Title: The Click of Reality
The world was spinning. My heart was pounding so hard I was certain it would shatter my ribs. Kang Bok Soo's hands were still locked around my waist, his eyes blazing down at me, claiming every piece of my breathless surrender. The taste of him—arrogant, demanding, perfect—was all that mattered.
This wasn't just a kiss. This was a violation of the contract, a destruction of our professional dynamic, and the terrifying culmination of every secret look and touch we had exchanged.
He leaned in again, his breath hot against my ear, ready to deepen the embrace. I closed my eyes, ready to let go of every last scrap of my resolve.
Then, a sound cut through the silence—the sharp, unmistakable click of the parking garage door unlocking.
Kang Bok Soo froze instantly. The passion in his eyes vanished, replaced by a ruthless, icy control that was more chilling than his cold stare.
He didn't speak. He didn't even push me away gently. He simply released my waist and took a swift, practiced step back, his body language snapping back into the untouchable idol persona in less than a second.
I stumbled back against the limo, my body reeling, my lips tingling and bruised. I was a wreck—cheeks flushed, hair slightly disheveled, breath ragged. He looked completely, utterly unbothered.
Ms. Kim swept into the parking garage, phone pressed to her ear. She was talking quickly about flight details and costume fittings. She didn't spare me a glance, but she walked straight to Kang Bok Soo, her focus absolute.
"Sir, we need you for ten minutes. The New York team needs final confirmation on the jet."
Kang Bok Soo turned, his expression bored and indifferent, as if I were truly just a fixture on the wall he had momentarily glanced at.
"Lead the way, Ms. Kim," he replied, his voice smooth and professional.
He walked past me, stopping only when he was directly in line with my face. He didn't break stride. He didn't stop talking.
As he moved, his hand brushed my shoulder, and his thumb pressed down for a fraction of a second, digging a brief, painful reminder into the sensitive skin where my dress strap lay. It was a cold, non-verbal message: "This is our secret. And you belong to me."
The pain and the possessiveness were both thrilling and terrifying.
Ms. Kim gave me a quick, sharp look. "Peter Bella! You look completely exhausted. Go clean up, then wait for Mr. Kang in the meeting room. You need to finalize the flight details."
I nodded, unable to speak. I watched them walk away, the reality of the situation slamming into me like a physical blow. The intense, steamy kiss was over. It was a dark, illicit secret that existed only between him, me, and the shadowed corner of the parking garage.
I ran to the nearest bathroom, my hands flying to my swollen lips. I stared at my reflection. My eyes were wide with a shocked mix of fear and lust.
He kissed me. The most beautiful man in the world just kissed me.
The shame of falling for my cruel employer warred with the desperate, burning heat that lingered in my body. He had shown me his vulnerability (the anxiety), his generosity (the money for Mom), and now his devastating passion. He had deliberately blurred the lines between enemy and lover, and I, the perfect eldest daughter fighting for her family, had fallen into the trap.
My only resolve now was this: I would protect his secret, I would fulfill my contract, and I would somehow, impossibly, make him fall harder for me than I had fallen for him.