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If there was anyone as unpredictable as Seo Hae-seung, it would be his older brother, Director Seo Mu-won.
Hae-soo gazed at the man who stood bathed in the sunlight, as if the natural light served as his own personal halo. No matter which angle she looked from, it was nearly impossible to find even a single flaw in him. He was so upright and rigid that Hae-soo couldn’t help but worry—albeit pointlessly—that he might hurt his back from being so tense all the time.
It had been about three weeks now.
Three weeks since she became the exclusive server for the VIP room and first encountered Seo Mu-won.
Unlike the main dining hall, which was open to everyone, the VIP room was reserved only for those with close ties to the hotel owner or for private banquets held for business purposes. Naturally, unlike the bustling hall where servers constantly moved around attending to various tasks, the VIP room was relatively quiet and peaceful.
In fact, since becoming the exclusive server for the VIP room, Hae-soo hadn’t seen many guests. The only regular visitor, if one could call him that, was Director Seo Mu-won, who maintained an icy demeanor even under the warm sunlight while enjoying his meals.
Hae-soo worked three or four days a week on a rotating schedule, and more often than not, she crossed paths with Director Seo Mu-won during her shifts. Given his high-ranking position in that prestigious group, one would expect him to have an overwhelming workload, yet he always made an appearance here. His frequent visits puzzled her enough to casually ask the manager she’d bumped into last time.
“Does Director Seo usually visit this often?”
“Oh, no, not usually. But recently, he’s been coming by more frequently. I heard he’s overseeing a major project related to the hotel business, so he’s been visiting more often. It seems like he’s taking care of his meals here while he’s at it.”
That cleared up some of her confusion. Occasionally seeing him simply meant his schedule happened to align with these visits. It made sense—if he had to eat anyway, it would be convenient to do so at a restaurant under his company’s management…
Even so, Hae-soo couldn’t help but feel uneasy whenever he visited.
Creak.
Director Seo Mu-won, ever precise in his movements, finished his meal without hesitation, standing up as though wasting even a second of his time was abhorrent to him. As he straightened his posture, Hae-soo’s gaze naturally rose. The sunlight filtered through, brushing gently against the perfectly aligned buttons of his vest.
All but the last button were fastened, and the thin white line of his tie, neatly pointed down, seemed to draw closer. Habitually, Hae-soo’s head dipped downward.
Serving Director Seo Mu-won during his meals wasn’t particularly difficult. Occasionally, his piercing gaze when she brought plated dishes to the table made her slightly uncomfortable, but avoiding eye contact helped her endure what was otherwise a manageable trial.
However, her true ordeal began after he finished eating.
As he approached the door, it was almost ritualistic for him to stop directly in front of Hae-soo before leaving the room. The difference in their heights caused her body to be enveloped in his shadow. Even if she tilted her head up, all she could see was his broad chest.
“…”
When his fingers brushed near her nape, Hae-soo instinctively flinched and pressed herself against the wall.
His fingers caught on the thin turtleneck of her uniform, pulling it down slightly—not too far, but just enough to expose the scar she never wanted anyone to see: the mark left by her tragic entanglement with his bloodline.
Each time this happened, Hae-soo found herself unable to push his hand away, nor could she fully bear the humiliation and self-loathing that welled up inside her. Instead, she turned her head to the side, averting her gaze.
After every meal, Director Seo Mu-won would inevitably pull down her collar and inspect her neck.
The weight of his gaze prickled the fine hairs on her skin, making her feel uncomfortable and awkward, yet she couldn’t bring herself to resist. She knew full well how important and unapproachable he was. If she were to swat his hand away and displease him, she would surely lose her job immediately.
But suppressing her emotions entirely was impossible.
She wished he would just say what he wanted instead of silently scrutinizing the scar every day. Not knowing why he kept looking at it only deepened her frustration. He didn’t offer advice about treating it, nor did he mention his brother or their inappropriate relationship…
And it wasn’t just the act of examining the scar that made her so uneasy.
The next moment, Hae-soo’s pupils seemed to crack under the strain.
It happened when Seo Mu-won, having achieved whatever purpose he had, removed his hand from her neck and proceeded to wipe his fingers meticulously with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket.
This man was strange. Truly strange.
He was someone who adhered strictly to his own standards, refusing to touch anything carelessly, as if plagued by severe germophobia.
She had noticed this aspect of him during her time serving him. Whenever something about the prepared meal displeased him, he would subtly furrow his brow. He didn’t make a fuss or complicate matters; he simply pushed the dish aside and ignored it completely.
Anything dirty or unpleasant was met with his absolute indifference.
So why?
From what she could tell, touching her clearly fell into the category of things he found unpleasant. Why, then, did he persistently subject himself to this discomfort, only to wash his hands afterward? It baffled her.
By now, she understood his obsessive cleanliness. Still, being treated as an object of contamination was deeply unpleasant. It also irritated her. Treating others like carriers of filth was enough to slowly grind away at someone’s dignity.
“…If you don’t like it…”
Normally, she could brush off such incidents as minor inconveniences of the day. But in that moment, her mouth betrayed her before she could stop it. Perhaps the accumulated humiliation had finally reached its limit.
“You don’t have to touch me.”
Seo Mu-won paused, his meticulous wiping of his fingers interrupted. He raised his head, and their eyes met. Instinctively, Hae-soo felt a wave of fear. There was something overwhelmingly intense about the depth of his gaze—it had a way of shrinking people. But the words had already escaped her lips; there was no taking them back now.
Leaning against the wall, Hae-soo stared at him resolutely.
“It seems like touching me makes you uncomfortable, so I was wondering why you keep doing it.”
“Do I look uncomfortable to you?”
“If that’s not the case, then there wouldn’t be any reason for you to wipe your hands, right?”
His inscrutable intentions in throwing such an obvious question back at her were utterly baffling. Strange, truly strange. She found herself thinking it would be best to avoid getting entangled with him as much as possible.
Whether he sensed her thoughts or not, Seo Mu-won gave a faint twitch of his lips, almost like a smirk. It was an expression of interest, one she had never seen from him before, leaving Hae-soo feeling even more disoriented.
“Miss An Hae-soo.”
His voice carried a deep, weighted resonance. Even if casually spoken, it bore a gravitas that felt impossible to brush off lightly. Unconsciously, Hae-soo tensed up, gripping her hands tightly together.
“How have you been lately?”
Her tension eased slightly when he suddenly greeted her with what felt like an out-of-place question. Hae-soo stared at him as if she were a researcher examining an unsolvable puzzle. Seo Mu-won met her gaze calmly, seemingly unaware—or perhaps pretending not to notice—how odd his inquiry sounded. He appeared to be waiting for her response.
“…Huh?”
But Hae-soo couldn’t answer easily.
It had been quite some time since they last met, hadn’t it? And when she thought about the circumstances of their reunion, her heart naturally hardened like stone.
Hadn’t they crossed paths just moments before she was raped by Seo Hae-seung?
At that time, Seo Mu-won had known exactly what his younger brother was about to do to her, yet he hadn’t made the slightest attempt to stop it. All he’d done was leave a vague warning not to cause trouble.
“Just…”
The man cut off his tone unusually lightly.
“I was wondering how your parents are doing.”
But the words that followed were anything but light. They froze her heart and left her reeling. The discomfort she had previously felt—a sensation akin to having her fingertips dipped in icy water—now surged violently, as though cold water had been poured over her head all at once.
“…You’re joking, right?”
“Do I look like someone who jokes?”
“If that’s not it, then why would you ask something like…”
A memory drifted through her mind like slow-rising mist, carrying the faint scent of something long-forgotten.
“You came to my mother’s funeral.”
Amidst the sea of black-clad mourners, she remembered standing at the end of a corridor after staring blankly at her mother’s portrait—and seeing someone standing there. That fragment of memory now wandered aimlessly in her mind.
Yes, the first time she met Seo Hae-seung was at another company’s anniversary event—but on a separate occasion, she had also encountered Director Seo Mu-won alone.
It was at her mother’s funeral.
He had been one of the few visitors to attend the modest ceremony, hastily arranged by scraping together every bit of money she could find. At the time, still reeling from the shock of her mother’s suicide, she hadn’t recognized him immediately. It was only when his secretary approached her and explained who he was that she realized.
“This is Director Seo Mu-won of Sungjo Group.”
Only after taking the business card he handed her and reading the name and company printed on it did she understand.
Ah, Seo Hae-seung’s older brother.
