“Don’t tell me you really have feeling for her. You know she will only affect our plan.” B said.

A took a deep breath before looking at B. “I know. But I just couldn’t help myself. I don’t want anything happen to her. She… she is the biggest victim in this whole situation. She doesn’t know anything.” A said with a guilty tone.

B sighed. “We have been planning all these for so long. You have to be rational.”

“But she is in danger. The bomb attack, the people who keep trying to break into her house and now there is Choi Seung Hyun. I have to protect her.” A said firmly.

“How long can you protect her? You know her father will not give up. Because of the project, he will do anything to make Choi Seung Hyun’s father to invest. And once his father invest into the project, it will be easier for us to get Park Min Sik’s money laundering evidence. That incident that happened 17 years ago, he will pay for it.” B reminded A.

A closed his eyes as he exhaled sharply. “I know. I just don’t want to drag her into this.” A clenched his jaw. “When she knows everything, she will never forgive me.”

“This is your responsibility and your job to make Park Min Sik stay in the jail for the rest of his life and pay for what he has done all these years. Since the day you decided to be in this mission, there is no turning back.” B said, patting A’s shoulder softly.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Lee Min Ho’s eyes were locked firmly on the monitor screen, looking at Park Shin Hye through the CCTV in the security room. She was sitting in the garden, looking pale and troubled. He knew he was not supposed to stay here and should be outside there to protect her but he know being so near to her will only make her feel worse. He doesn’t want to add any more pressure to her. What she said that night was very clear and she have already put a stop to all the possibilities.

He felt slightly relieved when he saw Han Ki Ae walking towards the swing where Shin Hye was sitting. At least someone was keeping her accompanied and she was not alone.

“Hyung.” Kang Ha Neul, the younger bodyguard called him softly.

“What?” Min Ho asked without looking at him.

“Are you okay?” Kang Ha Neul asked carefully.

“Yes. Why?” Min Ho asked him back.

“Why did you just leave Park Shin Hye-sshi sitting out there alone? Shouldn’t you be staying close to her to protect her?” He asked again.

Min Ho sighed deeply. “She needs some space alone. I can still watch her through the CCTV here.”

“Is Park Shin Hye-sshi alright? She looked very bad since the charity ball. She was still very happy after the ball that night but when she came back from the beach, she seemed very sad. And hyung…” He paused, looking at Min Ho worriedly. “You looked sad too.”

Min Ho inhaled sharply. Even Kang Ha Neul noticed the changes in them. He massaged his temple and tried to make the headache go away. He sighed again before looking at Kang Ha Neul. “Monitor all the cameras and make sure everything is okay. Call me if there is anything strange. I’m going to round the house and make sure everything is in order.” He said as he stepped out of the security room.

“What are you doing here?”

Park Shin Hye turned to the voice that was coming near to her. She let out a weak smile and shook her head. “What can I do in this house except to eat, sleep, read books, listen to music, go to the beach and stay in this garden?” She chuckled sadly. “This is a prisoner’s daily routine.”

Han Ki Ae sighed softly as she sat down on the swing beside her. “Everyone have a different kind of life to live. No matter you are happy or sad, the life still goes on, and the planet is still rotating. Since we couldn’t change anything, why not just change ourselves and choose an easier path to live. Accept the reality and choose to be happy. The past already passed. Don’t let the guilt to tie you up for the rest of your life. I’m sure your brother wouldn’t want to see you like this. It was his choice to save you. You shouldn’t waste the life he gave you. You should appreciate the second chance that he gave you”

Shin Hye sighed deeply. “I wish everything could be that easy.”

“You are worried about Choi Seung Hyun, Park Yoo Chun-sshi or… Lee Min Ho-sshi?” Han Ki Ae asked carefully.

Shin Hye was startled as she turned to her. “This has nothing to do with Lee Min Ho-sshi.” She lied.

“But after the charity ball 3 days ago, both of you have become strangers again. Even though you have been very cold to him these few days but his eyes never leave you.” Han Ki Ae said.

Shin Hye turned back to the front. “He is just my bodyguard. He has to make sure I’m safe. This is his job and other than that, we are just strangers.”

“Both of you were not strangers when you guys going to the ball together on last Saturday. What happened that night?” Han Ki Ae asked.

Shin Hye bit her lip as the memories that night slowly floated in her mind. 

----------

“I think I know how to make you have a clearer picture of my lips.” Min Ho cut her off with a grin.

“Meo?” Shin Hye asked in confusion. “What do you…”

Before waiting for her to finish her sentence, Min Ho leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers, kissing her tenderly.

