The woman who was not chosen

Chapter 27

"Stay away from that idiot." Kwon Jiyong muttered to her, closing the distance between them while whisking her off her feet. She let out a surprised squeal, holding onto his shoulders when he suddenly picked her up and swished her around.

"He seems...interesting." Dara Park was placed in a good mood by his unusual and unfamiliar greeting. She liked it very much. It was like something out of a movie. "Does he happen to know Bom? His name sounds very familiar."

Kwon Jiyong's face changed a bit. "Yes, he does, but that's a story for another time." He preferred not to remember the image of his best assassin wagging his tail to his younger sister. It was a peculiar sight, one that ended up very disastrously. Needless to say, the man was not allowed to be near Bom Kwon, not that she would want to be with him either.

Dara Park hummed in reply, her eyes glancing towards the spot where the Ferrari previously stood. She made up her mind to ask Bom Kwon about him.

- - - - -

"My mother's birthday is approaching in a week." Kwon Jiyong began while slicing the filet mignon cooked in butter and rosemary. After thoroughly cutting it into bite-size pieces, he switched the plate with Dara Park's half-cut steak.

"She wants us to attend, but of course, if you do not want to, we do not have to step foot in that place." He surveyed her unfazed expression and could see the engines in her head. Preferably, he did not want to attend such a boring occasion, since the banquet was usually too extravagant and noisy to his liking. He preferred to see his mother a day or so before the birthday banquet to give her the gifts and greetings.

Dara Park was not a fan of banquets anymore, but for the sake of Madam Kwon, she reluctantly nodded her head. "I do not see a problem in attending."

Kwon Jiyong's lips twitched, his brows creasing together. "Do not feel pressured to attend just for the sake of giving face. You do not need my parents' or for that matter anyone else's acceptance."

'Well, I don't want to become Yoona.' She thought to herself. To this day, the young woman still refused to step a foot in the Zheng Main Mansion, where Madam and Master Zheng resided. After so many failed attempts of gaining their favor, the female lead learned the harsh way that she would never be accepted, for her background would never be good enough. After all, she was whisked into wealth, not born into it.

"It's fine, I want to attend." She lied through her teeth, her lips blooming into a pleasant smile.

Kwon Jiyong saw right past her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now stop distracting me from this perfectly cooked meal." She chided him, averting her gaze. She was not a fan of banquets, especially one as grand as the one Fan Jielan would throw. However, she needed allies on her side, and Fan Jielan seemed to be the perfect one.

Halfway through their meal, Dara Park's phone buzzed. She checked and saw it was a message from Elder Park.

[Grumpy Gramps: The Annual Ning Auction will be held in five days. Are you going to attend?]

Dara Park thought about it. She glanced at Kwon Jiyong whose eyes were intently staring at her. When their eyes met, he smirked a bit before going back to his meal. She could feel her stomach flutter at the mischievously handsome expression on his face. She contemplated asking him to attend with her but then decided against it. If he went with her, he would buy everything she gave the smallest glance at.

[Dara: Is this the charity one?]

[Grumpy Gramps: Yes.]

[Dara: Alright, I'll be there.]

Dara Park decided it would be a good chance to grab a gift for Fan Jielan there. The Auction would be showcasing everything ranging from antique paintings from the medieval era to finely-crafted pieces of jewelry that women would die over.

"Our project for the retirement homes is going smoothly." Kwon Jiyong stated when he believed she was too engrossed in that stupid phone of hers. Damn it, it was stealing their precious time together. Seeing that discreet smile on her face, he wanted to chuck the thing out the window.

"Don't forget the rates we concluded." She mused, revealing a dimple-smile when his face soured at the event of being cornered by her.

"Of course, how could I forget such a defeat?" He roughly stabbed the steak and aggressively chewed it.

"A defeat?" She chuckled, "Who said you had a chance to begin with?" She quirked a brow, highly amused at his words. When his eyes narrowed, glaring daggers at her, the smile widened. "Aw, don't be such a sore loser."

"My money is your money." He pettily said, slicing through his meat as if it were butter.

Dara Park wrinkled her nose. "You can keep your money to yourself. I don't want it."

"Well, sucks to tell you, but it's yours now." Kwon Jiyong let out a peal of warm laughter, throaty and genuine. Deep like the ocean, calm as the tides on a morning, it softened her expressions.

He thought back to the face she made at the marriage bureau when it was announced to her how much money was in his bank account. She refused to even touch a penny of his money, even when he offered to give every last drop of it to her. The fortune he possessed was enough to buy out a large kingdom and all the treasures it had to offer. Too bad for her though, it was all hers now.

- - - - -

WARNING: NSFW content ahead. It does not contain major plot details, so if you feel uncomfortable with sexual content, please skip!

Since both of their schedules were beyond-free today, they spent the rest of their day lounging throughout the house. Soon, night approached and Dara Park was prepared to go to bed. She stepped out of the shower and found him on the bed, reading a book, freshly showered like her.

She climbed onto the bed and laid on her side, expecting to sleep, but Kwon Jiyong had different plans. It began with him trailing his fingers gently over her exposed arms, sending shivers down her spine. Then his feather-soft fingers were replaced with his lips that pressed soft kisses against her skin.

He turned her onto her back and without warning, collided their lips together. Her eyes widened in shock before they slowly shut themselves, heavily immersed in his warm and addicting lips. He kissed her deeply and then trailed his lips down a path to the cranny of her neck, licking the area before sucking upon it, biting the spot, leaving a bright red mark. While he created another mark on the other side of her neck, his hands slid up her waist and gently cupped her breast, waiting for her to reject his advances.

Her breath hitched and after three seconds when she did not push him away, he gave it a firm squeeze. She let out a gasp when his fingers inched its way to the straps of her nightgown, tugging it down to reveal her assets.

He peppered kisses upon the valley of her chest and suddenly, his mouth latched onto her nipple, flicking it with his tongue, a loud pleasurable moan escaped her lips. Her fingers entwined into his hair when he teased her nipple with his teeth before opening his slick, hot mouth and latching upon it, sucking it hard, causing her to cry out in pleasure.

She tugged at his hair while the other latched upon his strong shoulder blades, feeling his muscles clench when he moved. She thought of pushing him away, but when his mouth moved to her other breast and sucked hard upon the nipple, she clung onto him tighter.

The sucking and his hot wet tongue smothered any sound of protest as she completely withered in pleasure underneath him. Her uneven breathing, resembling small pants, only heightened his passion.

"Y-Kwon Jiyong..." She quietly moaned, tugging at his hair.

His eyes darkened incredibly and without warning, the skimpy dress was tugged all the way down, stopping just an inch or two above her womanhood. He raised his head and latched his mouth against her lips, muffling her cries when their tongues clashed against each other. She tried to wrestle against his tongue that explored every part of her mouth, but to no avail, she was completely dominated by him.

He pulled back a bit and in a hoarse, thick voice, said, "I'm going to try something new." He pushed her hair back, to reveal more of her face. "If you do not like it, tell me to stop immediately. Okay?" He gently said, watching as her eyes widened in confusion.

"Answer me." He whispered against her lips, pecking it and waiting for her to reply. He did not want to forcefully intrude her, even though his rod desperately wanted to explore the pink heaven beneath.

"Okay." She whispered, unsure about what he would do. However, she trusted him and because of that, she was willing to try it.

With her permission, he initiated a new stage of their relationship. He maintained eye contact with her as he pulled the dress even lower, slipping it off of her. She was trembling and shaking, mainly in anticipation and nervousness.

He tossed the clothing aside and still kept his eyes leveled with hers. When his fingers rested upon her hips, right upon the laced underwear, her legs clamped shut, but with him nestled between them, she could not do so fully.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked her upon sensing her hesitation. He was worried, especially when he sensed this could be an extremely sensitive topic.

She shyly shook her head, her cheeks flaming at the same time, especially when her eyes came in contact with his hungry ones that could devour her whole.

The hand on his shoulder moved to the blankets, clenching it tightly. He did not like that and instead, grabbed the hand, preventing her from holding onto something. He wanted her to dive straight into the pleasure, not try to fight against it. With nothing to hold onto, she could only clench her fingers and succumb to what he will do next.

- - - - -

Kwon Jiyong began to kiss a path starting from the dip of her breast to her stomach, causing her entire body to clench in anticipation. She could feel a fire burning within her, starting from her womanhood, and when his rough, calloused finger teased her inner thigh, her back arched off of the bed.

Everywhere he touched or kissed, she could feel tingles. She could feel something hard accidentally brush her legs before it disappeared. Judging by his heavily hooded eyes, the evident passion, she could tell exactly what it was, her burning cheeks glowing another shade of red.

She let out a gasp when his mouth dived straight down, without warning, against the petals of her flower. Her head tilted back, eyes fluttering shut, whilst his tongue swept against the slits and then caressing the pearl in soft, slow circles.

She was overwhelmed with pleasure, unable to control the lewd sounds that escaped from her lips. His fingers grazed her inner thighs, teasing the sensitive skin. He let out a low growl at the sounds she made and suddenly pursued his lips against the pearl, sucking the area, earning another round of sweet cries that drove him insane.

"Ah! W-wait-ah!" She loudly moaned when he suddenly began to lap his tongue upon her womanhood, exploring the world of pink flesh, and swirling his tongue as if she was a lollipop.

When she finally raised her head to look at him a bit, their eyes met. He had been looking at her the entire time, watching her pleasured expression with his large, dark eyes staring deeply into hers, filled with tender love, absolute devotion, and dangerous lust.

She could feel something building up within her, picking up its pace, like her pants for air. He buried his tongue deeper into her and that was when she truly felt it, an immense wave of pleasure, stronger than the one she was currently drowning in. Her muscles tightened as she began to climb to a greater ecstasy, building up higher and higher, until she felt like she was reaching the peak.

And she did.

"Y-Kwon Jiyong!" She arched her back, a delirious effect passing over her as she released something, she did not realize she was holding in. Her body shuddered and hummed as a rough tremor coursed through her. She eventually collapsed onto the bed, her chest rising up and down in an attempt to catch her breathing.

"Ah, w-what-!" She moaned when he began to lap his tongue again, greedily drinking everything in. She melted against the pillows, her fingers reaching to grasp something.

During their passion, he had shifted his hand to hold her open. She tightly clenched the blanket in hopes of distracting herself from the immense pleasure, but he was having none of it, grabbing her hand and tangling their fingers. He thoroughly cleaned her up with his tongue.

Her eyelids were becoming heavier now, dropping a bit. She could feel her heart skip a beat, a blush traveling from her chest to her cheeks when he licked his lips, "Delicious." He seductively whispered in a hoarse, rough voice that was forcing her to feel all sorts of haywire emotions.

"Tired already? That was only the beginning." He let out a dark laughter, sending pleasurable shivers down his spine.

He wanted to go for another round, one that involved more than just his wild tongue, but he could tell she was beyond exhausted. That was fine with him. From now on, he planned on training her stamina until she could fully take him in. With her condition right now, she would break with the force he had planned to roughly enter her.

- - - - -

Dara Park shrank back a bit when he suddenly got off the bed and disappeared. She sat up, a bit confused and hurt at how fast he left. Where did he go? Her eyes flickered with surprise when he suddenly came back with a hot towel in hand and one of his t-shirts in the other.

"Lay back down, my love." He cooed to her which she obediently followed. He began to wipe her body clean so that she would be more comfortable later on. He did not notice the slightly-worried expression on her face.

"Kwon Jiyong..." She began, her voice filled with exhaustion. He hummed in reply, placing the towel down after he was done. Next, he helped her into his t-shirt which reached a bit higher than her mid-thigh. The more he pampered her, the more she felt the guilt coursing through her. She believed a woman should not feel guilty when it comes to such an important topic, especially when the idea of it was so ancient, traditional, and dumb.

"Yes?" He lifted their blanket and climbed underneath it, his arms resting on her hips. She turned to face him, nervously wrying her fingers together.

"I...I'm not..." She mumbled something incoherent. He scooted closer and shifted their position so that he was laying on his back and she had her head resting on his chest, her ear pressed against his heart.

"You're not what?" He asked, caressing her arm and playing with the edges of her hair.

In a voice barely above a whisper, she muttered, "I'm not a virgin."

Kwon Jiyong went quiet at the sudden change in subject. He thought about his next approach.

Dara Park's anxiety drastically increased with each passing second. His arm loosened around her, which forced her to overthink the situation. Her heart dropped at his silence.

She did not think he was such an old-traditional type of man who prized a woman's virginity above all. What happened to thinking tradition as peer-pressure from the dead? She sat up from the bed and upon seeing his blank, almost judging expression, she could feel the prickling pain of her broken heart traveling to her chest. She tried to get off the bed, but before her foot even graced the ground, he grabbed her.

"Where are you going?" His voice was gruff, almost as if he was angry.

Dara Park's nails dug into her palms, painfully creating ridges. "I wanted to grab a glass of water." More like grab her bags and leave.

Kwon Jiyong slowly released his hold on her, deciding it must've been a hard topic for her to discuss and perhaps water would help. But in the last minute when she stood up, he followed after her. When she took one step, he loosely wrapped his arms over her waist, not allowing her to leave if she wanted to. "Who took it?"

"I...don't want to talk about it."

"Why?"

She turned around, hate clouding her eyes. "You'd kill him."

Kwon Jiyong's lips twitched, she knew him so well. "Never."

"And pigs fly."

"We've had this conversation before, my love. If you chuck it in the air, it will."

Dara Park glowered at him. In such a serious conversation, he still had the time to sit around and joke about the past?

"Silly little thing." He whispered, pulling her closer to press a soft kiss upon her hairs. "I do not care for trifling little things like that. It's the twenty-first century, I didn't expect you to be a virgin." He gently smiled, turning her around, entertained by the surprised expression on her face. Parted lips and widened eyes, she looked at him as if he had three heads.

"You...you're not mad?" She skeptically asked, wary of how eerily calm he was. She expected him to lash out, throw a tantrum, push her away, or look at her with disgust, but he did not.

He found her expression intriguing. Seeing her speechless expression and doubting eyes, he resisted the urge to pinch her cheek.

He admitted, "I was angry the first second I heard it." He pushed back her hair to reveal her face, using one hand to cup it. "But I've come to realize it's a selfish thing to expect and care about, especially when I'm also not one."

Dara Park felt a mountain lifting off of her shoulders. His face was filled with tranquil acceptance — something she long dreamed of but did not think would actually find in a man. He was such a possessive person, where a simple glance from another man ignited his anger. She thought he would push her away while glaring at her with hateful eyes filled with disgust. She was prepared for their relationship to end on the spot with a shattered heart that could never recover or open up again.

"Besides, it's such a foolish concept. It's the twenty-first century fueled by a new generation with updated beliefs and mindsets. The traditional idea of virginity is so stupid. What is the point of it?" He voiced his thoughts out loud, her stupefied expression further entertaining him. Her delectable lips were parted in disbelief.

"You're setting the bar too high for other men."

