-17-

The sound of the door bell rung inside the mansion. A maid was on her way to open it when the owner of the house stopped her and does the task himself.

“Good evening.” Siwon greeted the two ladies with his usual dazzling smile. “Thanks for inviting us over, Siwon-ssi” Taeyeon said. “This is all I can do after all that happened. Oh and please just call me Siwon, Taeyeon?”

“Yes, Siwon.” They both smiled at each other. Tiffany who was watching the interaction between the two smiled. She was glad Taeyeon’s taking everything lightly and all the drama was gone. “Please come in.” The two women entered the mansion and was amused with the beauty and elegance of everything inside.

“This way please” Siwon said as he guides the two towards the dining hall. “I hope the foods prepared by my chef will be to your liking”

“Oh they all look so delicious. Tell him thanks” Tiffany said. “I must say though, you both look so beautiful”

“Thank you”

The doorbell rang again surprising the two ladies. “Oh, you have other guests?”

“Yes” Siwon smiled at them and excused himself to greet the newcomer.

“Did he tell you who else is coming?” Taeyeon asked Tiffany as she guides the latter to her seat. “No.”

‘But I hope it’s not who I think it is’

“I’m terribly sorry I’m late. The traffic trapped me.” Tiffany groaned after hearing that voice, she knows the owner of that voice. “Taeyeon-ah!” the new comer shouted as she practically throws herself at the now standing Taeyeon. “Jin Ah” Taeyeon also looks happy yet surprised seeing the woman there. “Tiffany-ssi” Nana’s attention turned to Tiffany who also stands up to greet her. “Nana-ssi, good evening”

“Good evening to you too” However Nana’s attention turned to Taeyeon again. “Taeyeon-ah, you look very good. So… beautiful”

‘Oh, this dinner won’t be good’ Tiffany thought

Tiffany’s POV

“So ladies shall we eat?” Siwon asked us. I wasn’t really paying attention to anything he was saying anymore. My mind is pretty much at a wreck because that woman dared to sit beside MY Taetae. What irks me more is that Taeyeon even looks cool with it, well I’m not!

“Fany, you can have wine. I’ll drive us both home” Taeyeon whispered to me. “You wouldn’t want me drunk though” I whispered back trying my best to smile but she knows better. She immediately leaned back and observes me. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing” I answered her sarcastically.

“Taeyeon-ah, try this one.” Nana shamelessly placed a food on Taeyeon’s plate. “T-Thanks, Jin Ah”

“I’m sure you’ll like it. I specifically asked the chef to prepare it for you”

“Nana you seem to know what’s her likes and dislikes” Siwon said. “Of course” that woman answered proudly. Ugh, she irritates me more now. If I didn’t know her PAST connection with Taeyeon I will mistook her for a stalker.

We all started eating with a little chat about business and all, with some flirting from Nana from time to time and also… Siwon?

“Tiffany, would you like more wine? I noticed from our past dinners that you like wines luckily you never get drunk easily”

“Ah, yes. But this is fine with me”

“Tiffany, we have this great resort in Thailand. Would you like me to accompany you the next time you go there?”

“It’s fine. No need to bother yourself with me”

“Oh, I insist. You’re a very important woman”

Ugh, seriously?! Why are they both like this?

I turned to look at Taeyeon and she too doesn’t look comfortable with all that’s happening in this dinner.

“Should we leave?” I asked her when the two were busy talking about who knows what. “No, that would be rude. Dinner’s almost done anyway. We’ll leave once it’s over” I nod as an answer. I felt her grab my hand from under the table and it immediately makes me smile. “You know I can’t eat with only one hand”

“The food’s not good anyway”

“Haha yah, you’ve been holding my hand quite a lot lately Ms. Kim”

“Because your hand feels so warm, Ms. Hwang.”

“So are we to flaunt our relationship once again?” I asked her teasingly.

“Nah, no need. They both know it anyway. Besides he stands no chance”

“Ohh, I love the confidence. But it should be they not he, right?”

“They?” she looks at me raising her eyebrow. “Jin Ah?” I noticed a sauce on the corner of her lips. Jeez, I got a kid for a fiancée. I smiled while wiping the sauce off. “Yes, you didn’t notice?”