She hadn’t understood why he came until much later. Eventually, she guessed it must have been on behalf of Seo Hae-seung. After all, while Seo Hae-seung had maintained sporadic contact shortly after leaving for overseas studies, their relationship had inevitably grown distant over time, especially after Hae-soo’s family fell into ruin.
The man who now stood before her, clad in an impeccably tailored black suit, had briefly surveyed the humble funeral hall before turning his gaze toward her. Then, as now, he wasn’t a man of many words.
No, he had always been the type to toss out cryptic glances as if expecting others to read his mind without needing to speak. Only later did she learn that he had quietly left behind an extraordinarily generous condolence gift, which helped cover the otherwise overwhelming funeral expenses. In the end, all that remained for her was the business card his secretary had handed her.
And now this man…
“…Why…”
Before she could continue, unable to comprehend why he would bring up her parents despite clearly knowing about her mother’s death, Seo Mu-won let out a small laugh—as if amused by something about himself. A smile wasn’t unusual, but coming from Seo Mu-won, it felt different. He was a man notoriously sparing with his smiles, so seeing the curve of his lips sent a chill down her spine.
“Indeed… Why is that?”
As if even he didn’t fully grasp the reasoning behind his own actions, Seo Mu-won muttered cryptically, “Why would I keep wanting to touch something I know is dirty?”
“…”
“This is new for me too.”
An indescribable flicker passed through his slowly blinking eyes. Before Hae-soo could even begin to interpret its meaning, his sharp gaze locked onto hers.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
His voice, clearer and more distinct than his earlier ambiguous remarks, rang out.
“Do you want to keep living like this?”
“What? What do you mean…?”
“I’m asking if you want to keep living with bruises like these around your neck.”
It was the first time Seo Mu-won had directly mentioned the scars. Her heart twisted at an odd angle. As if mocking his earlier effort to clean his hands, he casually pulled down her turtleneck again. His fingers brushed over the exposed bruise marks—his touch insidious, slow, and strangely fierce.
“You don’t want to die strangled by Seo Hae-seung, do you?”
Her breath caught involuntarily.
The words Seo Mu-won spoke felt as though they were in a language she didn’t recognize—as alien and bizarre as possible. Die? What… die? Her mind went blank, like white paint had been spilled across it, leaving nothing but emptiness. The reason she couldn’t snap out of it was that every nerve in her body seemed to have frozen solid.
“D-die… Then, the accident Hae-seung caused…”
Flashes of Seo Hae-seung’s awkward smile whenever she asked about “the accident” flickered through her mind. She had always assumed it was just some form of assault or perhaps drug-related mischief—nothing beyond that. At least, that was the line she had drawn in her mind. But in reality, the truth about Seo Hae-seung’s “accident” had long crossed that boundary.
“Well, technically, the cause of death was due to an overdose of powdered drugs clogging the airway—but since it happened during sex, one could argue there’s some responsibility involved.”
“…”
“Still, I doubt Seo Hae-seung expected things to end that way. For all his reckless bravado, he does have the capacity to think when it matters.”
Her fingertips tingled. The tension coiled tightly inside her refused to dissipate. Memories of the violent encounters she’d endured with Seo Hae-seung flooded back—each one more harrowing than the last.
Had I been on the verge of death every single time?
She vividly recalled moments when oxygen had been completely cut off, her blood running cold and her vision nearly blacking out. The realization that these weren’t fleeting nightmares but actual events left her suffocating. A deep, unshakable fear coursed through her, causing her body to tremble faintly.
But she couldn’t fully retreat into her thoughts—not with the overwhelming presence of the man standing before her. Fighting to clear the dark clouds swirling endlessly in her mind, Hae-soo managed to ask him:
“Why… Why are you telling me all this?”
“I thought it would be a waste to ignore it and leave things as they are.”
“…”
“Do you need my help?”
The memory of him appearing abruptly at her mother’s funeral and handing her his business card overlapped with the present moment. Whether now or then, her feelings remained the same.
Why?
A fog of unanswered questions filled her mind, dense and impenetrable. Just as the large sum of condolence money he’d given back then lacked any clear justification, so too did his current offer of assistance feel groundless.
Above all, Hae-soo vividly remembered how he had stood idly by while she plummeted into despair. The man who had watched her fall without lifting a finger—even blocking out the sunlight with his towering presence—why was he suddenly extending a hand as if offering salvation? There was no time to process it; her thoughts tangled like spiderwebs, making her head throb painfully.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Seo Mu-won truly was the only person capable of saving her right now.
But the timing had already been lost.
If he had intervened before Seo Hae-seung reached for her with ill intentions, it might have made a difference.
…Or would it?
There was no logical basis for why this man would help her. And because of that ambiguity, Hae-soo knew she couldn’t accept his aid—not then, and not now. Even if his reasoning sounded plausible on the surface, it lacked substance. It was all façade, devoid of any real core.
Hae-soo’s lips quivered slightly before she shook her head.
“No.”
“…”
“No. I’m fine… I’ll be okay…”
Choosing this man to escape Seo Hae-seung didn’t seem like the better path. She wasn’t willing to flee one crisis only to step into another unknown danger. Her soft, trembling voice conveyed her refusal. Slowly, Seo Mu-won withdrew his hand from her neck.
It was the same as before.
Compared to Seo Hae-seung’s touch, his grip had been almost insignificant. Yet, Hae-soo still felt her heart constrict sharply before releasing its hold.
“May I ask you one thing?”
Seo Mu-won gazed at her as she stood there, head bowed as if wanting to hide. Taking his silence as consent, she pressed on.
“Did you order me to become the exclusive server for the VIP room?”
Her eyes fixed on his polished shoes, which shifted backward slightly. Only when a safe distance was established did she finally raise her head.
“Yes.”
“…”
“Is that answer sufficient?”
Seo Mu-won’s response came as he met her gaze deeply. Something resolute in his expression made her nod instinctively. Without hesitation or lingering attachment, he turned and walked away. The sound of his footsteps faded gradually into the distance.
In her blurred field of vision, Seo Mu-won didn’t bother wiping his hands this time.
Though he had been her only guest that day, she felt utterly drained, as though she had endured an exhausting ordeal. After confirming that the next server had arrived, Hae-soo headed to the women’s locker room to change out of her uniform.
The small locker room consisted of rows of silver metal lockers and a simple resting area. Hae-soo approached the locker with her name on it. Just as she began removing her uniform layered over the turtleneck, the door to the locker room opened.
“Oh? Hae-soo!”
Someone had noticed me and called out. Hae-soo, who had been adjusting her disheveled uniform, turned toward the door. Standing there was a girl who used to approach her warmly when they worked together in the main hall.
Her name was…
“Eun-ji?”
“Yeah. Hey, are you done with work now?”
Eun-ji, cheerful as ever, approached Hae-soo after confirming she’d gotten the name right. By chance, Eun-ji’s locker was right next to hers, so they ended up standing side by side. Hae-soo nodded belatedly.
“You’re coming from the VIP room, right?”
“Mm.”
“I heard you got reassigned to the VIP room—do you know how much I missed seeing you? We didn’t even get to become close yet!”
True to her sociable nature, Eun-ji effortlessly shared these friendly words. Hae-soo, unsure of what to say, offered an awkward smile.
“But how’s it like working in the VIP room? I’ve heard the work there is pretty tricky—is that true?”
“I’m not sure… Honestly, there aren’t many guests.”
“Really? Wow, I’m so jealous! Today, the main hall was packed because the hotel hosted some event. You remember my old shift time, right? It’s usually super quiet then, but today? Orders were pouring in nonstop—I thought my arms were going to fall off!”
Eun-ji playfully pouted and massaged her own arm for dramatic effect. Hae-soo hesitated for a moment before patting her shoulder lightly in a gesture of comfort. The unexpected action seemed to surprise Eun-ji, whose eyes widened momentarily before she burst into light-hearted laughter. Hearing someone laugh so brightly felt rare and refreshing, and Hae-soo found herself smiling faintly along.
“Anyway, since you moved to the VIP room, I hardly see you anymore! Right? Has it really been about a month since we last saw each other?”
“Yeah.”
Even though they technically worked at the same place, the VIP rooms had separate entrances and exits that weren’t directly connected to the main hall. These routes were closer to the VIP area, so Hae-soo had grown accustomed to using them. As a result, unless they happened to run into each other in places like the locker room, encounters between restaurant staff were extremely rare.
Eun-ji, brimming with things to say, kept chattering away without pause. Since none of it was particularly uncomfortable or intrusive, Hae-soo continued changing while occasionally responding.