His face became dark, a shadow looming over his eyes. "What other men?" His voice held a dangerous edge at the image of her wrapped in another man's arms. If such a thing were to happen, there would be an armless man roaming Hell.

"The poor, single and lonely fishes in the sea that are still searching for their mates." She responded, not understanding where the sudden frosty chill came from. She shivered as if she was standing on the ice in the North Pole.

"There will be no more fishes in the sea if someone covets what's mine." He seethed, yanking her to him.

She stood on her tippy-toes and gave both sides of his face a pat. "Were you always this possessive or did it start because of me?" She tiredly sighed at this temperamental husband of hers. "I wasn't referring to the idea of cheating on you. You're such an overthinker." She chuckled, attempting to stretch the cheeks of the sullen child.

"It started because of you." He mumbled under his breath. For as long as he could remember, no one dared to take or touch what was his.

He never fathomed the idea of being so in love and infatuated with a woman to even fear her departure. So many things shifted and changed within him when Dara Park stepped back into his world.

Now it was his life's mission to ensure she did not disappear again. And it all starts with finding the root of why she forgot about him in the first place. But that was a story for another time, one that would revolve around painstaking, backstabbing and murder.

"Well, start ending it because I am not going anywhere." She innocently laughed, completely unaware of the massacre he was willing to commit just to keep her close to him.

Her eyes twinkled when she glanced up at him, squeezing his frosty heart. His fingers tightened around her hips. He wondered how it was possible that such a simple thing could shine brighter than the stars. Diamonds, crystals, gems, nothing in this world could compare to her eyes — the very things that used to haunt his nightmares for a short period of his childhood.

He could not forget the memories of a little girl chasing after him, that bubbly voice that called out "Jiyong." He could never forget the girl who showed him the light, the purity in this world, and the girl who took it all when she left.

"Good, because I'll kidnap you if you do."

Her heart skipped a beat at his threat that seemed more like a promise. "Silly boy, why would I ever leave?"

His eyes flickered. He could list a billion reasons to her, but that would take a lifetime. He responded by crashing her body to his, hugging her tightly, pressing her face to his chest, right to his heart, where the only thing she could hear was its erratic beating.

- - - - -

Kwon enterprise, the next day.

"Boss, the person who delivered the box has been taken into custody, but when we found him in the cell this morning, he had killed himself. There was a cyanide tooth that he broke in his mouth." Chen Xie reported.

Kwon Jiyong thought over the options. If the delivery man had a cyanide tooth, then he already knew he would die by torture. "Has the rat been exterminated?"

"In the most brutal way possible." Chen Xie easily answered. There was a mole in their house who allowed the box to easily pass through security. It was practically impossible to deliver anything to Kwon Jiyong's front door, especially when it required a specific keycard.

Chen Xie decided to change the topic. "Also, the Lady Boss' family has been attempting to contact her for a while now. Our block on their calls and text messages is still up and effective." When Xiumen Park was captured, Chen Xie was ordered to contact Dara Park's cell phone carrier company to prevent calls and messages from specific numbers. For added security, when Dara Park left her phone unmonitored at home, Kwon Jiyong had blocked her family's phone numbers.

"Maintain the block. Extend it to any of her scheming relatives as well." Kwon Jiyong disdainfully said. He did not forget what she said a couple of days ago when her phone was blowing up with leeching and backstabbing relatives attempting to ride on the coattails of her success.

"Yes, sir." Chen Xie noted down onto his tablet and checked for anything else. "Aside from the schedule, that is all for today."

Kwon Jiyong nodded his head and went back to the reports in front of him, meticulously checking over all of the details. Chen Xie excused himself and walked out of the office. His eyes briefly came in contact with Kiko Mizuhara, who averted her gaze in less than a second, and tilted it to Lu Shanshan whose private assistant desk was directly in her line of sight.

- - - - -

"Meeting adjourned." Dara Park declared as she stood up, allowing everyone to catch a sigh of relief.

The atmosphere between the board of directors was stiff, especially with the unimpressed expression on their boss' face. She was not happy with what she had heard today and many of them were thoroughly reprimanded.

A good handful of them was too comfortable with Wei Hantao's laid back attitude that the sudden shift of leadership did not sit well with them. It was clear many of them rarely did any work in the company.

Choi Seunghyun's cold eyes swept across the room, giving them a clear warning of professional protocol. It wasn't until the directors exchanged glances that they all stood up and bowed their heads. "Thank you for your time." They said with voices laced with false appreciation. Many of them couldn't wait to go home.

Dara Park silently nodded her head and left the room without glancing back. Choi Seunghyun grabbed the files and folders before storming out of the room, a few steps behind his boss. He walked faster to catch up to her.

Dara Park passed him a slip of folded paper and pressed her lips together in annoyance. "Fire them."

Choi Seunghyun unraveled the paper, his eyes raking over the long-list of names. "This is 90% of our heads of department."

"Oh?" Dara Park feigned surprise.

Choi Seunghyun nodded, thinking she was going to take out a few names on the list.

"My mistake, here is another slip." She handed him another note.

He took the paper and nearly choked on the air. "T-this is 99% of the team... Only one of them is staying?" He hesitantly asked.

"Yes. Except for the female director in her late twenties, all of them are useless. Most of them are money-grabbing people with nice resumes, but horrible leadership. They pass their responsibilities onto other employees and their mindsets are terrible. Get the major shareholders to sign off on this." Dara Park turned around the corner and walked straight to her office.

"Begin setting up the interview process for the secretaries and private assistants, then after that, you won't have to weigh on me that much." She said, a small smile resting on her lips. "You're the Vice President now. You will also need people to help you."

Choi Seunghyun was taken aback by her words. He was so used to being the secretary that he did not mind helping her do such tasks. "I have already advertised it and have received thousands of applications. Should I trash the ones that do not meet requirements?"

Dara Park shook her head. "Set aside time in my schedule to interview all of them."

Choi Seunghyun tripped over his own feet. "A-all of them?! Boss, we have received over two thousand resumes!"

"It'll be a group interview to get through the process quicker." Dara Park did not give him a chance to doubt her decision anymore. She walked into her office and closed the door, leaving a dumbfounded and baffled man outside.

Choi Seunghyun scratched his head. It seemed someone else was aiming for his title as an overachiever. The next few days will be insane with them juggling so many interviews at once.

Today's work ended quite early for Dara Park who finished everything on her schedule, including the paperwork for the day. Seeing as she had a few hours to burn, she made her way to Cerulean Water Pavillions in hopes of checking upon Bom Kwon, but to her dismay, the young woman was nowhere to be found. After contacting her, she discovered it was because Bom Kwon was still at the studio designing her next fashion line. Thus, she made her way to the studio, a place she had not been to before.

Dara Park took off her sunglasses and admired the layout of the simplistic and small building at the edge of the city, which was a short walk from the seaport.

It was a cute little place that was five-stories high and had a nice little rooftop that overlooked the floral gardens which were a frequent tourist spot. She could see why Bom Kwon would choose this location to be her studio. With an endless array of colors, beckoned by the garden of flowers to the left, and the calm seashore to the right, it was a harmonious combination.

The outside of the building was painted white, with a nice little cafe at the bottom, frequented by the locals there. A pleasant aroma of coffee could be smelled from down the block, small black chairs and tables were laid out in the front to add a vintage minimalist appearance.

Small pots of plants added a splash of color to the white building. The fourth-floor had a window that took up the entire wall, revealing the studio, but because it was so high up, not many people knew what was going on inside. Besides, with the curtains always drawn, no one could look in anyways.

Dara Park checked the text again. It seemed Bom Kwon's studio occupied three floors in total.

She went into the cafe, grabbed an americano for herself and then an extra sweet caramel latte for Bom Kwon who always had a sweet tooth when it came to coffee. Then, she made her way upstairs. Stopping in front of a cute pastel door, she placed down the coffee cups on the small table next to the door. Then, she typed in a passcode and walked into the studio.

Instantly, she spotted Bom Kwon by the oakwood table. She was standing up and hunched over it, her hand moving at an incredible pace while she drew something.

"Wow, I can't believe I'm actually seeing the genius at work." Dara Park teased, closing the door behind her with her legs as she attempted to juggle the drinks and her purse that dangled between her arm and elbow.

"I can't recount the last time I've seen you so focused over a table." She added on, placing the cup of latte beside Bom Kwon.

"Oh please, don't act like you've ever seen me work in the first place. I barely did anything on the desk at school, except using it as a pillow for me to nap on." Bom Kwon chuckled, raising her head and settling the pencil down.

"Of course, how can I forget? As the class president, I always had to reprimand you." Dara Park rolled her eyes. "It also didn't help that you sat right beside me and in the front of the class where the teacher could have the perfect view of you snoring as you wandered off to La La land." She scoffed.

"Hey, for the record, the teacher got a free show that he should appreciate! In my glory days, people would die just to lay their eyes on the Supermodel Bommie!"

"Yeah, the appreciative view of you drooling." Dara Park snorted, taking a sip of her coffee and peering over Bom's shoulders. She was in the process of designing...gym clothes? It was interesting to see the athletic clothing drawn to be so stylistic.

"Gasp! I do not drool!" Bom Kwon argued, even though she did wake up with a wet sleeve...but that was only one time!

"Sure you don't." Dara Park grinned, dodging the rolled-up canvas paper tossed at her head.

"Ugh, can we just change the topic?" Bom Kwon pouted, hating the fact that she was always wrong. From beating people with carrots to drooling, she could not believe she was such a weirdo.

"Fine, fine, I suppose we should." Dara Park took a sip of her Americano and glanced around the surprisingly tidy studio.

Seeking praise from one of her favorite people in the world, Bom Kwon wrapped her arms around Dara Park. "Dara, I clean up my studio all by myself! I organize it at least five times a month. Aren't you proud of me?" She gleefully showed off the meticulously clean studio.

"Wow, you're finally being an adult. Of course, I am very proud of you." Dara Park laughed, her eyes landing upon the sofa and coffee table in the far left of the room, right beside the large window that overlooked the street. She walked to it, Bom in tow, and decided to open the curtains a bit and let in the sunlight. To her pleasant surprise, there were two layers to the curtain, a heavy layer and a thin one. She adjusted the heavy layer to the side and allowed the thin, flowy layer to remain in place.

"I know right! It was so tiring at first, but I prefer to know where everything is, so that's why I clean up the studio all by myself! If I hire other people to do it, they might misplace my putty eraser or put my design and notebooks elsewhere. It would be a disaster." Bom Kwon babbled, setting her caramel latte onto the coffee table and sitting down on the heavenly comfortable turquoise couch. There was a yellow comforter slung over it, paired with matching throw pillows that had...prints of baby chicks in eggs?

"So Dara, what brings you here today?"

Dara Park took one last sip of her americano before also placing it on the table. She sat down beside Bom Kwon and turned to face her. "Actually, yes. I was wondering if you'd like to have brunch this Sunday."

"Just brunch? Well, you could've asked me this over text and save yourself some gas, but of course, I would love to have brunch." Bom Kwon happily replied. Margaritas sound amazing right now.

"I mean, I could, but I also wanted to discuss something else with you." Dara Park quickly changed the topic. "I know you mentioned him in the past before, but we were stupid drunk back then, so I don't remember much." She began. "What is your relationship with Nickhyun?"

Bom Kwon's cheerful expression turned sour. "What about him? How do you know him? Why? Did he ask about me?"

Dara Park was taken back. "No, he didn't—"

"Because I swear if he did, I'm going to ask Feng-ge to give him a thorough beating the next time he sees him. Nickhyun promised he would leave me alone, but damn it, I should've known! He never keeps his promises, and because of that, we always— anyways, nevermind." Bom Kwon cut her rambling short, which was a very unusual quality for her.

Dara Park was quick to catch onto the strange pause as well. "What did you guys always do?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it. Let's go back to the topic of brunch, okay? So, I was thinking La Roche would be nice, but if you want a change of pace, we should head to Bellovaurd where I have a membership—"

"Don't try to change the topic on me, young lady. What did you guys always do?" Dara Park pestered on. She paused, her brain thinking abnormally wrong. "Wait, did you guys always sleep together as in have one night stands a lot?!"

"What?! Oh goodness no! Feng-ge would chop off his manberries if we did!" Bom Kwon had a horrified expression on her face. "I meant we were always arguing a lot! Like the couple-fights... well shit." Bom Kwon slapped a hand over her mouth, letting out a groan. She hated having such a big mouth that always babbled in front of her Dara.

Dara Park's eyes widened. "You guys dated?! How come I didn't know about this?"

"Ugh, can we not talk about it? He's the one mistake in my life that I want to forget. Okay?"

"Wait wait, just one more question. Is he the reason why you refuse to have a serious relationship?"

Bom Kwon responded by downing the rest of her caramel latte as if it was a shot of vodka at some flashy club. She drank all of it and then shot glassed the Americano as well. "I'd kill for a rum right now." She muttered under her breath. "I can't do this sober."

"Well, who said we can't get drunk and stupid?" Dara Park found the story too juicy to ignore. "I saw a local bar down the street. Let's go." She grabbed her wallet, ready to bounce but Bom Kwon profusely shook her head.

"Alcohol at five in the afternoon? Are you crazy?"

"Hey, at least it's not ten in the morning like how I used to be." Dara Park rolled her eyes.

"I thought you quit drinking?"

"I did. I was just planning on watching you drink and hopefully go on a rant." Dara Park sat back down, placing the wallet down after seeing Bom Kwon deeply rooted to the couch. "Will you tell me about Nickhyun one day?"

Bom Kwon glanced at her nails, seemingly finding it to be the most interesting thing in the world. "Maybe...But today is not that day."

On Sunday morning, bright and early, when there were only a handful of people on the top floor, Dara Park strolled out of the private elevator. It was quiet in the building today, mainly because it was an off day for many people, but many of the newer employees in the lower floors still came in anyway.

Dara Park came into the company with a purpose. She walked down the hall leading to Choi Seunghyun's office, a sneaky little smile on her face.

She was dressed in a yellow summer dress that hugged her waist and flowed out from thereon. It stopped two or three inches above her ankles, revealing the stars and moon anklet she found in her jewelry box. Lately, there have been many random little accessories popping up here and there. It was strange, but she already knew who was behind it. Kwon Jiyong always gave her gifts in secret so that she could not reject it on the spot.

She didn't bother knocking when she slammed the door of his office open, surprising the man behind the enormous mahogany desk. His fingers finally got a break when he jumped. His head snapped up so quickly, she worried if he got a whiplash or not.

"Good morning, boss." Choi Seunghyun warily said, an edge to his voice. He was not happy with the dramatic entrance. "Next time, can you please open the door a little gentler and not give me a heart attack?"

"I'm just trying to keep you on your feet." Dara Park teased as she sauntered into the room, her marigold dress fluttering with each step. He stared at it before averting his gaze. Her lips broke into a grin, "Yes, I know this is not an outfit appropriate for the office."

Choi Seunghyun cleared his throat, a light blush traveling to his ears. "I would never dare to badmouth the boss."

