"Stop making me laugh, Jongsuk. And go to bed." His brother saw right through him and the younger jumped on the bed. Woobin believed him for a millisecond, but Jongsuk had a difficult time liking one girl. And even if he did fancy Isabella Park, it would be wrong for brother's to fight over a girl. 

"You know, Hyung. Bella is very pretty. I mean, my friends at school think she's bright and sweet and beautiful." He was attempting to lead the witness. "Hyung, you don't find her a tiny bit pretty?" Woobin pushed at Jongsuk's face and he rolled off the bed onto the rug. "Hyung, one of these days during your fake engagement and marriage, a man will come and sweep her off her feet. What are you going to do then? She needs a knight in shining armor, a constant star to guide her into the world we live in, protect her from her sweet innocence. You willing to let another do all that instead of you? You'll let another woo her."  A romantic indeed, Jongsuk tried to explain to his brother the potential of having Isabella as his true wife.

"That won't happen. She's a recluse. She can't even make eye contact with people longer than five seconds. Have you seen the way she dresses? She gets her clothes from a second hand shop for sure. Who would she attract? She has no friends, no guy friends anyway, she doesn't have the motivation to go to university which means she will be stuck as a librarian/waitress at her own bookstore/coffee shop she wants so badly. She has no brain power to keep a bookstore shop running anyway." Woobin could go on and on. He did his homework on his future fiancee. There was nothing much about her so it was easy.

"Daebak. A thousand dollars says you fall for her." His brother never paid that much attention to anyone. Resource acquisitions were one thing, but another human, a woman for that matter, was a big deal.

"I have zero attraction towards the woman." He extended his hand to accept his bet. "Call. You better start saving little brother. I'll collect it soon."

...

The next day at school wasn't as crazy as last week when the information spread about Bella and Woobin being a real deal. Well, real deal to the outsiders. Bella walked past Kahi who bumped her shoulder harshly, clearly the heightened news of the engagement had gotten to her. Kahi knew it was a fake anyway, Bella didn't understand why she was so upset. Kahi still could see Woobin at the estate and kiss him and do whatever it was they did together. The final bell rang and Woobin stood in front of his Ferrari waiting for Bella. He was conversing with Kahi while others were staring and gawking at the heir and his car. Bella wanted to turn around, to give them time alone, but Jongsuk's arm wrapped around her shoulders and urged her forward. "Come on. You can do it." He called out to his brother, interrupting the conversation he was having with Kahi and Bella felt awkward once again whenever they were both together. Kahi hugged Woobin and said her goodbyes, and as she passed Bella, she purposely bumped her shoulder again, showing her distaste towards the woman. Woobin watched it happen and smirked. Ignoring Bella and assuming she'd enter the car after he did, he told Jongsuk to get home right away before the press conference began. Jongsuk entered his car, his driver waiting for him, and he waved at Bella who was still standing, and not moving anywhere near the car as they drove off.

The young woman wanted to give up. To not go any further with the heir in order to avoid being treated rudely when she was around him or Kahi. It was obvious the hatred they had towards her, but it wasn't just her who signed the contract. She walked past Woobin's car and exited the academy gates. Woobin rolled the window and called out to her, and she ignored him. She'd find her own way back to the estate. The snow was falling and Bella walked towards the bus stop. Woobin's car sped past him, frustrated by her actions, and didn't care how she got home. He wasn't going to deal with her stubborn attitude.

Woobin's car stood at the intersection where the crossing guard stopped traffic and allowed the students to pass. Bella already neared the bus stop when Woobin watched her get surrounded by Hyomin and her girls. He didn't know what was going on, nor did he care. He did recall from Jongsuk, as he drove past them and the bus stop, that she was bullied quite a bit for being who she was. Most likely the news of their engagement would cause more to pick on her. But again, that wasn't his business. She could have avoided it if she rode in his car. Besides, he had a last minute errand to run.