“Oh, by the way, Hae-soo, where do you live?”
The hand closing her locker froze mid-motion.
“…Why?”
“Well, lately, some part-timers have been saying they’ve spotted gangster-like people around the hotel. So they’re telling everyone to use the back entrance if possible. You never know what might happen if you bump into them accidentally.”
“Gangsters?”
“Yeah. Guys with tattoos and stuff. Last time, some were loitering near the entrance of the main hall. The manager handled it, and they disappeared soon enough, but still…”
Tattoos. Gangsters. In Hae-soo’s world, those words combined pointed unmistakably to one person: Lee Ho-beom.
Her thoughts slowed as her fingers stiffened on the cold metal of the locker. Could it really be him? Of course, it wasn’t guaranteed—there were plenty of gangs in the world, and this could just be a coincidence. But still… she vividly remembered Lee Ho-beom mentioning this hotel in the past. It might not be him, but it also could be.
‘If they’ve been seen hanging around the main hall, then… If I hadn’t become the exclusive server for the VIP room, I might have run into them…’
Hae-soo’s fingers rested absently on the cool surface of the locker.
Suddenly, a strange hypothesis formed in her mind. She’d always wondered why she had been assigned to the VIP room. Just moments ago, Seo Mu-won had confirmed that the order came directly from him.
So why had he given that order?
‘If those gangster-like people really are Lee Ho-beom’s group…’
Was it to keep her away from them?
But she immediately shook her head at the thought.
No. That was too far-fetched.
How would Seo Mu-won even know about Lee Ho-beom’s existence—or his connection to her? With a tangled web of thoughts swirling in her mind, Hae-soo said goodbye to Eun-ji and left the locker room.
Life tends to roll forward, even when its edges or corners feel warped. Hae-soo’s life was no exception. She spent most of her days trapped in the top-floor suite of the hotel with Seo Hae-seung, their bodies colliding whenever their eyes met—a relationship forced upon her against her will. At least she managed to escape a few times a week to work at the restaurant downstairs.
And every single time she worked, Director Seo Mu-won appeared without fail, his timing uncanny.
Seo Mu-won acted as though his strange proposal from before had never happened. His demeanor was neither brazen nor overly deliberate—it leaned more toward indifference. He revealed little emotion through actions, relying instead on subtle shifts in his gaze, which remained as restrained as ever. Still, one thing remained consistent: before leaving the room, he would inevitably check her neck.
After finishing work as usual and returning to the suite, Hae-soo found Seo Hae-seung absent. Lately, he had been busier than usual, often heading out and returning late at night reeking of alcohol. Whenever she returned from her part-time job, he used to greet her, but recently, his schedule seemed erratic. Each time he came back drunk, the sharp stench of liquor assaulted her senses. Hae-soo winced as she removed her coat, her fingers brushing against the bruises on her neck. They throbbed painfully.
“Ah, it hurts…”
Drunk Seo Hae-seung terrified her. Normally aggressive and violent, his behavior grew even more reckless under the influence of alcohol.
“Ah, it hurts…”
The sofa in the living room stung my buttocks when I sat down. It was bruised from when he, drunk, had struck me with his large hand without any regard for force. My body was a mess. I abandoned my upright posture and lay on my side. Resting my head on the armrest naturally made my eyelids heavy. In this cage where everything seemed frozen solid, the only solace was the pouring afternoon sunlight.
I awoke from my light sleep to a sensation rubbing against my lips. Something strangely sticky and blunt was rubbing insistently, as if trying to push its way between my slightly parted lips.
As Hae-soo unconsciously opened her lips to breathe, something sticky and wet pushed into her mouth, rubbing against her mucous membranes. Her naturally relaxed tongue, disoriented by the sudden intrusion, squirmed and woke her.
“Ugh!” As soon as she opened her eyes, a tickling sensation spread across her face. Frowning, she realized it was pubic hair.
“Hah, you’re awake?”
Seo Hae-seung’s languid voice fell from above. Hae-soo, unable to hide her bewilderment, opened her eyes wide.
Seo Hae-seung slowly stroked her cheek with his fingers, smiling faintly. His languid eyes still held a glimmer of excitement, incongruous with the bright sunlight. He grasped the back of Hae-soo’s head, who was trying to pull away, and pulled her towards his groin. His rough pubic hair scraped against her cheekbones and mouth.
The round glans, dominating her mucous membranes, pushed deeper, creating a sensation that threatened to reach her throat. Before the prone Hae-soo could rise, Seo Hae-seung climbed onto the sofa and pinned her down. Her head was thrown back as his erect cock pushed in more forcefully.
“I was watching you sleep... and you kept moving your lips. I couldn’t resist.”
“Hng... uh...!”
“Hae-soo, you’re scared of being suffocated, so I won’t do deepthroating. Just suck it properly...”
His blunt voice issued a seemingly gentle but domineering command. Even as he told her to suck it, he continued to thrust his cock into her mouth, the sensation of the slick flesh clinging to the inside of her mouth driving him wild. Hae-soo’s fingertips, gripping Seo Hae-seung’s thighs, trembled like those of someone receiving an electric shock.
“Hah, this is so good, really...”
He seemed to have released more precum, filling her mouth with a chestnut-like scent. Hae-soo, her eyes reddened, laboriously moved her tongue. Gently rubbing the engorged shaft, the slightly curved tip of his cock twitched immediately. That movement made her heart sink.
Seo Hae-seung began thrusting, holding the back of Hae-soo’s head still, her eyes blinking in fear. The feeling of his hard skin roughly scraping against her tongue was unbearable.
‘You wouldn’t want to be strangled to death by Seo Hae-seung, would you?’
His brother’s warning echoed in her mind, chilling her blood. Her spine stiffened, and fear paralyzed her, the fear that resisting would bring even greater pain.
“Uh... ugh...! Ung...!”
The semen-coated glans rubbed against her palate, naturally triggering nausea. Hae-soo suppressed the queasy feeling and pursed her lips. Once he had entered, he clearly wasn’t going to pull out until he ejaculated. His unusually large cock stretched her jaw to its limit, causing a throbbing pain. Desperate to end it quickly, she inhaled and sucked, making a wet, smacking sound.
“Shit, hah, this is amazing...”
Hae-soo recalled how Lee Ho-beom had been weak to certain sucking techniques and how to bring him to climax. She moved her tongue, probing the split glans as if digging into it. She then wrapped her tongue around the thick shaft, rubbing and adding erotic stimulation. Finally, she contracted her mouth, sucking the entire length.
This drove Seo Hae-seung wild, and he thrust into her mouth with increasing force. Thump, thump. The mushroom-shaped glans slammed deep, as if trying to pierce her throat. Contrary to his promise, he was already deepthroating her.
She wanted to scream in pain, but she couldn’t. Hae-soo, her eyes filled with tears, barely controlled her breathing and inadvertently bit down on his cock. At that moment, the flesh inside pulsed and then sprayed a thick, sticky fluid.
Seo Hae-seung pulled his cock out of her mouth and rubbed the glans, spraying the remaining semen across her pale face. Not satisfied, he rubbed his still-erect cock against her cheeks, nose, and mouth. The movements, perhaps due to the afterglow of ejaculation, were somewhat rough, almost looking like he was slapping her with his cock.
Hae-soo clutched her sore throat and coughed.
Seo Hae-seung cupped her cheeks and tilted her head. His tongue invaded her mouth, still hot from the rough fellatio.
“Ung, no, ugh...!”
Despite having ejaculated into her mouth, leaving a metallic taste, Seo Hae-seung eagerly kissed her lips. Only after thoroughly possessing the struggling Hae-soo did he pull away. He smiled broadly, his dimples deepening, and wiped her face with his sleeve.
“Did you sleep well?”
The one who had interrupted her nap was asking if she slept well.
Hae-soo, too exhausted to argue, lowered her eyes and noticed something over his shoulder. Piled high were shopping bags with simple yet luxurious brand logos.
“What’s that...?”
Wiping the remaining semen with her sleeve, Hae-soo sat up.
“We’re going somewhere, so wash up.”
“Where?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
Hae-soo looked at him with blurred vision. Seo Hae-seung seemed unusually happy. Hae-soo, unable to understand why, didn’t see it as a good sign. He lifted her chin and gave her a quick peck, then rose and pulled his phone from his pocket. He tapped the screen, answering a call, and held it to his ear. “Yeah,” he said, standing up from the sofa.
