Chapter 13
The gaze that met hers in midair carried with it a shadow of suspicion he hadn’t yet cast aside, though the unease beneath it stood out far more. For all the intimidation he liked to wield, it seemed Jung-ho’s conscience wasn’t entirely gone.
“Honestly, how am I supposed to trust you won’t run abroad again?”
“Do you really have so little faith in me?”
“I used to have it. But you were the one who destroyed it, Jung-ho.”
He had always been the one to neglect their relationship, yet he cornered her as if he were the victim. Four years had passed, and still, Cha Jung-ho was the same—selfish, arrogant, and unchanging.
But Hae-in had no intention of clinging to the past. Shaking away the melancholy that tried to creep in, she tightened her grip on the suitcase and urged him on.
“I’m tired. We’ll talk later. Just show me to the room.”
“Fine. I’ll take you myself. Come here.”
Feigning weariness, she barely had time to react before he yanked her arm forward.
“…What?”
Their faces closed in, the space between them narrowing to a dangerous breath. Startled, Hae-in’s eyes widened.
“Why? Nervous?”
“No, you just pulled me so suddenly.”
“Your face says something different.”
Her composure snapped back into place, and she erased every trace of expression from her face. Then, she tugged her arm out of his grip.
“You think it’s funny to tease me like this?”
He gave a careless shrug. “Maybe.”
“Glad to know my face amuses you.”
No matter how steely her resolve, this was not the kind of situation she could shrug off. Not when it involved physical closeness with the man she had once loved so fiercely.
To keep the atmosphere from tilting into something dangerous, she stepped back, widening the distance between them. Jung-ho only smirked and plucked her suitcase away.
The room he led her to was painted entirely in shades of gray. It was simple but carried none of the generic air of a guestroom. It was too curated, too lived-in.
Hae-in’s eyes lingered on a photograph on the desk. Jung-ho’s brother, Hae-kyung, with an arm draped casually over his shoulder.
Which meant…
“…Don’t tell me. This is your room?”
“Correct. Stay here for now.”
She had guessed right.
“There are plenty of other rooms.”
“And you barged in unannounced.”
“You have several guest rooms.”
She frowned, refusing to step further inside.
“They weren’t cleaned. No time for that, little lady.”
“That’s fine. I’m not picky.”
“I am. And I don’t like it.”
It was his pride again. Always his pride.
He still saw her as that girl from four years ago—obedient, silent, the one who endured every scandal without protest.
When she had suggested breaking off the engagement, he hadn’t even flinched. Instead, he had proposed cohabitation under the guise of preserving face. His audacity was enough to spark her competitive streak.
“Fine. If he wants a battle of endurance, I’ll let him burn out first. I won’t be the one to cave.”
She had no intention of indulging him this time. She would live here as she was—unvarnished, unapologetic.
“Where are you going?”
“To another room.”
“Stay here for now.”
He blocked her path, voice firm.
“And where will you sleep?”
“I’ll figure it out. This is my house.”
“Just for tonight?”
“Did I say there was a deadline?”
He dodged the question, infuriatingly smooth.
“You’ve gotten even worse, you know that?”
“Or maybe I’ve always been like this.”
“At least you admit you’re unbearable.”
Even when she called him out directly, his expression didn’t shift an inch.
“Stay here, even if it’s uncomfortable.”
Delivering the words like a final decree, he walked out.
“Fine. Let’s see who wins this game.”
Hae-in narrowed her eyes at the closed door, her brow knitting in irritation.
Tap, tap.
Minutes after he left, she finally dared to close the door fully. The silence wrapped around her, and she sank onto the edge of the bed, fatigue seeping through her bones.
Alone, the tension she had stuffed down surged up all at once.
After all, this was still him—the man she had once loved. She had pretended composure, but that didn’t mean she was untouched.
“Still… something’s different about him.”
He had changed, subtly but undeniably. His tone, his attitude, the way he looked at her—it was not the same Jung-ho she remembered.
But that didn’t mean she had changed her mind about the engagement.
The rumors, the tarnished reputation, the backlash—it had spread beyond her to the group itself. She had accepted his outrageous proposal only because she needed time to manage the damage.
“Two weeks. At most. He’ll be the one to give up.”
She dragged her suitcase closer, unzipped it, and began to unpack a few things. There was no point emptying it completely. At most, she would be here a handful of days.
Just as she pulled out a folded blouse, a faint vibration pulsed from the bag. She set the clothes down and pulled out her phone.
“Hello?”
—Did you move back into the main house?
“Not exactly.”
She gave a sheepish laugh.
—Your last message startled me.
“It’s nothing serious.”
—Then explain this. What did you mean by using the house as a workspace?
It was Jeong-min, sharp as ever.
“Ah, that.”
She faltered.
—So what? You felt uncomfortable and went to a hotel?
“No, it’s not that. Just listen first—”
—You’ve barely been back a few days, Hae-in.
He cut her off again. She pressed her forehead with a sigh.
She knew he worried, but this was overkill.
“You told me to explain, but how can I if you keep interrupting?”
—Right… sorry. I just worry too much.
If he worried any harder, she’d have to gag him just to get a word in. She swallowed the thought, sighed again, and let it pass.
