Foreword

“Cholsu Antiquities, Jang Eun Hye speaking. How may I help you today?”

“This is Shim Changmin. Eun Hye—“

She recognized that voice far before the words registered. She slammed down the phone before he could finish. Snatching her hand away from phone as if it was hot, she let the last few second play through her head. She had hung up on one of the biggest idols in all of South Korea. One of the only people she absolutely could not stand.

What if he calls back?

The damning thought crept into her head and to be sure, she watched the phone, almost daring it to ring again. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if he did call back, but she had to be ready. After a few seconds went by, she allowed herself to relax.

Her halmoni poked her head from the storage room.

“Who was on the phone?”

“No one, halmoni. It was a wrong number,.” Eun Hye said quickly. Too quickly. She tried again. “They wanted the Chosun Antique shop.”

Her halmoni watched her sharply for a second and she felt her lungs contract. She had always been a bad liar.

“Alright.”

With that, she went back into the storage room and Eun Hye released the breath she had been holding. That was close. Really close.

She paused as a thought dawned on her. Why was Shim Changmin calling her?