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A wet tongue lasciviously explored the damp folds between her legs.
Hae-soo bit down on her lower lip, as if trying to suppress her moans, while gripping the hair of the person teasing her thighs. Lying on her back, she could clearly see her reflection in the mirror installed on the ceiling.
To be precise, the entire scene on the bed was visible.
Why on earth had a mirror been installed on the bedroom ceiling?
Because of that mirror, every time she had sex with him, she had to witness such a debauched scene with her own eyes. Herself, lying completely naked, and the large figure of a man towering over her. His broad shoulders covered in dark tattoos. And her calves, precariously resting on top of them.
“Hng, ah……!”
Every time Lee Ho-beom slowly dragged his tongue over her swollen clit, a tingling thrill shot through her nerves. At those moments, unable to control herself, her body would twitch, and her heels would drum against his back.
Since the day they had made their somewhat effective contract, their secret meetings, hidden from Seo Mu-won, had surprisingly gone smoothly.
On the day of the contract, Hae-soo had only been able to free herself after sobbing beneath him. Just like in the memories of that small room, he had mercilessly thrust his large member into her, making the journey back home excruciating. And then, at night, she had to act as if nothing had happened and engage in foreplay with Seo Mu-won, leaving her utterly drained. The next day, after dealing with both men, she would be stuck in her room, unable to move, needing rest. And now, this had become a routine that repeated twice a month.
“Ngh……!”
Noticing that Hae-soo’s mind was wandering even as he pleasured her below, Ho-beom playfully bit down on her clit.
“Ah, don’t, don’t bite……!”
“Who doesn’t know how sensitive you are here?”
The repeated sexual encounters with both men had deeply affected Hae-soo’s psyche. Whenever she found herself in a similar situation, thoughts of the other would inevitably surface.
When Ho-beom performed cunnilingus on her like today, she would recall Seo Mu-won’s clumsy yet relentless attempts. In contrast, Seo Mu-won, as if to show his inexperience, was hasty and lacked finesse, while Ho-beom knew exactly how to touch her to make her moan and spill over, moving with skillful ease.
Even now, after releasing her clit, which he had been teasing with his teeth without hurting her, he lasciviously licked her wet entrance. He was a man with impeccable control over his strength.
“Ah, ngh…….”
With his head buried between her legs, sucking and licking, his hands never stopped teasing her breasts. He pinched her swollen nipples between his fingers, rolling them gently, causing Hae-soo’s upper body to arch slightly. The more she did, the more her back curved like a bow, pressing her groin harder against his lips.
“Hng…… ah……!”
Only when the area he had been diligently licking began to twitch uncontrollably did Ho-beom lift his head. He casually licked the glistening fluids from the corners of his mouth and then pulled Hae-soo’s hips into position. Pressing her pale thighs into the bedsheet, he rubbed his thick, fully erect cock against her. After coating his shaft with the arousal dripping from her, he expertly pushed the tip into her entrance.
“Ngh……!”
As Hae-soo’s fingers urgently gripped the sheets, Ho-beom, as if unable to stand the sight, quickly interlaced his fingers with hers. Immediately after, he began to thrust his member deep inside her, stretching her tight walls.
“Hng, ah, ah……!”
He shoved his tongue into her open mouth, scraping her mucous membranes, and from the very beginning, he didn’t hold back, setting a fast pace. His dark testicles slapped against her spread labia, and her lewd moans filled the luxurious bedroom. With a steady rhythm, he pistoned into her, causing Hae-soo’s features to contort in ecstasy.
“Ah, ngh, hng…… ah! No…… ngh……!”
Just before Hae-soo reached her climax, he pulled his member all the way out. The speed of his thrusts had already caused a sticky mix of her fluids and his precum to coat both of their genitals. Without hesitation, Ho-beom pushed his fingers into her boiling, wet entrance.
Hae-soo’s pupils dilated, and her jaw trembled.
“Ah…… ah!”
He thrust his fingers rapidly and forcefully, hitting her sensitive spots with precision. Squelching, lewd sounds filled the room as her fluids gushed out.
The tingling contractions inside her belly made her vision flicker. Desperate to escape the overwhelming sensation, Hae-soo thrashed. Her cries grew louder, and her blurred vision collapsed into chaos. At some point, her entire clit began to throb, pushing her to the edge of an unbearable climax.
“Hng, no, stop, no…… ngh…… ahh……!”
She grabbed his thick arm, pleading, but Ho-beom, as if possessed, didn’t relent. Instead, he spread his fingers like scissors inside her, pressing down ruthlessly, all while staring intently at her flushed face.
After violently stirring her insides to the point where her hips threatened to lift off the bed, he felt her walls clenching abnormally tight. In that moment, he pulled his fingers out without hesitation.
“Hng!”
A gush of fluid followed his fingers, splattering everywhere. The unresolved orgasm from the cunnilingus earlier manifested belatedly in the form of a squirting climax. Since they had started meeting twice a month for sex, Ho-beom had made it a habit to drag Hae-soo through countless peaks before allowing himself to finish.
Today, Hae-soo trembled as the seemingly endless stream of fluid continued to flow, her hand dropping between her legs.
“Ngh, no, stop…… ah…….”
Ho-beom smirked lewdly at the explicit scene unfolding before his eyes.
“Peeing again?”
“Hng, hng……!”
He spread Hae-soo’s legs wide, despite her desperate attempts to keep her knees together. The fluid that hadn’t stopped yet continued to gush out in streams. His narrowed eyes caught sight of the trembling hole and the liquid arcing upward, as if taunting her.
When Hae-soo quickly moved her hand to cover her lower body, the fluid couldn’t rise anymore and instead trickled down, thoroughly soaking her buttocks and thighs.
“Ah, no… no! If you put it in now… ah…!”
Even though her climax hadn’t fully subsided, Lee Ho-beom grabbed his erect member and pushed inside without hesitation. The sensation of his ridged shaft pushing against her slick inner walls was maddeningly intense. Her thighs, spread wide to accommodate his large frame, trembled violently with each thrust.
“Hae-soo, you should be grateful you’re a woman.”
“Ung, hng… ah, uh…!”
“If you were a man, you’d be a premature ejaculator. How could you even hold your head up? You’d be squirting at the slightest touch.”
He pinned Hae-soo’s wrists to the sheets and continued to thrust into her, intensifying the sensations. Even after releasing once, it seemed there was still more to come, as the area where they joined was soaked with her arousal.
“Look how loose you are.”
At his words, Hae-soo, who had been gasping for breath, flinched as if biting her tongue.
“I can’t even tell if I’m fucking a pussy or a stretched-out rubber band…”
Ho-beom, quick to notice her reaction, pressed his lips firmly against her cheek. Though her insides were gripping him tightly, he knew that the more he humiliated her, the more she would feel ashamed and, at the same time, more aroused. It was a cruel game he played.