...

"So it's true, I can't believe it," Hyomin spat out as she and her minions trapped Bella against a fence near the bus stop. The bus arrived and she was prevented to get on. "I heard your engagement announcement was happening tonight. I still don't know how you pulled this all off. You've got some skills." She shoved Bella against the fence and Bella pushed her back.

"Back off, this is none of your concern. I don't have time for you." Bella tried to walk past the group of six girls, but was pulled by the ponytail and shoved back against the fence. One girl slapped her across the face and Bella kicked the girl between the legs and another on her stomach. Two down. Three girls held her down so Hyomin could smack her with her book bag. The crossing guard came to separate the girls. Bella managed to grab Hyomin's hair and shove her on the ground. With a bleeding lip, she walked home. Her sleeve and hand covered with blood from the bleeding lip and nose she ensued from her attack. The large golden gate opened and Woobin's car entered, passing Bella once again. Bella lifted her hood and looked down, she avoided him from seeing her black eye and bloodied lip. She assumed everyone would be home.

Bella tried to sneak up to her room, but was stopped by the devil himself. "Ya! Get dressed, we start the broadcast soon." Bella gave him a thumbs up. Her hand and blood covered white shirt. Woobin caught a glimpse, but wasn't sure what he saw. After forty five minutes of waiting, the heir pounded against the bathroom door, urging her to hurry up. Bella was sitting on the shower floor, her nose began to bleed from either the cold air or her body reacted from the impact Hyomin's back of books that she used to smack Bella across her face.  She didn't want to leave the shower. She wanted to hide under the warm mist and disappear. Her body urged her to crawl into bed and sleep forever. The pounding on the door caused her ears to ring. She laid down in a fetal position and covered her ears, hoping the noise would stop as she closed her eyes. Her nose still bled, and she didn't bother to stop it.

Woobin opened the door and began yelling at her, his eyes covered with one hand so he didn't see her . He continued to rant about how the broadcast had been rescheduled because she never made it downstairs and because she made a poor decision to not let him give her ride from school. When she wasn't answering back, Woobin peeked between his fingers and saw that no one was in the shower. Frusterated, he was about to yell at her again until his eyes trailed downwards to the shower floor and saw Bella passed out. "Jongsuk!" He called out his brother to dial 119 and he scooped the girl from the floor. He didn't bother shutting off the water, he was afraid she cut herself since since she was laying in a pool of blood. Woobin laid her gently on his bed, placing his robe over her while he checked her wrists in order to stop the blood. He found no cuts anywhere on her body. He looked at her face and the black eye and busted lip. The heir fell to the ground from shock. His dad and mom rushed in, his mother crying at the sight of Bella. His father asked what happened. "I just found her, on the shower, blood everywhere...I...ah...I...don't know where...or how..." SeAh hugged her son, who was clearly startled to see Bella in that state.

Jongsuk informed them the ambulance would be there in a couple minutes, and his mouth dropped upon seeing Bella's state. He grabbed his brother by the collar. "What did you do!?" Woobin told him it wasn't him, that he found Bella laying on the shower floor. Both brothers sat on the floor, both shocked by the turn of events.

The ambulance came, the paramedics dressed Bella's wounds and checked her vitals. Her blood sugar level was low and it seemed she was dehydrated also. "Has she been eating alright? According to the doctor, she was malnourished. Her heartbeat slow." Woobin thought of the dinners they had together, he ignored her most of the time, but he remembered how little she did eat. He was too annoyed by her and their situation to notice the important things. "She needs to rest, and eat. We gave her fluids so she should wake up in a couple hours. When she does, let her drink and eat some." He handed Woobin some bandages and reminded him to clean and dress her wounds frequently unitl they heal. The stitches on her lip would dissolve, and the black and blue around her eye would go away eventually. "Make sure to ask if her left eye is bothering her. There's a torn cornea and we don't want it to get worse or she won't be able to see well with that eye."

