Body

Mujin’s hand, which had been tapping on the monitor, suddenly stopped.

At the abrupt change of topic, one of his elegantly drawn eyebrows furrowed. His fingers tapped on the table, showing his irritation.

“I thought we finished that conversation last night. Am I wrong?”

Maybe it was because of the dream about their past, where they had laughed and talked so easily, but today Mujin was acting especially sharp.

Yeon-ha hid her feelings and answered as mechanically as possible.

“No, I don’t recall anything being finalized about the blind date. Madam asked me earlier today to shortlist three candidates as soon as possible.”

“So, nothing has been settled yet.”

Mujin completely put down the documents he was holding and leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs.

Even during briefings, he never spared her a glance, but now, he casually turned his head towards her. His deep black eyes locked onto Yeon-ha.

Those eyes that seemed to see right through her.

Whenever she met those eyes, she found it hard to move.

Mujin’s lips moved slowly.

“Come here.”

It was a commanding order.

His tone was completely different from when he was simply giving work instructions. There was a thick, suggestive nuance in his voice.

Yeon-ha’s body stiffened.

She knew she shouldn’t go.

But when she met his dangerously gleaming gaze, it became difficult to refuse.

As if entranced, she moved her stiff legs and stood in front of him.

“Look at this.”

Mujin smirked.

“If I told you to strip right now, you’d do it.”

He stood up and reached out, cupping her cheek with one hand.

“If I ordered you to climb onto my lap, you’d crawl up, wouldn’t you?”

His voice was low, listing crude words one after another.

Although his tone was relaxed, as if trying to ease her tension, his eyes were like those of a predator.

“What more do I need to say?”

His finger trailed down the back of her neck.

His touch moved slowly, as if engraving a mark onto her skin.

Yeon-ha’s whole body shivered.

Mujin stared at her, silently asking if she had anything more to say.

Yeon-ha bit her lip, speechless.

He was right.

If he told her to strip, she would.

If he told her to crawl, she would.

That was just who she was.

Any other woman might have felt humiliated and stormed out.

But Yeon-ha stayed, as if she were someone who didn’t know shame.

Perhaps that was why Mujin kept her by his side—because she never showed hurt, never reacted strongly.

Though, deep down, she was only pretending.

It was time to end this one-sided, painful relationship.

“I’m going on a blind date tomorrow.”

Yeon-ha told him flatly.

“Madam misunderstood our relationship.”

She put on her thickest mask, hiding her emotions completely.

Mujin’s hand fell away from her neck.

The warmth that had been on her skin quickly faded.

Yeon-ha couldn’t bear to meet his gaze directly, so she lowered her eyes.

“I can’t be satisfied as just a partner forever. I still have debts to pay.”

Lies. Lies. And more lies.

She saw a flicker of emotion in Mujin’s eyes, but she ignored it and kept talking.

In this game, whoever revealed their feelings first would lose.

At least now, she was better at hiding her emotions.

Otherwise, he would have noticed how much her voice was shaking.

“I’m an easy woman… but not anymore. So, I’ll go on my blind date, and you should go on yours, Vice President.”

Yeon-ha carefully watched his reaction.

Mujin’s expression was cold.

Even though his indifferent reaction was to be expected, since their relationship wasn’t built on love, it still hurt like a needle pricking her throat.

Swallowing a bitter smile, Yeon-ha took a couple of steps back.

Close enough to touch if she reached out, but far enough that she needed to make an effort.

That was the distance she should have kept with him from the beginning.

“So, in the end, you’re saying you need to pay off your debt, so you’re selling yourself to another man?”

Mujin mocked.

“That’s too much.”

“Oh? Do you not like hearing the truth?”

His words cut deep, like a knife to her heart.

“Or maybe you want to be a rich man’s wife? I never took you for an ambitious woman, Yeon-ha.”

Mujin sneered and grabbed her chin.

His fingers pressed into her cheek, holding her face in place.

She couldn’t turn away, couldn’t avoid his gaze.

“Thinking about you belonging to another man… turns me on.”

For the first time, Yeon-ha’s mask cracked.

Mujin smirked.

Gone was the polite, respectable third-generation chaebol.

In his place was a man who was arrogant and possessive to the core.

“That’s why you brought it up, right? To make me jealous? Isn’t that right?”

His pants were already visibly tight.

Mujin took a step forward.

Yeon-ha stepped back, but it was meaningless.

He closed the distance between them in an instant.

“Go ahead, tell your blind date tomorrow.

Tell him that you’ve been sleeping with Choi Mujin every night and ask if he’s okay with that.”

“Ugh!”

At the same time, he yanked off her blazer.

The papers that had been neatly arranged on the desk scattered to the floor.

⸻

The next evening, 7 p.m.

Sitting alone in the middle of a hotel VIP lounge, Yeon-ha stared blankly into her teacup.

Normally, she would be working late at the office, but she had taken a half-day off, using Madam’s invitation as an excuse.

Mujin must have known.

She had told him about the blind date the night before, so he must have understood that Madam’s invitation was just a cover.

And yet, he had let her go without a word.

‘He must be crazy.’

Thinking about last night, Yeon-ha bit her lip hard.

Of course, she had no intention of marrying the man Madam set her up with.

But Mujin didn’t know that.

To him, she was about to belong to someone else.

And yet, he had no intention of ending their physical relationship.

Her thoughts were a mess.

It was completely immoral, and it made her chest ache.

With a deep sigh, Yeon-ha forced herself to push thoughts of Mujin aside.

Since there was no answer to this problem, it was better to focus on the blind date instead.

‘I’ll just go along with it and leave after a while.’

As she sat stiffly, waiting, a voice came from behind.

“Are you Jung Yeon-ha?”

“Oh, yes.”

Yeon-ha stood up and turned around.

A man, who looked to be under 170 cm tall, stood there.

“I’m Jo Hyun-seok from Juhan Group.”

Hearing the name, Yeon-ha froze.

She hadn’t expected her blind date to be a “good” match, but… Jo Hyun-seok from Juhan Group?

Forcing herself to maintain a neutral expression, she greeted him.

“…I’m Jung Yeon-ha, personal secretary to Choi Mujin, Vice President of Hangyeong Group.”

“Have a seat.”

Hyun-seok gestured for her to sit.

Despite being 30 minutes late, he acted as if she were the one who had kept him waiting.

But Yeon-ha wasn’t in a position to complain.

She was just a secretary, while he was the third son of Juhan Group’s chairman.

“You must be surprised that I’m your blind date.”

Hyun-seok smirked.

Yeon-ha remained silent, so he continued.

“Let’s be honest. You’re not really on my level, are you?”

He laughed.

“But I’ve realized something. A wife should be someone who stays home, cooks, and supports her husband.”

Hyun-seok glanced at Yeon-ha’s folded hands and smiled.

“A secretary like you should be good at that, right?”

Then, grinning, he made a crude gesture with his hands.

“You’re not wearing a push-up bra, are you?

Because sex is an important part of marriage, you know. I need a wife who’s good in bed.”