Chapter 6
You Started It First
Ring, ring, ring…
— The person you’re calling is unavailable…
At the sound of the automated voice, Seung-tae’s face crumpled as if someone had crushed a sheet of paper.
Why the hell isn’t she answering?
He pressed the end call button with a rough motion, then immediately hit redial.
Ring, ring, ring…
— The person you’re calling is unavailable…
“Damn it!”
Unable to contain the heat rising through his body, Seung-tae let out a furious shout.
He yanked down his tie and unbuttoned his shirt collar, his irritation spilling over.
He started typing a message instead. His fingers moved quickly, each word stuffed with barely contained emotion.
At least if he vented like this, he wouldn’t end up doing something worse.
“Haa…”
He exhaled a long breath as he hit send, trying to release the leftover heat from his chest.
Finally, he began to calm down.
Regaining his composure, he straightened his clothes, glancing at his reflection in the window.
Then, after arranging his face into his usual friendly mask, he stepped toward the conference room door.
Just as his hand reached for the handle, his phone vibrated inside his suit pocket.
He hurriedly pulled it out, eyes lighting up as he read the name on the screen.
Finally…!
His pupils widened, and his face brightened instantly.
He hit the answer button and lifted the phone to his ear—
“What the hell is this I’m hearing!”
Even before it reached his ear, an angry female voice exploded through the speaker.
His expression froze.
“Do you even know how many times I called you since yesterday? Why aren’t you picking up?”
“Is that what’s important right now? Why are you saying you won’t get married?”
Her shameless tone—without a single word of apology—left him speechless.
And yet, he wasn’t angry.
No matter what she said, no matter how much she snapped at him, he still liked her.
He simply couldn’t bring himself to hate her.
“Why else? Because of that bastard, Ha Geon-woo.”
“What does Geon-woo have to do with this?”
“What else could it be? That bastard told her everything. So Kang Yeoul ran straight to him.”
When she naturally called him “Geon-woo oppa,” irritation flashed through Seung-tae’s tone.
“Kang Yeoul said that? Geon-woo oppa told her everything?”
But she didn’t seem to care. She just kept talking.
“She says it’s not because of him, but come on—she used to believe every word I said. Suddenly she wants to call off the wedding? What else could it be?”
“Argh!”
Her furious scream nearly blew out his eardrum, and Seung-tae flinched, pulling the phone away.
When the shouting stopped, he cautiously brought it back.
“You couldn’t even hold on to Yeoul’s heart? I told you over and over—treat her well! If you had, would she have gone to Geon-woo oppa?”
“How much better was I supposed to treat her? I made time for her even when I was busy, I spent millions on that diamond ring. I did everything I could.”
“I don’t care. Just marry her—no matter what it takes. Got it?”
“At this point, is there even a reason to force it? You and I—”
“Do you even know what kind of crucial time this is for me? Stop talking nonsense and win Yeoul back. Understood?”
“I—”
Click.
The line went dead before he could finish.
Typical. She never cared about his answers.
“Ha… damn it. How am I supposed to marry someone who doesn’t even want to marry me?”
He tried to think of a solution to the problem she’d thrown at him, but came up empty.
“Ha Geon-woo, Kang Yeoul… not one of them has ever done a damn thing to help me.”
He shoved his phone back into his pocket and started toward the door, only to pause mid-step.
“Ahem.”
He cleared his throat, loosening his stiff expression.
No matter the situation, he always had to look like the good guy.
Once he had adjusted every detail from head to toe, he finally stepped out of the room.
You’re crazy. Completely crazy, Kang Yeoul…
As the car descended into the underground parking lot of the Seodo Hotel, the bright daylight vanished into darkness.
At the same time, Yeoul’s dazed mind snapped back into focus—like someone flipping on a light switch.
Reality hit her straight in the chest.
How could I say yes? What the hell was I thinking?
Yes, she was definitely crazy.
I was refusing him… so how the hell did I end up in his car?
Now that her reason had returned, she could finally think.
Yeoul recalled their conversation just moments ago.
“I’m not the kind of fool who lets an opportunity slip by.”
“That’s a dangerous thing to say.”
“It’s already dangerous. I’ve reached my limit.”
“What do you mean by that?”
His calm, low voice had been unreadable. She’d looked at him in confusion, but he hadn’t cared to explain.
“So this time, you decide. Will you accept it—or not?”
Instead of an answer, he had demanded a decision.
Maybe it was because she’d seen sides of him today that she’d never seen before, but for a fleeting moment, she thought—
Is today some special event called ‘See Ha Geon-woo’s New Side Day’?
Then he leaned closer, his breath brushing against her ear.
“If you weren’t ready for this, you shouldn’t have come to me.”
His low, quiet voice sounded almost mocking. No—more like he was scolding her.
As if to ask, Were you planning to use someone without even the courage to follow through?
Maybe that’s why her instincts screamed danger.
Like she’d poked a sleeping lion while pretending to be a harmless lamb.
“For your request, I decided in less than a second to throw away over ten years of friendship. So you’d better show me the same resolve.”
“…Fine. I understand.”
The words tumbled out before she even had time to think. Because he was right.
Her voice trembled, but she couldn’t afford to care.
“That’s a vague answer.”
He wanted something clear—unyielding.
Like a predator that never lets its prey escape.
“I said I’ll do it! I really will!”
The shout burst from her lips.
And at that moment, she realized—
He had an incredible gift for cornering people with words.
She’d thought he was quiet because he lacked confidence, but that had been a huge mistake.
When you’ve got nowhere left to run, you end up fighting back.
She’d never once raised her voice at anyone—not even during those hellish years living under Seung-tae and Song-hwa’s thumb.
But Ha Geon-woo made her react.
Every word he spoke struck something inside her.
And every time she spoke, he responded—as if her words mattered.
Well… what can I do? I already agreed.
The car stopped.
When the engine went silent, she accepted her decision.
If it meant dragging Seung-tae into the pits of hell, she was willing to destroy herself to do it.
That was her resolve.
And with that kind of resolve, there was no turning back.
Thud.
The heavy door of the suite shut behind them.
Yeoul’s shoulders flinched.
Geon-woo stepped toward her, unhurried but sure, closing the distance until his breath brushed her skin.
“This is your last chance.”
His warm breath touched her cheek, making her eyes tremble.
The heat radiating from him felt so intense it might devour her whole.
“If you go through with this, there’s no turning back.”
“I’m not turning back.”
“Don’t make a decision you’ll regret later.”
“I won’t regret it.”
“I gave you a chance.”
“A chance for what?”
“To run. So later—”
He couldn’t finish.
Because in that instant, Yeoul rose on her toes and pressed her lips against his.
For a brief moment, everything stopped.
When she tried to pull away, Geon-woo’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her against him.
“You started it first.”*