“How many guys have you been with behind my back, huh?”
“Ah, ah…! Uh, go slow… ah…!”
“Slow? What’s the point of going slow when you’re this loose?”
He slapped her breasts, which were bouncing with each forceful thrust, not hard enough to hurt but enough to make her flinch. Her body, already on edge, clenched tightly around him, as if craving even his merciless touch.
“Why are you so loose, Hae-soo? Tell me. Is it because Director Seo’s been shoving his fingers in you every day?”
“Hng, ah… ah…!”
“With a pussy this stretched, can you even feel satisfied with Director Seo? Speaking of which, is he big? With a face like that, I bet his dick is tiny, right?”
He wiggled his pinky finger in front of her face, mocking someone who wasn’t even there. Hae-soo glared at him with reddened eyes, furious that he kept bringing up Seo Mu-won during their intimate moments.
“He’s… hng… bigger than you…!”
“Oh, you’ve got some nerve… I’ve never seen anyone bigger than me in my life.”
Though he was the one who brought it up, hearing her confirm that she had seen Seo Mu-won’s size twisted something inside him. Ho-beom grabbed Hae-soo’s ankles, draped them over his shoulders, and began thrusting wildly.
Squelch, squelch—the sound of their coupling was wet and messy, their joined area already slick with thick foam. Hae-soo stared at the ceiling, feeling her lips tremble.
The man’s dark, triangular back moved like an angry beast, and his firm buttocks drew rapid circles. Each time, uncontrollable moans escaped her lips, and her body melted into shivers. The mirror’s presence was unwelcome. Every time her clouded mind looked up at the ceiling, it reminded her exactly who she was entangled with.
He pressed slowly against her pelvic area, delving deep into her sensitive walls. Each time the swollen head of his member struck deep inside, chaotic visions flashed in her mind.
“Ah, hng, uh… ah, ah…!”
He traced her sweat-drenched neck with his lips, then moved to kiss her. Even in her dazed state, Hae-soo turned her face away, avoiding his kiss. Noticing her evasion, he gritted his teeth, gripped her chin, and forcefully sucked her lips into his.
“Mmph…!”
Her eyes flew open at the ferocity of the kiss, meeting his gaze. Ho-beom’s eyes burned with a savage intensity, as if he wanted to tear her apart. He spread her open without mercy, and the brutal sensation of his thick member plunging to the hilt made her lips tremble with pleasure. Overwhelmed, she clenched her eyes shut as Ho-beom pulled back slightly.
“Ah! Ah, ah, uh…!”
He gripped her slender waist, thrusting shallowly before suddenly pulling out. Unlike him, who hadn’t yet climaxed, Hae-soo reached another small peak, her fluids gushing out once more.
As her body heated beyond control, the intense pleasure turned into unbearable pain. Sex with Ho-beom had always been like this. She had simply forgotten how harsh it could be after not seeing him for so long.
That’s why she was afraid. Afraid of the gaping hole that still craved more, afraid of the fact that Ho-beom hadn’t yet released.
“I… I don’t want this anymore… hng…!”
Hae-soo quickly turned over and tried to crawl away on her knees. In her disoriented state, the man’s laughter pierced her ears.
“Where do you think you’re going in the middle of sex?”
“Ugh, no, no…!”
“I haven’t even come yet.”
Ho-beom’s large hand gripped her waist and pulled her back. Surprised by her fierce resistance, he clicked his tongue. When holding her waist alone wasn’t enough, he grabbed her by the shoulders and neck.
“Ah!”
Even though he hadn’t gripped her that hard, Hae-soo suddenly screamed. Of course, she had been moaning loudly throughout, but this scream was different—it was filled with raw terror, as if struck by sudden fear.
“Ahn Hae-soo.”
“Hng, hng… uh…”
As he tucked Hae-soo’s messily disheveled hair behind her ear, her pale, sunken face was revealed. Her dilated pupils were unfocused, as if her body were here, but her mind was wandering somewhere lost in an unbearable nightmare.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Don’t… D-Don’t touch my neck… Don’t…”
She curled her body in on itself as if trying to hide, mumbling under her breath. She had been fine just moments ago, but now she had suddenly fallen into a panic. Lee Ho-beom frowned at the sight.
When he pressed his hand gently against the nape of her neck as if trying to confirm something, her small limbs trembled even more violently. This time, his touch was barely even a caress. He hadn’t applied any pressure, yet she panted faintly as though she were in pain.
Watching this unfold, a sudden thought crossed Lee Ho-beom’s mind.
“What the fuck…”
“……”
“Don’t tell me… Did Director Seo strangle you?”
Hae-soo tightly shut her eyes, as if his words had forcibly dragged up a memory she desperately wanted to forget. Lee Ho-beom, whose attention was now entirely on her, felt his face twist into a harsher expression. He grabbed her arm, turning her to face him directly.
“Answer me, Ahn Hae-soo.”
“……”
“What did that bastard do to you?”
His voice was sharp and impatient. Hae-soo had once told him herself that she liked how Seo Mu-won never treated her roughly. But right now, Lee Ho-beom was too shaken by her sudden reaction to recall that. At his pressing demand, Hae-soo weakly shook her head, her eyes losing focus as if she were slipping away.
Not Seo Mu-won? Then what the hell is this reaction?
Why on earth…
“It wasn’t taken from me. I took it… from my brother.”
Like a lightbulb flickering to life, those words surfaced in his mind.
“Then… Seo Mu-won’s younger brother?”
For a moment, Hae-soo’s trembling stopped. Her reaction was as if a knife had stabbed straight into a deeply hidden wound. Lee Ho-beom let out a bitter chuckle.
“That fucking bastard…”
His voice was eerie, as though he wanted to tear someone apart. The sinister murmur seemed to snap Hae-soo back to her senses. Swallowing down the fear that resurfaced from the memory, she barely managed to open her mouth.
“J-Just… Just let it go. Just don’t touch my neck…”
“What? You’re shaking like this, and you still want me to fuck you? What the fuck, do you take me for some brain-dead animal that only thinks with his dick?”
Once again, Lee Ho-beom’s reaction was sharp, tinged with an unplaceable roughness. Hae-soo, gripping the sheets, stared at him steadily. It was as if she was silently asking, Are you seriously worried about me right now?—a look of disbelief that he immediately picked up on. His brows furrowed.
Lee Ho-beom ran a hand through his hair, frustrated, as though things weren’t going the way he wanted. Then, he let himself fall back onto the bed, stretching out. Without warning, he grabbed Hae-soo’s limp arm and pulled her on top of him.
“Then you do it yourself.”
“…Hh.”
Her still-soaked entrance widened as the thick, swollen length slowly pushed in. Not having climaxed earlier, his shaft was still painfully engorged, and it eased inside her with a slick, melting sensation. Hae-soo hesitated, placing her hands against his firm chest, unsure of what to do. Slowly, she started to roll her hips.
