Surprise and alarm both fluctuated across her face. Immediately raising a hand up to her blouse she realized Kai hadn’t been able to button up all the buttons.

Glancing at Sehun again, “What are you doing here?”

“What did you do you with him?” the words dropped so fast from his mouth she wasn’t sure she heard right.

“I don’t think that’s your problem.” She mustered up the courage to say.

“Not my problem?” he repeated sounding offensive, his brows furrowing deep in his face. ing his arm back he raised his voice, “Then what was with this?” he flung her hand away from her blouse. 

Her blood immediately boiled and she hardened her voice, “Why? Is slipping in and out of my clothes a lawful offense? I did it for you, why can’t I do it for him? I found out it’s a pretty easy thing to do.”

She literally flew forward when he grabbed her lower arm angrily. Namjoo, too, angrily pulled herself back.

She growled threateningly, “I said don’t touch me.”

“If you’re angry, don’t use it to spite me.” he warned.

“Angry?” she repeated with a raised brow. “Who’s angry? Everyone is entitled to their own personal space, and when I tell you not to touch me you’ve stepped in territory you shouldn’t. Is that hard to understand?”

She shot him a glare and turned to head on her way, but Sehun stubbornly grabbed her arm again. “I still have things to say to you. Don’t walk away.”

Namjoo struggled with him, now superbly irritated and hotheaded. “Let go. I said let go!”

She turned toward the building when footsteps approached and watched Kai appear from under the street light, like some magical being. His gaze sat flatly on them, his lips a firm line. He looked stiffly unhappy.

“My fiancée said to let her go.” He stopped several feet away from them.

Namjoo anxiously darted her eyes toward Sehun, who glanced back at him unmoved. “Fiancée?”

“That’s what I said.”

A breathless laugh drifted from Sehun’s eyes as he glanced at the ground. Biting his lower lip he glanced back at Kai, his eyes challenging the man he remained friendly with in public. Loosening the strength in her arm Namjoo tried to slide her limb out from Sehun’s grasp, only to no avail. It took no simpleton to realize that nothing good was going to come out from being trapped between two men mentally warring with another.

Grabbing a cab was only a hand’s reach away. If only darn Sehun would let go of her. She didn’t think there was anything that needed to be said between the two of them. Plus, now that everything had turned out this way she couldn’t trust any of them. Kai was right, she was a low level nobody. She didn’t have anything to protect herself, like they had money to protect them. One mistake would have them lashing at her.

“Don’t make a fool of yourself. There’s not going to be a wedding.” Sehun confidently stated.

Namjoo’s eyes drifted toward him. How so? And what did he mean?

Her eyes swiveled toward Kai when he grabbed the same arm Sehun was holding onto. He ordered, “Let go of her.”

A heavy silence resumed and Namjoo swore her heart was going to burst from the unwanted tension and attention. What the hell was this? She was no Choonhee. She was nothing.

Why were they doing this to her?

“Alright, I got it. Can’t you two let go of me first?” Namjoo finally managed to say and watched them both eye each other before finally releasing her. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but…”

A gasp escaped her when Kai abruptly turned her and with an arm around her led her toward his car. Trapped, she turned stiff against him and without a word got into the car as he unlocked the door for her. While waiting for him to get behind the wheel so she could head toward her impending doom, she glanced into the side mirror. Sehun was still standing in the dark, watching them. And she sort of wished she could have chosen him instead.

At the loud close of the door she watched Kai pull the seatbelt over himself and lowered her eyes. Growing edgy, Namjoo gulped and kept shut. One wrong word and who knew what Kai might do.

“Don’t be surprised,” Kai spoke when they got onto the road, “someone anonymously sent my father some information about you. So, my guess isn’t wrong. You’re Kim Namjoo and you grew up in an orphanage.”

Without meaning to, Namjoo turned to look at him stunned by the revelation that someone had sent his father information about her. Her eyes grew wide with panic. Sinking back against the seat she felt a gazillion thoughts pass in and out of her head.

The information…the one who sent it…Hayoung was trying to reveal her behind her back.

Why?

“You should have run earlier, then it wouldn’t have gotten so messy,” Kai said. “From now on, if you move an inch away from me, you’re not only going to face me but the media, the press, South Korea’s best lawyers, and the entire world. It won’t be friendly. Do you understand?”

Namjoo’s throat felt dry. When he glanced at her and repeated, “Did you hear me?” She forced herself to mutter, “Yes.”