"Yeah, yeah and tomorrow it will snow." She rolled her eyes, setting down her tiny bag.

"Anyways, I'm not dressed in office attire because I do not plan on staying here today." She walked to the edge of his desk and confiscated the laptop, closing it shut.

"Boss, I still have next Wednesday's presentation to do—"

"Did you finish today and tomorrow's work already?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then you have time to have some breakfast with me." Dara Park grabbed his hand and yanked him to his feet, tugging the reluctant man out of her door.

"But Boss, next Wednesday's presentation—"

"Can wait until Tuesday approaches, Mr. Workaholic." Dara Park sang her reply, turning back to give him a wink. "And as your Boss, I give you permission to slack off for one day."

"I can't afford to slack off—"

"Sucks to suck." She shrugged, pressing the door to the private elevator and tugging him inside.

If Choi Seunghyun was trying to hide his sulking and displeasure, he was not doing a very good job. His eyes were stormy and gloomy, his lips tucked into a thin line.

"How about this? I'll give you a bonus for accompanying your poor boss to breakfast. It's so lonely to eat by myself."

"It's eleven in the morning, I believe it's brunch now." He snorted, adjusting his suit by flicking his wrist and tugging it down a bit.

Dara Park absentmindedly nodded her head. "In the end, it's still a meal isn't it?"

Choi Seunghyun was left speechless by this shameless woman who also happened to be his boss. "It sure is." He huffed under his breath.

- - - - -

Choi Seunghyun's eyes flickered with disbelief when he found himself at the well-decorated doorsteps of Bellovaurd.

It was an unsuspecting black door with a tinted window and nothing on it except the characters of the restaurant of this place. Entering here was nearly impossible and if you even dare to set foot here without a membership, you can find yourself behind bars. That was only the surface of how well-connected the owner of this place was.

The membership here was not something bought with money or fame. If someone even showed the slightest hint of interest in the restaurant, the possibility of gaining entrance was zero.

His eyes landed on his unassuming boss who had a loose smile on her face. She pulled out a black card that resembled the limitless credit card she possessed, but the only difference was that this one was completely black, no design or number. The only thing visible was the small carving, in silver letters, spelling out "Diamond Member — Dara Park."

Dara Park scanned her card, opened the door and waited for Choi Seunghyun to walk inside before she accompanied after him. They boarded a vintage elevator with hues of orange and red. The door opened and all eyes set onto her and Choi Seunghyun.

The top socialites, gossipers, elites, and so forth, of this country, seemed like they were all engrossed in their conversations, but they were secretly scrutinizing the two newcomers.

"Welcome to Bellovaurd, may I have the liberty to see your membership please?" A host behind a tall booth asked, his voice tinged with a foreign accent.

Dara Park silently handed it to him, not bothering to spare him eye contact as she turned to Choi Seunghyun, worried that he might run back into the elevator at any given second. She grew up with judging stares, but this man did not.

Her shoulders relaxed a bit upon seeing his expressionless, nonchalant face. His stormy eyes were set upon the exotic plant beside him. He looked so bored by this place, she was impressed by it.

Not many people could remain so firm in a crowd of piranhas waiting for you to make a mistake. Acting as if you did not want to be in this place was the biggest unsaid rule here. And so far, both of them were stellar examples of that.

The host's eyes widened upon seeing who she was. Goodness, gracious! He repeatedly jammed his fingers, as discreetly as possible, against the manager button underneath the booth. No less than a second later, a man stepped forward, dressed in a perfectly tailored grey suit.

"Miss Park, you should've told me you were coming. I would've personally greeted you in front of the door." Tang Chen said, his voice laced with astonishment.

Everyone was taken back by his treatment towards the two new guests, but seeing her being placed on such a high pedestal, the socialites stopped their hidden stares. From far away, they could not realize Dara Park had entered, until her surname was used.

"That would be too much for me." Dara Park mused. It was so interesting to see that both Tang brothers were managers of world-renowned restaurants. The Tangs have always had a great relationship with the Parks and the majority of them usually served the latter, for example, Old butler Tang.

"Well, only the best treatment would be suitable for you." Tang Chen let out a smooth laugh before ushering her beyond the velvet ropes. "I already have the perfect table in mind for you."

"Actually, a friend of mine booked a private room for me." Dara Park leaned closer and whispered the name. Tang Chen's eyes flickered with recognition as he readily nodded his head.

"I deeply apologize, I should've known earlier. I will guide you there right away." He changed their path and directed them towards a private room.

Dara Park turned towards Choi Seunghyun and said, "Can you enter two minutes after me?"

Her strange request severely confused him, inclining him to quirk up his brows. He turned to face the black sliding door with design works resembling the gates found in Buckingham Palace. There were the same orange and red hues that were also present back at the elevator.

"Sure?" Choi Seunghyun's response came out more like a question.

Dara Park didn't care about his hesitation. "Alright, perfect. I'll enter first." She opened the door by the tiniest crack, stepped in, and closed the door shut behind her.

Bom Kwon was sipping on a gradient yellow and orange mimosa when Dara Park came in. She had already had two glasses, making her tipsy too early in the morning. "Hey, I was wondering where you were. You're ten minutes late."

"Well, you certainly found a way to entertain yourself in those ten minutes." Dara Park warily glanced at the empty glass beside Bom.

Before Bom Kwon took another sip, it was snatched out of her hand, earning a loud protest, "Hey! I was trying to finish that!"

"It's too early to get drunk." Dara Park chuckled a bit, setting the mimosa elsewhere, causing Bom Kwon to pout. The mimosa tasted too good to go to waste.

"It's not like I have anything to do..." Bom Kwon trailed off when the door slid open and in walked a tall, handsome man. Her eyes widened a bit. Wow, he could pass as an A-list male model! If her manager was here, she'd probably go crazy and convince him to sign with the agency. A face like that... it would be a shame for it to go to waste.

Bom Kwon's amazement died down when she realized the turn of events. "Who are you? You have the wrong room. Please leave." She deadpanned, her voice suddenly brisk, resembling her older brothers' arctic voices.

Choi Seunghyun was equally surprised and unhappy to see the presence of a stranger. This woman was stunning beyond words, but he was not blind nor was he stupid. He recognized her as the supermodel whose sudden departure from fashion industry shocked the world. She was at her peak when she left the scene of fame.

What was Bom Kwon doing here? An idea came into his mind. His throat was suddenly parched. Is this a blind date?!

Dara Park coughed to get their attention. The air was a lot more awkward than she had anticipated..."Well, now that everyone is here, let's all sit down and order brunch!" She happily said, clapping her hands.

Both of them tore their eyes away from each other to glare at Dara Park. Both of them had realized they've been set up.

"I heard their toast menu is delicious! There is one that has smoked king salmon layered upon cream cheese made from Nakazawa milk from Japan! It's also topped with chives, Mexican honey tomatoes, and—"

"I just remembered; an important client is coming into our office today." Choi Seunghyun interrupted her, turning to face the door. He attempted to slide it open, but instead, found himself to be locked inside. Upon closer inspection, he saw the tiny key slot.

"Sorry, none of you guys are going to leave this room until the end of brunch." Dara Park dangled the keys in front of them. She smiled and sat down, picking up the small menu.

She briefly glanced at Choi Seunghyun and said, "Also, I checked your schedule, you're not expecting anyone."

"Dara, what are you doing?" Bom Kwon frowned, occasionally glancing at the stranger in the room. No matter how handsome he was, she was still cautious of him. When her eyes met his stormy ones, she immediately looked away. She was surprised by her behavior. Since when was she this demure? Taking the chance, she looked up at him again, but quickly averted her eyes when he turned his head.

"Setting you fools on a blind date, what else does it look like I'm doing?" Dara Park scoffed, setting down her menu after deciding what she wanted to eat.

"A blind date? Are you crazy?!" Bom Kwon shrieked, slamming her hand down onto the table.

"Why, Bom, I thought we have already established that I am very crazy." Dara Park laughed, turning to her unhappy vice president.

"I'm not looking for a girlfriend." He snapped like his thin patience. He usually respected his boss, especially because she was the one who hired him, but today, her behavior was too outrageous. He wondered if she took the wrong medicine this morning.

"Yes, you are. You're twenty-seven and aside from the two girlfriends you've had in your youth, your love life is as dead as my will to argue with both of you guys." Dara Park shrugged her shoulders. She turned to Bom Kwon, "Payback hurts, huh?"

It finally clicked to Bom Kwon. Her Dara was still petty enough to be angry about the blind dates she set up in the past! She groaned. "I was just trying to help you in the past! It was so sad to see you in such a pitiful and single state."

"It's also so sad for me to see you in such a pitiful and single state." Dara Park monotonically replied, giving her a pointed look. She was fully prepared to spend her time here and argue with both of them since they were equally stubborn people.

"Now, can we please just all sit down and order something off the menu? I'm really hungry."

"The door is locked. How do you expect the waiter to come in?" Choi Seunghyun deadpanned. He planned on escaping the moment the waiter comes in.

"I can just text Tang Chen what we all want to eat. You see that small window over there?" She pointed to the wall where a small opening was seen. "Well, that is where the food is going to be delivered from." Dara Park revealed a wicked smile, resting her chin upon her two propped-up hands. She looked like an evil mastermind, planning to end the world.

"Now, let's be like civilized people and sit down please." She pointed to the chairs in front of her, using the voice of a reprimanding mother.

Bom Kwon's stomach grumbled for food. With nothing else to do aside from complaining and feeling betrayed, she pulled out a chair and sat down. Choi Seunghyun followed suit, both of them admitting defeat to the crazy lady in front of them.

They chose their food in silence and passed it along to Dara Park who sent out a text to Tang Chen. When the food arrived, there was a light knock on the window. Dara Park brought the food to the table and instigated the conversation. "Alright, let's start with 20 questions—"

BUZZ!

Dara Park glanced down and saw it was a phone call from her grandfather. She grabbed the key in her purse, got up, made a dash to the door with her phone and in less than a second, unlocked the door, then slammed it shut behind her. It all happened so quickly, neither of her "hostages" were able to escape.

Dara Park poked her head through the window. "I'll quickly answer this call from grandfather. In the meantime, please have a civilized conversation and try to not miss me too much!"

"Hey, let us out—"

BAM! She slid the window shut, walking down the hall to pick up the phone on the last ring.

Dara Park answered Elder Park's call which was just a brief conversation confirming whether she would show up at the auction tomorrow night.

She thought it was odd that such an important event would be held on a Monday night, when most people would be too exhausted from work to attend it, but then remembered the majority of these people probably do not mind taking days off — since they were mainly the CEOs, CFOs, or Vice Presidents of their companies, or in a position too high up for anyone to object to their departure.

Dara Park debated the idea of returning to the private room. She thought it would be nice to initiate the conversation because Choi Seunghyun seemed like the silent type.

In the end, she snuck her way to the small window, opened the tiniest crack, and tried to eavesdrop on their conversation. She could hear the distinct laughter coming from Bom, who seemed to be rambling her mouth off. She expected Bom to lead the conversation given her bubbly behavior and extroverted tendencies.

Dara Park poked her head further in and was pleasantly surprised to see Choi Seunghyun with a smooth, easygoing smile on his face. He was intently listening to whatever Bom was excitedly talking about.

'Dare I say he's awestruck?' She thought to herself. He didn't take his eyes off of her throughout their entire conversation, even when he used his knife and fork to cut the breakfast quiche in front of him.

Dara Park made a mental note to ask Bom Kwon about her thoughts on Choi Seunghyun. If she did not prefer the silent type, there was always William Ning.

Not wanting to disturb the two potential lovebirds, Dara Park made her way to the people guarding the door. She wiggled her manicured finger and walked down the halls, commanding everyone to follow after her.

She sighed at the number of bodyguards she had, from both her grandfather and Kwon Jiyong. She knew if she complained, it would fall on deaf ears because both of them only cared about one thing: her safety.

- - - - -

A discreet black car pulled to the curb and out stepped the private chauffeur. Dara Park was too engrossed in her phone to realize who the driver was. She climbed into the car. She comfortably nestled herself on the leather seats with her eyes still glued on the phone. She was looking at the stock markets' changing trend and debating which companies would be good to invest in too. She shivered a bit at the drop of temperature in the car but continued to refresh the stock market screen.

"Can you turn the AC lower?" She asked the driver with her head still tucked down.

"Lady Boss, the AC is not on..." He replied, nervously glancing at the mirror where the demon king was seated with his legs crossed.

"But it's so cold in here..." Dara Park huffed. "Turn on the heater please."

Suddenly, a large hand came out and snatched the phone out of her hands, chucking it into the passenger seat. He slammed the partition up, preventing her from even looking at it.

"What the hell— oh dear." Dara Park gulped upon seeing the fiercely angered ice block in front of her. He shot daggers out of his eyes, daring her to break the thin ice she was now treading upon.

"Wifey." She nervously said, reaching her hands out to pacify the neglected man in front of her.

Kwon Jiyong slapped her hands away as if she was dirty. "Don't touch me." He snapped, temperamental as always. "What is so important that you're always on your phone lately?"

"I didn't know you were in the car." She carefully said, "If I did, I would've thrown it away like you did." She lied, hoping to ease his anger. His eyes changed a bit and she seized the chance to throw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and climbing into his lap.

"You're so nice and warm." She let out a contented sigh, ignoring the fact that he did not wrap his arms around her like he usually did. "What? No hugs today?" She scooted back a bit, ready to climb off his lap. He soon responded by grabbing her waist and yanking her back to him.

"Oh, now you want to hug me?" She left her arms limp at her side, enjoying this pull and push game he always seemed to lose.

"If you want to appease me, sit still and put your arms back into place." His voice was lethal and cold.

Dara Park laughed, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head upon his shoulder like a koala. She snuggled into his warmth, loving the portable heater she had with her.

"If you were so cold, you shouldn't have worn this dress." He nagged, referring to her short-sleeved dress. "It looks great on you, but you get cold easily."

Dara Park was left speechless by him. The only reason why she was cold was because his anger got the best of him before! "Just start the car." She muttered, burying her face into his neck, too lazy to argue with him.

Kwon Jiyong played with the ends of her curled hair. "Drive back home." He instructed Hu Wei who turned the car on and began to drive.

"I thought you had work." She hummed against his crisp black suit, his refreshing scent tickled her nose.

"I only went in to grab some reports." Kwon Jiyong easily lied to her, distracted by her silky strands of hair. He originally had an entire schedule set out for today, but he wanted to ensure she was safely taken home. With the General running around this place, he was not willing to take any chances. The only way to calm his fear was to personally see her set foot in their house.

"Will you return to the office then? I know you have a full schedule."

"Do you want to get rid of me that quickly?"

"Preferably, yes." She teased him, grinning at his discontented expression. He was not expecting a blunt response like that.

He retaliated by harshly tugging the edges of her hair, causing her to yelp out in pain. Like the child she was, she yanked his hair as well. "That hurts!" She complained to him, even though she hurt him more.