“You joking? You want me to come or not?”
Lee Ho-beom clicked his tongue at the pitifully weak movement and grabbed her ass tightly, guiding her to move faster and with more rhythm. The flesh of her ass, caught in his grip, bulged slightly as it ground down against his pelvis.
“Ah, ah… ngh, hngh…!”
Despite her earlier panic, her body still hadn’t cooled down completely, and it didn’t take long before she reached her climax. Lee Ho-beom groaned, savoring the way her walls clenched around him, the way she gripped him, hot and wet.
This time, he didn’t hold back—he spilled himself inside her, filling her up.
Hae-soo, utterly exhausted from the prolonged sex, collapsed onto his body. Lee Ho-beom ran a slow hand through her hair, seemingly basking in the post-orgasmic haze. Hae-soo’s dazed eyes drifted toward the floor-to-ceiling window beside the bed. From both the living room and here, the river outside was fully visible. She silently gazed at the water for a long time before finally stirring.
“I’m going to take a shower.”
Lee Ho-beom studied her expression for a moment, as if assessing whether she was truly okay now. Deciding that she was, he cupped the back of her head and kissed her.
After the wet, lingering sound of lips parting, he let her go as if granting permission.
Hae-soo slowly got up from the bed and stepped into the now-familiar bathroom, washing herself thoroughly from head to toe. Her hands instinctively scrubbed at her neck again and again, as if that could somehow erase the memories clinging to it.
Once she had dried her wet hair and dressed herself in the clothes she had taken off before sex, she stepped out.
Lee Ho-beom was sitting on the couch beside the bed, a loosely tied robe draped over his body. A cigarette was burning between his fingers.
She wanted to slip out quietly, but her bag was sitting right next to his chair.
“Ah…!”
She had just reached for it when, in barely a second, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back. In the blink of an eye, she found herself straddling his thigh.
Lee Ho-beom took the cigarette from his lips and leaned in for a kiss.
Come to think of it, both he and Seo Mu-won had an odd fixation on her lips.
“Don’t,” she murmured. “The smell will stick.”
At that, Lee Ho-beom let out a short laugh.
“You still think you’re some high school kid?”
“……”
“Right... My cigarette smell shouldn’t cling to you, whether back then or now.”
Beneath his monotone voice lay a layer of bitterness that stirred discomfort within Hae-soo. Attempting to rise, she pushed against his chest, but before she could move, Lee Ho-beom wrapped his arms around her, pinning her in place. Then, he pressed something into her hand.
Her eyes widened slightly as she recognized what it was.
“How did you…?”
Though she wondered if it was just her imagination, the fact that it was in his possession confirmed it wasn’t. It was the black card she had left behind in that tiny studio apartment years ago.
“If you toss it aside carelessly again, you’ll get scolded.”
“...I don’t need it.”
“Even if you don’t need it, keep it.”
“...”
“At least use this card when coming to see me or leaving.”
Holding it in her hand made her acutely aware of Seo Mu-won’s card tucked away in her bag.
“Do you still dig into Director Seo’s affairs these days?”
“Why? Are you finally curious whether Director Seo might have skeletons in his closet?”
“No, it’s not that... You two work together, so why do such things—”
“The goal is simple. What I’m curious about is whether it’s me or Director Seo you’re more interested in.”
“…I’m leaving.”
As Hae-soo moved to stand abruptly, Lee Ho-beom chuckled and pulled her waist closer.
“I told you before, didn’t I? Seo Mu-won’s background is suspiciously clean.”
“...”
“Do you know why those high-and-mighty chaebol families want to work with people like us who haven’t had proper education? It’s because when they attempt big, risky projects that are hard for them to handle alone, they usually end up with messy loose ends. That’s why they use us—to quietly clean up their messes.”
“...”
“But Sungjo—no, Director Seo—has none of that. So why would he collaborate with us? That raises some fundamental questions. Especially since my boss is the type who’s extremely suspicious of such things.”
In other words, the symbiotic relationship between Seo Mu-won and Lee Ho-beom was temporary and could shatter at any moment.
In a typical corporate setting, Seo Mu-won’s Sungjo Corporation would far surpass comparison with others. But Lee Ho-beom’s world operated differently—a realm where violence and brute force ruled everything. It was a dangerous, instinct-driven world where even chaebols like Seo Mu-won, born into wealth, struggled to suppress threats through money alone.
Perhaps their collaboration was possible precisely because of this precarious balance. Realizing the chasm between the two men, Hae-soo felt anew how perilously she stood on a tightrope.
Lee Ho-beom cupped her cheek, his gaze lowered, and took a drag from his cigarette. His long, straight fingers traced her cheek before slowly descending to caress her neck. She flinched slightly, though her reaction wasn’t as intense as during sex. This confirmed that the aftereffects stemmed from the choking during intercourse. Lee Ho-beom barely suppressed the urge to grind his teeth in frustration.
“That guy, who’s around my age... It’s like he’s swallowed dozens of snakes. I can’t read him at all. That makes him even more unsettling and suspicious. At least with guys whose intentions are obvious, there’s a certain charm. But that bastard smiles innocently while ready to stab you in the back without hesitation.”
“...”
“That’s why I’m telling you not to trust him. He’s not someone you can handle in the first place.”
“The same goes for you—you’re no less overwhelming.”
“Ah, our Hae-soo always has a sharp retort.”
Lee Ho-beom pinched her nose teasingly, as if dealing with a mischievous child. Before Hae-soo could swat his hand away, wincing from the pain, he pulled her tightly into his embrace. Her chest, which had been pressed against him moments earlier, clung to him again, and his lips brushed against her ear.
“Are you going to have sex with Seo Mu-won today?”
The blatant question froze Hae-soo’s thoughts. Lee Ho-beom always asked her this before she left, as if deducing the progress of her relationship with Seo Mu-won based on her reactions. No matter how much she tried to remain calm, his sudden questions always elicited an honest response.
“Don’t do it.”
“...”
“Only with me.”
He bit down hard on her earlobe as he spoke, his tone resembling a petulant child’s tantrum. Hae-soo pushed against his chest and abruptly stood up. Lee Ho-beom leisurely crossed his legs and brought the cigarette filter to his lips.
“You know, I doubt he’s good in bed.”
“…I’m leaving.”
“Honestly, isn’t sucking cock something I’m better at?”
Hae-soo ignored his shameless question, letting it pass through one ear and out the other as she turned to leave. As she absentmindedly touched her ear, now dirtied by his vulgarity, something occurred to her. Before exiting the bedroom, she glanced back.
“Next month will be the last. Got it?”
Unlike her high school days, when the promised ten sessions seemed endless, they had approached quickly. Sometimes, due to his inability to hold back, he climaxed twice in one day or demanded oral sex, causing the count to dwindle faster than expected. In just three months, the end of this strange arrangement was already in sight.