Jongsuk cursed. "Who the hell did this? Dad, you need to sue them." SeAh tried calming her son, then brushed Bella's hair gently while she slept. She asked Woobin to give her one of his shirts to cover Bella.

"Be sure to monitor her, and check her blood pressure regularly." The family doctor shook Sooro's hand, and a nurse arrived to remove the IV once she received the entire bag of fluids. Woobin sat on the floor of his room, staring blankly at the woman on his bed. She was the first woman he ever brought to his bed, regardless of the circumstances. Jongsuk came to apologize for his blow up.

"Sorry, hyung, I am sorry, for accusing you." He knew his brother could be rude, and arrogant, but he knew he'd never hurt a woman. Jongsuk wanted someone to blame. After hearing what Bella went through with her parents death, Jongsuk felt obligated to care for her like a sister. Especially since his brother acted so cold towards her. "She's been through so much because of our family. First her dad drowning after saving our dad, and now this. I bet you it was Hyomin." Woobin knew it was her. He watched them corner Bella as he drove off angry at her for not riding with him, for not doing as told. It was then, Kim Woobin realized, how selfish he was. The woman, laying on his bed, was injured because of his selfishness. "I told her you'd protect her. I told her my hyung is loyal and a natural protector. Don't let this happen again." Jongsuk got up and patted his brother's shoulder. Jongsuk's words resonated into his conscious. Woobin felt terrible. "You should go shower, and get ready for bed, I can watch her for a bit."

...

Bella woke up with a nurse removing a needle on her arm, things were blurry, and she felt a cloth over her left eye. When her right eye's vision cleared some, she saw Woobin standing at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed. The same stern face she saw when he entered his car then drove away from her the day he went to the academy. She realized it was his normal, everyday face of indifference.

Her hand patted the right eye, she felt the puffed skin and it hurt to blink. Bella did not make eye contact with Woobin, instead she looked at her nurse who bowed to both of them and rolled something away from her. She wasn't in her room... Bella got up fast, kicking the sheets and stumbling to the area rug on the floor. She couldn't find the strength in her legs for some reason so she crawled towards the bathroom. She could hear footsteps behind her, Woobin's. When she reached his side of the bathroom she saw the shower glass door opened and Bella recalled when she passed out. The young woman sat there for a moment as she remembered what happened. "Why are you so stubborn?" Woobin scooped her up, cradling her like a baby, and placed her on her own bed, dropping her with a light toss. She hurriedly covered herself up with the blankets. Thinking he left, she tried to slow her breathing. There was pain on her lips and both eyes. She was a mess.

The blankets opened up and Woobin sat on Bella's bed and took her arm. "Stop fighting me, I have to check your pulse and blood pressure." Bella sat quietly. They were better when they weren't talking or making eye contact. She caught a glimpse of his perfect jawline and his lips and nose. She felt her heartbeat rising. Why couldn't she control herself around him? She should hate him and his personality, but for some reason she pined for him, she pined for acceptance, for affection, for something she could never have with him. Often she would lay in bed thinking of reasons for her sudden attraction towards him. There was no rhyme or reason, she decided, it was a crush. And crushes come and go. Eventually the crush would dissolve. Eventually.... "Why is your heart rate so high?" Bella knew why but she shrugged her shoulders. His hands were gentle on her as he cleaned and redressed her wounds.

When he removed the cloth over her left eye, Bella gasped. "Why can't I see?" Her vision was very blurry.

"It will heal, give it time." That was all he said as he bandaged the eye again after placing medicine on it. "I won't always be there for you. I'm not a constant star. So when I am present next time just get in my car. Understand."

Bella nodded her head. "When you are present next time, be nicer to me," she mumbled under her breath. As soon as he finished, she kicked him off the bed and pulled her covers over her. She didn't see it, but Woobin's lips curled forming a smile from the clever girl's remark.