Y/n pov
"Hey, Mom. Is everything all right?" I asked when I got back home from a long day of job hunting and found my mother seated in the living area with an anxious look on her face. Though I just wanted to turn and leave for my room, not in the mood to listen to my mother's taunts, but something stopped me. I had never seen my always-so-confident mother looking so anxious.
"Minji has invited her boss over for dinner," she replied, and everything fell in place.
I rolled my eyes. "He declined?"
"No. He's coming." Mom glared at me.
"Then what's the problem? Prepare a delicious meal for him and do what you and Minji have been doing for over a year now... show him how perfect your darling daughter is for him." I shrugged my shoulders in a nonchalant response. I seriously couldn't understand my family's obsession with the MD of the Kim empire. Minji had invited him over quite a few times in the last year, but he declined every time, which didn't come as a surprise. He was a busy man, and surely had far more important things to do than dining at his assistant legal advisor's home.
"Shut up and go to your room," she dismissed me.
"Whatever," I mumbled and turned to leave when Mom called me from behind. I turned and raised an eyebrow, mentally preparing myself for some comment.
She didn't disappoint me.
"Wear some decent clothes for dinner, not your usual cheap ones, and be on your best behavior." The warning in her voice wasn't lost on me. "Don't embarrass your sister and me for once, Y/n. I beg you."
"Aye, aye, captain." I mocked salute and sprinted off upstairs to my room. Mother-dearest was in for a rude surprise if she thought I'd abide by her rules.
***
A short, tight black dress, fiery red lipstick, and loose curls. I curled my waist-length straight hair-the added volume and wavy curls gave it a wild feel. I gave one last look at myself in the mirror, and I was ready to go downstairs. I looked sexy, a little on the sultry side, but sexy. This would do. Mom hated when I dressed like this-like a slut as she put it into simple words.
The whole reason behind wearing this outfit was just to piss her off. I had no idea when I developed this rebellious streak. Maybe it was around the time Dad passed away, and I fell into the darkness of depression, but I loved this. The new me, the one who wouldn't bow down to anyone's wishes. It made me feel powerful as if I had control over my life. I thrived on that feeling.
I raised my hand to tuck a few strands of hair behind my ear, drew in a sharp breath, and turned on my heels as I made my way downstairs.
Minji's boss was yet to arrive when I joined Mom and Minji in the living area. But the preparations were done on a grand scale, I might add. They had done everything in their power to impress him from delicious food to the expensive vintage wine. Everything was on point. I walked over and took a seat across from my mother and sister, catching their attention to my attire.
"What the hell are you wearing?" Mom's angry voice echoed in the living area.
I bit the inside of my cheek, stopping a smile that was making its way to my lips.
"A dress, Mom. Isn't it pretty?" I asked, feigning innocence.
"Pretty? You're looking like a slut, Y/n. Go, change into something decent," she ordered.
"Ouch! That's harsh, Mom." I mocked hurt, placing a palm over my heart.
"You dressed up like this on purpose. You wanna trap him. Is that your plan?" This time, it was Minji. She was throwing accusations my way, but for once, I could care less. "Let me tell you one thing, Y/n. Kim Tae-hyung doesn't do sluts. Your plan won't succeed."
"Trap him? That's on your list, skinny." My lips stretched in a smile when I saw her red face. "I intend to enjoy my evening as I please and not on your terms."
Minji opened her mouth to retort but stopped when the doorbell rang. She closed her mouth and straightened herself, running her long fingers through her hair to make herself look presentable. She plastered a smile on her face, leaving me shocked at how quick she could transform herself into someone she was not.
"It must be him. Go open the door." Mom nudged my sister.
Minji nodded and made her way toward the door. I rose to my feet, not wanting to miss the scene that would take place in the next few minutes. A drooling, desperate Minji had always been fun to watch. It was funny how a twenty-eight-year-old woman turned into a clumsy teenager when a certain man was around.
As my mother walked over to the door to greet the man herself, I followed behind. I looked over at my sister who stood holding the door open, a dreamy smile playing on her lips. I rolled my eyes, then shifted my attention to the man standing in the doorway.
A barely audible gasp escaped my lips. There stood Kim Tae-hyung, MD and CEO of the Kim empire in all his glory, dressed in a three-piece black Gucci suit like always. Though I had never interacted with him before, I wasn't immune to the aura he carried. I was aware of the effect he had over the people around him.
"Hello, Mrs. Kang ." He greeted my mother with a formal handshake.
She reciprocated with a charming smile plastered on her face. They exchanged a few words of pleasantries before he tilted his head and looked over at me. Fuck! I cursed under my breath when those brooding, intense eyes met mine. My gaze zeroed over his handsome face, taking in his sharp features and finding myself appreciating the man. Snap out of it. I shook my head to get my thoughts together. I wasn't there to admire the eye candy that was my sister's boss.
"You must be Y/n, Minji's sister?" His husky voice pulled me out of my trance.
I blinked and nodded. "Hello, Mr. Kim ."
"Tae-hyung . You can call me Tae-hyung ," he said as his eyes stayed transfixed over me.
For the first time since I stepped out of my room this evening, I questioned my choice of wearing this tight-fitting, short dress that gave away much to the imagination. His gaze ran over my body like a gentle caress, drinking me in with that hazy, dark look in his eyes. I looked away, unwillingly, not being able to stand the way he made me feel at that moment with his looks.
Brushing my thoughts aside, I moved to the living area where Minji had led him to. Walking over, I made myself comfortable on the couch across from him while Minji took a seat beside him, her eyes refusing to leave him. The smile on her face was creepily sweet. Mom and Minji kept him engaged in conversations while I sat there, half-listening to what they were saying, but I was more focused on the man in front of me, trying to figure out what it was about this man that had turned my sister into some kind of an obsessive lover.