After delivering her statement like a final notice, Hae-soo left the bedroom.
She made no effort to guess what kind of expression he might be making as he was left behind, alone.
________________________________________
Hae-soo had wanted to avoid using Lee Ho-beom’s card, but the taxi fare ended up exceeding the amount of cash she had on hand. She had no choice but to hand over his card.
She got off a little farther from Seo Mu-won’s house on purpose and walked the rest of the way. As she crossed through the gate and stepped inside, she paused at the sight before her—Seo Mu-won, seated on the living room sofa.
She was a little later than usual, but even so, it was still earlier than his typical return time, making his presence unexpected.
“Where have you been?”
“I had some errands to run. You’re home early today.”
He stood from the sofa and approached her. As if about to kiss her, he lowered his upper body—but stopped just short of her lips.
Hae-soo instinctively swallowed a breath.
Seo Mu-won gently gathered a strand of her long, flowing hair with his fingers and brought it close to his nose.
“You smell like cigarettes.”
Since neither of them smoked, there was no doubt the scent had clung to her from Lee Ho-beom. Her heart pounded violently—she had just done something she needed to hide from him.
Keeping her expression as neutral as possible, she answered, “Ah, I guess the smell stuck to me.”
“From where?”
“I was wandering around all over the place today.”
“Go take a shower.”
It was rare to hear a direct command from him—he always asked for her opinion first. The faint displeasure on Seo Mu-won’s face made Hae-soo uneasy, so she hurriedly headed upstairs to her room.
She had already showered after having sex with Lee Ho-beom, but if the cigarette smell lingered, she figured she should wash up again.
Stripping off her clothes, she stepped under the warm water, letting it cascade over her body. She ran her hands over her wet hair and massaged her aching lower back and inner thighs—remnants of their earlier affair.
Did the smell really stick to me…?
She sniffed her hair and arms, but since it was her own scent, it was hard to tell. Regardless, she reached for the shower sponge, intending to scrub away any lingering traces.
Just then, the tightly shut bathroom door swung open.
Startled, she turned around—only to see Seo Mu-won standing there, just as bare as she was.
“Director…?”
Without hesitation, he stepped under the streaming water with her. Hae-soo blinked in shock as he moved closer, pressing her against the wall.
“Why are you…?”
“I’ll wash you myself.”
His lips lightly brushed against the shell of her ear. Standing behind her, he ran his hands over her body, the water carrying his touch across her skin. Hae-soo instinctively braced herself against the wall.
Seo Mu-won rested his chin on her curled-up shoulder as if cradling her, his large hands cupping her breasts from below. The weight of them settled heavily in his palms.
His hands felt unusually slick—at some point, he had lathered them with body wash.
“Haah…”
His slippery hands kneaded her cleavage, massaging her soft mounds before rolling her stiffening nipples between his fingers. Earlier, Lee Ho-beom had spent an inordinate amount of time sucking on them, leaving them still hypersensitive. The moment his fingers toyed with them, her mind turned hazy.
Just as she let out a shaky moan and pressed her forehead against the wall, something thick and solid nudged between her thighs.
Realization hit her.
The firm, pulsing length rubbing against her was none other than his aroused cock.
They had never had full intercourse before—only foreplay. This was the first time their most intimate parts had come into direct contact.
Naturally, tension gripped her body.
Lee Ho-beom’s voice echoed in her head: Are you going to sleep with Seo Mu-won tonight?
“D-Director… I can wash myself—”
She hurriedly grabbed his arm. They had deliberately left actual penetration as the last remaining boundary between them. And yet, at this rate, it felt like he was about to take her right here in the shower.
Her hips still ached from Lee Ho-beom’s rough handling earlier. Doing it while standing would be too much.
Despite her flustered plea, Seo Mu-won didn’t stop. As if deaf to her words, he continued kneading her breasts while rubbing himself against her slickened entrance.
Thanks to the running water, there was no uncomfortable friction, but the unfamiliar sensation sent a shiver down her spine.
“Ah…!”
He bit down on her shoulder, then ran his tongue over the mark. His hands, which had been tormenting her breasts, slid lower—gripping her ass cheeks and spreading them apart before pressing his shaft even closer.
Each time his tip brushed against her sensitive clit, she trembled uncontrollably. Her body, already overstimulated from her time with Lee Ho-beom, responded helplessly to the electrifying friction.
She barely managed to stay on her feet, her heels instinctively lifting.
Noticing her reaction, Seo Mu-won adjusted his movements, deliberately angling himself so his cock would graze against her swollen bud.
The more he rubbed, the more her body arched in pleasure.
He had yet to push inside—only grinding against her entrance, coaxing out more arousal. The slickness between them grew, wetting both of their bodies.
Her core was already relaxed and receptive, their combined fluids making penetration effortless.
But Seo Mu-won didn’t rush.
Instead of thrusting in, he continued pressing against her trembling folds, teasing her mercilessly.
With the shower still running, the sensation felt almost surreal—like they were indulging in some obscene, illicit act under a torrential downpour.
“Mmnh…”
He nipped at her shoulder before trailing up to take her earlobe between his teeth.
“Haa… Ahn Hae-soo…”
Her stomach clenched at the low, husky way he murmured her name.
His voice—hoarse and dripping with desire—sent a pulse of heat straight to her core.
Unlike before, he was no longer simply using her thighs to get off. Now, they were truly pressed together—skin to skin, teasing the threshold of something more.
“Ahh…”
The rhythmic grinding only grew more intoxicating.
Seo Mu-won let out a ragged breath as his hips moved against her.
For now, he held back.
But she could tell—he was on the verge of crossing that final line.
The hand that had been wrapped around her flat lower belly slipped down beneath her mons, spreading her labia apart and rubbing against her clit. The moment stimulation was applied to what was essentially the epicenter of pleasure, her body instantly lost strength. Leaning against him, she continued their pseudo-sexual act while leaving herself completely exposed to him. At some point, when the back of her head rested against his shoulder, Seo Mu-won bit into her lips as if it were the most natural thing in the world, with not a trace of hesitation left.
“Haa…”
“Nngh…!”
As they sucked on each other’s tongues and rubbed their bodies together, he climaxed at just the right moment. His cock, which had been wedged between her thighs, twitched violently as if writhing, before spurting out thick, cloudy semen in slow, pulsing spurts. Some of it splattered up onto Hae-soo’s lower belly, releasing a faint scent of acacia blossoms.
“Can you see it? How the color of my semen has lightened.”
Pulling out the shower hose, he carefully rinsed away what had landed on her belly, murmuring as he watched the diluted remnants wash away in the water.
“The color?”
“When I first came, it was thick. But now, after spilling into you every night, it’s gotten lighter.”
