CHAPTER ELEVEN

the first thing Changmin saw when she came down with Yeonhee the next morning was a personal cheque made out to her lying on the kitchen bench, which was exactly double the allowance he had deposited in the bank the day before.

She wasn’t sure whether to be angry or hurt. Was he paying off the bet out of guilt or to insult her even more? She scrunched it up and threw it at the nearest wall only to hear a reproving hiss behind her. She turned to see Lucia looking at her with her usual contempt, her dark eyes going to the ball of paper lying against the wall before coming back to hers.

‘Do you wish me to clean that up,signora ?’

Changmin unthinkingly responded in Italian.‘No. Mi scusi. I will see to it.’

Lucia stared at her, opening and closing like a fish.

Changmin gave her a rueful look. ‘I should have told you earlier. I speak and understand Italian.’

‘Signore Jung did not tell me,’ Lucia said, her eyes narrowing slightly.

‘Signore Jung doesn’t know.’

The housekeeper’s dark eyebrows shot upwards. ‘You have not told him?’

She shook her head and a little sigh escaped from her lips. ‘There’s a lot I haven’t told him.’ She turned to look at Yeonhee, who was noisily on her fist. ‘So very much I haven’t told him.’

Changmin became conscious of Lucia’s lengthy, studied look.

‘Signore Jung  told me to tell you that he has some business to see to. He will be home in time for us all to leave for the airport together.’

She gave the woman a faltering smile.‘Grazie, Lucia.’

‘He will be a good husband,’ Lucia said after another little pause. ‘You must give him time. He is still grieving; he is not himself at all.’

Changmin inwardly smiled at the irony of the housekeeper’s statement. Yunho wasn’t the only one who wasn’t himself!

‘Yeonhee is such a beautiful baby,’ Lucia said, gazing down at the child. ‘She has brought joy to Signore Jung’s life.’

Unlike her fake mother, Changmin couldn’t help thinking as she reached to tickle her niece’s tiny fingers.
 

She’s my world, aren’t you, Yeonhee?’ She kissed each little finger in turn.

‘You are a wonderful mother,’ Lucia said. ‘No one could doubt it for a moment.’

Changmin looked around in surprise. The housekeeper had been nothing but hostile towards her for days. What had happened to bring about this sudden change?

Lucia’s gaze was so intent and watchful that Changmin had trouble maintaining eye contact. She looked away guiltily, unable to rid herself of the feeling that Lucia was starting to put some pieces of a rather complicated puzzle together in her head.

‘There was a phone call for you while you were in the shower,’ Lucia said into the sudden silence.

‘Oh?' Changmin tensed.

‘I did not want the sound of your mobile phone waking Yeonhee so I answered it.’ The housekeeper paused for a single heartbeat and added, ‘I hope you do not mind.’

‘No.’ Changmin swallowed. ‘No, of course I don’t mind.’ She forced her voice to remain calm. ‘Who…who was it?’

‘She did not say, but for a moment I thought it was you. It was uncanny, really. Her voice sounded so similar.’

‘Did…she leave a message?’ Changmin asked, staring at Yeonhee’s starfish hands with fierce intent.

‘She said she would call back some other time.’

‘Grazie.’

There was another small pause.

‘Signore Jung has instructed me to help you pack for your trip.’

‘It’s all right, Lucia. I can manage. I haven’t got much to pack anyway.’

The housekeeper gave her one last thoughtful look before moving away to complete her tasks. ‘If I can help you with anything, Signora Jung, you have only to ask. It will be my pleasure, I assure you.’

‘Grazie,Lucia.’

Changmin waited until the housekeeper had left the room before she released her breath. She sighed as she looked down at the chortling baby, muttering in an undertone, ‘I’m in over my head, Yeonhee, and drowning fast.’

Yeonhee gave her a toothless grin and stuck her fist back in .

Yunho was well aware of Changmin’s reluctance to establish eye contact with him as they prepared to leave for the airport later that day. She spoke politely to Lucia and was openly affectionate to Changmin as she
settled her into the car, but each time her gaze swung to him it just as quickly shifted away, her cheeks turning a delicate shade of pink.

He slanted his gaze her way as they drove to the airport, frowning when he saw her hands moving restlessly in her lap and her bottom lip being nibbled by her teeth as she stared anxiously, almost fixedly, in front of her.