“Good.” He said. “We’ll talk about Choonhee later.” He pulled up to the manor and said, “Get out.”

\\\\\

Buried deeply underneath her blanket Namjoo found sleep unfriendly that night. She was too nervous and fearful of what might happen next. She’d just brought herself one step closer to the wedding. And marriage life with Kai wouldn’t be a happy one.

Now everyone was against her.

What the hell was she going to do now? What the hell was she capable of doing right now?

It was difficult braving up when she was such a wimp. She might never be able to take off Choonhee’s charade. Just what did she get herself into?

She slept shortly throughout the night and woke up to pounding on her door. Work was the first thing she thought of. If she feigned illness today it would pass until who knows when.

“I’m not feeling well,” Namjoo called out, making her voice raspy.

“The Madam and President need to see you.” Auntie Shin ignored her. “Right now. It’s serious.”

Namjoo’s drowsy eyes opened up. She looked ahead into blank space with seriousness and gulped. Had Kai done something?

Her heart pounded rapidly and she couldn’t find her breath as panic began pooling from her center to the rest of her body. Sitting up she combed her hand through her messy hair and tried convincing herself that it might not be that. But a voice whispered then why are you so scared?

Heaving a deep breath Namjoo dressed and washed just in case it was a different matter, hopefully in the case of business. The walk downstairs felt like she was stepping closer to the pits of hell.

Lee Eungi and Lee Kwan both turned when she opened the door to the grand home office significantly furnished with pine wood and dark furniture. Everything was kept shiny and clean, polished daily by the housekeepers. There was no sight of dust piling up on the bookshelves she walked past and the room smelled of clean laundry air fresheners. It was a room that belonged to a high ranking status man, Choonhee’s father.

“Close the door,” Eungi ordered as she walked in. Namjoo did as told then tried to discern from their facial expressions what this call today meant. They hadn’t called her in to talk privately before. Neither father nor mother looked happy but she couldn’t pinpoint what the trouble might be.

Lee Kwan was behind his desk, seated in his overly large and comfortable chair with his wife at the side, just the sight of two reputable persons standing together to exhibit their power. Due to habit of anxiety, Namjoo fiddled with her fingers and slightly lowered her head. She felt sweat crawl out of her pores during the long silence that followed.

The sound of a drawer opening caught her ears but she daren’t lift her head up just yet. Then finally Choonhee’s father spoke and an envelope softly landed on the desktop.

“What is this?”

Namjoo glanced up at the stoic man then to the envelope. “I’m not sure.”

Her heart continued wheeling rapidly when he tapped his fingers loudly against it. “Open it and you tell me.”

“Choonohee-ah,” Eungi spoke from the side as she grasped for the envelope, “you…are Choonhee, aren’t you? My child…”

Namjoo’s eyes almost leapt up but she restrained herself. tightened and her heart constricted. A sudden pressure lit the room on fire and she about knew what was in that envelope.  

“Don’t be surprised,” Kai spoke when they got onto the road, “someone anonymously sent my father some information about you. So, my guess isn’t wrong. You’re Kim Namjoo and you grew up in an orphanage.”

Her fingers worked against her will and she pulled out the papers. In a mere second her eyes drifted over her own name at the top and she pressed her lips together. The man behind the desk stood to his feet.

“Where’s my daughter?” he growled.

“This isn’t right. This is a trick, isn’t it?” Choonhee’s mother leaned over to ask pleadingly, but Namjoo eyes wildly chased itself around the room and she dropped the papers onto the desk. Immediate fear heightened and tears threatened to spill. She couldn’t think of anything to say or do.

Hayoung’s threat of jail time suddenly seemed more realistic than ever.

“Bring it in,” Choonhee’s father ordered loudly. At the sound of the opening door Namjoo turned to see Auntie Shin walk in with a keyboard, setting it nearby then exited the room. Her eyes sat on the keys, horrified.

“My daughter excelled in music before she changed her mind,” Lee Kwang coldly spoke. “If you are Choonhee, you’ll know what your mother’s favorite melody is. Go on.”

Namjoo quickly grasped her own hands, willing herself not shake.

“Choonhee-ah. You know it. Go play it, honey.” Eungi shook her arm.

“I can’t.” her voice was barely above a whisper.

Suddenly storming from around the desk the man knocked over the keyboard and grabbed her arm forcefully. “Who are you! Why are you here!? What did you do to my daughter?! Just who are you?!”