Understanding the implications of his words, Hae-soo felt a heat rise to her ears. Sensing her flustered state, he licked the shell of her ear as if savoring the flesh of a ripe fruit, then thoroughly washed the remaining fluids off her body. Now, as she realized, his touch truly was cleansing every part of her. Only now did it dawn on her that what had happened earlier had been nothing more than foreplay for the real act.
Only after he had meticulously scrubbed her to his satisfaction did he lift her effortlessly in his arms and step out of the bathroom.
Laying her down on the plush sofa, he disappeared into the bathroom again, returning with a soft towel in hand. He used it to gently dry her hair. Feeling pleasantly drowsy, Hae-soo didn’t resist and simply let him do as he pleased. Once he finished drying her hair and neatly set the towel aside, he guided her onto the bed and climbed in beside her.
Just as she was wondering if he intended to go for another round, he instead moved behind her and pulled her into his embrace.
“Do I still smell?”
Nestled comfortably in his broad chest, Hae-soo asked. Seo Mu-won slipped his arm beneath her head and slightly lifted his face, rubbing his prominent nose bridge against the nape of her neck. As he took a deep breath, a faint shiver ran down her spine.
“No, I don’t smell anything now.”
As if finally satisfied, he pressed soft, lingering kisses against the nape of her neck.
The tickling sensation of his lips made Hae-soo giggle, her laughter popping like tiny soap bubbles. Seo Mu-won, feeling her squirm in response, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer. She flinched as she felt the firm pressure of something hard pressing between the cleft of her buttocks. There was no need to look or reach back to confirm what it was—she already knew.
One release was no longer enough to satisfy him.
“Director, do you know you called me by my name earlier?”
“Hm? I always call you by your name.”
“No… You dropped the ‘ssi.’ You always say ‘Ahn Hae-soo-ssi,’ but…”
“Did I?”
As if unaware of his own slip, Seo Mu-won merely played with her fingers indifferently.
“Do you like it when I call you that?”
“Well… I mean, adding ‘ssi’ makes it sound too formal…”
A quiet chuckle came from behind her. When Hae-soo turned her head in response, she saw Seo Mu-won smirking. Given how rare his smiles were, she had once found them awkward and unsettling, but by now, they had become familiar—an indicator of the growing closeness between them.
“You act cute in the strangest ways.”
Despite just saying that, he didn’t stop at mere words—he began pressing kisses all over her body, as if she were some adorable little creature. The meticulous man who once found physical contact so repellent that he wiped his hands clean with a handkerchief whenever he touched her was now unrecognizable.
Though exhausted, she couldn’t sleep. Or rather, she was too aware of the man lying behind her. Seo Mu-won, who used to leave the bedroom immediately after their affairs, now stayed by her side as if he intended to fall asleep with her.
Right now, the way he idly played with the strands of her long hair was so leisurely. In the past, her hair had only been yanked hard enough to hurt or grabbed and pushed into the mattress. But now, it simply lay there, peacefully tangled in his fingers.
“Are you free next week?”
“Next week? I suppose I am… Why?”
“There’s a yacht party. I was wondering if you’d like to come with me.”
Hae-soo remained silent for a moment before realizing the implication behind his words. Without thinking, she sat up, pulling the blanket over her chest as she turned to look at him.
“Me?”
“Who else here besides you?”
“I mean… Are you sure it’s okay to take me to something like that?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
There were plenty of reasons.
Above all, his reputation was the biggest concern. Hae-soo might not have been involved in that world anymore, but she was well aware that in social gatherings of business elites, not only were the figures of power present, but so were their partners—each subject to scrutiny and judgment. There had been many cases where an individual’s reputation was tarnished simply because they were accompanied by an inappropriate partner.
Of course, Seo Mu-won wasn’t the kind of man whose worth could be diminished just because of someone like her, but…
“It’s only a small gathering. No need to feel pressured.”
“…But what if rumors start because of it?”
“What kind of rumors?”
“Like… about marriage.”
“Well, I don’t officially have a fiancée right now, so it’s not like bringing a female partner would be some immoral act. Is there any reason to be criticized for it?”
“……”
“Rather, at my age, wouldn’t it look even more pathetic to attend alone without a woman by my side?”
Seo Mu-won pulled Hae-soo toward him while still seated. This time, her body collapsed in a way that faced him directly. The fact that he had made up his mind to take her to such an event gave her a strange feeling. Staring at his chest, Hae-soo mumbled.
“You said you needed me for marriage.”
“But what can I do? I’m still damnably unable to desire any woman other than you, Hae-soo.”
Her chest trembled.
She wasn’t sure whether it was from anticipation or from the inner voice repeatedly warning her not to get her hopes up. Suddenly, someone’s face flashed in her mind—Lee Ho-beom, who had once asked why she liked Director Seo. The next moment, an uneasy thought surfaced: What if Lee Ho-beom was also attending the event?
But she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She didn’t want to plant any unnecessary suspicions in Seo Mu-won’s mind over something trivial. In any case, it was Ho-beom who needed to keep things hidden, not her. There was no real reason to avoid being seen with Seo Mu-won.
As she drifted through her deepening thoughts, Hae-soo slowly sank into sleep.
________________________________________
The promised date approached quickly.
At 5 PM, an unexpected box, sent by Seo Mu-won through his secretary, arrived. The box was so large that Hae-soo struggled to lift it, and inside, she found an entire set of items for dressing up from head to toe—clothing, shoes, a handbag, and accessories.
She had expected this. Even if the gathering was small, it would still be an ideal place for people to scrutinize every detail with their sharp eyes and sharp tongues. Preparation was necessary. That said, it wasn’t as though she lacked suitable clothes. She still had a pile of outfits from a past shopping spree at the department store, many of which had never been worn due to her infrequent outings.
Yet, instead of using those, he had gone out of his way to prepare something new for her.
Then again, considering how familiar he was with such events, he had probably chosen the outfit to match the occasion. Without a word, Hae-soo pulled the clothes out of the box.
Most of the items were fine—but the issue was the shoes.
She was used to wearing sneakers or flats, so the high heels felt unfamiliar and difficult to walk in. She carefully took one step at a time, making her way toward the car parked at the front gate.
Seo Mu-won, who had been looking at a tablet in the back seat, casually lifted his gaze. Perhaps he had been in the middle of work, as he was wearing cold, rimmed glasses. His sharp eyes lightly scanned her from head to toe. As a satisfied glimmer flickered in his glassy pupils, he reached out a hand toward her. Hae-soo took his hand and got into the car.
“I was so surprised when your secretary suddenly showed up.”
“I invited you, so I should take responsibility for your preparations as well. Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No, but the heels are high, so I’m worried. Honestly, I nearly stumbled a few times just walking to the car…”
“If you feel like you’re going to fall, grab onto me. I’ll hold you up without anyone noticing.”