The memory of the intimacy they had shared the night before gnawed at him constantly, the feel of her body against his, her soft mouth feeding off his, her flinching cries when he had gone too deep for her.

He had been so confident he would be able to resist her but in the end he had not stood a chance. Even though his brother had walked away from her, Yunho knew he was not going to find doing so as easy as Yoochun had. In spite of everything he knew about her, he still couldn’t get her out of his mind. His every waking thought was of her and only her; even his restless slumber was haunted by his out of control need for her.

For years he had actively avoided becoming emotionally entangled with anyone. He didn’t like feeling so vulnerable. It made him uneasy that the power balance had subtly shifted, leaving him open to the sort of hurt he had sworn he would never expose himself to again.

He couldn’t make her out. If she was truly the sort of woman his brother had described why was she avoiding his eyes all the time? Yoochun had described her as a wanton witch who would do anything for his money or his attention. But after last night he was totally confused. It didn’t make sense. She’d supposedly had numerous affairs since the birth of Yeonhee; the papers had been full of her exploits. Yes, he had rushed things a bit, but she had not given him any indication she wasn’t with him all the way. Unless someone had got their wires very crossed, Shim Changmin he was married to was nothing like the woman who had pursued and subsequently destroyed his brother. He was the first to admit that people could change, but the sort of change Changmin had supposedly undergone defied all reasonable belief.

‘I am assuming from your continued silence that you are not looking forward to the flight,’ he said after another lengthy silence.

Changmin unlocked her hands and, searching in the bag at her feet, silently handed him the cheque he’d left that morning, her eyes communicating her anger.

Yunho looked down at the cheque for a moment. Was this a trick?

He met her resentful gaze. ‘I apologised for what happened last night. This trip will become even more unpleasant than it needs to be if you do not accept my remorse.’

‘It’s not your remorse I won’t accept,’ she bit out. ‘It’s your money.’

‘I fail to see what you are so angry about. It was a bet, fair and square. I lost it and have paid up accordingly—or perhaps you are regretting settling for such a small amount.’ His lip curled slightly. ‘Would you like me to treble it to soothe your ire?’

Changmin swung her head away from his hateful cynicism, her eyes smarting with angry tears.

‘Come now,Changmin,’ he chided her softly. ‘You have been paid for your charms before. Andre told me how much you enjoyed receiving gifts of jewellery and the like for your favours. That is, after all, the universal currency of mistresses. There is no point playing the affronted victim; it is just not you.’

Changmin thought with a deep pang inside. It certainly wasn’t.

A short time later their luggage was checked in and their documentation dealt with efficiently. Changmin stood by Yunho's side, wondering when the axe of officialdom was going to fall. She’d ‘forgotten’ Yeonhee’s birth certificate, and if anyone asked for additional papers she was not quite sure what she would do, but to her immense relief no one did. They were waved through as if they were a normal, happily married couple travelling with their small child.

Yunho's private jet was nothing like the aircraft Changmin had travelled on previously. She settled into the luxurious seat as Yunho dealt with Yeonhee beside her, his staff politely offering assistance and ensuring everything was to their liking.

As the jet taxied along the runway she sat with her fingers curled into her palms, her stomach churning in fear as the roar of gunned engines sent her backwards in her seat as the aircraft lifted off. She squeezed her eyes shut, panic making her skin break out in tiny beads of perspiration.

She felt Yunho’s hand reach for one of hers, the warm grasp of his long fingers incredibly soothing. She opened her eyes and encountered his deep dark gaze. She gave him a sheepish look and then looked down at their joined hands.

‘I know it’s silly, but I just can’t help it.’

‘It is not silly,’ he said, giving her fingers a tiny squeeze. ‘Close your eyes and try to sleep. Before you know it we will be there.’

She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep but, as exhausted as she was, it was impossible to ignore Yunho sitting so close beside her. She could smell his aftershave and even the fresh fragrance of his newly laundered shirt, and every time he moved in his seat she felt the gentle brush of his muscled arm against hers.

She caught him watching her once or twice, the slightly frowning thoughtful look in his eyes unsettling her deeply. Did he already suspect she wasn’t who she had said she was? After last night he must surely be suspicious. She’d seen the same suspicion in Lucia’s eyes this morning, the way she had looked at her as if seeing her for the first time.

When they finally arrived at the airport in Naples they were met by a member of the Jung staff who had a car waiting. As they drove to Sorrento, Changmin could pick up bits of the exchange between the driver and Yunho.