"I didn't pull that hard." He somberly told her, lifting his hand to roughly pinch the cheek of the mischievous child.

"Well, it still hurts!"

"Says the one who almost ripped my hair out."

"You have too much hair anyways." She snapped back, not realizing how childish they were being.

Hu Wei struggled to keep his composure. He had to think of very sad thoughts to distract himself from the laughter threatening to break free. Both of his bosses were arguing like squabbling children on the playground. He hoped their days would always remain this loving and carefree. But with the next twist and turn being tossed their way, he wondered how long these peaceful days would last.

- - - - -

Kwon enterprise.

Chen Xie wished his boss just stayed home instead of coming back to the office with a gloomy expression and grumpy atmosphere lingering around him. He could tell his boss wanted to spend the day with the lady-boss but was most likely kicked out of the house to return to work.

"Boss... I forgot to mention this sooner..." Chen Xie started his conversation. He did not realize he missed this piece of news until he brushed back to his tablet.

"What is it?" Kwon Jiyong snapped, roughly opening his laptop and nearly bending the screen in half with the force he used. He was in a great mood until Dara Park practically kicked him out of the house just so he could attend the stupid and boring meetings plaguing his schedule.

"We have exterminated the guard, in our security team, who allowed the folder of pictures to slip through and enter the highest floor."

Kwon Jiyong continued typing as if it was nothing. "Make sure an incident like this never happens again."

Chen Xie bowed his head, "Yes, sir!" He was thankful he got off without any consequences. Fearful that his boss would change his mind, he speed-walked out of the door and gently closed it behind him.

The Ning Annual Auction was a highly private event closed off to the public and away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi.

There was a quiet hum in the air from small conversations that were filled with faux smiles, judging eyes, and competitive behavior. There were rumors that a newly uncovered painting from the medieval era was going to be auctioned here tonight. The painting was done by someone highly complimented by Van Gogh himself. The artist himself never signed his name on any of his paintings, but great art connoisseurs could spot his drawings from a mile away due to his style.

The Nings were making their rounds, champagne glasses in their hands. They mingled with the crowd, exchanging brief talks and ensuring everyone had their little bidding flag.

The banquet hall was a world of yellow and white with a stage in the far center where the items would be auctioned off. The thick and enormous yellow curtains were let down to ensure no one could see inside. It was a shame though, the wisteria outside was in full bloom today. The security here was top of the country, generously given by Madam Liang Yunxi's brother.

Many socialites were gathered around a stunning trio whose blindingly beautiful appearances looked straight out of a magazine's photoshoot. With Yoona's angelic features, it made Hero Ang seem a lot less fearsome and unapproachable.

Standing next to the gorgeous woman was someone of equal, if not, more beauty than Yoona herself: Liwei Park. She held the flag with both hands tucked in front of her waist.

She was the epitome of grace and innocence, with her large dewy eyes inherited from her mother, an adorable button nose, and small lips resembling freshly watered roses. She had garnered attention ever since she stepped into the room with her modest pastel blue Yves Saint Lauren dress. Currently, she was the source of envy to other socialites.

With her prodigious and world-renowned piano skills, she was constantly mingling with the right crowd. Being the closest friend of Yoona also helped. Speaking of which, Liwei Park received a strange message from Yoona the other day in regards to some bank transaction. After a brief talk, she understood the Queen had sent out the text to the wrong person.

When the door opened again, every pair of eyes discreetly turned towards it, ready to judge the competitors.

The pieces sold at Ning Annual Auction were always the top of the line items that were highly sought out by everyone. From the jewelry to the rugs, everything here was too valuable to slip out of their hands. People always wondered how well connected the Nings were to come into possession of such items.

Everyone sucked in a breath when Elder Park, dressed in a steel-cut grey three-piece suit, strolled in like he owned the place and everyone here was his servant.

A soft gasp could be heard throughout the room when a woman strolled in after him, and instantly, her attractive features garnered the attention of people. Every woman here was in a dress of some sort to enhance their features, but here she was, in white trousers tailored perfectly for her long legs. She paired it with a navy-blue silk top and a dangling earring that had a single teardrop pearl.

Liwei Park's eyes widened upon seeing her elder sister who has been ignoring all of her mother's phone calls. She watched as Dara Park walked in proudly, like an untouchable goddess, and perhaps she truly was, because there were at least twenty bodyguards that trailed in after her, all on high-alert.

Sporting matching black-suits, equally burly and muscular bodies, the guards looked like something that walked out of a cliche movie about a spoiled and self-centered heiress. 'Which is exactly what she is,' Liwei Park bitterly thought to herself. What kind of daughter would choose to ignore their mother's dire phone calls? Especially when their father has been missing for weeks now!

Liwei Park attempted to contact Elder Park in hopes that he had news on the whereabouts of his son, but as usual, he sent his assistants to let her know that she was to never step foot in his house. She despised him with a burning passion. All she did was cry once in her childhood and because of her silly tears, he did not like her.

Children cry all the time!

'Dara Park was a crybaby in her childhood too! Why was she accepted and I wasn't?!' Liwei Park screamed inside her head, her fingers tightly grasping the thin glass stem of her champagne cup.

"It's so good to see you again, Mr. Park." Ning Yijun warmly greeted the elderly man with a welcoming smile on his gracefully-aged face. His pepper and salt hair was neatly combed back with the help of a little gel.

'Wish I can say the same.' Elder Park muttered inside of his head. Instead, he amicably replied with a brief, "Likewise."

He was not a big fan of events like these, especially when they were held on Monday nights when people like him had to work the next day. Then again, he could always stay home and finally take a day off, but he preferred to do things that would keep him occupied. When he was alone for too long, he would think too much of the painful past.

Madam Liang Yunxi's eyes lit up at the presence of Dara Park who was quietly observing everything around her. A smile graced her lips but slipped a bit when she saw the number of bodyguards around the young woman. There were ten people on each side of her, and when Liang Yunxi was close enough to Dara Park, their interactions would be hidden from the public's prying eyes.

"It's such a pleasure that you've also come to this auction." She pulled Dara Park closer for a quick hug.

Dara Park nodded her head. "Yes, thank you for extending the invitation out to me." She leaned in closer and whispered, "Bom Kwon is currently very single. I'm ready for the blind date as soon as William is ready."

Liang Yunxi's smile deepened drastically, "If you give me your business card, I can have it settled very quickly."

She was originally unhappy that Dara Park had not contacted her ever since Muxi Kwon's banquet but seeing as Dara Park was so eager to bring up the topic, Liang Yunxi's perspective of her improved a bit.

Dara Park took out a business card from her pants pocket and handed it to Liang Yunxi. She had a discreet smile on her face. "Bom Kwon will be in the city for a while now, so virtually, any time works for her."

Liang Yunxi gave a small nod of her head. "I will get in contact as soon as possible."

Elder Park saw the entire exchange, his face brightening up in amusement. This granddaughter of his was really petty... Something she inherited from him and he could not be more proud of it.

"If I remember correctly, Miss Park, you're currently the CEO of the rising investment firm, Arad." Ning Yijun was quick to jump boats and direct his attention to Dara Park. He would much rather prefer if his son, William Ning, was introduced to her, instead of Bom Kwon. With Kwon Jiyong roaming so close to her, ready to destroy any man that looks at her for longer than a second, Ning Yijun knew that would be a gamble too dangerous to even fathom.

Dara Park gently nodded her head. 'Huh, in the end, it seems I do not need a debuting banquet... Not that I mind, I didn't want to go through the hassle anyway.' She glanced at her grandfather whose stern stares were making her think otherwise.

Ning Yijun pulled out his business card. "The construction for my new project has finally finished and the red-ribbon ceremony is beginning soon. However, one of our agreements with another company fell through and we are short on investments. If you'd like to discuss in private, please contact me." He handed it to her with a pleasant smile on his face.

Dara Park found his words a bit suspicious. Nonetheless, she took the card with a gracious smile. "I will get back to you very soon." She planned on having Choi Seunghyun investigate why the agreements fell through before signing anything with him. Though, she did recall Ning Trading Inc. always had a very good reputation and had never done any shady deals. But it was always better to be safe than sorry.

One of the women surrounding Yoona and Liwei Park spoke up. "I see they have the Red Parlor Grand Piano on display right now." She turned towards the shining white piano with a pop of crimson red underneath the cover. "Liwei, we haven't seen you perform for some time now, why don't you play a piece on it?"

Liwei Park's face transformed into a calm smile, like the small ripples on a lake during a soft drizzle. "I'm not sure about this... Isn't the piano going to be auctioned off?"

"Well, even if it is, you would only add value to it. Having a world-class prodigy play it would be a dream come true. I'm sure Madam Ning will not mind."

Right on cue, Liang Yunxi walked past them with Dara Park in tow, ready to introduce her to a group of women.

Yoona, whose entire week was plagued with fatigue, truly wanted to hear the soothing melody of her friend's magic touch. "Madam Ning, would you mind allowing Liwei to play the piano? I think it would be a nice way to start the auction."

Madam Liang Yunxi tilted her head a bit. She wanted to object since the choir she hired was already providing enough entertainment and the piano was supposed to be an auction piece. Then, she saw Hero Ang's gloomy expression. When their eyes met, he glowered at her and that was enough to make her unwillingly nod her head. "I suppose so."

Dara Park remained quiet and never once did she look at her younger sister. Instead, her eyes trailed to Yoona's wrist where a silver charm bracelet dangled comfortably. That design... She had seen it somewhere. She tilted her head, lost in thought.

Hero Ang stood protectively in front of his lover, his stormy eyes glaring daggers at Dara Park. If she was not accompanied by Elder Park himself, Hero Ang would've lashed out at her. But currently, she was with the Head Monarch of the Park Regime, and doing such a thing would be extremely disadvantageous for him.

Liwei Park's smile grew a bit. "Thank you for offering the opportunity." She gracefully turned to the piano and with fairy-light steps, made her way towards the stage.

Liang Yunxi gestured for the employees to get everything prepared. In less than five minutes, the stage was set up for Liwei Park. The lights were dimmed and shone solely upon the stage where a young woman brushed up the stairs, her face and gestures capturing the eyes of nearly every man in the room.

From the first melody, Dara Park already recognized the magnificent piece that was going to be played. La Campenella by Listz, one of the hardest piano pieces to play in the world. From the gentle note that it starts off as, it transformed into a faster tempo. It was perhaps not that suitable to start an auction. But it was most definitely the best way to capture the audience, for almost every music fanatic would know how complicated it was to play this piece. What made it so difficult was the fact that one had to perform enormous jumps from the right hand that would need to play the piano at an uncomfortably fast tempo.

Not a single beat was missed. Everyone stood up to give her a thundering round of applause, paired with a standing ovation.

"Wow, we saw the genius at work!"

"One of the best pianists of her generation."

"Madam Jing Fei Park must be so proud of her daughter. Beautiful and talented, what more could a mother ask for?"

"I can see why she's so treasured by Xiumen Park. If I had a daughter like that, I would boast of her for days to come!"

Compliments after compliments poured out for the young lady.

Dara Park was thoroughly impressed by her younger sister, as she always was in the past. She could still recount the days a little girl sat beside her on an enormous cushion bench and together, the two playing symphonies that could bring an entire auditorium down.

"If you're thinking about forgiving her, do not even consider such a stupid idea." Elder Park's quiet voice rang in her ears. He could tell she was reminiscing of the past that could never be changed. "That child has betrayed you by choosing the side of the mistress."

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." Dara Park muttered under her voice, turning to face her grandfather. "I never considered the idea of forgiving her."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course." She kept her hands loosely tucked behind her back with her chin held high whilst she observed everything in the room.

"You seemed hesitant."

"I was never that nice to consider forgiveness." She turned to the direction of their seats. "Let's get over with this auction. I'm tired."

Elder Park let out a heavy sigh of relief or perhaps, true fatigue. She could not decipher which one it was. "Alright then."

Dara Park walked with Elder Park towards their seat which was near the front, closer to the stage. She dutifully helped her grandfather into his seat first before she fathomed the idea of sitting down herself. Once Elder Park was comfortably seated, she pulled back her chair and sat down.

Ning Yijun took his position on the stage and started his speech. "Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you for attending tonight's dinner auction. I appreciate every effort contributed to fundraising the Ning Charity. Like every year, all of the proceeds will be fully donated to help keep children in third-world countries in school."

Dara Park zoned out whilst he made a long speech. After five minutes, he raised his glass in the air and took a sip, followed by everyone else. She did the same, but instead of wine, she drank lemon water. She ignored the sniggering of her grandfather when she made a face.

"What is it?" She asked him, setting the wine glass down.

"How is your lemon water?"

"Fantastic, thanks for asking." She snorted, turning her attention to the plate of salad being set in front of her.

"I see you've kept our promise."

"I didn't drink any alcohol since the time I confessed to you." She honestly said, taking a sip of her lemon water again and setting the glass down. Perhaps she should grab some sort of soda because this drink was beginning to bore her.

"You know, it's alright to drink a healthy amount. I will only be angered if you drink yourself stupid and make a mess out of yourself." Elder Park truthfully told her. He picked up his fork and poked at the salad before setting his utensils down. He began to look forward to the other entrees more than this boring salad built for a rabbit.

"Well, that's quite hard. When it comes to wine, I sometimes don't know when to stop myself." Dara Park teased him, meaning it as a joke, but who knew this old man would take it so seriously?

"If you're going to be an idiot, then do it when that imbecile is present." He thoughtfully said, preferring not to say that man's sinful name.

"Imbecile... You mean Kwon Jiyong?" She queried, confused at the nickname.

"Who else?"

Dara Park sat still for a second before letting out a small laugh. "Grandfather, do you trust him that much?"

"Given the fact that I've yet to see a grandchild, yes, I do trust him." He grumpily replied, half-wishing they would just announce their marriage already.

"What if I told you I didn't want to have children?"

"Then go and adopt one." He sniped, not giving a damn if the child had their blood or not. All he wanted was a small child to play with, though, he would like it a bit more if the kid had his mother's features.

Dara Park became quiet. Her grandfather's reply was too good for her to combat. She kept her mouth shut and poked the salad. She set down her fork and waited for the next entree. The salad looked very appetizing but there were too many leafy greens and carrots.

Was Kwon Jiyong that trustworthy in her grandfather's eyes? He never took advantage of her or forced her to do things that she did not want to. In bed, he was fairly patient with her and never once did he push her beyond her boundaries. On the other hand, he was very overbearing and borderline 'too possessive.' In the end, she deemed him a very trustworthy man. She was vulnerable in front of him so many times, yet he never did anything to her except cuddling her to death.

"Why are you looking at the salad like that?" Elder Park scoffed. She had set down her fork, yet she was staring at the plate like it was the love of her damn life. He thought she disliked carrots, so why was she eyeing it with so much adoration?

"Huh? Like what?" She snapped back to reality, turning her head to her grandfather whose sour face was beginning to wilt the salad. Luckily for both of them, the first course finally ended and out came the next entree: French Onion soup.