This wasn’t happening…this was a nightmare. From her right Eungi broke out into sobs, loudly exclaiming to herself that she was her Choonhee.

All of a sudden Namjoo flopped back onto the floor and ended up staring up at the two most formidable people in Choonhee’s life. Embarrassed, ashamed, and scared for her life Namjoo crawled away from them. Scrambling to her feet she dashed out of the house, her mind and body in a daze she couldn’t control.

\\\\\

Kai glanced down at the picture the private investigator set down before him and as the words, “…she left The Angel House when she was of age. There’s no record of her holding a job or living anywhere. She was last seen…” drifted in and out of his ears, he stared at the rebel teen – the last picture the orphanage had of her.

“There was a woman who got along exceptionally well with her,” the private investigator went on, “she found her once at a homeless shelter. Seems she took a liking to places that gave out free food.”

“You said there’s no record on her?” Kai questioned; the rest of the information given useless to him.

“Yes. There was no complaint filed against her or anything of the sort. Doesn’t seem like she’s a criminal.”

Picking the picture up Kai stared into the unhappy face of the growing child and thought about the scar she’d shown him. Then the scuffle she’d gotten into must have gone unreported. There was completely no link to her, but somehow she was here acting as Choonhee. So, he thought, who brought her in and why? Who was holding that knife behind her back?

\\\\\

The phone rang and Hayoung quickly picked up. Choonhee’s mother, sobbing from the other line, spoke. “Oh my God, Hayoung. There’s been an imposter living with us. My Choonhee…my daughter…my Choon…”

“Yes, is this Hayoung?” a voice spoke after a moment of silence and Hayoung heard a door closing.

“Ah…hello, President.” Hayoung greeted. “I just got in and got your call. Is there something wrong?”

“Something…something has happened.” The stress in his voice was obvious to her ears and Hayoung gladly listened. “Our Choonhee has disappeared and someone…someone has been tricking us. We have to do something. If this information leaks to the public, imagine what’s going to happen.”

Hayoung gasped, “What do you mean something’s happened to Choonhee? You haven’t contacted the police yet?”

“No, I can’t.” the man frustratingly replied. “The merge just started. Imagine what effect contacting the police will have on it! We need a solution.”

Well…that was a disappointment. It was just like Choonhee’s father to play it cautious.

“I’ll stop by after work. I need to attend a few meetings with the executive.”

After hanging up Hayoung stared at the phone and picked it up again. This time she called Kai, who sounded impatient at the sound of her voice which was just like him.

“What’s your problem?” he asked unkindly.

“It’s just, Choonhee’s parents have something going on tonight. Would you care to go for dinner at her house?” Hayoung wondered.

“Dinner? What exactly is the matter that there’s suddenly a dinner?”

“You don’t want to see your fiancée or parent-in-laws?” Hayoung teased. “I bet they’ll very much want to see you.”

There was a silence as Kai debated the matter to himself.

“Unless it’s Choonhee you don’t want to see. Looks like there’s a problem between you two.” Hayoung intentionally provoked.

“No,” he replied almost immediately. “I’ll be there. Is that all?”

“Yes. Then I’ll see you tonight.” Hayoung hung up, curious about what his reaction would be when he figured that his Choonhee wasn’t exactly his. Would he first be hurt or angry?

Hayoung looked up when the doors to Sehun’s office opened up and she stood to her feet, making sure not to forget the leather folder sitting at the edge of her desk. He looked edgy and nervous which unsettled her.

“What’s wrong?” she wondered joining him as they started down the hall together. “You don’t look well.”

“It’s nothing.” He muttered in reply.

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” She said. “You know you can talk to me if there’s something on your mind.”

“I said it’s nothing,” he repeated himself. Hayoung stared at him, trying not to let a frown onto her face.

They paused by the elevators and waited for it to come up. While they waited she wondered what was happening to Namjoo now. Was she trapped at home? Or was she already on the run? If she was on the run, things would get really interesting.

The doors opened up and she stepped inside with him. “Have you seen Choonhee lately?”

He side glanced at her. “No.”

“Really?” she asked. And she did wonder if he was telling the truth or not. “I heard her parents have an important matter to go over tonight. Do you want to go with me?”

“I’m not interested.”

“Are you sure? We can go see Choonhee for a bit and catch up like old times. You really don’t want to see her?” Hayoung tried. If she spilled Namjoo’s identity to him, he’d immediately lose interest in that nobody.  

“Fine then. What time?”