HyunSeong thought it would end here.

  That she would fall back.

  That without his push, his hints, his persistence—

  She would go back to denial.

  And maybe—

  Maybe that was for the best.

  Because he had a secret.

  A dangerous, unforgivable secret.

  And Minra deserved the choice he never gave her.

  The choice to love one man, not two.

  The choice to fall for someone without manipulation.

  So this was for the best.

  This was the only way.

  But then.

  Then she happened.

  And everything he thought he knew—

  Everything he thought was under control—

  Came crashing down in one moment.

  .

  The knock on his door was sharp.

  Firm.

  Unhesitating.

  "Come in."

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  HyunSeong didn’t look up at first.

  Didn’t think anything of it.

  But then.

  Then, before he could even process it—

  Minra was right there.

  Right in front of him.

  And the moment he saw her eyes—

  The fire in them.

  The anger.

  The determination.

  His breath hitched.

  "Is this how you said you’ll take responsibility?"

  Her voice was strong.

  Unshaken.

  "By distancing yourself from me? By pretending nothing ever happened after all that you’ve done to make me not forget?"

  HyunSeong froze.

  He had never seen her like this.

  Never seen her this bold, this unfiltered, this reckless.

  Never expected her to come to him first.

  And before he could even react—

  She moved.

  Not just closer.

  But to him.

  To his chair.

  And before he knew it—

  She was in his lap.

  His entire world tilted.

  .

  Minra was breathless, frustrated, furious.

  And he didn’t know how to stop her.

  Didn’t even know if he wanted to.

  Because—

  Because she wasn’t just angry.

  She was determined.

  "I don't want to."

  Her hands curled into his tie, pulling him in.

  "I don’t want to forget."

  "Not after you’ve tried every day to make me remember."

  HyunSeong swallowed.

  Hard.

  "Minra—"

  "Not after I kept denying on purpose so that I could have you unhesitatingly pursue me."

  HyunSeong’s mind blanked.

  Because.

  Because what?

  She was—

  She was denying on purpose?

  She was waiting for him to chase her?

  She was—

  She was choosing him.

  And.

  And he was losing control.

  Because.

  Because he wanted her.

  Wanted her so badly.

  And now.

  Now she was right here.

  And he had no reason to resist.

  No reason to hold back.

  No reason to deny himself any longer.

  Until.

  Until the phone rang.

  .

  Minra, lips swollen from his desperate kisses, whispered—

  "Your phone."

  But HyunSeong didn’t care.

  Not now.

  Not when he finally had her.

  Not when she was finally his.

  "That can wait."

  And it did.

  For a moment.

  Until it rang again.

  And Minra—

  Minra, still breathless, still burning, pulled back slightly.

  Still on his lap.

  Still close enough to hear his heartbeat.

  And then—

  Then, she looked at him.

  Not confused.

  Not curious.

  Not unsure.

  But.

  But knowing.

  "Are you not going to pick it up?"

  HyunSeong exhaled.

  "I told you—"

  "Shuun."

  HyunSeong’s entire body locked.

  His breath stopped.

  His fingers froze against her skin.

  And for the first time—

  For the first time since this all began—

  He felt genuine panic.

  Because.

  Because the phone that was ringing?

  It wasn’t his work phone.

  It wasn’t HyunSeong’s.

  It was Shuun’s.

  And the caller?

  The caller was Minra.

  And that’s when his heart dropped.

  Because.

  Because.

  How long.

  How long had she known?

  .

  Chapter 45: "The Reckless Plan That Changed Everything"