"Were you daydreaming about that rascal? If you ask me, there's nothing good that comes into my mind when I think about him."

"I can't agree more." She let out a laughter, airy and sweet, tickling the heart of the men around her. In particular, a man who had been watching her ever since she stepped foot in this room.

"He'll cry himself to sleep if he hears of this."

"I'd pay good money to see that." She chuckled. She tried to picture something as hilarious as that, but her mind was blank because the possibility of it happening was close to zero.

The auction finally started towards the end of the meal. Dessert and drinks were being served and the lights were dimmed a bit to hide everyone's identity. Though, it wasn't exactly working.

A gorgeous woman in a body-tight ruby red dress strutted onto the stage, accompanied by the announcer. One by one, the items were being showcased, the majority of it was priceless pieces of jewelry that women went crazy for. From the pearl accessories and jade bracelets with flecks of gold worn by Empress Cixi to the naturally vivid red diamonds worn by Queen Elizabeth the First, each accessory here was special.

Dara Park was bored by all of the pieces being sold, thus, her flag never raised in the air. Seeing as his granddaughter did not show interest in anything being auctioned off, he did not bother raising his flag as well. He only came here to buy her things and maybe get one or two items for himself. He tended to dabble in calligraphy pieces or scroll paintings by unknown artists that would catch his eye because of their age and style.

Dara Park's breath was caught in her throat when an instrument was rolled up the stage. Her eyes remained fixated on the mesmerizing piano. It was translucent, crafted in 2008, and made entirely of crystals that glistened like glass and allowed everything to be seen-through.

"This fine piano will start with 500,000!"

Dara Park did not raise her flag until the bidding started to get intense. It was lead by Liwei Park whose flag went up every time someone countered her. Within the next minute, it reached one million dollars.

"Two million." Liwei Park easily replied.

"Three million." A person to the right countered.

"Five million." A person in the back said. Whispers erupted at the exceedingly high price, but to Liwei Park, it was tissue-money.

"Eight million." She calmly said.

"Fifteen million." Someone beat her to it, the price terrifying many people. It was down to two people now, Liwei Park and another person.

Dara Park was growing tired of this bidding game. For the first time since the banquet started, her flag was raised in the air. "Thirty million."

No one dared to raise their flags anymore. A thundering silence fell upon the crowd that was so surprised, they were all at a loss for words. Thirty million?! For a mere piano?!

The Nings' hearts were beating excitedly, their eyes wide with appreciation. Oh my, oh my! They did not expect the highest valued item would be a piano! But the night was still young and the possibilities were endless.

Liwei Park gritted her teeth. 'Why does she always have to compete with me?!' The hatred she had for her older sister ran deeper than the roots of century-old peach blossom trees.

The only thing she could do was seethe in anger, inside of her head and silently gloat in happiness at the misfortune that had befallen her older sister a while back... And it was all because of her good friend, Yoona.

Liwei Park much rather preferred Yoona to be her older sister instead. Yoona was much more gracious and unlike Dara Park who wanted to shelter her younger sister from the harsh reality of the upper society, Yoona helped Liwei Park make her grand entrance that turned the ugly duckling into a soaring swan.

Liwei Park did not understand what Dara Park was even attempting to protect her from. Every wealthy person she's had the fortune to come across was very kind and welcoming to her. Many of them praised her for her piano skills and thoroughly valued her friendship.

Besides, why did Dara Park even want a piano? It's not like she can play it in the first place!

"Thirty-five million." Liwei Park could not afford to spend too much, especially when her father was missing and her mother was going through the money like it was bread.

Just then, another person spoke up. His voice was gruff, dark, and rough. It was mighty like the God of War, but rich and smooth like roasted Blue Mountain coffee. There was a tinge of Leinan [1] accent. "Fifty million."

Dara Park countered it, "Sixty million." She was highly unwilling to let such a beautiful piano go.

"Sixty-five million." The competitor replied, his lips quirking into a smirk.

"Seventy-five million." She replied, earning sharp gasps from everyone in the room.

"Eighty million." His voice became playful now. Like her, he was not fazed by the delirious price. At this point, it was a game to him.

"One hundred million."

The man opened his mouth, ready to offer his price, when suddenly, Elder Park raised a flag in the air, tired of this childish battle. "Three hundred million." Not a single sound was made. The air was turning suffocating and everyone was too blown away by the instantaneous tripling of the price to speak.

Dara Park's heart dropped. Dang it! Now her grandfather wanted the piano as well?!

The man's smile slipped the slightest bit, his dangerously dark eyes turning to Elder Park. Of course, the former Colonel would bid for his granddaughter with such a ridiculously high price. "Four hundred million."

Elder Park's face morphed into amusement. Which youngster dared to challenge him like this? He wanted a face to the voice but when he tried to look in the direction of the voice, he could not properly see the man's features. Seated in the back, not a single person could decipher who he was.

"With all due respect, Mr. Park, I can go all night long. The sky's the limit." The man let out a small laugh, cold and lifeless.

"Funny that you have a limit in the first place." Elder Park mused. He saw how deeply interested Dara Park was. There was no way he was going to give up so quickly. "Whatever price you say, I will top it."

The man became quiet. "You're quite an old man, Mr. Park. For what purpose would you possibly want the piano for? To display it in the corner of the living room, never to be touched. That would be such a shame."

"Anything my granddaughter desires, she shall get it." Elder Park's response blew everyone away.

No one dared to breathe in the wrong way.

They were all stunned by his endearing words. They have never heard him utter such sweet words about someone. Not even when his eldest son was born, or when his youngest son graduated from TH University at the top of his classes. The people knew Dara Park was an acknowledged and treasured granddaughter, but only tonight, did they realize just how deep his adoration for her lay.

Dara Park's head snapped to her grandfather. She did not expect him to be so doting tonight. He rarely gave her gifts.

The man wanted to say, "I see we're both vying to get on her good side," but that response was too cheesy for him. Instead, he opened his mouth and said, "Seeing as you're such a doting grandfather, I suppose I should back off for now."

The way he sounded. Dara Park bit her bottom lip. Her eyebrows etched together while she was lost in thought. Why did he sound so...familiar? Maybe it was his Leinan accent that she had heard so many times before.

"As if you had a chance to counter me." Elder Park muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Four hundred and fifty million."

The announcer exchanged looks with Ning Yijun. He cleared his throat and in a loud, booming voice, excitedly announced, "Four hundred and fifty million going once...twice...and sold to Mr. Elder Park!" Everyone loudly clapped, cheering that such an enormous amount would be donated to charity. No one was happier than the Nings who could shed tears of happiness that the money could go towards an amazing cause.

Dara Park turned to face her grandfather who was sipping on his tea without a care in the world. He looked like he was in his zen garden, where the glorious flowers were in full bloom and the birds were chirping in the background. He was too calm for a man that easily dropped four hundred and fifty million dollars on a single instrument.

Seeing her antsy and eager to speak, Elder Park slowly laid down his cup. Now, that was a well-brewed cup of tea. In an unsuspecting voice, he asked her, "What is it?"

"The piano...I can't possibly accept it." She whispered, feeling guilt settle into her. She did not like to rely on his money or enjoy the idea of having anyone splurge on her like this. She made sure to keep her voice low so that the people around them could not overhear her.

"Alright then, I'll have it trashed."

"What?! No, you can't do that!" She kept her voice low like a quiet hush, but it raised an octave out of panic. How could he simply throw away four hundred and fifty million dollars?! She knew they were filthy rich and could use the money as tissues, but that didn't mean it was good to toss money like that.

"Take it or trash it. Your pick." Elder Park purposely cornered her. He could see the trouble brewing in her indecisive brain. He sighed to himself. Did he not pamper her enough? Why was she afraid of accepting a small gift? He pitied Kwon Kiyong. Giving her gifts must be quite the chore. Well, whatever the circumstance, that prick better shower his granddaughter with gifts for days to come!

"See it as an early birthday gift."

Dara Park's head snapped up. 'My birthday?'

"It's your birthday in three days. Don't tell me you forgot."

"I-it never crossed my mind." She quietly said, turning her face away from him.

Elder Park was saddened at her pitiful response, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He could only blame himself. In the past, he was too busy with work to even throw her a proper birthday party.

She was one of the wealthiest heiresses of this country, yet no one serenaded the day she was born. He felt a sudden rush of guilt and remorse that he was never there for her at such an important moment.

If he had told her "Happy Birthday," even once in her lifetime, would she have valued herself a lot more? Sitting in the plush chair he realized his wrongdoings, however, it was too late to change the past now. The only thing he could do was to look towards the future and make plans to save her before she could truly drown in her dark thoughts.

"You didn't have to give me such a pricey gift." She leaned back in her seat, her eyes turning to the stage where a painting was being auctioned off.

"Nonsense, you deserve everything given to you." He snapped, nearly slamming his hand on the table in anger. Why did she hate herself more than her haters do?!

"And if that stupid Kwon Kiyong has not drilled such a thought into you, he is failing as your lover." He added on.

"One shouldn't rely on their lover to learn how to love themselves." Dara Park replied. She swiveled the glass, watching it catch the light. She wished she could have some wine right now.

"And one shouldn't fall in love until they have learned to love themselves, but we have long skipped that part. Have we not?" He scoffed.

"Sure." She replied to him, raising her head to give him a small smile. She did not want to get into an argument with him, thus she chose the easiest response to appease him.

Elder Park studied his stupidly-humble and modest granddaughter. He also heard of the way she kindly treats all of her workers, even the janitors.

Villain turned hero was an underestimation for her. He never raised her to be like this, so how did she turn out like this? Was all of his teaching going down the drain? No, it was not. She was still succeeding, far more than he ever anticipated. For the first time in a very long time, a swarm of fear and anxiety attacked him. He just could not point out why.

A chill raised the hairs on his arms. Without warning, his head snapped to the back. He could've sworn—

"Grandfather, Mr. Ning is trying to get your attention." Dara Park piped up when Ning Yijun discreetly waved at him.

Elder Park sighed. "What does that geezer want?"

"I don't know. Why don't you go and ask him?" She dryly said, pointing out the obvious.

She picked up the proper spoon for the french onion soup and dug in. After having a couple of bites, she set the utensil back down. It wasn't as good as the one Kwon Jiyong made her a few days ago... Speaking of him, it was quite hard to get him off of her trail. He kept on questioning where she was going and she was pretty sure his men had already reported the location to him by now. She insisted she wanted to go alone, but did not let him know it was going to be an auction. It took a lot of convincing on her end that she could get home perfectly safe and sound without needing him to pick her up. That damn brute. He was always terrified someone would kidnap her or something.

"You're getting sassier with each passing day." Elder Park scowled, standing up to make his way to Ning Yijun. "You're lucky I trained you to be like that." He grumpily told her.

"I was born like this." She revealed her cheeky grin, earning a rough pinch on her nose. "Grandfather, is it alright if I head home now?" She asked him, bored with the food and the items being sold. The four hundred and fifty million should be enough for the night.

"Inform the lovesick puppy his master will be heading home now." He instructed her before staggering off to the other patriarch.

Dara Park laughed to herself at the fearless way her grandfather always referred to Kwon Jiyong. If the man himself was present, it would be disastrous. She was about to stand up and leave when she suddenly realized she forgot to get Fan Jielan a birthday gift. Nothing here was to her interest, so she decided to leave and perhaps find something else another time.

She checked the time and saw it was already half-past nine. It was too late to disturb Kwon Jiyong and she was too prideful to face his smug expression when he rolled up in a car.

She arrived at this place with her grandfather and his private chauffeur, which meant she had no way of getting home except for public transportation like taxis or buses. Both options were immediately crossed off from her list.

Dara Park wondered how far this place was from Arad. She parked a spare car in the underground private parking space she owned.

Since she was horrible at directions, she had to pull out her phone and check one of the map apps she had. To her luck, Arad was only a short ten-minute walk. Smiling to herself, she left the dining room and walked down the hallway leading to the front entrance.

She turned a corner and overheard a conversation.

"I can't believe she would do that to me! Just because I bidded on something, she just had to top it. Why can't she be satisfied with her current position? Why is she petty enough to go after my piano?!" Liwei Park ranted to a sympathetic Yoona.

"Just because mommy and daddy love me more than her, she has to steal my things. You know, when we were younger, she tried to steal my parent's attention. When that didn't work, she retaliated against me, claiming that I had the audacity to steal their adoration!"

Liwei Park scoffed. "It's not my fault mommy and daddy don't love her. What is there to love in the first place?" She continued rambling, her fingers twirling the charms on the silver bracelet. Yoona had given it to her and on many occasions, the two would get each other various new Pandora charms.

"A-and..." She sniffed, her broken heart crumbling into bits. "She had to steal him from me. I was so in love with him, and my damn sister knew it too! I always talked about him to my parents, you know, and she was always present whenever I babbled about him."

Yoona was shocked by the turn of events. Him? Was she talking about Kwon Jiyong? Oho, this was quite an interesting scoop.

"He doesn't remember me though..." Liwei Park muttered to herself, deciding to change the topic. "A-at my birthday banquet... I was looking for him ever since I saw him come in." She dropped her head, her eyes welting up at the memories.

The birthday gift she requested from her parents was to have Kwon Jiyong present. He was invited many times and each time; he did not reply. But to her surprise, he actually showed up, walking into the room with the presence and appearance that would put a Prince Charming to shame.

In that moment, she felt her entire world brighten. She had never felt happier at that moment, for it was the first time he personally came to one of her events. "I wanted to cry tears of happiness when he attended. So, imagine my surprise and pain when he went straight towards Dara Park!" Her nails dug into her palm at the horrific memory.

"The entire night, ever since he disappeared with my pathetic and a sorry excuse for a sister in tow, I was looking for him..." [1]

Yoona kept her mouth clamped shut. She knew exactly where Kwon Jiyong was, for she was there to personally witness him walk after Dara Park, who did not spare her any time of the day. She could've easily reported back to Liwei Park where Kwon Jiyong was. However, she did not.

Liwei Park hiccupped, angrily rubbing her eyes when she felt it become moistened with unshed tears. "I-I'm sorry for ranting so much tonight. I didn't mean to, but I was just so angry because of tonight."

Without warning, she pulled Yoona into a tight hug. "Thank you so much, Yoona, for inviting me here tonight to get my mind off of the problems going on at home... It really means a lot to me." Her voice became a bit quieter. She was seizing control of her emotions that were all over the place. She didn't know why she wanted to rant so much tonight, but seeing her older sister's face for the first time in a while, all of the bottled-up anger just came out.

Yoona's face softened, genuinely worrying for her good friend. Liwei Park was the only woman in the enormous socialite group who was loyal to her. She knew it was because she invited the young woman into the circle and exposed her to the high society and because of this, the stupid girl was too grateful beyond words. Whatever the reason was, loyalty was loyalty, and in such a tough society, it was a valued trait.

"No need to thank me, I am only doing what a friend should." Yoona gently said, giving Liwei Park a small pat on the back. She expertly rubbed the area after perfecting the concept of comforting a person.