Shin Hye’s eyes widened in shock as the hand she was touching his face a while ago was now held tightly by him. His hand slowly moved behind her nape and pulled her closer to him. Her lips was very still, dare not to move a single muscle as his lips were moving softly on hers. She balled her hands into fists when she felt his lips were now and hers. The kiss was soft and tender that it sent a strange tingling sensation through her whole body.

After a long moment, Min Ho pulled away as his eyes locked on her reddened face.

Shin Hye was frozen in place, stunned and unable to move. Her face was so red with blush as she was totally forgotten to breath.

Min Ho grinned at her cute expression as his gaze dropped to her lips. He have to try his very best to stop himself from losing control and kiss that lips again.

“So… have you get any idea on how my lips look like now?” He .

Shin Hye was still in shock from the kiss. She felt her heart was pumping so fast and hard inside that makes her having difficulty to breathe normally. She has to gather all the strength that was still remained in her weak body and turned away from him. She bit her lip in embarrassment. “W-What are you doing?” She asked, her voice quavered.

“I was just helping you to feel my lips. I think this way is the best and faster compared to your hand.” He said sheepishly.

Shin Hye’s face reddened even more as she kept her head low. “That was my first kiss.” She whispered.

Min Ho looked at her as his lips pursed together. He doesn’t know how to react but he can’t deny that his heart was happy knowing that he was the first person who kiss her before.

“I never thought that I’ll lose it to you and like that.” She continued.

His face immediately hardened as he cupped her cheeks, forcing her to face him. “You are angry that I kiss you? Who do you want to give your first kiss to? Park Yoo Chun? Choi Seung Hyun?” He asked, looking annoyed.

She didn’t reply him and just kept quiet. She continued to bite her lower lip nervously.

Min Ho let out a frustration sigh as his eyes glared at her. “I know your lips are very tasty but if you don’t stop chewing on it now, I can’t promise that I will not lose my control and kiss you again.” He warned her.

Shin Hye widened her eyes as she immediately release her lower lip and pursed it tightly together.

Min Ho laughed softly as he caressed her lips gently. “Do you know biting your lip is a very seductive gesture? Don’t do it in front of any other man.”

“Do you like to do this to any girl you met?” She asked him in a sudden.

“Do what?” He asked in confusion.

“Kiss them.” She replied.

Min Ho narrowed his gaze. “Why do you think I will kiss any girl that I met?”

“Because you kiss me even you already have a girlfriend.” Shin Hye said.

“Girlfriend?” Min Ho was confused. “What girlfriend?”

Shin Hye slowly pulled away from his hand as she faced down. “That night when the beach house was broke in, I called you before I went down to the garden. A girl answered your phone and said you were in the shower.”

Min Ho was shocked. “I… I didn’t know you called that night.” Just then, Yoon Eun Hye crossed his mind. She was there in his apartment that night. He sighed as he looked away.

“She is not my girlfriend.” He said softly.

“Then why is she in your house so late at night?” She asked.

Min Ho became tongue-tied again and unable to answer.

Shin Hye’s heart felt sour when she didn’t get any reply from him. She turned away as she stood up. But before she could walk away, Min Ho grasped her hand.

“Where are you going?” He asked nervously.

“It’s late. I want to go back now.” She inhaled deeply, without looking at him. “For the first time I felt suffocated even standing here at the beach.” She closed her eyes. “Let go of my hand.”

Min Ho didn’t let her go but turned her around to face him. “It’s not like what you think. She was there in my apartment that night because of you.”

His words startled her. She looked at him in confusion. “Me? I don’t understand.”

Min Ho let out an exaggerated sigh. “My mind was confused and in a mess that night. I couldn’t concentrate on anything because my whole mind was crowded with you. I need her to distract me and keep me rational. I need her to remind me about the real me and the life that I have been living in.” He paused as he sighed again. “That was what I do all these while. I’m not a good man. I used her to distract me all the time.”

He then chuckled sadly. “But nothing happen that night. Just as I was about to do something wrong again, you appeared in my head and stopped everything. At that moment, I finally realized no matter what I do, I just couldn’t take you off my mind even for one second.”   

Shin Hye lifted her head up. “Is she the one who put on the rose scent perfume?” She asked softly.

Min Ho looked at her for a while as he slowly understands everything. “That night you were so angry not because you hate the scent of that perfume but you were jealous of her. You smelled that perfume on me and thought we did something in my house that night. You were…”

“Yes.” She cut him off.

Min Ho stopped what he wants to say and just looked at her. He was quite taken aback by her honesty.

Shin Hye took a deep breath. “I was jealous.” She then laughed softly. “Since I was so brave for the first time tonight, I think I shouldn’t hide anything anymore. If I don’t tell you now, I don’t think I will have the courage to say it again next time.”

