Chapter 34
“Cask strength, straight, please.”
Hotel lounge bar.
Sitting at the counter, Dain ordered whiskey, recalling what her boyfriend had said earlier that day.
‘It’s not like you ever thought about marrying me anyway.’
‘Weren’t we just going to date casually and then break up?’
‘Bae Dain, you’re a cool person, right?’
The way he spat those words out in a rush—she couldn’t even argue back because they weren’t exactly wrong.
There was no way she could marry a boyfriend she couldn’t even introduce to her family, who would never accept him.
Still, her feelings had been sincere. She hadn’t dated him with a light heart.
But it seemed his heart wasn’t the same as hers.
When he said he liked another woman, betrayal burned inside her. But what angered her more than him was herself.
“I didn’t want to break up. I almost begged him to stay.”
Muttering bitterly, Dain was served the whiskey she ordered.
She glared at the amber liquid, then made up her mind and tossed it back in one gulp.
“Ugh.”
Trying whiskey neat for the first time, hoping to get drunk quickly, she found it unbearably strong.
As it went down, her throat and stomach felt like they were on fire.
Dain scrunched her face and exhaled.
Drinking alone had no taste. What she needed now was comfort.
She pulled up Haru’s number and dialed.
But after ringing for a long time, the automated voice said the call couldn’t be answered.
“Dating Cha Seung-jae, maybe?”
Muttering, Dain boldly ordered another glass of whiskey.
There was no way she could endure tonight sober.
But she had felt someone sneaking glances at her for a while.
When she turned her head slightly, she saw a man who looked oddly familiar staring at her.
She wondered why his face looked familiar, but she didn’t have the energy to care.
Turning back indifferently, she reached for her fresh glass.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps came, and a man’s voice reached her ear.
“We meet again.”
The man who had been watching her finally came over and greeted her.
Dain glanced up briefly, then looked away with disinterest.
“I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere, but I can’t remember where.”
She almost asked what kind of pickup attempt this was, but stopped—because she felt the same way.
She had seen him somewhere before, but couldn’t recall when.
Without asking permission, Seung-jae sat beside her, looking at her glass.
“What’s going on that you’re drinking something this strong? And straight, at that.”
“That’s none of your business. Are you interested in me?”
“Given how curious I am about you, I guess I am. In fact, I think I like you.”
Dain stared at him, surprised at how bluntly he admitted his attraction, then laughed in disbelief.
“I’m not interested. You’re not my type.”
“Then what is your type?”
“Good-looking men.”
Her blunt reply made Seung-jae chuckle.
“I’ve never been told I fall short in the looks department.”
“Must be nice, living on compliments.”
Annoyed, Dain retorted and gulped more whiskey.
Once again, her face contorted at the burn.
Watching her, Seung-jae sighed.
“You’ll wreck your stomach like that. At least have something to eat.”
He picked up a green olive from the bar and held it toward her lips.
Dain frowned and snapped coldly.
“Who are you to keep interfering in my business?”
“You said you weren’t interested, but you are curious who I am, huh?”
Seung-jae popped the olive into his own mouth, chewed, and pulled a business card from his wallet.
He held it between two fingers and handed it over.
Reluctantly, Dain took it and read.
“Midas Entertainment. Cha Seung-jae… CEO?”
Her eyes flashed.
“You’re that CEO Cha Seung-jae?”
“Yes. Why? You recognize me now?”
Dain said nothing, fists trembling.
Her cold gaze suddenly flared with fire, making Seung-jae frown in confusion.
Then, in an instant, Dain slapped him hard across the face.
Startled, Seung-jae touched his burning cheek and turned his head.
“What the…?”
“Does your girlfriend know you’re hanging around like this?”
“Girlfriend? What are you talking about?”
Seung-jae was more stunned by her fury than by the slap itself. Clearly, she had gravely misunderstood something.
“Cheaters deserve to disappear.”
Muttering darkly, Dain stood and stormed off.
“Hey!”
Seung-jae called after her, desperate to understand why he had been slapped, but she didn’t stop.
Leaving the bar, Dain dialed Haru again.
The ringing dragged on, just like before.
“My boyfriend’s here too, so what the hell are you doing not picking up?”
On the very day she broke up with a cheating boyfriend, she had been hit on by her best friend’s boyfriend.
Could anything feel worse?
“He’s not even that handsome.”
Dain muttered bitterly, recalling how Haru once said Cha Seung-jae was good-looking.
Her heels struck the ground furiously as she strode forward with her phone pressed to her ear.
Haru’s lips were locked as she staggered back, pushed by I-han’s advance.
Her phone, left on the kitchen island, had been ringing non-stop.
In one swift motion, I-han grabbed her waist and lifted her onto the counter.
The phone, still buzzing, slid off the edge and hit the floor with a dull thud.
“Mm—Seung-jae.”
Gasping for breath, Haru tried to say she should answer the call, but her words were swallowed again.
I-han’s lips silenced her, his hands sliding behind her back.
With a harsh zip sound, her dress zipper was pulled down to her waist in one go.
Haru shivered as his large hand rested on her newly exposed back.
His palm trailed down her spine and stopped at her bra strap.
With a quick flick, the clasp came undone, and Haru flinched, pulling her body back in panic.
“W-wait.”
“I don’t have the patience to wait.”
Ignoring her plea, I-han tugged her dress down from her shoulders.
In one motion, both her dress and bra slipped halfway off.
Startled by the rush of cold air, Haru crossed her arms tightly over her chest.
Her cheeks burned red, eyes wide like a startled rabbit, as her gaze locked with I-han’s.
He caressed her rounded shoulder and asked softly:
“Do you not want this?”
If she said no, he would stop. Was that what she wanted?
He was giving her the choice.
But ironically, the word no refused to leave her lips.
In the faintest whisper, she managed:
“That’s not it…”
When she added, “I’m just embarrassed,” I-han lowered his head and bit her bare flesh.
A red mark bloomed instantly on her pale skin as he brushed away her hands and hungrily latched on.
The wet, sucking sounds filled the room.
Embarrassed, Haru weakly pushed at his shoulders, but when a sudden wave of pleasure hit, her trembling hands went limp.
“Ahh.”
With her upper body fully bare, I-han’s head moved feverishly against her.
His tongue teased at her sensitive peaks, forcing her to bite down on her lip.
The unfamiliar, overwhelming pleasure made her clutch his arms tightly.
After burying his face in her softness for a long while, I-han finally looked up, lips glistening.
His eyes burned with desire.
That gaze shackled her, leaving her unable to escape.
Breathing hotly, he lifted her into his arms without hesitation.
She let out a startled gasp.
“Ah—”
He strode forward without pause, his patience gone.
In moments, they reached the bedroom, where he laid her on the mattress and stripped off his own clothes.
Jacket and tie fell to the floor.
As Haru swallowed hard, she heard the sounds of his belt and pants being undone.