She used to comfort her crying mother a lot in the past because of her drunkard of a dad that had left them. Thinking of the days she spent in that shack, her lips curled up in disgust. If only her mother was more hardworking, perhaps they could have afforded a decent place! Yoona most certainly did not miss the days in the past when she had to juggle three part-time jobs just to provide a sufficient living environment.

She could not thank the heavens more for the day she accidentally spilled coffee on Hero Ang. Because of such a stupid incident, she was able to land herself one of the most powerful men in this country. She was displeased at how hard it was to acquire him, especially with the horrendous Dara Park attempting to take back her fiancé.

Thinking about that vengeful woman, Yoona's mood soured. She will not forget the humiliation that took place at the Ling Banquet and the insults thrown at her friend, Taeyeon Lee. Speaking of the model, she had not seen her in a while now... Well, no matter what happens to her, Yoona finally got her revenge. An eye for an eye.

Dara Park's throat ran dry. Originally, she was overwhelmed with anger that her sister dared to badmouth her like this. She even thought about storming in to discipline her, but after hearing the confession, she did not know how to react. Liwei Park was in love with Kwon Jiyong? But why? She did remember a moment in the past when her younger sister would happily talk about some older boy she met, but she could not place a finger on how they met. Something about a garden...?

Dara Park left without a word. She did not feel remorse or regret towards her younger sister. 'I took Kwon Jiyong from her? What a joke!' She scoffed to herself. Kwon Jiyong belonged to no one, for no woman in this world would be able to control a man like him.

It was strange though. She wondered what Liwei Park meant when she said Kwon Jiyong did not remember her. Did something happen in the past?

In the end, she shrugged it off because it did not concern her. She wondered what type of relationship she would have with Kwon Jiyong if she met him sooner, perhaps when they were children. She always met up with Bom Kwon a lot, but never visited the Kwon Mansion due to an unexplainable fear towards that place.

- - - - -

Dara Park was glad that Seoul was still lively, even though it was night time. There were neon lights still glowing brightly on the top of buildings, amazing LED shows on billboards, and many shops were still open. Cars whizzed by and the concrete floor had warm and cold hues, depending on where she stepped. The street was bustling with life and because of that, she was able to relax and walk down the streets. She knew her bodyguards were watching her from a small distance. It had always been this way and she preferred if it stayed that way.

Following the guide on her phone, Dara Park reached Arad in exactly ten minutes. She hoped Choi Seunghyun had gone home by now. She debated whether or not to check upon him. Sending him a quick text about his whereabouts, she made her way to the back of the building, boarded a discreet elevator and went down to the private parking lot where a single, locked car was parked.

[Boss: What time did you get off of work today?]

[Mr. Choi the Workaholic: I haven't left the building yet.]

Dara Park gasped as she checked the time. It was almost ten at night now! If this continued, she might get reported for abusing her employees!

[Boss: Are you crazy?! Go home right this instant! I made a new rule for you: if you stay in the office past seven, I will deduct your income.]

Choi Seunghyun shut down his laptop and took off the thin-framed glasses, setting it back into the case. He placed everything in his briefcase. Once done, he picked up his phone and replied to his boss.

[Mr. Choi The Workaholic: I was packing up and getting ready to go home. There is a lot of work that needs to be done. Leaving before seven will cause a problem.]

Dara Park paused walking mid-way to narrow her eyes. This stubborn child!

[Boss: You are going to overwork yourself at this rate. We do not need to be three days ahead if it means you have to work this hard! Do you know I barely have anything to do in the office, aside from attending meetings, because you keep on stealing my work?!]

[Mr. Choi The Workaholic: Actually, we are five days ahead. I just finished the work for the weekend.]

Choi Seunghyun grabbed his coat and made his way to the elevator. Not a single light was turned on in the cubicles and except for the janitors and security guards, there was no one left in the building.

[Boss: Ugh! You're unbelievable. I know it takes you thirty minutes to get home. I'll give you thirty-five minutes to take a selfie in your living room holding up four fingers.]

Choi Seunghyun's lips twitched.

[Mr. Choi The Workaholic: You nag more than my mother.]

Dara Park's lips quirked into a smile as she walked to her car with her head tucked down.

[Boss: Aw thanks, you flatter me~]

She absentmindedly opened her car door and got in without using the keys. She closed the door shut and locked it, waiting for his next reply.

[Mr. Choi The Workaholic: It's not something to be proud of.]

Dara Park let out a quiet laugh and shook her head. She had every right to be proud, it felt nice being an older sister to someone!

Suddenly, a thought dawned on Dara Park: the car key was not in her hand. The door was previously locked. A bloodcurdling chill passed through her at the terrifying realization. There was a familiar chill in the air, the silence of the empty parking lot bothered her more than she anticipated.

"You've let your guard down." A man breathed into her ear, the same voice as the mysterious bidder from the banquet.

Dara Park reached for her waist pants only for a pair of rough, calloused hand to grip her wrists, holding her in place. She screamed, struggling to fight back. Where were her bodyguards?! And why was this man so strong?

"Calm down, it's me." Song Joong Ki gently cooed, worried that she might hit her back against the car window and hurt herself.

Dara Park's eyes became unbelievably wide. Because it was him, she panicked even more. "Let me go! Please!" She shrieked, kicking and yanking her wrists back, tears filling up her eyes. She could feel prickling pain in her chest with fear weighing her down like a heavy and soaked blanket. She was so overwhelmed with fear, she could not breathe.

"I will let you go, but you have to relax, little butterfly." Song Joong Ki was perplexed by her fear towards him. All he did was track her down and corner her so that she could not run. Was this why she was violently reacting?

Dara Park had no choice but to oblige. She was visibly shaken, her eyes jumping anywhere but him. She was beyond terrified, with her heart beating a million beats per second, and she greedily gasped for air, choking on her own breath at times.

"Why are you doing this?! Why can't you accept the fact that I want nothing to do with you!" She shrieked, yanking her wrists back, begging, pleading that someone could come and rescue her. She could not move her legs which felt numb and weak. The very sight of his face caused a flash of memories to resurface, all of which was dragging her into the pits of despair.

"I—"

"Haven't you done enough damage already?! Tracking me down to this extent, sending boxes of snacks, do you realize how insane you seem? Why can't you leave me alone?! Do you want to see me beg and grovel before you become the bane of my existence?!"

It came out. All the frustration she felt because of him, left her mouth like a waterfall after a heavy day of rain. It resembled the rivers of her eyes, where tears were freely falling.

Song Joong Ki was speechless. He had never seen her cry like this. She was always composed in front of him with those indifferent pair of eyes that never looked at him. All he wanted to do was see her smile the same way she used to do when he was her student. He missed her laughter which tickled his heart and could put him in cardiac arrest.

"I just wanted to see you again." He slowly said, torn by her teary face. She rapidly shook her head, shaking and weeping like an injured and frightened bunny. The more pained she looked, the more agony he felt in his heart.

"Well, I don't want to see you. Let me go. Leave me alone. Don't ever show up in front of me again." She snarled, her free hand reaching for the door. She found it locked. Her eyes widened in surprise as she glanced out the windows. There were men outside, but none of them were hers.

"Leave you alone?" He let out a burst of dark and harsh laughter. She flinched, her feeble body shrinking into her seat.

"Never." He hissed, grabbing her by her shoulders. "Do you understand how much you have tormented me? Do you understand how much I've longed to see you day and night? You plague my damn mind from sunrise to sunset. You're the very source of my nightmares, yet the heroine of my blissful dreams. Do you really think I'm going to let you go just like that?!" He gave her body a gentle shake, his eyes burning with devotion.

If she commanded him to, he would kill for her. Any obstacle that stood in her way would disappear in a blink of an eye. He was willing to commit the most atrocious sins in this world if it meant she would be by his side, a ring on her finger, and their names on a certificate.

Dara Park shook her head like a rabid dog. She refused to believe his words, refused to believe he cares for her to such an extent.

"Why do you hate me so much?" His voice cracked towards the end, like his broken heart. He combed through every corner of the country for her, leaping in glee when he finally found her in Seoul. Even though it was in the arms of another man, but that could easily change.

"Why do I hate you so much?! Are you stupid or perhaps you have lost your damn mind!" Her voice raised an octave, her eyes going wide with anger.

She continued her rant, "After what you did to me, you still dare to say such a thing?! Did that night completely fly over your pea-sized brain? You're a piece of shit, you know that? I wish I had never met you, wished I never stumbled across that pitiful soldier!" She pushed his arms away, her petrified tears turning into pure resentment.

Her voice lowered into a hushed whisper, "Do you understand how many sleepless nights I've had because of you? Do you understand how many hours I had to spend in therapy?"

He was confused by her statement. That night? What night? The last time he saw her was when she stormed off to her sleeping quarters after he ordered her not to tie her hair up. He shook his head. "What are you talking about?"

"Screw you." She snarled, disgusted at him. Of course, he would forget that night. He must've done it to so many other women that the thought flew past his head. Nothing in this world could match the pure acrimony she felt for this trash in front of her.

Song Joong Ki would've violently reacted to her insults. No one had ever spoken to him that way in a long time, no one. Especially not after he was crowned with the reputable title of General. But she was Dara Park and he could never bring himself to lift his hand to her. She was too precious. To leave a mark on that porcelain skin of hers was the greatest sin anyone could commit.

"My little butterfly, I truly do not understand what you're talking about."

Dara Park saw red.

PAK!

The sound echoed in the car, the sound of skin against skin, palm against face.

Song Joong Ki's face whiplashed to the side, his eyes filled with disbelief. It's been ages since he was ever hit that hard. Not even his parents had hit him like that. "You're lucky I love you so damn much." He snarled, suppressing his rage. His fingers curled into fists, the skin turning white. He clenched and unclenched his jaw, the sharp line becoming very prominent. If it was anyone else that slapped him like this, he would've broken their fingers or hand or both.

"Just because you were drunk, it does not excuse the fact that you nearly...nearly..." She dared not say the word. Even when she tried to, her throat would constrict itself, like a tube being tied into a knot.

"Drunk? I do not drink." He concluded for her, not understanding what she was referring to. In an entire year, he never drank more than a shot glass. It was something his friends and comrades always complained about when they went out to clubs and parties.

Dara Park opened her mouth, ready to argue again. However, she saw that he was extremely serious and stoic. He was not lying. As the realization sunk in, her face morphed from anger to confusion, to pure horror.

This entire time, she was so terrified of him, having nightmares of his face implanted on the man who nearly raped her that night. The entire time, she painted him as the most villainous man in her life. If he did not drink, then who exactly was in her room?

Song Joong Ki's face grew more frigid. What was it? Why did she look so petrified...was that remorse? What happened to her? "What are you thinking of?"

He would pay a good amount of money just to read what's inside that pretty little head of hers. Her fair skin was sickly pale. She looked like she had encountered a ghost or went through hell and back. Her lovely, doe eyes were wide and her body was shaking like a brittle leaf on an autumn night.

"T-that man...H-he was not you?" She whispered to no one in particular. She spoke as if she was voicing broken bits of her thoughts. Her brain was in a jumble right now, too much to fathom the people approaching the underground parking lot.

There was a commotion outside of her car which caused her to come back to consciousness. The sound of thundering footsteps could be heard when people entered the spacious parking lot. It was a swarm of black and white, armed men pointing their loaded weapons towards each other.

The King of the Underworld had arrived and he was out for wretched souls, beginning with Song Joong Ki who was holding his Queen hostage.

It was a perilous standoff between people of the Underworld and the people under Song Joong Ki. Everyone was on high alert and ready to turn the area into a battlefield given the command of their respective leaders. It would only take the swift movement of a wrist for bullets to fly and the war to start. There would be countless casualties and the country would descend into chaos if the Underworld collided with the surface.

No one dared to breathe. It was silent to the point that the sound of a falling feather would be the most evident thing. Trained fighters and shooters were ready on standby.

Dara Park turned to the car window behind her. She could not see properly because of the men surrounding the car. Through the crack, she was able to make out a very distinctive figure whose heavenly face could be spotted from miles away.

Kwon Jiyong.

Her heart leaped in joy, her chestnut eyes morphing into a swirling pool of amber, igniting with happiness at the sight of him. She had never felt more relieved to see him until tonight.

Dara Park tried to open the door again, only to find that it was still locked. She figured one of the men outside her car must've done something to it long ago. She was in the driver's seat and repeatedly pressing the button to unlock the car. It was not working.

"Let me out."

"Sure, when hell freezes over." He scoffed at the stupid request.

"My man will bring you hell if you don't." She blurted out without any thought. His eyes, the color of freshly cooked chestnuts, stared deeply into hers. She grinded her teeth and stood her ground when she felt the rolling tides of rage emanating from his whole being.

He was livid upon hearing 'My man.' He never wanted those words to leave her precious lips unless they were for addressing him. And now look where she stood, securely in the arms of another man. Not for long though... He would make her his one day, whether she liked it or not. With or without her consent, she will belong to him, and him alone.

"Your man, huh." He let out an eerie laughter that could freeze hell altogether. "My little butterfly, it seems I have let you escape my clutches for far too long. I should cut off those wings of yours..."

"This is exactly why I never liked you in the first place." She countered him, her voice growing fiercer with every word. Now that she had discovered he was not the perpetrator that night, her fear towards him was slowly disappearing into thin air. "You think you own me, like some trophy on a bookshelf."

"And does he not think the same?" Song Joong Ki's lips twisted into a cruel smirk. "Such double standards that you have...How can you be so unfair?"

"Because he will never hurt me."

"Is that what you think? Silly little thing, he has done much more than that to you in the past." Song Joong Ki slowly shook his head at her, as if she was a stubborn child who refused to listen to him.

"Being linked to him, the price on your head is astronomical. Do you know that?" He reached over to brush a stray strand of hair covering her eyes. She scampered deeper into her seat, flinching away from his hand, her back colliding with the cold, glass window.

"Don't touch me!" She snapped at him. She was on high alert and defense. Even if he was not the one present that night, it did not mean she trusted him to be anywhere near her. He was a seemingly bipolar man and she was wary of him in general. If she allowed him to touch her, she knew he would be delusional enough to overread the tiny action as her consent.

Song Joong Ki's hand stilled in midair. His fingers curled into a fist, a pained look flashed across his face. It disappeared as fast as it came and was replaced by a mask of emptiness. "You let him, someone who destroyed your childhood, to touch you and not me?"

"My childhood? What are you talking about?" There it was again, her childhood. She suspected something must've happened in her youth, yet, no matter how hard she tried to recollect the memories, nothing surfaced. If she tried to think harder, a massive headache would slam her and then she could only grasp her head as she writhed in unbelievable pain.

Song Joong Ki let out thundering laughter that made her flinch and hug her stomach in fear. "Oh my, did he not tell you what he did to you in the past?" He wiped his eyes even though they were drier than the desert. "Of course he did not. And I'm pretty sure it will remain that way forever."

