Taeyeon can't sleep that night, always standing by the phone in case her parents call. She's changed out of her pajamas, ready to leave the penthouse at a moment's notice.
She's about to leave for the other hotel in the morning—the one her parents are using to evacuate and hide their VIP guests—when she meets Tiffany in the hallway. The woman is also all dressed up but not in her formal work clothes.
"Where are you going so early in the morning?" she asks in surprise.
"My parents called. They were taken to the police station for questioning," Tiffany says. "I'm heading down there to pick them up and take them home."
"What? Why were they questioned?"
"That's what I'd like to know." Tiffany frowns. "Did something happen with your family? Something that might affect my parents?"
Taeyeon hesitates then carefully says, "Something happened, yes, but it had nothing to do with your parents. I don't understand why they were taken for questioning." She sighs and dials Hojun's number. "Bring Jangyop along," she tells the man then hangs up. "Let's go then."
—-
Taeyeon carefully steps out of the car and tries her best to look inconspicuous, walking along Hojun who's dressed like any ordinary guy with his hoodie, jeans and sneakers.
The car leaves them to take Tiffany and Jangyop—also in plain clothes—to the police station to pick the Hwangs up. Taeyeon wanted to come along, initially, but she knew that considering her family's circumstances, it would be borderline suicide to walk inside a police station.
So despite her worry, she has to sit this one out and first meet her parents before catching up with Tiffany.
She walks into the normal room on the eleventh floor, a very different sight than the usual luxurious suite her parents would stay at.
The atmosphere is tense and her father is pacing the room while frowning, looking very serious and deep in thought.
The first person who looks her in the eyes is her mother.
She holds her gaze confidently, having nothing to hide, and sits on the chair across from the older woman. "What happened, exactly?"
"There's a rat," replies the woman curtly. "But we're not sure who. They tipped the pigs off. We identified some around the hotel so we moved the rose. Nearly had to sacrifice a few of our men but they're all free now."
"I'll check my staff," Taeyeon says, referring to the people whom she trusted with matters regarding the VIP visit. "But I'm pretty sure they don't know anything about the rose." She pauses then adds, "And neither does Tiffany."
"How can you be so sure?"
"The Hwangs were taken in for questioning," Taeyeon informs her mother who raises her eyebrows in surprise. "Tiffany is on her way to pick them up as we speak. Jangyop is with her but he is to remain in the car. If she was their informant, why would they bring her parents in for questioning?"
"I wonder..." mumbles the woman as she furrows her brows and taps her chin. "Has anyone been asking you about them or Tiffany? Has anyone shown any interest in them as of late?"
Taeyeon shakes her head as she tries to think about what's been going on lately. Then it hits her. "Unless..." She mutters a curse. "Kang Hyejin," she hisses, remembering that moment caught on camera, when Hyejin tried to unlock her phone in her room, and other moments when she sensed that the woman was trying to take a peek at her phone. Then Hyejin's remark about Tiffany... it fits. If she were to rat on Taeyeon's family, she would drag Tiffany along, no doubt about it.
"Kang Hyejin?" her mother looks at her in surprise. "I thought she still had a few more years of house arrest to go." She gestures at one of the men who quickly hands her a phone.
The woman makes a quick call, asking the person on the other end of the line about Kang Hyejin. "Hurry," she says before hanging up. "They'll get back to me. If it's true..." She sighs and looks at her daughter. "Taeyeon..."
"I never told her anything! I swear!" exclaims Taeyeon. "I don't trust her and you know it."
"Still, just spending time with her gives her ample opportunity to dig into your life and our lives," says her mother, disappointment apparent in her tone. "So I take it that you still haven't made progress with Tiffany? Or are you just being a jerk, playing with her?"
Taeyeon rolls her eyes and chooses not to answer even though her mother's question hurts. She knows that it's better to stay silent. There is no need to explain herself and there's a bigger problem at hand than her private life. If it's indeed Hyejin who's been using her to spy on her family... Damn! I am so stupid!
"I was expecting you to be more considerate towards her. I thought she was your friend," her quiet father finally speaks, turning around to finally look at her. "I'm disappointed."
Taeyeon clenches her jaws and looks away but doesn't respond. Her father's words just added insult to injury.
Her mother's ringing phone cuts through the silence and Taeyeon tenses as she watches the woman taking the call.
"I see," says Mrs. Kim. "Thank you." She ends the call and returns the phone to the man standing next to her. "You're very lucky," she tells her daughter. "It's not Kang Hyejin but she's not innocent. Apparently, she made a deal with the prosecutor's office."
"Let me guess," quips her husband. "Early release in exchange for spying on our daughter?"
"Yes." Mrs. Kim coldly looks at Taeyeon. "She hasn't gotten anything on us so far thankfully but you know what to do, right?"
Taeyeon nods. "I'll take care of it."
"As for the Hwangs, it's indeed her who brings up Tiffany and our deal with them," adds her mother. "Make sure she doesn't stick her nose where it doesn't belong, yes?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Everything's under control now. We have apologized to our guests and thankfully, they're nice enough to give us another chance. We'll reschedule things. You go meet the Hwangs and apologize," her father says. "We're not the best people and you hate us, I know. But we take care of our loved ones, Taeyeon."
She nods, stands up and bows politely—the first time she ever done that in a long time. It's not because of what nearly happened to the family and their guests but because she let Hyejin get too close which in turn, caused problems for Tiffany and her parents. She knows she's guilty and her father is right. She needs to take better care of Tiffany.