“You’ve already heard? The gossip spreads fast. Where does it all come from? Ah... really? Yeah, that’s right. So I’ve been drowning my sorrows for a few days. It’s giving me killer headaches every morning.”
As Seo Hae-seung moved away, Hae-soo slowly got up from the sofa. Before heading to the bathroom, she went to the closet and retrieved her bag from a corner. She took a small box from inside and quickly went into the bathroom.
Ever since being confined here, the one thing Seo Hae-seung had shown absolutely no interest in was the bag she had brought on her first day. More accurately, after giving it a cursory glance, he had lost all interest. It seemed he believed that aside from her phone, there was nothing in the bag that could interfere with his plans to keep her locked away.
Thanks to this oversight, she had managed to hide her birth control pills beneath the bottom of the bag. This precaution had been a tactic to avoid Lee Ho-beom, who would throw them away whenever he found them. Ironically, the real threat now came from Seo Hae-seung.
Hae-soo took out one pill, placed it in her mouth, and swallowed it with a handful of water from the faucet. The pill was bitter, but her throat, raw from oral sex moments earlier, barely registered the taste. She clutched the sink for a moment as if swallowing something unbearable before stepping into the shower.
After finishing her shower and hiding the pills back in the bag, Seo Hae-seung appeared. His gaze lingered openly on her exposed skin visible through the gap in her bathrobe. He reached out, slowly stroking her with deliberate movements, then clicked his tongue regretfully as he withdrew his hand.
“Wear whatever you want.”
“Clothes?”
“All of this is yours.”
“Why… why the clothes?”
“Even so, I prefer to maintain some decorum, at least for now.”
His words were cryptic. She wanted to ask more, but Seo Hae-seung was already busy answering another call. With no other choice, Hae-soo rummaged through the scattered shopping bags and picked out the most modest dress. After drying her hair and putting on the chosen dress, Seo Hae-seung reappeared. He zipped up the back of her dress and pressed his lips against the bruised area of her neck. Suppressing the wave of discomfort that washed over her, she asked:
“Where are we going?”
“We? To eat.”
“If we’re just going to eat, why did you buy so many clothes? I could have worn anything.”
Seo Hae-seung didn’t answer, only smiled. The curve of his smirk looked less innocent and more sly, like a cunning snake. Hae-soo reluctantly allowed him to drape a cashmere coat over her dress before leaving the suite.
It had been a long time since she’d felt the outside air. Of course, they immediately got into a car after stepping outside, so the fresh breeze lasted only a fleeting moment. Still, even in winter, the cool wind brushing past her face felt refreshing—until she was quickly ushered into the backseat of the car. The heat from the car’s heater was stifling, more oppressive than warm, making her feel as though she were trapped under the scorching desert sun.
By the time they finished washing up and getting ready, the city’s sun had already set. The roads, crowded due to rush hour, were congested beneath the deep, ink-black sky. Hae-soo quietly stared out the window before asking where they were headed. Seo Hae-seung casually mentioned a name. Judging by her unfamiliarity, it seemed to be the name of a restaurant.
Since there was no way to know until they arrived, all she could do was wait as the car’s heat baked her. Finally, the car pulled into a parking lot. After parking, Hae-soo followed Seo Hae-seung obediently into what turned out to be a traditional Korean restaurant. It reminded her of a quiet place her parents used to take her on special occasions when they were still around.
Upon entering, an employee greeted them with clasped hands and said politely:
“Welcome. Please follow me to your room.”
“Are we already here?”
“Yes, just a moment ago.”
It seemed this wasn’t just a meal for two—someone else was already waiting. Only then did Hae-soo begin to feel a dizzying sense of unease, as if something was terribly wrong. But there was no turning back now. Swallowing her anxiety, she followed Seo Hae-seung. When they entered the room and saw who was seated inside, Hae-soo couldn’t help but freeze.
“Hyung, we’re here.”
Inside the room sat none other than Director Seo Mu-won, whom she had met earlier that day.
“Hae-soo, sit here.”
Unaware of the situation, Seo Hae-seung pulled the frozen Hae-soo to the seat next to him and personally removed her coat. A waiting staff member neatly hung the coat on a rack in the corner of the room. Now seated directly across from Seo Mu-won, Hae-soo blinked rapidly, trying to process the surreal scene.
“Sorry we’re late. The traffic was pretty bad.”
“You should have left earlier if you knew that.”
True to form, Seo Mu-won pointedly criticized the delay without mincing words. Seo Hae-seung, seemingly accustomed to his brother’s bluntness, shrugged and called for the staff.
“I already ordered.”
“Oh, really?”
“I picked something decent, so it shouldn’t be bad.”
“If you say so, hyung.”
With a brief gesture from Seo Hae-seung, the staff member exited the room. The door clicked shut, leaving the three of them alone. While Hae-soo sat there dumbfounded, Seo Mu-won calmly poured tea and placed it in front of her. The soft clink of the teacup snapping her back to reality.
“Oh, right, Hae-soo. This is my brother. You’ve met him before, haven’t you?”
As if reminding her of something she’d forgotten, Seo Hae-seung introduced them casually. Hae-soo took a sip of the tea and nodded. Only then did she dare look directly at Seo Mu-won.
“…Hello.”
Greeting someone she had met earlier that day as if it had been ages felt incredibly strange. Seo Mu-won glanced at her briefly, then turned away as if dismissing her like an uninteresting object.
“Hae-soo just greeted you, hyung.”
“Yes, I heard.”
“At least respond. You’re so cold.”
Seo Hae-seung teased, but Seo Mu-won only chuckled faintly, as if mocking his younger brother’s naivety. There was something about the man—a single, concise action—that had the power to make others shrink. Whether it was just her or not, even Seo Hae-seung seemed slightly flustered, running a hand through his hair awkwardly.
It wasn’t long before the ordered dishes arrived. Despite the beautifully arranged spread of food, Hae-soo’s appetite remained nonexistent. Her throat still felt raw and sore, and no matter how enticing the dishes—from fish to steamed dishes—looked, she only managed to eat the egg custard, which was easier to swallow. As she nibbled at it, her eyes darted cautiously between the two brothers. Meanwhile, the brothers sat facing each other, chatting rather amiably.
“So, is everything ready?”
“Well, more or less.”
Seo Hae-seung shrugged nonchalantly before adding:
“Not much to prepare, really. Just buying what’s needed.”
“I heard you’ve been sweeping through department stores lately.”
“It just turned out that way. There were a lot of things to take care of.”
“Including all the alcohol you’ve been guzzling down?”
“That was because my friends kept calling me out. You’re the one who told me not to neglect useful connections.”
Preparations? Necessary items? Alcohol?
What on earth were they talking about?
Hae-soo let the spoonful of egg custard dissolve in her mouth as her eyes darted around in confusion. In the midst of this, Seo Mu-won, holding his teacup, subtly turned his head to stare at her. At the same moment, Seo Hae-seung let out a small exclamation:
“Oh, right. What about Hae-soo’s passport?”
That was the tipping point of their cryptic conversation. The expensive spoon in Hae-soo’s hand clinked loudly against the bowl of egg custard. But even the sharp sound couldn’t fully pull her back to reality.
“…My passport? Why do you need my passport?”
“I’m going abroad again soon for my studies. I’ve been busy preparing for it these past few days. Most of the issues have been resolved now, and since I’m enrolling mid-semester, I need to leave soon.”
“…”
“Come with me, Hae-soo.”
The image of Seo Hae-seung from years ago—his face swollen and tear-streaked as he stood in front of her house—overlapped with the present. But this time, it was different. Back then, it had been a suggestion. Now, it was an order, with no intention of considering her opinion.
“‘Let’s go’ instead of ‘Do you want to go’…”
She thought bitterly.
“What are you talking about…? Why would I go there?”
“…”
“I can barely speak English, and besides, I’m not attending any university there. What would I even do?”
“I want to be with you.”
“…”
“I don’t plan to leave you behind anymore. But since I have to leave… I’ll take you with me.”
A sharp glint flickered in Seo Hae-seung’s dark brown eyes—a look reminiscent of cold, gleaming blades. Hae-soo set down her spoon. This was the exact same gaze he had given her when he once declared, with vile possessiveness, that the filth wasn’t her but the “brat” clinging to her. His irises, though warm in hue, strangely evoked the icy chill of a snow-capped mountain.
Without realizing it, Hae-soo glanced at Seo Mu-won.