She took a step closer to him. “I was jealous. I felt so angry and suffocated just by thinking about that girl in your house. I’m not a kid. I understand what does it mean when a guy bring a girl home at that hour.”

“I told you my heart was packed and became narrow. That person who moved inside to my heart was you. You said you couldn’t take me out of your head but since you saved me from that bomb incident, I couldn’t take you out of my mind too. You are slowly seeping into my life.” She paused as she tried to steady her breathing. “I don’t understand why but I felt so secure and safe when you are around me. I know no matter what happen, you will be there to protect me, like just now.”

Min Ho’s chest was tightened as he held her hand and caressed it gently.

“You don’t know how happy I was when you said you didn’t treat me as just a job. My heart was fluttered when you said you will be there to catch me even if I fall. I felt like floating in the air with everything you said during the dance just now.” She bit her lip hard, her eyes reddened. “I hate to admit it but I know you are not just a bodyguard to me anymore. You are someone that I wanted to have and keep you in my life.”

Tears started to well in her eyes. “But I know it’s impossible. No matter how much I wanted you, how much I wanted to be with you, we won’t be able to be together.”

Min Ho parted his lips, wanted to protest but he just couldn’t find the right word to say it. He hates to admit but what she said was true. They won’t be able to be together. There were too many things behind them that pull them apart. Their background, her father, Park Yoo Chun and now Choi Seung Hyun, everything was a big obstacle for them.

“I didn’t mean anything after telling you all these. I won’t expect you to do anything in return. I just want to say it out loud because it was like a big stone stacking in my heart, making me breathless.” Shin Hye said as she tried to pull her hand away from him but he doesn’t want to let her go. He even tightened his grip on her hand.

Shin Hye sighed softly as she lifted her head. “I know what is bothering you. You were confused because of my painful past and my eyes.”

Min Ho creased his brows, doesn’t get what she was trying to say.

“You were just too immersed in your job because you feel pity for me. A blind woman, imprison in the beach house alone, tortured by the painful memory, forced to marry a man that she doesn’t love. You feel bad for me and wanted to protect and help me.” She continued painfully.

Min Ho bit his lip hard, looking at her helplessly. He wanted to shout it out loud that he care for her not because of those damn reason she pointed out but he really wanted her to be safe and he cares for her. At the same time, he wanted to let her know the real reason why he couldn’t fight for her but he can’t.

Shin Hye laughed softly with tears still clogging in her eyes. “I will do you a favour. After tonight, I will get out from your head and disappeared completely. But in return, you need to do me a favour too.”

He exhaled sharply. “What you want me to do?”

She took one more step closer, smiling at him. “Forget everything that had happened between us after tonight. Go back to the original spot that we were supposed to stand. Treat me as just a job, a boss. Your responsible now is to protect me and make sure I’m safe during your working hours and other than that, anything about me will not be your concern. I will also treat you just as my bodyguard and nothing else. We must not cross the line that set us apart again. Promise me.”

Min Ho’s face twisted in pain as his hands tightened on hers. “You didn’t even give me a chance to say anything. You just decide our fate without giving us a way to turn back. Do you know it’s very unfair to me?” He asked in a painful tone.

Shin Hye smiled. “Because I’m your boss. You have to listen to me and obey my instruction.” Her eyes were still teary as she forced herself to keep smiling. “What’s the time now?”

He looked down at his watch. “11.55pm.”

She took a deep breath as she pulled her hand away from him. She slowly tiptoed and held her hands up, carefully feels his neck and wrapped around it. She leaned forward and kissed his lips. Even though the kiss was timid and inexperience, but it was enough to steal all of his senses away.

Min Ho returned her kiss with his eyes still opened, looking deep into her sightless and teary eyes.

After a long minute, Shin Hye pulled away, her cheeks were flushed as tears slowly rolled down. She lifted her head up, smiled sadly at him. “I finally know how to describe your lips. It’s soft, moisture and very good in kissing.”

Min Ho clenched his jaw as he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let go.

Shin Hye bit her trembling lip, trying to hold back her sobs. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaled in his scent for the last time.

“It’s time to bring the Cinderella back to her reality.” She whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks.

----------

After the dinner, Shin Hye took her white cane and walked to the garden again, with Min Ho following behind her. The sky was already dark and he couldn’t let her to be alone at this hour. He was sure Shin Hye knew he was following her but she just acted like she doesn’t bother. Her expression was totally different whenever he was around her. The troubled and sad face will turned to cold and expressionless. He knew she was forcing herself to make everything back to the starting point. But he wasn’t sure is it still possible to return to that spot again.

“You don’t need to stand there. You can just watch me in the security room. I won’t b