He knew Dara Park more than she thought he did. In an attempt to track her down, he had also dug deep, deep into her buried past. At first, he did not find anything interesting, until, he dug a little bit more and encountered heavily covered up tracks of a forbidden incident. And when he continued to probe, he found a gold mine of information, one that she would never discover. It was filled with sins and a plethora amount of mistakes. He found it extremely ironic that the ones she trusted and loved the most were withholding the worst secrets from her.

"You're lying."

Song Joong Ki flashed her a pained smile, hurt that she would think he would lie to her. "Am I, my little butterfly, am I really?" He placed a hand on his chest and not giving her the chance to ask more, he opened the car door and stepped out. He pulled out a small, flat and rectangular device, pressed it, and then she heard the click of the door behind her.

Dara Park scrambled out of the car like it was on fire. Her back collided with something hard and when she turned around, she saw it was the people blocking the door. She opened her mouth, ready to tell them to scram, but Song Joong Ki beat her to it.

"At ease." He commanded them. In abnormal unison, the men all saluted him and parted a path for Dara Park, leading straight to the border known as Kwon Jiyong's men.

"I truly wanted to get you a gift for your birthday in three days but it seems I was outbid by your grandfather. You seem to treasure him and because of that, I did not argue back with him, unlike a certain someone."

Dara Park knew Kwon Jiyong heard him. She did not bother to respond. Turning her back to him, she stormed off to the other side and never once did she look back.

Song Joong Ki watched with an amused smile on his face as his little butterfly flew off to another man. He continued watching even when the people parted for her, then went back into formation. She was out of sight, presumably with her current lover. He reminded himself that the man was not here to stay and it would only be a temporary lover.

'Soon...my little butterfly, you will be mine forever.' He thought to himself, turning around, and walking off.

Kwon Jiyong's dark, looming eyes were glued to the man disappearing into the distance. His expression was hard, cold, and lifeless. No one could fathom what was running through his head. The two men did not exchange any words, but the silence around them was enough to know neither of them was up to any good.

When Dara Park broke through the clearing and was visible, he stormed to her, yanked her into his arms, and crushed her to him. Her eyes widened at how fast he hauled her into an embrace, but she relaxed and hugged him back, relishing in his warmth. She could feel her heart melt when his arms hardened and he hugged her tighter.

"Do you want me to kill him?"

His question sent a shiver down her spine and her heart nearly stopped. She could envision the chaos if Song Joong Ki was shot dead. The military would be after Kwon Jiyong and no amount of connections could get him out of trouble. Imagining Kwon Jiyong behind bars and not being able to touch, see, and be with him was a world she did not want to live in.

Dara Park furiously shook her head. "No!" She shouted out, her voice filled with panic. She choked when the arms became unbearably rough, as his anger slammed her in the face. He was furious. More so than when he received the message from his men that their lady boss was unreachable and out of sight.

"Do you care about him that much?" His question was menacing. His voice was gruff with barely contained enmity, resembling the growl of a beast. If she was not hugging him back with her face buried into his chest, he would've hurt someone on the spot. Her sweet, floral scent was the only thing keeping him afloat.

Dara Park quickly tried explaining herself. "If you try to kill him, you could get yourself in a lot of trouble. I know you're big and powerful," Her cheeks flushed when she envisioned something else. "-but if he's dead, lots of people will come after you. His father is a Major General and his mother is extremely well-connected, more than you can ever imagine." She rambled on.

"I don't want to see you through a stupid glass window or hear your voice through a crackly phone. What if I wanted to touch you and the only way to do so is through heavily monitored—wait, never mind, forget about that part." She flashed him a nervous and hesitant smile.

"Can't do anything?" He echoed with a tiny, devious smirk. He bent his head, his lips hovering a few inches above hers. "What type of things?" He huskily whispered in a throaty, hoarse voice that only she could hear.

Dara Park's face became beet red, traveling all the way to her ears. She wanted to pacify his anger, not turn him on! "Well, uh, I, uhm..." She licked her lips, growing redder when his eyes became darker with the tiny action. "The type of things that are rated PG-13 and below..."

"Are you sure it's not rated PG-18 and above?" He teased her, watching her eyes grow incredibly larger.

"No?" She replied, her eyes darting to his shoulders. She could not stare into his eyes when he looked so...so hungry... like a starving beast ready to devour her. She shuddered, a tingling sensation traveling throughout her body.

"No?" He repeated, suppressing the smile threatening to break out. She was simply too adorable for her own good. He wondered how she could be such a perfect blend of a daring, stubborn, feisty, and independent woman while being a demure and shy deer at the same time.

Dara Park refused to respond any longer and embarrass herself with another jumbled reply, thus, she buried her head into his shirt, hiding against the firm wall of his chest.

She wondered how insane his exercise regime must be if he was always this fit. Speaking of which, there was a private gym built in their house, in one of the endless rooms and she had yet to step foot in. Exercising was not her favorite thing to do because of how sweaty and sticky she always got. Though, she did enjoy practicing martial arts in the past, especially sparring with opponents — it was a great stress reliever.

Kwon Jiyong had the fondest smile on his face, filled with tender adoration for her, so much so that it shocked Chen Xie who was quietly standing a few meters from his boss.

Chen Xie always knew his boss was deeply, utterly, and stupidly in love with the woman, but every time he witnessed such a gentle expression he was always blown away. In the past, the Boss' expression rarely changed and a smile was as rare as snowfall in the smoldering summer.

Chen Xie cast his eyes downwards to give his boss some privacy. No one here dared to witness such an intimate scene which was why they already had their backs turned as they parted for their lady boss to walk through. It would've been considered extremely disrespectful, but it was a command of their boss, and there was never a single person to go against an order — especially when it came from Kwon Jiyong himself.

"Let's go home, I'm tired." She said against his shirt, her voice coming out very muffled. He heard her perfectly. Rubbing her back with his large hand, he nodded his head but did not pull back from their embrace.

"Uhm, Kwon Jiyong, I think this is the part where you let me go." She awkwardly said, giving his enormous back a solid pat.

He responded by burying his face into her shoulder, breathing in her scent and kissing the small patch of exposed skin. He nuzzled his head into the spot, his soft, silky hair tickling the side of her face. She released a heavy sigh at the man-child in her arms and gave his back a few more pats of reassurance.

Kwon Jiyong was discouraged to release her because he had nearly lost her tonight. The fear still lingered within him, even if she was in his embrace.

"We can spoon all night, so can we head home now?" Dara Park offered him.

Kwon Jiyong silently contemplated the suggestion.

After a second or so, he gave her a solid, satisfied nod of his head and pulled back to reveal an impudent grin, a twinkle in his eyes, something she was awestruck by. Her stomach fluttered, her eyes shut when he gave her a soft kiss on the forehead and entwined their fingers together.

"Let's head home now." He told her, guiding her out of the private parking lot, all the while, surveying his surroundings. He made eye contact with Chen Xie and the two shared a heavy silent conversation before the right-hand man disappeared into the shadows, ready to fulfill his boss' orders.

- - - - - -

Song Joong Ki sat in the backseat of his car, watching from far away as a group of men stepped out of the private parking lot. Heavily guarded by the best fighters the Underworld has ever witnessed, he could already guess who was being escorted out. Well, also because it was the private parking lot and no one else was in there besides them.

He wished he could catch one last glimpse of his woman, but it seems Lady Luck was not on his side tonight. Though, he already had enough run with luck to have guessed she was heading to her own car. Tonight, he planned on giving her a nice little surprise after watching her eyes light up in the auction. It was a mere piano yet she marveled at it like it was the great jewel of the ocean.

The group was dispersed and filled with people, he could not decipher which car Dara Park got into. It was a good strategy to conceal where the most important person was hiding. The cars drove off into the distance, whirring down the streets.

Song Joong Ki grabbed his phone and called a number he was too familiar with. "It's me. I need you to look into the night Dara Park left the military. Investigate what happened to her."

When she left the grounds, it was too late for him to intervene. He was deep asleep and was not aware that she had ran off until the next morning. He tried to look for the reason as to why she left and went as far as interrogating the Bai sisters, but neither of them knew why she had truly left.

He thought it was because she had enough of the training or was growing annoyed by his frequent pursuits. He did not fathom something important had gone down the night of her departure, but now that the truth was brought to the surface, he would thoroughly investigate it.

"You have three days." He hung up the phone and collapsed onto the leather seats of his car. He closed his eyes and tried to envision which bastard he would have to destroy once the truth was uncovered.

- - - - -

Dara Park didn't know a storm was brewing within Kwon Jiyong until the two got home and he slammed the door shut on his way in.

BANG!

She jumped at the loud thud, her heart skipping a beat. She swiveled around and let out a small yelp, tripping over her feet when she saw he was less than an inch away from her. He caught her before she fell, forcing her to stare into his dark, inhuman eyes. He was livid. His jaw ticked, clenching and unclenching whilst he figured out what he should do with this stubborn woman.

Dara Park was confused at his indignation. She thought everything was fine and dandy, that they were okay. She did not understand everything unfolding before her. A shadow loomed over his face, his burning eyes causing her to shrink back a bit. His hands traveled to her upper arm, holding her in place, his fingers digging into her soft skin.

"What were you thinking?" He seethed, his eyes flashing with fury. His voice was gruff and unpleasant to her ears.

"You knew that crazy bastard was combing the entire city for you. Yet, you dropped your guards to take a damn walk ALONE to a DESERTED parking lot. Why didn't you call me? My number was only a dial away." He was not screaming at her and that scared her more than anything. His voice was calm and tranquil as if they were engaging in a simple conversation about the weather. It only made her more nervous.

"I—"

"Did you want to be kidnapped by him? What would've happened if I didn't arrive on time? What would've happened to you? You could've been drugged, kidnapped, and I wouldn't be able to see you—"

Realization clicked inside of her. He was terrified of losing her. "But you'll come for me." She slowly said.

Dara Park wanted to fight back against him. She wanted to shout, yell, and even throw a tantrum for the way he roughly spoke to her and handled her, but in the end, she realized, he was only behaving like this because he was extremely worried about her. She could see it, buried deep within those unrelenting tides known as his eyes, there were layers upon layers of fear, anxiety, and worry.

Something flickered in Kwon Jiyong's face. "Yes, I would've still come for you-"

"And that is all that matters." She gently said, taking a step closer and softly wrapping her arms around him, settling her hands on his back whilst she nestled her face into his chest, feeling the safety and comfort she always received from him. A smile spread across her lips when she felt his tense muscles relax under her touch and his body becoming less taut.

"I love you." She whispered against his shirt, burying her face upon the silky smooth material. She breathed in deeply and could smell that intoxicating pine and tangerine scent she had come to love.

Kwon Jiyong could feel his heart stop at her words. "Stupid woman." He grumbled under his breath, wrapping his arms around her. He crashed their bodies together in an inseparable embrace. "I love you more." He paused after a few seconds of contemplation, "Exceedingly more." He added on.

Dara Park let out a small giggle and remained quiet. She knew she would not be able to win against his words. A light breeze blew through the slightly opened window, the white curtains fluttering in the wind. She could feel his fingers balling the material of her top, his hands shaking.

"I can't lose you, Dara. I really can't fathom such a thing."

Her breath hitched in her throat, tears stinging her eyes when she heard how broken and defeated, he sounded.

She pulled her head back to clearly look at him, but he surprised her by whisking her onto the couch, plopping her onto his lap and burying his face into her shoulder blades.

"Tonight, was a close call. I nearly lost you today, just three days before your birthday." He quietly said, his fingers digging into her waist. "Don't do it again. Don't wander the streets at night without me, don't go to deserted areas like the private parking lot. Don't command my men to not follow you unless it's the bathroom, and even if it is, bring one of the female bodyguards with you."

Dara Park felt her throat run dry. Before she delivered her words, she wanted to ensure he would not snap at her words. She ran her long, slender fingers through his silky soft hair. She was surprised to see it was slightly parted as if he had run his hands through it multiple times tonight. He reacted to her touches by holding her tighter and pulling her closer.

"Don't do this, don't do that, I am not a doll for you to order around." She felt the pressure of his head that was trying to raise itself from her shoulders, but she pushed it back down. "I hate the idea of giving up my independence and freedom just because of a ring that might serve as a priceless and pretty collar, but for the sake of this situation, I am willing to listen." She leaned her face against his head, "However, once we get over this obstacle, I expect that will be the end of your controlling possessiveness."

Kwon Jiyong did not agree. He kept his mouth shut and remained silent.

Dara Park sighed at the stubborn puppy in her arms. This guy...really...he was too much at times. "A relationship is made up of two people who are willing to compromise for each other." She yelped when he suddenly nipped her neck. He truly was a puppy!

"Fine."

A grin broke out on her face. "Really?"

"Don't make me repeat myself." He snapped, pulling his head back, a gloomy expression on his face. She squealed a bit and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, one hand sliding up to pat the back of his head.

Kwon Jiyong's frosty expression instantly melted.

"Aw, I'm so proud of my little pup, he's learning how to compromise."

His face toughened. "What did you just call me?"

"Oh nevermind." She rolled her eyes, ready to climb out of his lap, but he held her captive. Her breath hitched when he came closer to her, her back leaning on his broad, firm chest. When he moved his head forward, she could feel the clench of his muscles, which in return, caused her body to stiffen in anticipation.

"A pup? You see me as a dog?" His breath tickled her ears, causing her to shudder in his arms.

"Well every time you look at me, it's like you're a dog in heat, hence the nickname." She bravely declared, not letting herself be clouded by his words. For a second there, she nearly drowned in his deep, velvety voice that sent her stomach fluttering.

Kwon Jiyong chuckled, his chest rumbling. "Your fearlessness knows no bounds."

She had a cheeky smile on her face, "I know." She turned around a bit, taken aback when her lips brushed against his face. He was really close. "Does that anger you?" She teased, referring to her behavior.

"If it was any other woman, yes, but since it's you, never." He grumbled, much to her absolute delight. Her eyes lit up because of the dimple-smile on his face. Then it dropped.

"How many other women have you been with then?" Her cheery and sweet voice became accusing and distant. She scrutinized him and when he averted his gaze, she grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. She shifted their position so that her legs were resting on either side of him. She pressed him into the couch, where the only thing in his line of sight would be her and her alone -- not that he minded.

"Why don't you tell me how many men you have been with first?"

"I asked you the question first." She snapped at him. Her fiery eyes narrowed like a detective questioning the criminal. "So how many other women have you been with?"

Kwon Jiyong saw the loophole in her question, "None other than you." He gently smiled and took strands of her hair, twirling it around his finger.

Dara Park raised a brow at his response. She also saw the loophole in the question. "Oh really? Does that include sexual partners?"

He coughed at the direct hit. "I've never made love to anyone other than you." He cheekily responded, making direct eye contact as he kissed the strands of hair, tugging her closer.

Dara Park rolled her eyes and placed her hands on his firm chest to create distance between them. She knew she could be easily distracted by him if she allowed him to do anything. "Okay, how about I rephrase it. How many women did you fuck?"