He was calmly continuing his meal, acting as if the conversation between his younger brother and the woman he kept by his side was nothing out of the ordinary. His demeanor suggested he already knew about—and tacitly condoned—Seo Hae-seung’s behavior. Once again, Seo Mu-won loomed over her like a personification of despair. Her stomach churned. Unable to bear it any longer, she rose abruptly from her seat.
“I, um… I need to use the restroom for a moment…”
Her head began to throb. A creeping migraine started to pulse through her temples. Hae-soo fled the room, walking aimlessly down the hallway like someone lost in a maze. When a passing staff member asked if she needed anything, she blankly muttered the word “restroom,” and the employee kindly pointed her in the right direction.
After wandering aimlessly, she eventually found herself in an antique-style restroom.
Turning the faucet, cold water gushed out. She placed her hands under the stream and stared at her reflection in the mirror. No matter how much she washed her hands, the unsettling feeling refused to fade. When she turned off the faucet, the sound of running water abruptly ceased, leaving behind an oppressive silence that gnawed at her nerves. Hae-soo brought her damp fingers to her neck. Flipping up the neat neckline of her dress revealed the vivid bruises that didn’t require much effort to see. The sight of them stained her pupils, as if her very eyes were being tainted by their grotesque colors.
“Together…”
Go abroad?
If I go… what will happen to me?
She would likely continue living under his watchful eye, controlled and suffocated. Forced into unwanted sex, trapped in a life of imprisonment she desperately wanted to escape…
“Hah.”
As if already experiencing the horror of that future, a sudden wave of fear gripped her chest, squeezing it tightly. Hae-soo stumbled, unable to steady herself, and clutched the sink for support. Her vision spun. With wet hands, she wiped her face, but the dampness lingered, clinging stubbornly to her skin. A soft cough scratched painfully against her already damaged throat.
This pain… she would have to endure it forever.
“Do you need my help?”
Her tongue stiffened faintly.
That voice echoed distortedly in her mind. Hae-soo stood frozen, like someone who had forgotten how to move, before staggering out of the restroom. She couldn’t remember the way back. She simply walked wherever her feet took her. With every step, the urge to run away—to escape somewhere, anywhere—grew stronger.
Escape…?
Should I run away?
Hae-soo hastily lifted her head and looked around. Now that she thought about it, the bodyguard who had been constantly by her side at the hotel was nowhere to be seen here. Her gaze darted anxiously around the area. Once her mind snapped awake, a desperate urgency surged through her. This might be her only chance. Hae-soo began searching for an exit.
Just then, she sensed movement at the far end of the long corridor.
Instinctively, her eyes followed the sound. The moment she recognized the figure standing there, her rationality crumbled once again. Hae-soo quickly hid herself around the corner, forgetting all thoughts of escape.
Why…
‘Why is Lee Ho-beom here?’
Her hand, which had been pressed against the wall, moved to her chest. Her heart was pounding relentlessly, as if being pumped by an invisible force. Her legs gave out, and she slid down the wall, collapsing into a heap.
Eun-ji’s earlier warning about gangsters frequently appearing in the hotel echoed in her ears. Hae-soo pressed her palm firmly against her chest, trying to suppress her racing heartbeat. Meanwhile, the dull thud of approaching footsteps grew louder.
Should she run? But on the other side of the hallway was Seo Hae-seung.
Trapped between two impossible choices, she felt like someone lost in a labyrinth, unsure of which way to go. Just as she leaned against the wall, a long, dark shadow fell over the floor beneath her.
Someone was about to round the corner. Her breath caught in her throat.
“What are you doing?”
Soon, a familiar voice reached her ears.
The electric tension that had surged through her dissipated instantly—it wasn’t the person she had feared.
Unconsciously lowering her hands from her mouth, Hae-soo hesitantly raised her head. At the end of her gaze stood none other than Seo Mu-won, who had been in the same room with her earlier. Hae-soo stared blankly at him as he looked down at her curiously, then belatedly scrambled to her feet. She glanced down the hallway from which Seo Mu-won had come. There was no trace of Lee Ho-beom, as if he had been a mirage.
“No… It’s nothing.”
But her ragged breathing betrayed her shock. After calming herself with a forced cough, Hae-soo leaned back against the wall. The successive shocks had left her too weak to stand on her own. And now, to make matters worse, she had run into Seo Mu-won.
Hae-soo squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again, trying to shake off the lingering anxiety. Only then could she properly face Seo Mu-won. He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since he appeared. His deep, heavy gaze cut through her like the depths of the ocean, both pressing and accusatory. Amidst this inscrutable urgency, Hae-soo felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Yes, it was like the look he had given her at her mother’s funeral.
The trajectory of his profound pupils seemed familiar. Hae-soo quickly realized they were fixed on the necklace around her neck.
“Director Seo.”
As soon as she noticed, the words spilled out involuntarily.
“Do you really intend to help me?”
A month ago, Seo Hae-seung had promised to remove the necklace after one month. Now she finally understood his cryptic intentions. If he took her abroad, even without this necklace, he would have more than enough means to control her. With no money and unable to speak the language, escaping his grasp and returning to Korea would be virtually impossible.
Seo Hae-seung must have been planning this from the start. As she wandered the halls after leaving the restroom, she realized the only way to disrupt his plan now was through Seo Mu-won’s intervention.
“I think I already mentioned this before… Do I look like someone who jokes around?”
His words confirmed his sincerity and that his offer still stood.
Hae-soo bit down hard on her trembling lower lip.
“But I don’t understand. Why would you help me without any ulterior motive?”
Just as her debt had been tied to the condition of offering herself to Lee Ho-beom, allowing her to escape countless acts of violence and oppression, there had to be a reason behind human interactions.
“Are you saying you’d accept help if there were a price?”
“Not necessarily…”
“I misspoke earlier. What I’m offering isn’t charity—it’s a deal.”
“A deal?”
“The more I see you, An Hae-soo, the more I want to touch you.”
“…”
“I already told you—it’s strange, but I feel compelled to touch something I know is dirty.”
Even as his words confirmed his perception of her as unclean, she had no time to dwell on the insult. Seo Mu-won proved his point by reaching out and slowly brushing his fingers against her cheek.
Startled by the unexpected contact, Hae-soo pressed her back flat against the wall. But as Seo Mu-won took another step closer, the distance between them closed again, rendering her efforts futile. His firm fingers gently wiped away a droplet of water she hadn’t managed to dry.
“If An Hae-soo can help cure my chronic compulsion, then I’ll assist you in escaping my brother.”
“…How?”
When she asked how, Seo Mu-won smirked faintly, as if amused by a child’s naive question.
“Anyone under Seo Hae-seung ultimately answers to me.”
“…”
“In a world where survival depends on reading the room, they’ll know whose orders to prioritize—mine or my brother’s.”
Indeed… if what he said was true, it could stop Seo Hae-seung’s plans.
“But will Hae-seung just sit back and do nothing?”
“First, I plan to use the issue with your passport as an excuse to send Seo Hae-seung abroad. Even if he later finds out you’re not coming, by then he’ll be stuck there—what can he possibly do about it?”
Seo Mu-won’s plan was simple yet carried a sense of certainty. At first glance, it almost seemed as though he had been orchestrating this from the start. Moreover, his words clearly revealed the hierarchical relationship between the two brothers, despite their blood ties. There was an unmistakable barrier that made it seem impossible for Seo Hae-seung to ever surpass Seo Mu-won.
With the conversation reaching that point, Hae-soo couldn’t help but lean toward accepting his offer. Her mind was already overwhelmed by the impending crisis, and now she understood that his help wasn’t entirely without conditions. For now, it was clear whose hand she needed to grasp to maintain some semblance of control over her life.
“…Please help me.”
Still tracing her cheek, Seo Mu-won’s fingers lightly brushed against her earlobe.
“Before that, there’s one thing I need to confirm.”
“…”
“Are your relationships with men complicated?”
Hae-soo’s lowered eyes widened slightly as she looked up at him.
“Huh?”
“I’m not fond of entanglements involving jealousy or romance.”
“Ah…”
“I’m asking if there’s anyone else besides my brother.”
It was a dizzying question.
The opportunity before her felt like a gentle spring breeze, but she knew it could turn into a biting cold wind depending on her answer. Whether real or imagined, perhaps because she had seen him earlier, Lee Ho-beom’s face loomed vividly in her mind. Though he wasn’t her lover or anything of the sort, the memory of their repeated encounters lingered uncomfortably.
Hae-soo nervously fiddled with the hem of her dress, twisting it in her hands.
“…No.”
“…”
“There’s no one. No one at all.”