True, he was handsome and rich, but there had to be something else too. There was no scarcity of rich men asking my sister out, but out of all of them, she was lusting over someone who didn't seem interested in her at all.
Was it a challenge to get him? Had to be. Minji loved challenges, and Kim Tae-hyung was one to her.
The cell phone in my hand buzzed. I glanced at it and groaned inwardly, seeing Kim Woo-jin's name light up on the screen.
Excusing myself, I rose to my feet and walked away to attend the call in private. No one from my family should know about Woo-jin and the job he offered to me.
"Hello."
"How are you, Y/n?" he asked sweetly from the other end, and I could imagine him having that sugary, sweet smile plastered on his face.
"Why did you call?"
"Well, I wanted to know when you will be visiting my club," Woo-jin asked in a soft voice with a hint of hope visible.
"Not anytime soon. Busy with work," I lied through my teeth, and honestly, I had no remorse.
"You got a job?"
How does that concern you? It was on the tip of my tongue, but I held myself back from saying it out loud.
"No, but I have a few interviews lined up." Again, a lie, but I knew I'd have to do something to get a decent job soon. I had to pay Mrs. Lee , then there were bills I was yet to pay. If I didn't do something soon, I was doomed for life.
"All right," he mumbled. "How about this Sunday? I'm sure you're free on Sundays. No interviews, no work."
"Fine. I'll come on Sunday." I let go of a sigh. I had a bad feeling about this. I shouldn't have agreed to go, but this man wouldn't shut up.
"Woo-jin, gotta go. Bye." Ignoring the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, I bid him adieu and hung up.
I clutched my cell phone in a tight fist and turned to make my way back to the living area. I was walking through the hallway when a hand yanked toward me, and I was pulled into the guest room.
"What the-" I yelped. I jerked my hand out of the grasp and turned, gasping at the sight in front of me. Soon the shock subsided, and anger coursed through me.
"What the fuck was that, Kim Tae-hyung ?" I bellowed, straightening myself as I glared at him.
"Language," he snapped.
"Fuck with language. How dare you pull me in here like this," I growled, having no idea why I was so ignited. Was it him or the phone call with Woo-jin? Both, I guessed.
"If I were you, I'd lower my voice. You don't want your family to come here, do you?" he whispered darkly, sending chills down along the length of my spine. When I looked into his eyes, there were no emotions, just brooding darkness. The intensity he stared at me with shook my core. I looked away from him, not liking the way my body reacted underneath his piercing gaze. The air was thick with tension, making it difficult to breathe. I should leave. Yes, I needed to leave.
"Excuse me." A shaky breath tumbled out my quivering lips. I turned to leave but stopped feeling a firm grasp on my wrist.
My eyes flared, and my heart was thumping against my ribcage. "You're crossing the line, Mr. Kim ."
"You should be the last person talking about crossing the line." He ground his teeth, his hold on my wrist tightening, but it wasn't hurting me.
My brows furrowed in confusion, and another wave of anger washed over me. This wasn't the best evening of my life. "Excuse me? Who the hell are you to judge that?"
He ignored me. His dark brown eyes pierced through me. I took a step back, unable to withstand his gaze. The man in front of me seemed to possess some kind of power. He had a strong aura wrapped around him, which could force anyone into submission. But I was determined not to fall into that 'anyone' category.
I squared my shoulders and stared back, holding his gaze.
"I thought you were different, but how wrong I was." His deep voice ruptured the silence.
"What do you mean?" My sharp gaze zeroed in over his face to read his expression since I couldn't understand the reason behind him making such a comment.
A sigh escaped me, seeing him as stoic as ever, his expressions guarded and impossible to read.
Kim Tae-hyung took a step forward, his gaze stopping at my face for a brief moment before traveling over my body.
I shuddered involuntarily. I hated the way my body reacted to someone I barely knew, someone who was holding me against my will. You don't seem to mind too much. Ignoring the voice in the back of my head, I glared up at him.
"Tae-hyung , let me go." Though I tried to keep my voice firm and confident, in the end, it was anything but that. But whatever it was, he had no right to pull me into a room and act all judgmental on me. And why? What had I done to him to deserve this? He didn't even know me. Then why was he acting like a boyfriend I cheated on?
"Meet me at my office tomorrow at noon," he said or more like commanded. Whatever that was pissed me off. No one talked to me like that.
"What makes you think I'll come to meet you?" I sassed, narrowing my eyes at his audacity to act as if he owned me.
"You will," he whispered, looking into my eyes. Humorless laughter shone in his dark orbs, sending a sensation through me. This man was dangerous. He seemed confident that I'd obey him. I got a feeling that he knew something and was using it against me. But what? What could it be?
"In your dreams."
Kim Tae-hyung smirked. And damn, that did look good on his ever-so-serious face. I shook my head, chiding myself for going off track. I should focus on his words, not on how fucking good he looked with a smile on his face.
"Tae-hyung , I'm serious. Let me go. My sister and mother must be looking for you. They will be here any moment," I told him in a firm voice.
"Tomorrow, noon." He tipped his chin, then left me, unwillingly. The look on his face said so. He took a step back and turned to leave but stopped hearing my voice.
"I'm not coming."
Kim Tae-hyung tilted his head sideways and looked over his shoulder at me. "You will if you don't want your family to know about your plans of trading your body to rich men for money."
"What the-"
"Woo-jin, my brother, told me everything," he interrupted. "I expect you in my office at noon tomorrow."
He didn't say anything more and walked out, leaving me alone in the room, wondering how I landed up in this mess.
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