Jisoo's POV

"Jisoo, let's go."

His expression was unreadable.

I emerged from my daze to find myself in a dingy police cell. Jin found me a few moments later. He said he had already paid my bail and paid the police to keep it hushed that a model beat up two hooligans. He didn't say anything but I suspect those men even ended up in hospital.

The sheriff shook his head at us on our way out.

We were silent until the cold night air greeted us as we stepped out on the pavement.

"I'll take you to Jennie" He said, "I'll call a cab."

I just buried my stinging fists deep into my jacket pockets and stayed mum.

"Jisoo..." he called. He turned me to face him.

"You'll be okay as soon as we get you back--"

"Can I stay with you?" I blurted out.

He paused, turning over my words. I could practically see him coming to a decision.

"Fine." he said, turning away from me. His expression hadn't changed but his voice seemed softer.

A brooding silence cloaked our journey to his mansion overlooking the Hudson river. He led me in, taking up an ornate marble staircase and through corridors until finally, he opened a door.

One thing I noticed as we walked through the mansion was the presence of an inordinate number of mirrors. They were everywhere you turned your head, hanging next to each other on the walls, all shapes and sizes. It was kind of intimidating. 

I wondered when Jin started collecting mirrors.

Another thing I noticed was the absence of persons. The place was deathly quiet, almost suffocating. Weren't there any staff here?

The room Jin entered was simple--just a king bed, wardrobe, drawers, and a huge mirror taking up one side of the wall. There was also a desk with a bowl of red apples on it.

Heavy curtains draped across the wide arched windows completed the room.

"Wait here" Jin muttered and disappeared into an ensuite bathroom. Moments later he re-emerged with a rag and a basin of water.

Silently, he knelt down before me and took my hand, wiping away the crusty blood on my knuckles.

"So...everyone here gone to sleep? It's so quiet" I chuckled in an effort to break the silence. His breathing was sounding like someone panting to me and it wasn't helping with my nerves.

"There's nobody" he said softly," it's only me here. There's a housekeeper that comes to clean every week or so but otherwise... I don't trust people to be in my house when I'm away."

I bit my lip as my knuckles stung. I could also feel my eye swelling up. My jaw smarted as well, and a dull pain throbbed around my ribs.

"I forgot to tell you...you should phone Jennie to tell her you're staying here."

"I'll just send her a text" I muttered.

He helped me take out my phone, our hands brushing giving me chills.

What was wrong with me tonight?

"Chu...is everything alright between you and Jennie?" Jin questioned standing up.

I nodded. "Peachy! Isn't that what kids say these days? Keeping up with the times you know."

He laughed, shaking his head. "I know you Chu. So you fought huh? Girls...first it's all sunshine and rainbows next second you're at each other's throats."

He caught me staring at him. "What?"

"Why don't you laugh more?" I asked wistfully. He looked taken aback.

"I hate my laugh" he muttered, "Like a windshield wiper..."

"Well, I like it," I informed him. He froze with the basin in his hands.

"You do?"

"I never told you?" I replied, frowning. We stood there frowning at each other until he cleared his throat.

"Uhh...I'll, uhh, go get you some clothes so you can wash up...and maybe I'll get you something to eat? You hungry?"

I waved my hand at him. "No thanks. And I'll wear these clothes again it's just a little blood."

I heard him moving around in the bedroom while I was showering. One half of me was glad I had locked the door while the other fantasised about him walking in on me by accident.

Sick. Kim Jisoo, you'really being a ert today.

He was leaning against the desk when I came out, and then straightened, arms crossed.

"We'll have to take care of those bruises somehow," he muttered, blinking rapidly.

I bowed my head. It was irresponsible of me but I just... lost control. And now it would probably cost Jin to cancel all my upcoming shoots and modelling gigs. Makeup alone would not suffice to cover my panda eye and puffy jaw and my split knuckles.

"I'm sorry..."

"It's okay...main thing is you weren't hurt...much..." he added, "you know what I mean...."

I wondered if he had seen me battering those men. He might realise that I'm leading him on and my cover would be blown.

