Kwon Yuri is confused.

It's been three weeks since they came back from Paris and he hasn't seen Jessica ever since. It wasn't because she was avoiding him—no. He did. The last time he saw Jessica was when he drove her back home from the airport.

Yuri’s feelings were a mess. He felt frantic, and utterly disoriented.

Everything started with a game. He hired Jessica out of whim and a conscious need to get rid of his boredom. All he wanted was a new 'stress reliever', someone to play with, and amuse him. However, this master plan totally backfired on him when he fell in lov—

Love? I...

I can't fall in love...

not again...

But Jessica... she's different. Isn't she?

His eye catches a small jewelry box on top of his desk. Yuri grabs and opens it revealing a diamond and ruby engagement ring. It was the one that caught Jessica's attention back in Paris. Even though his mind was protesting, he still bought the fine piece of jewelry when the woman wasn't looking—all the while thinking how good it would look on her finger.

¤¤¤¤¤¤

“Jessi?” Tiffany knocks on her cousin's bedroom door and gently opens it. She sees Jessica who sat down quietly on the bed, hugging her knees up to her chest. “Dinner is ready. Come on, we are waiting for you.”

“I don't feel like eating tonight, Tiff.”

“Again?” Tiffany enters the room and sits down on the edge of the bed. Her cousin's been skipping meals lately and it didn't amuse her. “Look at you, you're thin and pale. The least you can do is eat and take care of yourself. Why are you like this?”

“Yuri hasn't shown up in the office for three weeks and he wasn't in the penthouse too.” Jessica stares blankly to her bedroom's window. The moon shined brightly but somehow, it made her feel lonelier. “And he hasn't even called... I'm worried, Tiff.”

“Maybe he just got busy, like something important came up. He is a businessman after all.”

“I-I really hope that's the reason why,” Jessica says. “Yuri wasn't like that when we were in Paris. Then we come back and it's suddenly like this. I... miss him.”

Tiffany puts her hands on Jessica's hand gently squeezing it. “Jessi, I know I asked you before, but... did Yuri already say that he loves you?”

Jessica looks down on her lap and shakes her head to the question. Tiffany sees the loneliness in her face. She didn't want to pry further, but she decides to be bold to the older woman. She wants to clear her suspicions and not assume quickly. “Tell me honestly, did something already happen between the two of you? Did you have with him?”

The brunette bites her lower lip and nods. felt dry as tears stung behind her eyelids. Tiffany heaves a deep sigh. “Hey, hey now… Look, I won't scold and judge you. You did it because you love him, I understand. I do, Jessi.”

Jessica could no longer hold back her tears and let them fall. Her cousin immediately pulls her into a hug and gently caressed her back. “Oh Jessi. Please don't cry. Maybe Yuri is just trying to find the right timing. We can see that he cares for you. Surely he wouldn't do all this, if he didn't love you, right? I just don't know why he can't say it to you.”

“Tiff, I-I couldn't help... myself.” Soft sobs coming out of , turning into wails as she snuggled to Tiffany's arms for comfort. “I love Yuri... I'm sorry.” Jessica cries even more. It's her own fault why she's hurting. She blamed herself for falling in love with Yuri, for being so easily weak at love. If she didn't, then she wouldn't be feeling this hurt. She should've just done her job as his personal assistant.

Indeed, everything becomes complicated when a person falls in love.

¤¤¤¤¤¤

Jessica was inside Yuri's office organizing files when she sees a folder on his desk marked with the words "CONFIDENTIAL". Curious, the personal assistant opens the folder, and sees her resume along with a recommendation letter approving her reassignment to the a new department in the US branch. The brunette takes the folder and walks outside the office. Completely ignoring the small box that was on the same desk beside the papers.

...

“Hayoung, did you know about this?” she asks and hands the folder to the secretary.

“What's this, Jessica-unnie?”

“It's about my reassignment to the US branch.”

“What?” Hayoung opens the folder. “Why would Sir Yuri do that?”

“That's what I wanted to know,” Jessica states. “Do you know where he is?”

“He's in his cousin's house. Sir Jiyoung just arrived from Malaysia and their friends are having a get together.”

“Do you know the address?” The personal assistant further inquires.

The younger of the two nods and fidgets with the hem of her skirt. “I do. But unnie, h-he might get mad at me if I tell you.”

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