‘How is my father, Guido?’

‘He is fading, Signore Jung. He is living for the moment he sees Yoochun's child.’

‘Yes…’ Changmin heard Yunho's deep sigh, his tone immeasurably sad. ‘I know.'

The Villa Jung was situated a short distance out of Sorrento on top of a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples, the surrounding hills densely wooded where olives and vines grew lushly along with lemon and orange groves. The villa was not old but it was built in the classical style and beautifully maintained with terraced gardens and cobbled walkways.

Changmin looked around in quiet awe. The view across the water was nothing short of breathtaking; in the distance she could make out the shape of the Isle of Capri and the gulf of Positano and the warm summer air was scented with lemons and the salty tang of the sea.

She held Yeonhee close as Yunho led her by the elbow towards the front entrance where another member of staff was chatting animatedly with Lucia, who had gone on ahead.

Lucia moved inside as the small Italian woman she had been speaking to turned and bowed respectfully to her employer.

‘Buon giorno, Signore Jung. Your father is waiting for you in thesalon .’

‘Grazie, Paloma.’

Paloma’s dark eyes slid in Changmin’s direction but, instead of the frosty reception Changmin had been expecting and mentally preparing herself for, the little woman smiled warmly. ‘You are very welcome, Signora Jung. My English is not good but I will try to be of help to you.’

‘You are very kind,’ Changmin responded.‘Grazie.’

Yunho led the way into thepalazzo , their footsteps echoing on the marble floors. Yet another member of staff was waiting outside the door of thesalon and opened it as they approached.

Changmin stepped into the room two steps behind Yunho, her eyes going immediately to the figure seated in a wheelchair next to a large sofa.

‘Papa.’ Yunho bent over his father and kissed both of his cheeks in turn. ‘It is good to see you.’

Jung Soo Man's thin hands gripped the sides of his chair as Yunho brought Changmin forward. ‘Papa, this is Changmin and your grandchild, Yeonhee.’

Changmin held out her hand but the old man ignored it as his gaze went to the baby perched on her hip. She saw the sheen of moisture in his eyes and the slight tremble of his chin as he reached out a gnarled hand towards Yeonhee.

Yeonhee gurgled and dimpled at him, her tiny hands reaching down to him.

Changmin had to fight back her own tears at the sight. She lowered the child to his lap and stepped aside, surreptitiously hunting for a tissue. She caught Yunho’s penetrating gaze and looked away, pretending an interest in the view from the window.

‘She is so like Yoochun…and your mother.’ Soo Man spoke in Italian, his voice husky with feeling.

Changmin turned and saw the way Yunho's throat moved up and down as if swallowing the emotion his father’s observation had evoked.

' Thank you, For once you have done the right thing, Yunho,’ his father went on in his own tongue. ‘I know it is not what you want, to be tied to such a woman, but it will soon be over. I have already sought legal counsel. When the time comes you will have no trouble taking the child off her.’

Changmin had to fight hard not to reveal her comprehension. She pretended an interest in the view, her spine stiffening with anger.

‘Papa, there are things we need to discuss, but not now,’ Yunho said in a low tone, his gaze flicking to Changmin standing rigidly by the window.

Soo Man's lip curled in derision. ‘You think she understands a word of our conversation? Then you are a fool, Yunho. Yoochun told me she is an uneducated empty-headed . Do not tell me you doubt it? What has she done to you, talked her way into your bed?’

When Changmin turned back around she saw the way Yunho's jaw tightened as a tinge of colour rose over his cheekbones but she had no other choice than to school her features into a blank mask when his eyes briefly sought hers.

‘Do not forget what she has done!’ Soo Man continued heatedly.

‘I have not forgotten,’ Yunho said, turning back to reach for Yeonhee. ‘It is time for Yeonhee's bedtime routine. We will leave you to rest before dinner.’ He looked towards Changmin once more and spoke in English. ‘Come, Changmin. We will need to settle Yeonhee and get changed for dinner.’

Changmin gave Yunho's father a small polite smile as she held out her hand to him. ‘It was nice to meet you, Signore Jung.’

For the second time that evening Jung Soo Man ignored her hand.

‘Papa?’ Yunho prompted with a frown down at his father.

Soo Man made some inaudible comment under his breath and briefly took Changmin’s hand. ‘Thank you for agreeing to bring my granddaughter to see me. I have not much time. She is all we have left of Yoochun.’