Hae-soo chuckled softly at the thought of herself wobbling and tightly clutching his arm.
As soon as she got in, the car set off. Considering he had been checking his tablet before she arrived, he likely still had unfinished work. But until they reached the pier, Seo Mu-won focused solely on talking to her.
“Did you bring your phone?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Hand it over to Secretary Han. Phones are not allowed at today’s gathering.”
It seemed that, depending on the level of exclusivity, such restrictions could be put in place. Hae-soo hesitated briefly before taking out her phone and handing it to Secretary Han in the passenger seat. The thought of her messages with Lee Ho-beom nagged at her, but she had set a lock, and more importantly, she always deleted Ho-beom’s messages immediately after reading them. As long as he didn’t send a new one, there was no risk of exposure.
By the time the sky had darkened as if someone had scattered coal dust over it, they arrived at their destination. A few cars were parked along one side of the vast pier. And at the very end of the path, a luxurious yacht loomed grandly, reflecting the glow of the lights.
“Welcome.”
A uniformed staff member, likely part of the event, bowed politely. Secretary Han stepped forward and handed over what looked like an invitation. After a brief exchange, the staff member respectfully presented Seo Mu-won with a small velvet pouch.
“I will be waiting here, Director.”
Secretary Han remained beside the staff, offering his farewell.
Hae-soo had assumed he would be accompanying them, but it seemed he was staying behind. Not only were phones restricted, but even personal assistants were excluded from this gathering. The extreme level of security left her wondering—just what kind of secretive meeting was this?
With her arm linked around Seo Mu-won’s, she carefully stepped onto the yacht.
The place where they arrived was the yacht’s main hall. Because her feet were firmly planted on solid flooring, she didn’t strongly feel the sensation of floating on water. Moreover, the hall was decorated so magnificently that it felt more like an elegant hotel banquet hall than a yacht.
The grand space was spread across two floors. A massive crystal chandelier, hanging from an impossibly high ceiling, emitted a gentle, moonlit glow rather than the harsh brightness of the sun. The soft, shimmering light rippled across the room like reflections on water, creating an ambiance that was both subtle and profound.
In various spots across the main hall, round tables covered with velvet tablecloths stood, each topped with an arrangement of liquor bottles and glasses stacked like a distillery’s display.
Given the strict security measures—including the absence of electronic devices and assistants—there were no servers moving about with trays. And yet, the venue was already bustling, filled with small clusters of people engaged in lively conversation.
Initially, it had been too dim to make out details, but as Hae-soo brushed past a few individuals, she unintentionally recognized some of them—celebrities she had seen on television.
There was an actor whose value had skyrocketed after starring in a recent blockbuster, as well as a famous model who had just returned from an overseas fashion show.
If even public figures of such renown were attending, then the security here must be airtight.
And even among these opulent guests, Seo Mu-won’s status was unmistakable. Not long after his arrival, several people approached him.
Throughout the conversations, Seo Mu-won kept an arm wrapped around Hae-soo’s waist. His firm arm supported her back, making it so that her body naturally leaned into him. Every time the guests took note of their close posture, their eyes curved with intrigue.
But oddly enough, not a single person openly commented on Hae-soo’s presence.
Perhaps that, too, was an unspoken rule of gatherings like these.
Some were clearly approaching with the intention of talking to the secretary, yet they occasionally cast interested glances at Hae-soo. They kept sneaking peeks but refrained from speaking to her outright, likely because her partner for the evening was the secretary.
That didn’t mean the discomfort or awkwardness went away, so Hae-soo simply took the opportunity to look around.
Just then, the door leading outside swung open, and someone appeared. It was a tall man. This night, he was as black as the darkness itself. Dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and a plain black tie without any embellishments, the man looked like an abyss personified.
He had a face that reminded her of someone.
Someone who was so overwhelmingly dark, as if they could swallow her whole in a single gulp.
“……”
Hae-soo flinched the next moment.
She had spotted Lee Ho-beom emerging from behind the man who had been watching her so intently.
First, she was startled to realize that he was indeed at this event, just as she had half-feared and half-expected. Then, she noticed the woman clinging to his arm.
Unlike Hae-soo, who was dressed neatly thanks to the secretary’s consideration, the woman by Ho-beom’s side was clad in a far more provocative outfit, exposing her skin despite the lingering chill of the night. And strangely enough, it suited Ho-beom, who, no matter how well-dressed, always carried an air of unruliness and mischief. Just like how she now stood beside the secretary as his partner, the woman seemed to be Ho-beom’s counterpart.
For some reason, she couldn’t tear her gaze away.
Hae-soo flinched as if startled when her eyes unexpectedly met Ho-beom’s. The distance between them was considerable, and the secretary and others were engaged in quiet conversation, giving him no real reason to look her way. Yet, Ho-beom turned to face her with uncanny precision, as if drawn by some inexplicable sense.
Their eyes met, and though far apart, she could clearly see the sharp, piercing gleam in his gaze. Ho-beom’s eyes swept over her, lingering briefly on the secretary’s arm wrapped around her waist. His gaze, razor-sharp, roamed over her before returning to her face. Before he could scrutinize her any further, Hae-soo turned away.
Just as he had during that dinner with Ho-beom, the secretary continued to keep an eye on her even while engaging in formal conversation. Taking advantage of a break in the crowd coming to greet them, he handed her a glass of champagne, assuring her it was non-alcoholic. When she wobbled slightly while walking, his arm tensed as he supported her waist.
The constant shift in faces unsettled Hae-soo. Every time a new person approached, an eerie chill crawled through her chest.
“Director Seo.”
The one who ultimately drove a wedge into her unease finally arrived.
Hae-soo stiffened as she saw a man she had never met before—standing with none other than Lee Ho-beom right behind him.
The man in front was looking straight at her, but she turned her gaze to him as if fleeing from Ho-beom’s intense stare. She hadn’t heard a single explanation yet, but she already knew—this man was someone Ho-beom often spoke of, his superior.
“You’re a busy man, so I wasn’t sure if you’d accept the invitation, but seeing you here, I don’t know where to put myself,” the man said with a slick smile, shaking the secretary’s hand.
The way he mentioned the invitation suggested that he was the host of this event. Like Ho-beom, he was a tall man, but unlike a typical gangster, he had a polished, jewel-like presence. If she had to assign him a color, he was a deep ruby—an exterior that carried a strangely sensual charm.
“This is our first time meeting in person. You always meet with our Director Lee instead.”
When the name “our Director Lee” left the man’s lips, a deep-seated sense of dissonance took hold of Hae-soo.
She had thought of Ho-beom as someone in charge of collecting debts from small-time debtors like herself—just another mid-tier member of the organization. But was she mistaken? Or had he risen through the ranks without her knowing? She couldn’t tell.
“What do you think? His abilities don’t disappoint, do they?”
