Episode 02.
She was so speechless that only a hollow laugh escaped her lips.
She had just lost the job she fought for like a dogā
and yet, he dared to say āWelcome.ā
āHow long has it been? Do you know how much I missed you?ā
Rising from his seat, Gyo-bin walked toward her with a bright, clear smile.
But when he saw Hee-jaeās stiff expression, he stopped mid-step.
āWhy that face? Arenāt you happy to see me?ā
He tilted his head playfully, his gentle eyes curving like crescent moons, his lips forming a soft line.
Shin Gyo-bin was in an excellent mood.
And there was only one reason he ever felt this happyā
Because Choi Hee-jae was suffering.
That was what he enjoyed the most.
āDid you get too attached to your colleagues? Feeling sad to leave? See, if you had just worked with me from the start, you wouldnāt have wasted your precious feelings there.ā
He clicked his tongue, feigning regret over her choice.
It was so absurd, she didnāt even want to respond.
āWhy so upset, my Hee-jae? Hm?ā
Despite already being close enough, he took a few more steps forward, closing the gap.
His hand reached toward her hairā
But with a sharp āslap!ā, she struck it away.
āDonāt touch me.ā
For the first time, she reacted.
Then she stepped back, widening the space between them.
āAnd donāt come any closer than necessary.ā
Her eyes glimmered with a storm of emotionsā
resentment for the misery he caused,
weariness from his constant shadow,
fear of how long this twisted relationship would last,
and anger at his cruel methods.
āStill as prickly as ever. I guess thatās why I liked you in the first place.ā
But Gyo-bin never backed down at emotional pleas.
For over twenty years, Hee-jae had tried countless ways to make him lose interestā
none had worked.
āIt was you, wasnāt it?ā
Her eyes reddened as anger and despair welled up.
āYou fabricated that caseāpressured meādragged even the chief prosecutor into it, didnāt you?ā
Gyo-bin didnāt bother denying it.
āOf course. You didnāt know what lengths Iād go to just to bring you back?ā
His shameless tone stung.
She knew he had always been like thisārelentless, manipulative, obsessive.
āThis was where you were meant to be from the start.ā
He pointed to the very spot where they stood.
Her lashes trembled before her gaze dropped to the floor.
āFor over ten years, we sponsored you. Yet you broke the promise and ran away.ā
His words were infuriatingābecause they were true.
Her past replayed in her mind.
The sponsorship from Shinil Group.
The education she received, the prestigious schools, the study abroad.
All under the expectation that she would one day serve the company as their lawyer.
But she had betrayed that expectation to become a prosecutor.
A betrayal she could never take back.
āYou went rogue, and my father was furious. I had to calm him down, saying maybe you just needed some time to wander after working so hard.ā
Ironically, it was thanks to Gyo-bin that she had been able to serve as a prosecutor at allā
only to be dragged back down by him in the end.
āI told him not to worry. That soon enough, Iād bring you back.ā
He had never rushed.
Always calm. Always composed.
Because he believed she would inevitably kneel before him again.
āAnyway, welcome back to where you truly belong.ā
He opened his arms wide in mock warmth.
That soft, almost saintly faceā¦
She had been deceived by it for yearsānever seeing the devil lurking behind it.
āFrom now on, youāll be my representativeāand the companyās. Whatever I do, youāll justify it, defend it, and find a way out for me. Thatās your duty.ā
The reminder was deliberateāmeant to provoke her.
āAndā¦ā
Before she could react, he moved closer.
Too close.
āW-What are you doing?ā
He caught her waist, preventing her from stepping back.
Lowered his head, lips grazing her ear.
āDonāt tell me not to come closer. Donāt tell me not to touch you.ā
His fingers tucked her hair behind her ear, brushing against her sensitized skin.
Her entire body froze.
Then, in a low, commanding voiceādevoid of playfulnessāhe murmured:
āDonāt give me orders, Hee-jae. Since when were we the kind to keep distance?ā
His hand trailed down, circling her neck.
Under his fingers, her pulse throbbed violently.
Forehead to forehead, he whispered:
āDonāt forgetāitās me holding your lifeline.ā
Pulling back just enough to study her face, he smirked faintly.
āDonāt look so resentful. You were always good at this.ā
She squeezed her eyes shut, but memories of their twisted past played like a cruel film.
āI make a mess. You clean it up. Thatās how itās always been.ā
