A firm hand closed around her wrist, steady and immediate. Another pressed lightly against her back, anchoring her before gravity could humiliate her further.
Her breath caught as she steadied.
Too close.
Too aware.
"Be careful."
Not scolding.
Not teasing.
Just there.
The world around them continued moving — workers lifting steel bars, distant machinery restarting, the murmur of post-inspection conversations — but for a brief second, everything felt suspended.
And then she fainted.
The moment Ah-rin opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was the white ceiling above her.
For a few seconds she simply stared at it, her mind slow and foggy, as if it were trying to remember where she was.
Then she looked down.
A thin IV tube was attached to the back of her hand, the clear liquid dripping steadily through the line.
Hospital.
The realization settled in.
She pushed herself slightly, trying to sit up from the bed. The movement was slow, her body still heavy with exhaustion.
The faint sound of fabric rustling and the soft shuffle of shoes against the floor reached her ears.
A pair of polished shoes stopped right in front of her.
She looked up only to find Park Evan.
"You haven't slept," he observed.
It wasn't a question.
She didn't answer.
Because he was right.
Because she didn't trust her voice to come out steady.
Because if she acknowledged the exhaustion, she might actually feel it.
And she couldn't afford that.
Not yet.
"You should take proper rest. You are a human, not a machine," he added, softer this time.
She let out a small breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
"Now you're giving orders?"
"Now I'm preventing you from fainting in front of your employees."
That did make her look at him.
Up close, she noticed something she hadn't earlier.
His eyes weren't cold.
They weren't calculating.
They were… worried.
And that unsettled her more than anything else today.
Before she could say anything, the door of her cabin burst open.
It slammed against the wall with a loud thud.
Joon-woo rushed inside, breathing heavily as if he had run the entire way there. His hair was slightly disheveled, and worry was written all over his face.
His eyes immediately found Ah-rin.
"Ah-rin!"
He didn't even acknowledge Evan's presence.
In two quick steps he reached the bed and grabbed her hand, pulling it gently out of Evan's hold while pushing Evan aside with his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" he asked urgently, his voice tight with concern. "Why didn't anyone tell me you collapsed?"
Ah-rin blinked, still trying to process everything. Her head was spinning, the IV line tugging slightly as Joon-woo held her hand.
"I'm fine," she murmured. "It was just exhaustion—"
"You call collapsing on a construction site fine?" Joon-woo cut in, his brows knitting together.
Behind him, Evan straightened slowly where he had been shoved aside.
His expression didn't change.
But the air in the room shifted.
Colder.
More controlled.
"Mr. Joon-woo," Evan said calmly, brushing invisible dust from his sleeve, "if you're done dramatizing the situation, you might want to lower your voice. This is still a hospital."
Joon-woo turned sharply.
"And you are?" he asked, irritation flashing across his face.
Evan met his gaze without blinking.
"Director Evan Park."
Recognition flickered in Joon-woo's eyes for half a second — the kind that comes when a name carries weight.
But it disappeared just as quickly.
"Then maybe, Director Park," Joon-woo replied stiffly, "you should explain why she collapsed under your supervision."
The words hung in the air.
Ah-rin sighed softly.
Great.
Exactly what she didn't need right now.
She rubbed her temple and looked between the two men.
"I fainted because I didn't sleep for almost twenty-four hours," she said flatly. "Not because someone pushed me off a building."
Neither of them looked convinced.
Joon-woo's grip on her hand tightened slightly.
"You should have called me," he said quietly.
Ah-rin gave him a tired look.
"And tell you what? That I was exposing corruption and getting people sued before breakfast?"
He opened his mouth.
Closed it again.
For a moment the room fell silent.
Machines beeped softly beside the bed.
Evan glanced briefly at the IV drip, then back at Ah-rin.
"The doctor said you need rest," he said evenly. "Actual rest. Not investigation."
Joon-woo scoffed.
"And you suddenly care about her health?"
Evan's eyes shifted toward him again.
Slow.
Measured.
"I care about competent people staying conscious," he replied coolly. "It helps the company run."
Joon-woo didn't like that answer.
Not one bit.
Ah-rin, however, almost smiled.
Even through the exhaustion.
Because if there was one thing she knew for certain—
Neither of these men were leaving her alone anytime soon.
And somehow, that might make things even more complicated than the audit itself.
"You don't have to carry everything alone," Joon-woo said quietly.
Ah-rin looked at him but didn't respond.
"I gave you the file and the pendrive so you could share your next step with me," he continued, frustration slipping into his voice.
"Not so you could jump into the fire all by yourself."
A small smile tugged at Ah-rin's lips.
"So you're finally confessing your ulterior motive behind helping me back then, huh?" she teased.
The attempt at humor didn't ease the tension in the room.
"For God's sake, can you be serious for once?" Joon-woo snapped.
Ah-rin lifted a brow slightly.
"For that," she replied calmly, "you shouldn't leave traces behind."
Both Joon-woo and Evan frowned, confusion crossing their faces.
"What do you mean?" Joon-woo asked.
Ah-rin leaned back slightly against the pillow.
"I carefully chose the corners that avoided CCTV coverage," he protested. "So how you still manage to find me?"
"Your cologne." Ah-rin replied calmly.
Realization flickered across his face.
Then he smiled.
Slowly.
"So you still remember," he said softly. "Even after all these years."
Ah-rin immediately turned her head to the other side, pretending to adjust her pillow. A faint blush crept across her cheeks.
She took a moment before facing them again.
Tilting her head slightly, she looked toward them.
"Were you worried when you heard the news?"
The question sounded light.
Almost casual.
But her eyes were searching.
Evan held her gaze for a long second before answering.
"I don't like variables I can't account for."
Joon-woo scoffed.
"She wasn't asking you."
A pause followed.
Then Evan replied evenly,
"And you weren't answering."
The air in the room thickened again.
Ah-rin sighed, rubbing her temple.
"You both should leave," she said finally. "As you've already pointed out, I need rest. So please."
Neither of them argued.
Joon-woo released her hand first.
Evan stepped back from the bed.
For once, both men chose silence.
And within moments, they walked out of the room.
The door closed softly behind them.
But the tension they left behind lingered in the quiet hospital air.
To Be Continued...