"Jin, were you the one who called the police?" I probed. He nodded.

"I was just heading out and I heard the scuffle. And then I saw you beating the life out of them...I almost felt sorry for them. They were no match against you..." he said, a trace of pride in his voice," where did you learn to fight like that?"

Shoot. "Oh, uh....self-defence....I took up some self-defence classes...a little while after you guys left. I mean, I didn't have my boyfriend around to protect me so it was down to me and my guns" I struck a pose and flexed my non-existent biceps.

He grinned, shaking his head. "You're so extra..." his voice trailed off as he lapsed into a pensive silence.

"Jin, I'm really, really sorry... but maybe we can reschedule that commercial I was going to do in two days and--"

"Forget that! What I'm worried is about the Ball tomorrow!" He exclaimed.

I stared dumbfounded. What Ball?

"Didn't your manager call you?" Jin frowned, "that imbecile, I told him to remind you."

And then I remembered the call the manager made when I was arguing with Jennie. I hadn't even taken the call and rushed out in a huff.

Now that he mentioned it, I distinctly remember my manager telling me about a Celeberatory Ball to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the official inauguration of Jin's company.

And that was tomorrow?

Hell.

And now I started to sweat anxiously as well.

"I forgot all about it" I whispered,"I hadn't even asked Jennie for a dress..."

"We have a more pressing problem at hand," he responded, running a hand through his hair, "I specifically wanted you to attend because many people like us together...they call us the Power couple. There are even dating rumours....and I thought it would be good publicity if they see us associated together but...not in that romantic way, you know... so that's why it's not a good idea to back out of this but now...."

My heart's rhythm peaked when he mentioned the couple part but soon sank when I realised he doesn't want anything like that. To him, I was just a stepping stone to more recognition and exposure. And he was my key to a puzzle, nothing more. I needed to remember that.

"Well, what are going to do?" I said dully. He cast his eye around as if searching for a solution. His gaze fell on the bowl. I noticed his eyes widening.

Jin looked up at me. "Think fast!"

Without thinking, I reached out and caught the apple he threw. Its weight indicated it was not a plastic ornament as I thought. The vivid dark red skin with its waxy sheen had me fooled.

"You do like red apples right?" He questioned, tossing an apple up and down like a ball. I nodded.

"They're supposed to be good for your skin and asthma and many other ailments. And there are like 7,500 varieties of apples, 200 in the US, although actually 2,500 varieties are grown here. I've sampled some over the years. Some of the most common types here are Gala and Fuji apples, 'cause they're grown pretty much everywhere. They're like the standard average--I think I prefer Fuji since they're a bit crisper than Gala. Ohh and did you know there's an apple called Macintosh like neat huh? Also there's Jazz apples which were okay and a variety called Pacific Rose, which are quite sweet, but a little firmer than Fuji. And--"

"Whoa, whoa" I interrupted, "since when did you become an apple expert?"

He just chuckled. "Sorry...I just grew to love apples. They help me to keep my skin clean. An apple a day keeps the doctor away you know." He gestured at my apple.

"You should try it, it might help lessen the dark colouration under your eye and jaw at least."

I stared doubtfully. It was almost 1am in the morning, would my delicate stomach handle eating at this hour? And he seemed to hold so much faith in this thing....

"What's this variety called then?" I asked, sniffing it. It had a peculiar smell, a cloying sweetness.

He mused. "Well, they're kind of a hybrid that I'm growing myself, upstate. But when I saw the colour, and tasted it...I had the perfect name for it..." he held it aloft," Snow White."

"Oh wow, that's like, not creepy at all," I smirked. He shrugged and bit into the red flesh, his lips shrinking into his mouth as he swallowed.

I followed suit and almost spat out the morsel. It was bitter like a radicchio, but triple times as much.

"What is this thing?" I gulped. He laughed.

"Trust me, it works miracles." He chomped on his apple, screwing up his face but swallowing nonetheless.

Trust him...

"If I get a stomach ache, I'll sue you, "I muttered, forcing down another chunk. He only laughed again.