“So far, everything has been smooth. Seeing how you speak, you must have great trust in him.”
“He’s the most capable one under me. That’s why I entrusted him with his current position.”
At those words, Hae-soo instinctively glanced at Ho-beom.
And, unfortunately, she also saw the woman still clinging to his arm.
Her lips, painted a deep red, curved slightly as she leaned closer to Ho-beom. Like a snake flicking its tail, she whispered something in his ear, covering her mouth as she spoke. The intimate closeness between them seemed to thicken the atmosphere.
At some point, Hae-soo stopped registering the conversation between the secretary and the man called Director Kang.
Instead, she found herself fixated on the way Ho-beom smirked at the woman’s words, the way he found amusement in them. A chill ran down her spine.
She wanted to rid herself of the strange, indescribable feeling taking root inside her. Lowering her gaze, she stubbornly focused on the floor.
As she stared at the ground, the conversation ended, and Director Kang and Ho-beom passed by her.
The scent of his cigarette clung to the air like an ominous shadow, wrapping around her.
As the secretary’s discussion continued, Hae-soo naturally followed his lead, taking a step forward—only to feel discomfort at the back of her right heel.
She glanced down but couldn’t get a proper look in her current position.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“Ah, well…”
She almost answered honestly but hesitated when she saw another person approaching the secretary with an eager expression.
She didn’t want to inconvenience him by complaining about her feet.
“I’m feeling a little dizzy. Would it be alright if I rested upstairs for a bit?”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No, you still have a lot of people to talk to, don’t you?”
Hae-soo shook her head firmly.
The secretary studied her silently before agreeing to find her later, gently guiding her toward the stairs.
Nodding, she grasped the handrail and ascended the spiral staircase.
The first floor was dimly lit, but the second floor was even darker.
Perhaps it was a space designed precisely for guests to take a quiet break.
Finding a sofa in the corner, Hae-soo carefully removed her heels.
“Ugh…”
She had suspected something was wrong every time she walked, a sharp sting trailing her steps like a blade against her skin.
Sure enough, unused to wearing such shoes, her heel had been rubbed raw, a bright patch of red seeping through the torn flesh.
If the injury weren’t too bad, she had planned to rest briefly and return downstairs, but seeing the open wound and the small bead of blood, the idea of putting her heels back on made her wince.
With a sigh, she let the shoes slip from her fingers and leaned back into the couch.
The silence allowed her thoughts, forcibly buried under the chaos, to resurface.
Predictably, the first thing that came to mind was the sight of Lee Ho-beom from earlier.
She had told herself otherwise before, but now, with some distance, her feelings had become clearer.
Strangely, Hae-soo felt uncomfortable at that moment.
Why?
What reason did she have to bear such an unpleasant feeling just from seeing Lee Ho-beom with another woman?
The relationship between them was thinner and more fragile than a sheet of paper. They were tied together solely by money and debt—that was all. Their connection had begun and would end with that financial entanglement, and once that issue was resolved, their relationship would snap apart as easily as if it had never existed.
And yet, when she saw some woman clinging to him, whispering into his ear—when she saw Lee Ho-beom responding with a smooth, curved smile—when that subtly harmonious atmosphere instantly transformed into something tinged with sensuality—she felt a strange sense of discomfort, as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over her head.
‘…Ah.’
As she pressed her fingers against her temple, trying to suppress the dull headache that lingered in her mind, Hae-soo slowly began to grasp the reason.
‘So he had a woman all along…’
It was absurd. The way he acted—as if she was the only one in his world, as if he was obsessed with her—it was ridiculous.
When they had reunited, he had resorted to making ridiculous threats just to keep her tied to him. Later, he had gone so far as to scrutinize every minor interaction between her and Seo Mu-won, as if he were truly afraid of losing her. All of those things—the possessiveness, the jealousy—
‘It was just another game to him, wasn’t it?’
A cheap form of entertainment, nothing more and nothing less.
Just like the time when he had cruelly shoved her into the depths of despair, claiming she had once carried his child—an outrageous lie, spoken without the slightest regard for her.
“Hae-soo.”
The sudden call of her name startled her.
Seo Mu-won stood before her, silhouetted against the dim lighting. He should have been downstairs, greeting and conversing with the other guests. Before she could even address him as “Director,” he had already approached and knelt before her. Lifting her calf, he gently placed it on his knee.
“Are you hurt?”
“It’s just a small scrape.”
Seo Mu-won carefully examined the heel she had been tending to earlier. His finely sculpted brows furrowed ever so slightly, as if displeased by what he saw.
“You shouldn’t walk any further. Let’s head to a room.”
“There are rooms here?”
Seo Mu-won pulled something from his inner pocket—a velvet pouch, the very same one a staff member had given him before they boarded.
“This is a room key.”
“Oh… But, there are still so many people who want to speak with you.”
As Hae-soo offered him a faint smile, Seo Mu-won silently studied her face. Just as she wondered if she had said something wrong, he abruptly kissed her.
Her eyes widened in shock, and she instinctively pushed against his chest, startled by the suddenness of it.
“Director, what if someone sees—”
“There’s no one here.”
True to his words, the second floor was nearly silent, devoid of any noticeable presence.
Seo Mu-won grasped the hand that was pressed against his chest and interlocked their fingers, deepening the kiss. The man who had once recoiled from the slightest brush of another’s breath was now the one eagerly parting her lips, mingling their saliva with deliberate hunger.
“Still, we should… uhm…”
Hae-soo’s pupils wavered dangerously.
In the dim light, obscured by shadows, a figure stood motionless.
There were not many men she knew who were that tall.
That was why her eyes had immediately caught onto Vice President Kang Mookhyun when she met him earlier. Aside from Seo Mu-won, he was one of the few people who could match Lee Ho-beom in height.
For a brief moment, her eyelashes quivered with delicate tension.
Was it because Seo Mu-won was sucking on her tongue with such intensity? Or was it because her eyes had just met Lee Ho-beom’s?
Even in the pitch-black darkness, his gaze was sharp, glinting with barely restrained emotion.
It was the same look he had given her when he had stormed into the restroom and slapped her across the face.
A gaze filled with violent emotion, as if he wanted nothing more than to tear her apart.
Her fingers, which were still trapped in Seo Mu-won’s grip, instinctively curled inward, as if recoiling in fear.
Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind—a lingering image from before Seo Mu-won had arrived.
Lee Ho-beom, standing in front of her with another woman, smiling effortlessly, indulging in easy intimacy.
That sight had made her realize something.
Everything he had ever done—the way he had acted around her—none of it had ever been real.
The memory played through her mind like a film reel, and without even realizing it, her body moved on its own.
She pulled her hand free from Seo Mu-won’s grasp and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Turning away from the seething intensity in Lee Ho-beom’s eyes, she slowly closed her own.