"One more thing," Mr. Kim says before his daughter leaves the room. "What I said about the deadline still stands but if you still won't marry her by then, I won't keep pushing you."
That surprises Taeyeon but she knows that there's a catch. There will always be a catch.
"But?" she asks.
"But you will take your rightful place in the business," states Mr. Kim.
Whatever tiny sliver of hope that Taeyeon has been secretly holding onto disappears. Her future is doomed, that much she's now sure of.
"Understand?" asks the man.
She grits her teeth and walks out of the room with Hojun by her side.
—-
The moment Tiffany walks inside the penthouse after taking her parents home, she sees Taeyeon waiting for her, standing in the living room while looking worried.
"Everything okay?" asks Tiffany as she approaches the woman. For the first time since she first met Taeyeon, there is no confident, commanding aura about her. This Taeyeon looks fragile, vulnerable, and it makes her want to hug her and comfort her so she does just that, shocking the brunette who instantly tenses. "My parents are fine. Relax," she says before letting the girl go.
Taeyeon takes a moment to gather her thoughts—she can't believe Tiffany just hugged her—and says, "Tell them I'm sorry." She's acting cool, taking the greatest care not to show any reaction to the hug even though the gesture has temporarily turned her into mush, short-circuiting her brain. The smell of her perfume and shampoo still lingers in her nose, her skin is still tingling and warm from where their bodies touched and her heart is pounding.
It's bittersweet because Tiffany's finally comfortable enough around her to show that kind of affection but although she likes it, she can't reciprocate or ask for more.
At least I still have her for another year and a half. Well almost. More like a year and five months actually, she tries to console herself, feeling her heart breaking a little at the thought of saying goodbye to the woman she has grown to admire and love.
"I'll do that. Are you okay?" Tiffany asks once again, watching Taeyeon's sad eyes. "What happened?"
"Nothing they can't handle," replies Taeyeon. "What about your parents?"
"They're surprised, having never had to deal with the authorities and all, but they're okay. The police asked them about your family but my parents are not that dumb. They told them that they didn't know anything, that they once asked your family for a loan and that was pretty much it. The bankruptcy ironically helped prove that they had nothing to do with your family business," Tiffany tells Taeyeon. "Funny thing is, apparently, the cops knew about me living here with you and they asked about it. My parents just said that we were dating and that it's not related to your family in any way," she then says in amusement.
"W-what?"
Aside from the 'dating' part, Taeyeon's surprise is also caused by the ease with which Tiffany said it—as if it's not a big deal at tall.
"What? Was that the wrong answer?" asks Tiffany, looking slightly worried that her parents might have given the wrong response.
"N-no but... dating?"
Tiffany shrugs. "It's the most logical explanation, right? I think they have expected it too. The cops, I mean. Daddy said that they had photos of us together. He thinks that they've been spying on you and following you."
Wow. Had this happened months ago, I'm pretty sure that you'd be very unhappy hearing people saying that you're dating me. I'm glad you're taking it well. Too bad you can't date me for real.
Taeyeon sighs and plops down on the couch. "I've suspected as much with all that happened yesterday with my family. I'm sorry you and your family got dragged into this."
"Don't be." Tiffany takes a seat next to Taeyeon. "I was a bit worried when I heard about the cops but consider it my parents' karma for doing this to us," she says, grinning a little. "As wrong as this sounds, I'm glad they got to experience what it's like to be held against their will in an unknown place. Though I have it better. At least I'm stuck with here with you and not in some stinky cell in a police station with criminals."
"They put your parents in a cell?!" exclaims Taeyeon in shock.
"No but I wish they had. Just for a little while," Tiffany says then laughs. "Oh that feels good." She exhales then gets up. "Ice cream? There's too much drama. We need sugar."
"That we do," Taeyeon mumbles and pushes herself up, following Tiffany into the kitchen. "There's something I need to tell you," she says as she sits on the counter stool, watching Tiffany take a pint of ice cream and two spoons.
Tiffany hums, places the pint on the counter and hands Taeyeon a spoon.
"It's about Hyejin," says Taeyeon, noticing how Tiffany furrows her brows at the mention of that name. "I take it that you don't like her?"
"She makes my bitchy boss look like the Dalai Lama," retorts Tiffany.
Taeyeon can't help but snort but then quickly turns serious again. "Then you'll be happy to hear that you won't ever have to see her again. Especially here, in this apartment."
Tiffany raises her eyebrows in question. "Oh?"
Carefully, Taeyeon begins telling Tiffany about Hyejin's criminal past and what she had done to reduce her sentence, using her to get information on her family.
"I was right," Tiffany says.
"About?"
"That woman is an evil, arrogant bitch," states the brunette, much to Taeyeon's amusement. "Well good riddance. You're too good for her anyway. I hope they send her back to prison."
For the umpteenth time today, Tiffany has managed to surprise Taeyeon and rendered her speechless for a moment.
"Let's do something fun," suggests Tiffany once they're done with the ice cream. "Are you up for a little outing?"
"Depends. What kind of outing do you have in mind? No hiking or yoga please. I've had enough stress today," Taeyeon says.
"How about a movie? Then dinner?"
Taeyeon smiles and nods. "Sounds good."
"Great! I'm gonna go change." Tiffany rushes towards her bedroom. "Choose a movie!" she orders before she disappears inside her room.
Taeyeon sighs and quietly goes to the living room to wait for the other girl. I'll take better care of you from now on, Fany. I promise. Let's enjoy the next year, shall we?