From Seo Mu-won’s perspective, what she had done with Lee Ho-beom would likely be classified as something vile and impure. But since his proposal was her only lifeline, she had no choice but to lie.
Seo Mu-won stared intently at her face as if he had more to say, but eventually nodded.
The deal was struck.
“For now, pretend to go along with it. Once Seo Hae-seung leaves the country, things will become easier.”
Following Seo Mu-won’s advice, Hae-soo acted accordingly when they returned to the suite.
Seo Hae-seung, perhaps mistaking her apparent compliance after his visibly troubled departure and subsequent return as resignation, began treating her more affectionately than usual. His demeanor mimicked the tenderness from before their strained relationship, but to Hae-soo, it reeked of decay, like rotting flesh beneath a polished surface.
Seo Hae-seung’s departure was set for three days later.
Occasionally, he would snap irritably during phone calls. Hae-soo easily guessed these outbursts were related to Seo Mu-won’s interference regarding her passport. Fortunately, Seo Hae-seung seemed completely oblivious to his brother’s schemes.
After enduring those three long days, Hae-soo found herself at the airport, ostensibly to see him off but also compelled to accompany him.
“The passport issue will be resolved within this week, so you can leave the country with my secretary once it’s ready.”
Seo Hae-seung spoke as if parting with something precious, planting kisses on her cheeks and hands.
“Should I adjust my schedule to leave together with you?”
Despite her seemingly compliant behavior, he couldn’t seem to fully trust her, repeatedly voicing such concerns. Hae-soo struggled to suppress the urge to recoil, forcing herself to gently shake her head instead.
Deep down, she knew he was aware of the truth—he couldn’t delay his departure any longer. Between Seo Mu-won’s directives and the actual academic schedule of his university, further postponement was impossible.
Yet, unable to completely quell his unease, he left without removing the necklace from her neck. To him, it seemed to serve as a shackle binding her to him.
After Seo Hae-seung departed, the bodyguards he had assigned melted away as if they had received prior notice, bowing politely before disappearing. For the first time in ages, Hae-soo found herself alone. She sat on one of the chairs provided in the airport, absently fiddling with the necklace around her neck.
“Miss An Hae-soo.”
A moment later, someone approached.
Looking up cautiously, she saw a neatly dressed man standing before her—it was Seo Mu-won’s secretary, whom she vaguely recognized.
“I’ve come to escort you. Please follow me.”
She followed him to a car waiting at the airport entrance. To her, the vehicle felt like a dark abyss ready to swallow her whole. It was only natural; she still knew next to nothing about Seo Mu-won and couldn’t let her guard down just yet. Nevertheless, she obediently followed—for now, she hadn’t fully escaped Seo Hae-seung’s sphere of influence.
In truth, she didn’t even know where she should go.
Her sense of agency had eroded entirely, shifting from Lee Ho-beom to Seo Hae-seung, and now to Seo Mu-won, leaving her thoughts passive and reactive. Returning to the cramped, dingy apartment she had lived in before being dragged into Seo Hae-seung’s world meant risking another encounter with Lee Ho-beom, while breaking free from Seo Mu-won’s grasp meant facing the fear of Seo Hae-seung.
“Director Seo is currently inspecting a factory site in Incheon and couldn’t come personally.”
Even without my presence, his complete absence on the day of his brother’s departure spoke volumes about his indifference.
“Yes.”
“You’ve been instructed to be taken to his residence, so we’ll head there now.”
“Director Seo’s house?”
“Yes. Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s just…”
Not exactly, but… was there really a need to meet at his house?
Though that thought crossed her mind, Hae-soo couldn’t bring herself to voice it and instead turned her gaze toward the car window. The bustling cityscape sliding past was tinged with faded colors.
After a long drive, they arrived at an opulent neighborhood reserved for the elite.
Even during the time she had lived as the child of a well-to-do family, Hae-soo had never set foot in such a prestigious area—one of Korea’s most exclusive enclaves. Only the heads of conglomerates, whose stock prices and business prospects dominated the news daily, could afford to reside here.
The car glided smoothly along the paved roads before pulling into the garage of a standalone mansion. More accurately, it resembled a private parking lot rather than a typical garage. Inside, chilled by the crisp air unique to early spring, sat four luxury foreign cars in addition to the one she had arrived in—likely all belonging to Seo Mu-won.
Following the secretary who had accompanied her, Hae-soo was given a tour of the house’s interior.
The three-story standalone residence was fully equipped with everything one might need to live comfortably without ever stepping outside. Its vastness made it seem as though three separate homes had been seamlessly joined together.
“I’ll take my leave now.”
The secretary checked his wristwatch and prepared to depart. Startled by his sudden exit, Hae-soo trailed after him like a lost puppy. She wanted to ask what she should do alone here, but based on the secretary’s demeanor thus far, she doubted he’d offer any helpful answers.
“There’s no need to see me off.”
True to his words, the secretary cut off her pursuit with decisive efficiency.
Once he disappeared, leaving her alone, Hae-soo stood frozen like a lost child before slowly moving toward one side of the room. As she crossed the living room, her steps faltered upon spotting a large aquarium beside the TV.
The midday sunlight streaming through the windows was intense, but the aquarium, illuminated from within by blue lighting, created an otherworldly atmosphere. Peering into it felt like being drawn into a mysterious, dimly lit space.
Hae-soo’s faint reflection shimmered on the glass. Inside, several red-scaled fish swam lazily, their movements contrasting beautifully against the cool blue glow. Despite the confined space, they appeared as free as if they were navigating the open sea.
Idly tracing their movements with her fingertips, Hae-soo straightened her posture. The turquoise-like light dimmed slightly, replaced by the bright white rays of sunlight piercing through the open window.
Turning away, she took a few steps and found herself in front of a glass window overlooking the garden. Placing her palm against the glass, she felt the chill of winter seep through. In the center of the expansive garden, reminiscent of a school playground, stood a silver-painted fountain surrounded by lush green grass and shrubs brimming with vitality—a testament to the arrival of early spring.
Director Seo Mu-won’s house…
Even as her eyes confirmed its reality, it still didn’t feel real to be standing there. Hae-soo turned away from the window and surveyed the interior once more. It wasn’t until she explored the first floor thoroughly that she discovered an elevator tucked away in one corner of the house. The place was practically akin to a small-scale apartment building.
The monochromatic wallpaper, interior design, and furniture throughout seemed to embody Director Seo Mu-won himself.
“Haa.”
Despite having only walked around once, the sheer size of the house left her exhausted. Hae-soo returned to the living room, where she had been admiring the view earlier, and cautiously sank into the sofa. Though she intended to sit upright, her eyelids fluttered shut, and before she knew it, her body slumped sideways. Trapped in the suite with Seo Hae-seung, she hadn’t had a moment to relax; now, even the slightest opportunity for rest made sleep irresistible. She tried to shake off the drowsiness, but it was futile.
Tick-tock.
The steady ticking of the wall clock gradually slowed, mirroring the fading of her consciousness.
A gentle touch brushing against her hair roused her from her deep slumber.
The slow, deliberate strokes tickled her scalp before gradually retreating. Hae-soo finally opened her heavy eyelids, unsure how long she had slept. When she had drifted off, the sun had still been up, but now darkness enveloped the space.
Click. The lights flickered on belatedly.
Someone stood before her, where she lay sprawled across the sofa.
“Are you awake?”
His low voice dispelled the last remnants of sleep.
Recognizing Seo Mu-won, who had returned while she slept, Hae-soo scrambled to sit up. In her haste to smooth down her undoubtedly messy hair, she completely forgot that someone had been stroking it moments ago.
“When did you arrive?”
“While you were sleeping soundly.”
“Ah…”
“Have you eaten yet?”
“No, not yet…”
It still didn’t feel real to her that she had woken up here, in his house. Yet Seo Mu-won acted as though her presence was entirely natural. Judging by his still-pristine suit, he must have come directly to her upon arriving home.
“Let’s eat first.”
Seo Mu-won led her to the dining room connected to the living area.
The dining table, perfectly separated from the cooking area, was already laden with an elaborate Korean meal. It hadn’t been there just moments ago. Hae-soo wondered if she had slept longer than she thought.
Seo Mu-won gestured for her to sit but paused and left the dining room instead. Alone, Hae-soo sat dumbfounded, staring at the spread of food before her.
Just before Seo Hae-seung’s departure, she had quit her part-time job at the restaurant to fully deceive him, so it had been a while since she last saw Seo Mu-won. Recalling the awkwardness and strangeness she felt when he was a customer and she was his server, the reality of sitting across from him now for a meal struck her as oddly amusing.