Changmin blinked back the moisture gathering at the back of her eyes. ‘I am so sorry for what you have suffered.’

Soo Man pushed himself away in his chair, effectively dismissing her. ‘You know nothing of my suffering. Nothing.’

Yunho took her elbow and led her away, softly closing thesalon door on their exit.

‘I apologise for my father’s rudeness,’ he said as they moved towards the huge staircase leading to the upper floors. ‘He is still grieving.’ He hesitated for a moment before adding, ‘I probably do not need to tell you that Yoochun was his favourite son.’

Changmin came to a stop and looked up at him. ‘It’s all Right, Yunho. I do understand. This has been a terrible time for you all.’
 He gave her a rare smile, tinged with sadness but, for all that, still a smile. ‘I sometimes wonder what my mother would have made of you,’ he mused.

‘Your mother?’

He pointed to a portrait hanging on the mezzanine level a few feet away. ‘My mother.’

Changmin  took the remaining steps to stand in front of a portrait of a beautiful dark-haired, porcelain-skinned petite woman, her soft brown eyes sparkling with exuberant life.

‘She’s very beautiful.’

‘Yes…she was.’

The tone of his voice turned Changmin's head around to look at him.

He held her gaze for a heartbeat before saying, ‘My father has never forgiven me for leading her to her death.’

Changmin made a tiny gasp but no words came out. He looked at her across the top of Yeonhee's downy head as she buried it into his broad chest, her tiny hands splayed across his shirt. ‘I was late. We had arranged to meet but I was late. I called her to tell her to fill in the time until I got there.’

Changmin felt her breath bank up in her chest. She could almost sense what was coming, the guilt and the blame that clung like lead weights to one’s conscience—what could have been done differently if one had only known.

‘She was across the street when she saw me. She waved and called out to me…a motor scooter clipped her as she stepped out.’

‘Oh, Yunho.’

‘She didn’t see the other car. Nor did I until it lifted her and tossed her like a rag doll towards me.’ He turned back to the portrait and let out a ragged sigh. ‘If I had been just a few seconds earlier…’

‘No!’ She clutched at his arm. ‘No, you mustn’t think that!’

He extricated himself from her hold, securing his niece against him as he continued up the stairs. ‘You cannot change the past, Changmin. You, of all people, should know that. We all do things on the spur of the moment that we regret later.’

Changmin wished she had an answer at the ready but there was a ringing truth in what he had just said. Her own impulsive actions had already caused her incalculable regret. If only she had told him right from the first moment what was going on, maybe things would not be as they were now. He was a reasonable man, a good man, a man of sound moral principles. If she had only told him that very first day of her fears for Yeonhee’s safety, of her worries about her sister’s motives—surely he would not have taken Yeonhee out of her life without thinking of the impact it would have on her niece?

But it was too late now. She had taken a pathway that had led her to this—a lifetime of deception. She had no choice but to continue in it, the lies and deceit banking up behind her like a tide of inescapable debris that at some point would come pouring over her, weighing her down until she would surely be choked by the brackish filth of it.

‘Yunho?’
Yunho turned to look down at her, his brother’s child asleep in his arms. ‘Changmin, this is my father’s last chance for peace. I know this is hard for you…’

‘It is not hard for me,’ she said, touching him gently on the arm. ‘I owe this to the memory of your brother. In another life, in other circumstances, he might have gladly accepted Yeonhee as his own. The timing was wrong. You have taken on the role as her father. I am…her mother. It is up to us to make her life what it should be.’

‘And you are happy with that for now?’ he asked.

She looked at the infant cradled in the protective strength of his arms. ‘I am happy with that.’ A tiny sigh escaped from her lips as she raised her eyes back to his. ‘For now.’

A small silence swirled around them for several moments. Changmin couldn’t tear her eyes away from the lingering pain reflected in his. Coming home had affected him deeply, the rush of memories no doubt reawakening the guilt he felt over his mother’s death. Hadn’t she experienced the very same pangs? Even though her mother had ultimately been responsible for her own death, Changmin still felt as if in some way she had failed her. If only she had tried harder to get her into a clinic or had visited her more often, maybe the outcome would have been different.

‘Come.’ Yunho's deep voice broke the silence. ‘Lucia will be waiting to settle Yeonhee. My father does not like to be kept Waiting.'