“Thanks. No”

“Wow, you noticed Siwon’s but not Nana’s?”

“No”

“Aish, you-”

“Ehem” we both turned to the two who are watching us. “I hope we’re not ruining your little moment” Siwon said. I noticed a frown on Nana’s face, Ha take that!

“Oh uh sorry”

“So, Taeyeon-ah, Tiffany-ssi when is the wedding?” Nana asked us without looking. “We haven’t talked about it yet. We’re both really busy so-”

“But we’re hoping to do it early next year” I butted in. Taeyeon looks at me.

‘What?’ she mouthed. ‘Just go with me’ I mouthed back.

“Really?” I noticed Nana smirk. Now what’s that smirk for?

The dinner went by fast after that. We wanted to go home but Siwon invited us to his guest area for a little chat. It was still early he said.

Taeyeon and I were left alone since Siwon and Nana excused themselves after receiving a call from the Thailand office. We decided to go to the veranda and take in the cool breeze of the night. The sight is beautiful because Siwon’s house is located near the sea.

“So, we are getting married early next year?” Taeyeon asked me with a smirk. We are standing side by side with our elbows touching. “Yah that was just said on impulse okay? Your ex-supposed-to-be-fiancée was getting on my nerves”

“Jin Ah is a good woman, Fany. Maybe you should try to get to know her”

‘With her flirting with you and giving me those freaking looks? No way’

“Sure. Someday”

“But I don’t mind if things were to happen next year”

“You don’t mind getting married early? At 22?”

“Nope. My parents were also married early, remember? Jiwoong too. Well, almost everyone in our family is”

“And those elders are expecting the same from us, right?”

Taeyeon looks at me and furrows her eyebrow. “If I were to get married it’s because I want to and not because I have to. If you are not yet ready I’m willing to wait. No matter how long I will wait for you”

“Even if I want to get married once we reach fifty?” Taeyeon smiles at me. “Even if we can’t recognize each other anymore because of old age I will still marry you”

“But we can’t recognize each other!”

“I know I will still marry you”

“How can you be so sure? I won’t marry a stranger” She holds my hand and looks directly at me. “Because Ms. Hwang” she leads my hand in front of her chest on her mark. “This will recognize you. No matter where, no matter when” she then kisses my ring finger. “So, my heart will only marry you” she then directed her lips on my bracelet. “And I hope your heart feels the same”

Her eyes, they were so deep, so full of honesty, care and… love. I can drown while looking at her and I know I’ll be safe. I will always be safe and happy. She is the one.

“Taetae” The only answer I can give her is a hug, a hug in which I know I’m the one enjoying. I love her warmth. “I will only marry you too” I felt and heard her giggle. “So, you just said yes to my proposal?”

“Yah that was your proposal?”

“Haha no Ms. Hwang. How can I propose to someone who is not my girlfriend yet? Wait a bit longer, okay?”

“Babo” We continued to hug until we heard the door being opened. We went back inside hand in hand and had a chat with Siwon.

He and Taeyeon started to talk about business and whatnot so I decided to excuse myself for a little air.

I found myself roaming around his home. There are portraits on the halls. Some were pictures taken by cameras while the others were paintings. One particular painting caught my eye. It’s some sort of a family portrait. There are two boys together with their parents.

Is this their family portrait?

The one standing beside the mother looks a bit like Siwon, a younger version of him. The other… I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere, I just can’t remember but he looks awfully familiar.

“So, you like this painting?”

“S-Siwon”

“It’s our family”

“O-oh”

“My parents passed away a few months after that was painted. My big brother took care of me after that. He served as my Dad and my Mom at such a young age”

“Oh, he must be a great brother”

“He is. He’s the best”

“Where is he?”

“…” I noticed a kinda bitter smile on his face. “Somewhere”

“Oh”

“Something bad happened to him. A nightmare he said, so he just suddenly left”

“S-sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know he’ll be back. I’ll make sure he will be back” the bitterness on his face turned into something else I can’t point my finger on but it’s something… scary.

“Would you like a tour?” A tour? Wait, where is Taeyeon?

“Where is Taeyeon?”

“She’s talking to Nana” Oh, I don’t like the sound of that. “Oh, I’ll go to her-”

“Let