As she sat lost in thought, Seo Mu-won reappeared.
“Stay still.”
Instead of taking his seat, he approached her from behind. She couldn’t help but flinch as his fingers brushed against her neck. A faint creaking sound followed his movements. Not long after, the necklace that had bound her neck like shackles for months came loose and fell away.
Though it was Seo Hae-seung’s hands that had choked her and left bruises on her neck, strangely, the removal of the necklace made her breathing feel slightly easier. Perhaps the psychological weight of its presence had been heavier than she realized.
“Thank you.”
Seo Mu-won took the discarded necklace from her hand. Glancing at it briefly, he clicked his tongue with an irritated yet oddly resigned expression, muttering, “There must have been quite the commotion over this.”
Hae-soo watched as the necklace was promptly tossed into a nearby trash bin.
The meal proceeded in an awkward atmosphere—or at least, that was how Hae-soo perceived it. Seo Mu-won, on the other hand, ate with his usual composed demeanor. With little appetite, Hae-soo managed only a few spoonfuls before setting her utensils down.
“Um… may I ask something?”
Seo Mu-won met her gaze, silently granting permission.
“You said helping you overcome your condition would be my part of the deal… so what exactly am I supposed to do?”
The man’s refined movements, even while eating, came to a halt. He placed his chopsticks neatly on the table and took a sip of water.
“You’ve brought it up at just the right time. I was planning to revisit that topic anyway.”
“…”
“After much thought, the emotion I feel toward you seems closest to lust.”
His blunt confession left Hae-soo speechless. A creeping tension stiffened her nerves, like seaweed slithering up her spine. Reflecting on sexual matters inevitably dredged up memories of the humiliations she’d endured.
“That doesn’t mean I intend to have sex with you immediately. Given my psychosomatic condition, forcing the issue would likely drive me mad before anything else.”
“…”
“But since my desire is rooted in that direction, your role in helping me will also lean toward ‘that’ realm.”
It sounded complicated, but it wasn’t.
In essence, this man too wanted her body—nothing more, nothing less. The clarity of this realization caused her heart to sink and her fingers to curl inward.
“To be clear, are you okay with such a deal?”
“…And if I’m not?”
“Then this deal ends.”
One comforting aspect was that Seo Mu-won didn’t exude the same coercive air as his brother. He was attempting a negotiation of sorts.
Still, a faint dissatisfaction lingered. Why was he bringing this up now, after Seo Hae-seung had already left and she had chosen him out of desperation?
She had already deceived Seo Hae-seung, sending him abroad alone. And soon, he would inevitably discover her betrayal. If she were to voluntarily step out from under Seo Mu-won’s shadow after rejecting Seo Hae-seung’s greed, her safety remained uncertain.
If Seo Hae-seung were to catch her again, the punishment might be far worse than before…
“By any chance, Director Seo… do you share similar tastes?”
Hae-soo let the question slip out like a sigh.
“Similar tastes?”
“Like Seo Hae-seung…”
“I’m not sure.”
His ambiguous response prompted her to frown—an unusual reaction for her.
“Not sure?”
“I haven’t had sex before, so I wouldn’t know.”
It was an unexpected answer, but after blinking once, it made sense.
He was a man with severe germaphobia, someone who meticulously inspected objects. Engaging intimately with others would undoubtedly be challenging for him. To avoid overwhelming his hypersensitive nerves, he likely maintained distance from people, making the act of undressing and engaging in sex an entirely foreign concept.
“I can’t say for certain, but given my lack of interest, I don’t think I share those preferences.”
“…”
“I’ve never felt the urge to choke you while looking at your neck.”
It was somewhat of a relief to know that Seo Mu-won didn’t share the same bizarre and deviant tendencies as his brother. At the same time, she found herself laughing inwardly at her own sense of relief. If it weren’t for his peculiar condition, she would have already agreed to his proposal—after all, there seemed to be no other solution in sight.
“This chronic issue is more troublesome and irritating than it seems. It’s not so much an external symptom but rather something that excessively irritates my nerves. If I were to live alone for the rest of my life, it wouldn’t matter, but…”
Seo Mu-won pressed his temples as if recalling an exasperating problem.
“Regardless, I’m in a position where marriage is necessary.”
That made sense.
Men like Seo Mu-won, part of the upper echelons of conglomerates, placed extraordinary importance on bloodlines and succession. The wealth they tirelessly built day by day was ultimately meant to be passed down to their descendants. Following this train of thought, Hae-soo began to vaguely understand his predicament. While such a condition might have been manageable when he was younger, now that marriage loomed near, it was no longer something he could easily overlook. If there was any possibility of resolving the issue, even through such an arrangement of mutual benefit, it was understandable that he would pursue it.
“So… am I supposed to come to this house whenever you call?”
Seo Mu-won quickly grasped the implication behind her question—that she was agreeing to participate in this “treatment,” offering herself to him sexually as part of their deal.
“Why go through the trouble?”
“Then…”
“You’ll stay here.”
His straightforward statement caught her off guard.
“You can choose any room you like. There are many storage areas on the first floor, so the second floor would be better for living. I’ve already instructed my secretary to have your belongings from your previous residence moved here by tomorrow.”
With such a definitive declaration, she found herself unable to protest further. Besides, Seo Hae-seung wasn’t her only concern. Lee Ho-beom still loomed in the background. Now that she thought about it, were the gangsters seen around the hotel really part of his group? And if so, why was he looking for her? According to Seo Hae-seung, her debt had already been settled…
“I’ll come for you once things are sorted out…”
“…”
“Let’s live together then.”
The reason she dreaded meeting Lee Ho-beom again stemmed from those words. After forcing her into explicit sexual acts in front of Seo Hae-seung, he had spoken with unwavering determination, his eyes sharp and resolute…
Honestly, if Lee Ho-beom were to find her again after disappearing without a trace, there was a high chance he’d treat her just as cruelly as Seo Hae-seung had. The spot on her cheek where he had struck her years ago, now fully healed, suddenly throbbed as if reliving the pain. The vivid memory spurred her desire to avoid him at all costs.
Thus, after their concise conversation and the firm establishment of their agreement, the meal came to an end.
Seo Mu-won rose from the table, presumably intending to change clothes. Hae-soo followed suit and began clearing the dishes scattered across the dining table.
“What are you doing?”
Just as she started organizing them, Seo Mu-won—who she assumed had already left—stood there watching her. She let out a small “Ah,” hesitating.
“I thought I’d tidy up a bit…”
Knowing she would now be living here, it felt natural to take responsibility for some tasks.
“I didn’t bring An Hae-soo here to do chores.”
He gestured toward the table, signaling her to stop. After a moment of hesitation, she set the dishes back down.
“There’s a housekeeper who takes care of household tasks, so you don’t need to worry about that. When I’m working or away from home, feel free to spend your time however you wish. After all, our encounters will mostly happen at night.”
“…”
“For the rest of the time, you’re free to do whatever you want. Watch TV, read books, or go out if you wish.”
As he spoke, Seo Mu-won paused, reaching into his suit pocket and pulling out a wallet. From it, he retrieved something and placed it on the table—a gold card with an unmistakable air of luxury.
“If you need anything, use this to take care of it.”
While Hae-soo stared blankly at the card, Seo Mu-won turned his back as if concluding his business. But then, as if remembering one last crucial detail, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
“Take a shower and wait for me. Don’t fall asleep.”
With that, Seo Mu-won disappeared. His overtly suggestive words swirled in her mind, leaving her dizzy. Was this the right decision? Her lack of certainty made her heart restless. Biting her lip nervously, Hae-soo picked up the card from the table.
This was now the third card she had received from a man.
After finishing dinner on the first floor, Hae-soo explored the various rooms on what Seo Mu-won referred to as the second floor before finally choosing one. By then, it was already late at night.
Each bedroom came equipped with its own bathroom and powder room, eliminating the need to leave the room to shower. The sleek, sophisticated design extended into the bathroom, where the floors, sinks, and bathtub were crafted from heavy, luxurious marble. The opulence was palpable, starkly contrasting with the grimy, single-room apartment bathroom she had once used, where even hot water hadn’t flowed properly. The memory brought an involuntary, bitter laugh to her lips.
Under the cascading hot water, Hae-soo awkwardly washed her body, feeling like an outsider stranded in unfamiliar territory. Afterward, she slipped into a robe hanging in the adjoining dressing room. Though it felt too formal and slightly embarrassing, putting her previous clothes back on felt unclean, leaving her with no choice.