Seo Mu-won’s fingers tightened around her nape, pulling her closer, deepening the kiss. Their lips pressed and melded together as their tongues tangled, completely disregarding their surroundings.
The slick warmth of his tongue brushing against her soft palate sent a shiver down her spine. Just as she exhaled a heated breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, their lips parted with a wet sound.
By the time her eyes fluttered open again, Lee Ho-beom had vanished without a trace.
“…Let’s go to the room.”
Hae-soo barely managed to speak, her mind still reeling from the mix of emotions.
Seo Mu-won slid her shoes back onto her feet and effortlessly lifted her into his arms.
As they stepped out onto the wooden deck, the night breeze swept between them.
But the chill barely registered.
Their lips brushed together repeatedly as they kissed, heedless of the cold.
Without once allowing her feet to touch the ground, Seo Mu-won carried her all the way to the room.
The door clicked shut behind them, and Hae-soo found herself perched atop a silver-embellished vanity table.
Seo Mu-won wasted no time.
No longer feeling the need to restrain himself, he hiked up her skirt, exposing the smooth expanse of her thighs. His hands roamed over the soft skin with unhurried intent, proving that his every touch was deliberate, never aimless.
Before she knew it, her clothing had been pulled up and slipped down, leaving little left in place.
“That man you met earlier.”
Seo Mu-won’s grip tightened on her inner thigh as he finally spoke.
Hae-soo, still dazed from the languid pleasure of their deep kisses, barely managed to register his words.
“The Vice President of Daeyoung Holdings, Kang Mookhyun. Do you remember him?”
Hae-soo leaned the back of her head against the cold vanity mirror and met his gaze before nodding. Dressed in black from head to toe, as if painted in the color, yet strangely reminiscent of an alluring ruby.
Seo Mu-won’s hand moved behind her, pulling down the zipper at her back. The sound of the seam, once tightly interlocked, slowly separating scraped against her ears.
“And the man standing behind him?”
Hae-soo’s hand, which had been gripping his clothes, flinched and curled slightly. She didn’t know why the subject of Lee Ho-beom had suddenly come up, but she couldn’t afford to let her stiffening show, so she forced her tongue to move.
“The one we had dinner with last time…”
“That’s right, the president of Daeyoung Construction.”
“……”
“Do you two know each other?”
He continued speaking.
“He couldn’t take his eyes off you the entire time I was talking with Director Kang.”
The formal speech he had maintained despite their age gap had disappeared in an instant. Instead, authority weighed heavily in his tone.
Hae-soo bit her lower lip, swollen from his earlier kiss. An unpleasant thought crossed her mind—why did it feel like Seo Mu-won was testing her? Could it be, as Lee Ho-beom had once speculated, that he already knew everything and was merely toying with her in the palm of his hand…?
But once again, she dismissed the thought.
Why would Seo Mu-won?
If he really knew everything, there would be no reason for him to entertain her at all. If he was aware of just how messy and sordid things had been between her and Lee Ho-beom, he would be the type of man to suppress even his first-ever sexual desire out of sheer revulsion. He was that meticulous, that unwavering.
If she still had multiple encounters left with Lee Ho-beom, perhaps she would have eventually confessed out of fear. But now, there was only one meeting left. Just one. If she could get through that, she could cut off unnecessary ties as she wished. Clinging to that thought, she shook her head.
Her response was a silent shake, and when she looked up again, Seo Mu-won’s gaze was deep. It wavered subtly, but she had no way of knowing what emotions lay beneath. Even at such close proximity, where they could feel each other’s presence so vividly, there was more she didn’t know about him than what she did. He was a man whose inner workings were impossible to grasp.
As she struggled to make sense of his unfathomable thoughts, Seo Mu-won’s hand, which had been caressing her inner thighs, slid downward along her skin. Lower and lower—until it reached her foot, still clad in a pump heel.
His fingers pushed inside the shoe and tugged it down with a soft thud.
“Just from wearing it for a short while, your heel got scraped up like this.”
“Mm….”
As the shoe came off, his fingers brushed against the raw wound. She expected him to withdraw his hand immediately, but instead, Seo Mu-won gripped the injured area firmly with his palm. Yet, his touch was slow and deliberate, lacking any malice.
“This is where I feel the age difference between you and my younger brother.”
His whisper was low as he leaned in closer. At such an intimate distance, his eyes gleamed with something thick and viscous, like oil. No longer masked by indifference, his gaze was now steeped in an unmistakable, ravenous desire—so blatant it sent chills down her spine.
It was layered, deep, and boundless, making her wonder if it had started long before she had even noticed.
“…Director.”
The surge of impulse that burrowed deep into her mind came simultaneously.
“Why did you come to my mother’s funeral?”
“……”
“Because I was Hae-seung’s friend?”
For a brief moment, Seo Mu-won, drenched in an expression that could only be described as lascivious, lowered his head. The proximity made Hae-soo instinctively part her lips, anticipating a deep kiss. But he stopped just short.
“No.”
Because they were so close, his whisper brushed against her lips—ticklish and intoxicating.
“I kept thinking about it.”
Instead of kissing her, he let his hands do the work. Her panties, hidden beneath her skirt, were pulled down, and his own pants were unfastened. His fully erect length, thick enough to expose every raised vein, emerged. It settled against her already damp entrance, pressing against her as if seeking entry.
“Even though every other memory of that day has faded into a blur…”
“Ah… ngh…”
“The clothes you wore, the drink in your hand, the way you looked at me, the way you greeted me, your voice—I couldn’t forget any of it.”
For some reason, it was unbearably hot. Like she was beneath the scorching midsummer sun, something inside her sizzled and bubbled. When she instinctively tried to close her legs, his hands seized her knees firmly, keeping them apart. The vanity table rattled as Hae-soo leaned back against the mirror, her disheveled hair a chaotic mess. Seo Mu-won pressed against her, rubbing himself against her slickened folds as his lips finally met hers.
As his thick tip nudged against her soaked entrance, poised to push in at any moment, her opening quivered as if begging to be filled. It was a reaction far too primal. Seo Mu-won must have noticed, as he slowed his movements even further, deliberately dragging out the moment. His hands gripped the backs of her knees, locking her in place as their bodies pressed closer.
Still, he hadn’t entered her yet. He lingered at the threshold, hesitating at the final step.
The hands that had been braced against the vanity now moved, tugging her bra up and exposing her breasts, which bounced free. His fingers pinched and rolled her nipples, kneading the soft flesh while continuing to tease her below.
There was no resisting it. The way he touched her, the way their bodies moved together, it was like a light drizzle—slowly, gradually soaking into her until her mind dissolved into nothing.
Hae-soo gasped as she wrapped her arms around him.
And with Seo Mu-won’s answer, her suspicions turned into certainty.
He had been interested in her far earlier than she had ever anticipated.