to the faint bruise at the corner of her lips, mesmerizing her beautiful angelic face. “I’m not scared at all. Even if he wants to kill me, I’ll still not let your hand go.” He leaned down and kissed her lips.  

Shin Hye was silent for a moment before she asked carefully. “Are you willing to run away with me?”

Min Ho froze in place as he looked at her in shock. “You… want to run away?”

Shin Hye let out a soft smile. She lifted her hand up to touch his face. “Can we? Except for being blind and a bit clumsy, I’m actually quite easy to be taken care of. I don’t spend money lavishly, I’m not a high maintenance girl, I’m not picky and I can stay anywhere. I don’t mind how small, how ugly is that place because I can’t even see it. As long as I have a white cane with me, I think I’ll be fine.”

Min Ho pursed his lips as his eyes were still staring at her. He paused in awe for a moment. “You will need to suffer if you run away with me. I don’t have a stable life and I’m poor. I’ll be jobless if I lost the job as your bodyguard. Are you sure you won’t regret? Are you sure you can stand a poor and hard life?”

She exhaled slowly. “How about if I tell you I have quite a lot of money in my bank account? I think the money will be enough for both of us even if we don’t work. Do you think it can still work out? We can go somewhere far away from Korea and have a simple life there. My father wouldn’t be able to find us.” She caressed his face gently. “Didn’t you just say that you want to stay like this forever? We can if we are brave enough to take the first step. Are you willing to give up everything and go with me?” She asked with an expectant expression.

Min Ho felt like something stuck in his throat, doesn’t know how to reply her. Of course he wanted to be with her, leave everything behind, have a simple life just two of them but it’s not that easy. He can give up anything for her but there is one thing that he couldn’t stop now. Joining her father’s security team was a plan but he never thought he will be assigned to be her bodyguard and falling in love with her was totally out of control.

Shin Hye’s heart dropped to her stomach when she didn’t get his reply. She doesn’t need anybody to explain to her what does his silence means. She forced her lips to curl into a light smile. “I’m just joking.”

“Shin Hye, I…”

She caressed his face and smiled. “I’m just teasing you. My father was a mafia group leader. No matter how far I run away, he will still be able to find me.” She bit her lip as her hand slowly dropped to his chest and pushed him away softly. “Can I use the bathroom?” She asked.

Min Ho stared at her for a brief moment before he pulled himself into a sitting position, helped her up and walked her to the bathroom. Before she goes inside, he stopped her and helped her to button up her shirt that he undid last night. His eyes stopped at her neck that was covered with a lot of new red marks. He still couldn’t believe that he manage to control himself last night and didn’t eat her alive. Her unruly hair, her swollen lips, the dark circles under her eyes and those hickeys on her fair and smooth skin, it was a proof that he has no different from an animal.

He pulled her into the bathroom and turned her to face the basin. “The water tab is here and the toilet bowl is behind you. I’ll wait for you outside. Call me when you are done.” He said softly.

Shin Hye nodded her head with a smile.

After she heard the door was closed, the smile on her face faded immediately. She moved her hand to the water tab and turned it on. Tears started to flow down from her eyes like the water in the basin as she covered with her hand, trying to mute herself. She hates herself for being like this but she just couldn’t hold it anymore. She knows asking him to run away with her in a sudden was unreasonable but his response just now was somehow hurtful and disappointing.

Not long after that, the knocking sound on the door startled her.

“Shin Hye, are you done?” Min Ho asked from outside.

She quickly wiped the tears away and splashed some water on her face. She turned the tab off and took a deep breath. “I’m done.”

Min Ho came in and walked to her. His chest tightened when he saw her reddened eyes and he knows what exactly bothering her. He sighed silently as he took the face towel at the side and helped her to wipe the water that was rolling down her face. 

Shin Hye forced a smile at him. “Thank you.”

He put the towel away and moved his hand to her nape, holding her in place. He leaned down and when his lips was about to touch hers, Shin Hye squirmed. She felt his breathing was fanning on her face as she quickly turned away. “I haven’t brush my teeth.” She used it as an excuse to avoid his kiss.

“I haven’t brush mine either.” Min Ho cupped her cheeks, forcing her to face him and sealed her lips with a long and passionate kiss. They pulled away after a while, panting for air. He looked at her flushed cheeks as he sighed deeply. He rested his forehead on hers, closing his eyes, inhaling in her sweet scent. “I mean it when I said I love you and wanted to stay with you like this forever. I just need a little more time.” He slowly pulled back and looked at her. He caressed her eyes before he pressed his lips on it gently. “Don’t cry.” He wrapped his arms around her, bringing her into his embrace.

Shin Hye bit her lip as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. “I didn’t cry.” She lied.

Min Ho laughed softly. “You pretty little liar.”

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Min Ho was standing at the rooftop of a tall building with his hand rested on the iron rail. It was 10pm now and he is waiting for someone secretly in the dark. Shin Hye’s sad and disappointed expression at his house this morning kept replaying in his mind. He knew he has hurt her feeling. Although she said she was just joking but he knows she was actually testing the water, wanted to know whether he will run away with her if something goes wrong between her and her father. His heart was shouting yes and he is more than willing inside but he cannot give her any promise now. What he was doing now, will somehow hurt her when she find out about his secret later. He doesn’t want to lose her but at the same time he can’t give up on his mission.

“Sorry, I’m late.”

Min Ho turned around when he heard a voice behind him. He crossed his arms and looked at the man who was walking towards him. “It’s okay. I’m early.”

“How was your injury?” Choi Jin Hyuk asked in concern.

Min Ho smiled weakly. “Almost healed.”

“You looked troubled. Something happened between you and Park Shin Hye last night?” Jin Hyuk asked again as he narrowed his gaze at him.

Min Ho sighed. “A lot of things happened but don’t worry. None of it will affect our plan. Where is the thing you want to pass to me?”

Jin Hyuk’s pursed his lips. “Before that, I need to let you know about something first.”

Min Ho raised his brow. “What?”

“About Choi Seung Hyun. He was arrested an hour ago.” He said.

Min Ho widened his eyes in shock. “Arrested? Why?”

“He was charged with a case again. A girl came to report that she was by him last night at Lotte Hotel. Her whole body was covered with bruises and her private part was bleeding badly. The doctor found Choi Seung Hyun’s in her body. The police went to the hotel room where he her and found the blood stain in the bed. It was confirmed that the