“…”
The moment she closed the door behind her, she realized she was no longer alone in the room. The faint aroma of wine saturated the air. Seo Mu-won was seated on the bedside table, his gaze fixed intently on her damp hair as she fidgeted nervously. His eyes glimmered with a subtle sharpness in the dim light.
Hae-soo approached him hesitantly. With his legs crossed, he set down the wine glass he had been holding and reached out to her. His impeccably clean fingers brushed against the knot of her robe, sending an indescribable tension coursing through her body. As she inhaled sharply, the knot slipped loose with a soft rustle, causing the front of her robe to part and reveal her naked body to him.
“Did you wash yourself thoroughly?”
His seated position allowed his wine-scented breath to graze the underside of her chest. Hae-soo fought to steady her trembling body and nodded weakly.
“And here too?”
Seo Mu-won gestured vaguely downward. It was unmistakably a reference to her intimate area, and Hae-soo reflexively swallowed hard. Though the question itself was mundane, its context felt unbearably lewd. After a brief hesitation, she nodded again. Perhaps dissatisfied with her timid gesture instead of a verbal response, Seo Mu-won tilted his head slightly toward her.
“You need to answer clearly.”
“...”
“I’m asking if you cleaned out my brother’s semen from inside you properly.”
“...Yes, yes. I washed.”
The shame she felt at his words was amplified by the vivid memory of washing away Seo Hae-seung’s semen before leaving the hotel earlier that day. She had used her fingers to scrape it out, feeling it deeply embedded within her. Now, under Seo Mu-won’s piercing gaze, it felt as though he had witnessed the entire act. Her ears burned with embarrassment.
Seo Mu-won’s eyes locked onto her still-damp pubic hair, or rather, the hidden folds beneath it. His stare was so overt that it felt invasive, almost violating.
“Lie down on the bed.”
He gave the command arrogantly. When Hae-soo attempted to tighten her robe, he stopped her firmly: “Leave the robe as it is.” Reluctantly, she perched on the edge of the bed, her nakedness exposed beneath the loosely hanging fabric.
“Did I tell you to sit?”
Seo Mu-won was already pouring more wine into his empty glass. Though his eyes appeared focused on the table, it was impossible to tell how he seemed to notice every detail. After a moment of hesitation, Hae-soo shifted backward, lifting her legs onto the bed.
“Lie down so I can see below you.”
“Ah, below?”
When Hae-soo echoed his words uncertainly, Seo Mu-won chuckled softly, the sound resonating from his throat.
“You’re acting like this is unfamiliar territory. How explicit do I need to be? Should I say, ‘Lie down so I can see the hole where Hae-seung thrust himself endlessly’?”
“Director Seo, are you perhaps… drunk?”
It was a reasonable question. The man she knew—sharp, meticulous, sometimes even ruthless—was far removed from someone who would utter such vulgar language. Yet here he was, exuding an unsettling, precarious aura unlike anything she’d seen before.
In stark contrast to his usual perfectly tailored three-piece suits, he now wore only a rolled-up shirt and pants. His usually immaculate hair was slightly disheveled, further eroding the pristine image she was accustomed to. If anything, his current disarray seemed to evoke a strange sense of decadence.
“Regrettably, I’m sober. My tolerance is quite high.”
“...”
“Do you want a glass?”
“No… I’m fine.”
“Then let’s focus on spreading your legs.”
Biting her lower lip, Hae-soo reluctantly raised her legs, resting her feet on the edge of the bed. This naturally exposed her most private area to his unrelenting gaze. Sipping his wine, Seo Mu-won let his eyes slide over her exposed flesh. His gaze carried an unmistakable intensity, much like the crimson liquid swirling in his glass.
“As I said, I lack experience, so I don’t know how to please a woman. You’ll have to teach me.”
“Huh?”
“Tell me which parts of you I should touch to make you feel good.”
Hae-soo wrung the sheets with trembling hands, unsure what to do. But no matter how long she hesitated, Seo Mu-won showed no sign of backing down compassionately.
With an icy calmness that somehow felt even colder, he stared intently at her vaginal opening. There was no need for further urging; his gaze made it abundantly clear what he wanted.
This was unmistakably a transaction, and recognizing that fact fully, Hae-soo adjusted her posture. She turned onto her back completely, hoping to shield herself from his view. Staring up at the ceiling, she slowly moved her now sweat-drenched hands between her thighs.
“Ah…”
A single finger parted her labia and stroked the sensitive skin within, causing an involuntary gasp to escape her lips. Her passage, still tender and swollen from the intense session with Seo Hae-seung that morning, throbbed uncomfortably under her own touch. The act of exploring herself felt unbearably awkward and humiliating.
Above all, knowing that Seo Mu-won was observing her every move filled her spine with shame.
She heard the sound of him swallowing the wine.
“Does rubbing it like that feel good?”
“...”
“It doesn’t seem like you’re getting very wet.”
True to his words, there was still a certain dryness. With no other choice, Hae-soo brought her fingers to her lips, licked them with her tongue, and then lowered them again. The area that had felt dry just moments ago now grew slightly slicker as saliva transferred onto it. She continued moving her hand, worrying how her actions might appear to him, when she accidentally grazed her protruding clit.
“Hnn…”
A sudden tension shot through her lower abdomen, and an intense heat surged through her exposed flesh. Unconsciously straightening her head, Hae-soo began rubbing the spot more deliberately. Stimulating it involuntarily brought back memories of Lee Ho-beom biting the same area or Seo Hae-seung licking it in maddening circles. Though these men were otherwise useless in her life, their lingering sensations proved helpful in hastening her escape from this situation.
“Mmm, ah…”
Seo Mu-won listened to her intermittent moans as if they were a piece of modern classical music playing at an elegant soirée, all while tilting his wine glass. Even as he savored the rich flavor of the wine on his tongue, his eyes never left the small, round opening she was rubbing.
In the dim light, the reddened folds glistened enticingly, a stark contrast to their previous dry state. Now softened, they greedily revealed traces of sticky moisture whenever her thin fingers brushed against her clit. Each scrape caused droplets of arousal to bead up like morning dew, spreading down and soaking her labia. Watching this, an inexplicable thirst welled up in his throat. Without realizing it, he found himself gulping down the wine faster.
That fluid is filthy.
It was no different from any other bodily secretion—if he even imagined it touching him, every hair on his body stood on end in disgust. Yet simultaneously, his throat burned with an unquenchable dryness.
While part of him wanted to immediately erase the sight of her writhing indecently before him, another primal urge screamed for him to crawl between her legs like a dog and lick her endlessly. The contradiction was maddening. His mind shackled by a mental illness, his body bound by physical urges, he resorted to drowning this parched longing with wine.
“Ah, uh… until when…”
Hae-soo’s damp breath hitched as she asked. Seo Mu-won set the elongated wine glass back on the table and leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand in a refined posture. His unwavering gaze remained fixed on her fully exposed vulva.
“Until you come.”
The man’s intent gaze pierced through the sultry atmosphere. Swallowing her ragged breath, Hae-soo gently attacked her clit with two overlapping fingers. By now, her arousal had pooled enough to leave sticky trails clinging to her digits.
“Ahh, ah…”
Gradually, tension built in her inner thighs. Her lower abdomen tightened and released in rapid succession. Every time she properly scraped her erect clit, her vision blurred as though fine cracks were splitting across it. Her body, already accustomed to pleasure, craved deeper penetration—two or three fingers thrusting violently inside—but she lacked the courage to let herself go that far. Still, unable to suppress her growing urgency, she quickened the pace of her rubbing.
“Hnnn!”
Finally, a sharp tingling sensation spread across her flattened mound and the area below. Hae-soo reached a brief climax.
The excitement that had melted into her softening walls overflowed, spilling out in a sudden gush. Though fleeting, the aftershocks of orgasm lingered powerfully. Clutching the sheets tightly, she managed a deep breath to steady herself.
Moments later, a faint creak sounded.
Only after struggling to compose her limp body did she realize Seo Mu-won had risen from his seat.
“You’ve worked hard. Go wash up and sleep.”
With those concise words, he left the room.
His tone was succinct, his demeanor devoid of embellishment. At first glance, he didn’t resemble a man consumed by lust. But Hae-soo, having caught a glimpse just before he exited, understood the undeniable truth.
As he left the bedroom, the bulge in Seo Mu-won’s trousers was unmistakably strained to its limit.
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