You don’t know where he is taking you, a stranger, a completely handsome stranger. You shouldn’t trust him; he was clearly checking you out before the storm happened. But your vertigo aded mind wholly trusts the beautiful and unfamiliar person who is now leading you inside a room similar to your hotel suite. The lights and air conditioning system roars to life with a mere swipe of a hotel card key.

Baekhyun sat you down gently on the cashmere sofa and left you there briefly. Almost immediately he comes back to your side with a tall glass of ice water. He brought the mouth of the glass to your lips and helps you tip it so you can drink its content. Without pondering, you consume the whole thing of water with hard and painful gulp as if you haven’t drank water in forever. You close your eyes suddenly feeling sleepy and relaxed. You open your eyes again and the worried face of your mother is now in front of you. You looked to your right side and your PA, Mia, is holding a piece of cardboard to fan your face with.

“Oh honey, my sweetie, are you okay?” Your mother fills your face with kisses as she was caressing your hair.

“Wh—what happened? Where am I?” You ask the both of them as you prop yourself up from the soft mattress.

“We’re in Baekhyunie’s suite my sweet child. He said you fainted after he gave you a glass of water.” Your mother explains, both she and Mia helped you sit up on the bed. Instead of your Swarovski studded heels, Mia slipped on a pair of slippers on your feet with the logo of the hotel embroidered on it.

“Baekhyunie? How long was I out for, mother?” You ask again and you cradled your now throbbing head inside your palms.

“You’ve been asleep for almost two hours now.” She answers you, her voice full of motherly concern.

“Mother, please take me to my room. I want to rest.” With your request, she bobs her head and Mia immediately, but slowly stood you up and helps you walk out of the room.

With the sound of the bedroom door opening, the three men, Baekhyun, his father and yours, stopped their conversation to look at you. Baekhyun instantly stood up from his seat when he saw you being guided by your PA.

“We’re taking her back to her room, she needs to rest.” Your mother explains to the three men and your father nod in approval. You discreetly tug on Mia’s hand to tell her to pick up the pace so you don’t have to talk to any of them, especially Baekhyun.

“I’ll be going with you. I guess I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow, then?” You heard your father said.

We’ll see you all tomorrow, my friend.” The friendly voice of Chairman Byun answered back.

“How am I engaged without me knowing, father? Mother, please explain.” Both your hands slowly knead your temples out of stress of the situation you are currently in. Mia was about to exit your hotel suite, but you stopped her when you gripped her coat. You feel so violated right now and you needed a friend or an ally. And she’s the only one you can trust right now.

“Soojin-ah, I need you right now…” The authoritative tone in your father’s voice is still there, with a hint of desperation.

“How am I being engaged to a stranger helping you, father?” You wanted to scream and be mad, but the shake in your voice failed you.

“Baekhyunie is not a stranger my dea—“ You cut your mother’s words off.

“To you he’s not, but to me he is. He’s a stranger to me, mom. I don’t know him, I don’t know if he’s some creepy son of a CEO or if he’s some psychopath who masks himself with expensive clothing, okay!” You started sobbing and Mia immediately rubs your back soothingly. Thank goodness she’s totally sympathetic of you.  You can tell by her gentle whispers of ‘shhhs’ on your ears. Your parents on the other hand are just frozen in front of you; their feet are growing roots on the ground.

“I need you to take over the company, Lee Soojin.” Your father said your whole name, indicating that he is gravely serious.

“Why me? Isn’t Seungmin oppa supposed to do that for you?” You snap your head up to them, showing your tear streaked face boldly.

“Your brother left us.” Was the only response your mother gave.

“Wh—what do you mean?” You voice shook again.

“He fell in l