Kwon Jiyong's eyes widened a bit at the usage of such a dirty word. Who was corrupting his woman? He had a feeling it was that younger sister of his who was always up to no good.

"You shouldn't curse like that—"

"Stop avoiding the question."

Kwon Jiyong stared at her a bit longer. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Up until two years ago, it was just four."

Dara Park was left speechless. With his irresistibly charming features and heavy pockets, she expected a double-digit number, not something as low as four. She tilted her head and concluded that his low EQ was the cause of it.

"Just four?" She skeptically asked, her hands reaching out to pinch his cheeks but he caught her hand mid-air and looped their fingers together, a serene smile on his face. She was breathless, in awe at his smile, gentle like the spring breeze and warm like the summer sun. She was always drawn to his smile that left her in a trance.

"Perhaps three, but none of them matter now." He truthfully said, releasing one of her hands so that he could loosely grip her waist. He played with the ends of her blue top, rolling the soft material between his fingertips.

"Will you tell me who it is?" She asked him in a curious voice. His eyes clouded with boredom while he tried to recount the names of the women.

"They were too insignificant for me to remember." He told her, his voice thick with honesty.

She gave him a wry smile, "Are you sure?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die." He chuckled, his chest rumbling a bit at the deep and rich sound.

"That's so cheesy." She remarked, a fond smile hanging on her lips whilst she leaned forward to rest her hand upon his wide, strong shoulder. He responded by wrapping one arm around her waist and the other upon her upper arm, like a strong vine holding her in place.

Wrapped in a cocoon of comfort, she could feel her eyelids growing heavy. Her breathing was becoming steady, fanning the side of his tanned, honey-toned neck.

He turned his face and softly kissed the top of her head. "Only for you."

Dara Park felt like his voice was very far away, but perhaps that was because she was sucked into a blissful dream. Her eyes fluttered shut and the last thing she heard was, "I love you."

The next day, Dara Park headed out early in the afternoon to select a gift for Fan Jielan. She had personally contacted a friend of hers who plays a major role in the jewelry business. To be exact, artifacts worn by famed women of history.

The private chauffeur opened the door of the shining, but lowkey black Bugatti. When Dara Park's foot graced the ground, the visible bodyguards assigned for her also got out from the cars behind hers.

Her lips twitched.

This morning, she had woken up to an unfortunate surprise in the form of three men in suits and three women in dress pants, all of which were going to be her 24/7 bodyguards. They were to accompany her at all times, regardless if she tried to send them away or make them wait outside for her. In the near distance, there were also Kwon Jiyong's people watching her from afar and a few others blended into the crowd.

"Wow, your entrance has gotten very flashy." Sun Renjun commented from the entrance of the stunningly tall skyscraper that resembled the kinds found in New York City. After their renovation, the entire building's design and appeal relied upon their endless array of windows that caught the sunlight, which made the building gleam and glisten.

"I can only blame the brute." Dara Park glumly replied. She walked over to the lean-framed man whose amused eyes were hidden behind a pair of thin-framed glasses.

"All men, by nature, are protective of their women. It just so happens, your man is overly possessive of you as well. How cute." He teased her, a grin resting on his lips.

"Is that your excuse when your wife asks about the high-security fencing around the house?" Dara Park retorted with a disdainful expression on her face.

"That is indeed one of my excuses." Sun Renjun laughed at her expression, ruffling the head of his junior. The silver ring on his finger caught her eye, but she glanced away a moment after.

"Men." She scoffed, rolling her eyes whilst she swatted his hand away.

Sun Renjun's amused smile grew wider at her reaction. He guided her into the building and gave a nod of acknowledgment to the security guards stationed by the entrance. Swiping a keycard, they went through multiple levels of heavy security. Soon, they were five levels underground in a heavily guarded basement where the most priceless artifacts were found.

"I'm surprised that museums haven't chased you down yet to acquire these earrings." Dara Park commented when she walked past a pair of earrings on display. The pair had pearled the size of marbles with sapphires attached to the bottom and then a gold leaf right below it. She glanced at the name tag below, "Earrings Worn by Queen Elizabeth The First On Her Second Painting."

"My company was nice enough to donate a majority of our artifacts. That is the limit of my kindness." Sun Renjun walked to one of the walls and did an entire hand and face scan. Finally, a panel opened right beside him, revealing his favorite collection from ancient China.

Dara Park slowly nodded her head. She knew the company usually sold its pieces of jewelry and other priceless items to private collectors and people with enough money to cover all traces of them.

Sun Renjun placed on a pair of black gloves that clung to his skin. He carefully took out something from the panel and then shut it. "As requested by you, this is the hairpin you were talking about." Sun Renjun placed the hairpin upon a box with a cushioned, white pillow in it.

Dara Park's eyes widened upon the gorgeous piece in front of her. It was beyond her wildest expectations. The base was an elegant silver color, but it was decorated with strings of pearls that entwined with the gilding kingfisher feathers. Small beads of coral jadeites hung from the pearls, and the main attraction of the hairpin was tourmaline [1] gems arranged in the shape of a large peony surrounded by diamonds and lined with silver to make the petals more prominent.

"You really have a keen eye for these types of things. This was worn by—"

"Empress Ma." Dara Park breathlessly said, in complete awe at the fine piece in front of her.

Empress Ma [2] was one of her favorite historical figures because of her virtue, modesty, intelligence, and benevolence. She married her husband when he was a simple soldier and together they rose into establishing and founded the Ming Dynasty. Even when she was the Queen of the country, she still did her own sewing and cooking, as well as teaching her kids to be humble and diligent. She was a wise helper to her husband and helped save countless lives from demise.

"Because it was worn by her, the value of this hairpin is tenfold the items in this room—"

"I'll take it." She said in a heartbeat, pulling out the blank cheque in her purse. She handed Sun Renjun a pen. "Write down whatever amount you want."

"I can see why Kiki Xu is so fond of you." Sun Renjun warmly chuckled. He placed the cheque in the drawer to worry about later. Next, he went to the corner of the room to grab a suitable box for the hairpin as well as the paperwork she would need to fill out. Sun Renjun became great friends with Dara Park after she had helped him in a hacking crisis that occurred in his company.

Dara Park rarely helped others without a future goal or plan in mind. She was never kind-hearted enough to hand out favors for "goodwill" beliefs. Everything she did was strategically planned out to ensure, that one day, the person will pay back the favor, one way or another.

"He's fond of everyone who has money." Dara Park remarked, picking up the discreet navy blue box placed in front of her. The hairpin was securely resting in the box thanks to the nearly invisible strings holding it in place.

- - - - -

Dara Park placed the box onto the vanity, then paused, and decided it would be better if she store it somewhere safer. She was worried she might knock the box onto the floor. She placed it in one of the drawers and checked the time. It was a quarter past five — a suitable time to start preparing dinner.

She sent a quick text to Bom Kwon about buying one of the tailored dresses from YRQ. Later, she was prepared to get ready to cook dinner when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Kwon Jiyong.

[Wifey: We're heading out for dinner.]

She raised a brow at how cold his message was. She was prepared to respond but stopped when three vibrating bubbles popped up. He was in the process of typing something. A second later, the bubble disappeared, but then popped up again.

She was confused. What was he typing and deleting?

[Wifey: ♥]

She blinked at the heart emoticon before a smile bloomed on her face. She wanted to tease him. Was he nervous that his first message gave off the wrong impression? That's adorable.

[Dara: Casual or dressed-up?]

[Wifey: Anything you like.]

Dara Park huffed. How else am I going to choose an outfit then?! She set down her phone and decided to wear a simple black dress that would be suitable for any occasion. She paired it with light and natural make-up then a few pieces of minimalistic jewelry. Lastly, she went downstairs to wait for Kwon Jiyong.

The housekeeper walked towards her with a respectful smile, her hands folded over her apron. She did a small bow and said, "Madam, there is a car waiting for you outside."

Dara Park slowly nodded her head and stood up. She made her way towards the door where the housekeeper opened to reveal the car sitting on the smooth pavement.

When Dara Park approached the car, the chauffeur came out and opened the door for her. She got into the car and curiously glanced out the window. It seemed he will be meeting her there. She originally thought it was strange that he did not send her the address to the restaurant, but it seems he already had something planned out.

Two hours prior.

Chen Xie was exasperatingly glancing back from his tablet to the scene in front of him. He was breaking out in a cold-sweat that could fill up buckets to come.

The Lady Boss was arriving in the next two hours and this place was near its completion. Even so, he could not stop stressing and worrying over the tiniest details.

His frosty and demonic boss was a few meters away, watching everything unfold in heavy silence. His lips were pulled into a thin line whilst his eyes scrutinized every little detail. He only accepted perfection. Anything other than that was trash.

Decorators scrambled around the place, handling every meticulous detail with high concentration. Some ensured the bamboo leaves were resting at the perfect angle and direction while a few others were on their hands and knees ensuring the fake grass looked more real than authentic ones.

Professional engineers were on the scene just to program and monitor the transparent and fake candles on the floor. Originally, real candles were supposed to be used, but the Satanic Boss was worried it might burn the guest, thus, faux ones were placed down instead. All of the candles' temperature was double-checked so that their temperature would not be overly warm, should the guest accidentally graze their skin upon the surface.

The architects were measuring the distance between the hanging lights to the table. It had to be the perfect distance where the light would glow beautifully but also not touch or mess up the guest's hair. The light sculpture was newly designed with three layers of cloth, all of which was suspended on top of each other.

Florists were hovering over the heart-shaped arrangement on the floor, stressing over the petals whose color was just a little off from the Boss' orders. Nonetheless, they meticulously arranged every petal to perfection, forming the perfect shape.

Kwon Jiyong raised a brow. Chen Xie came flying over like an obedient dog ready to please his master.

Wordlessly, the Demon King glanced at the ground, then towards the small bamboo trees, and the flower petals arranged in the shape of a heart.

Chen Xie inspected the grass and pointed towards a small, barely noticeable mistake. "That patch is not as green as the rest. Fix it." He snapped at the decorator who hurriedly ran over to fix the issue.

He looked over the bamboo leaves. "These two are dead." He grunted and people came over to address it right away.

He then walked over to the heart-shaped flower arrangement and snapped, "They're supposed to be Cerise Pink, not Gala Pink. Change it immediately." The two shades of color were only a hair different from each other, yet his hawk-like eyes were able to scope out the mistake.

The florists nearly cried tears of annoyance. But with how much they were being paid, they kept their mouth shut. Even though they spent the last hour or so arranging the petals, they dumped all of it into the trash.

Chen Xie took out his phone and spoke directly to the supplier company's Vice President in a demanding tone, "Have the Cerise Pink flower petals delivered CORRECTLY this time. You have less than ten minutes." All sorts of formalities can be forgotten for now. His boss would deal with it later.

He pulled out the stopwatch and stared at it. When five seconds remained on the timer, a group of people came forward with boxes of the newly ordered petals.

Never in his wildest dreams did Chen Xie fathom the idea that he would be berating people over the color of damn flower petals. It was all because of the man in the simple chair. With his boss, you would think it's an Emperor on his throne.

The Boss was particularly moody and fussy today, more than he usually was, about the details of this location.

At the crack of dawn, this morning, the poor secretary was hauled off of his bed by his Boss' ringtone. He was handed a piece of paper with a scenic location personally drawn out by his Boss whose art skills were astronomically and abnormally good.

Chen Xie referred back to the sketches again just to double-check that everything was going as his boss wanted. Yep, it was 200% what his boss had in mind.

Chen Xie could feel his stomach grumble in irritating hunger when he caught a whiff of the food that the Michelin Starred Chefs were preparing. In charge of all of the highly-awarded chefs was a British man seen on almost every Western TV show.

The delectable smell in the air was making everyone quietly salivate and none of them would ever be able to taste the heavenly dishes being served tonight — Chen Xie included.

Letting out a saddened and pitiful sigh at the realization, the secretary retired back to his post. No less than a minute later, he began to tour the area just to triple-check everything. He could not rest for even a second. He was too antsy and worried to do so.

- - - - -

Two hours had passed and the lady boss was on her way. Chen Xie was silently panicking even if everything here was as perfect as anything could ever get, perhaps even more perfect than his wildest expectations.

"The car will pull up in less than ten minutes. Are the flower petal paths laid out?"

They had been laid out ten minutes ago. "Check." Someone responded into the walkie talkie in Chen Xie's hand.

"And the food?"

"Will be finished the minute she sits down." One of the chefs responded.

"The candles?"

"Slightly dimmed and will become brighter upon her entrance." An engineer said. He glanced down at his monitor just for safety measures.

"The flower arrangements?"

"The Wisteria is in full bloom and the Cerise Pink petals are all laid out as requested." A florist said, getting up from her position to leave out the backdoor like everyone else was beginning to do.

"And the measurements of everything?"

"Down to the exact millimeter." An architect said whilst others worked to place the calipers, rulers, and retractable measuring tapes away.

Chen Xie let out a sigh of relief. Everything was going according to plan. He could finally relax. In the corner of his eye, he saw his Boss was leaving and heading in the direction of the flower paths.

Chen Xie checked his time and didn't know if he should laugh or cry. There was still eight minutes till the arrival of the guest but his boss was already heading out to greet her, ready to stand and wait. Usually, it would always be people bending backward and on their hands and knees ready to please the Boss, not the other way around.

Chen Xie could only shake his head and place his walkie talkie away. He did a sweep of the premises. Everyone, except the chefs, had left and gone home. He decided to stay behind until the lady boss arrived, to ensure nothing goes wrong. It would never go wrong, but he was a worrywart and would not be calm unless he saw for it himself.

His phone dinged.

[God Ji: You're excused for the night. Expect a bonus.]

Chen Xie's eyes widened in glee, nearly jumping up and down in happiness. He did not. Instead, he cleared his throat, adjusted his tie, and pretended like nothing happened. Deep down, he was brimming with glee. Perhaps tonight, he could finally get the daughter he always wanted!

Dara Park was confused when the car rolled into a completely darkened area. It was bleak and empty outside, not a single soul or restaurant in sight. Did the chauffeur drive to the wrong location? She thought it was strange when they were driving out of the city and heading to a remote place filled with scenic trees.

Her instincts kicked in a bit, her eyes on high alert about the possibility that this was a setup by the General. She stared intently at the driver, her hand reaching into her purse to pull out the random weapon she chucked in there.

"Madam, you can relax. This is the correct location that the Boss has instructed me to drive you." The chauffeur piped up with a small smile, climbing out of the car and jogged over to the door where he opened it to help her get out of the car.

"And where is the Boss?" Dara Park skeptically said, staring at his hand and refusing to take it. If she left the car, who knew what could jump at her? Like Kwon Jiyong had instructed her, she was beginning to pay more attention to her surroundings, more so than she usually did. Her eyes trailed to the back of the car where she could see the other car with her bodyguards. Surprisingly, they did not ride with her this time, which she found odd, but apparently, it was their boss' orders.

"He is waiting for you."

Dara Park secured the small taser in her hand that resembled a lipstick. She wrapped her fingers around it and exited the car with the help of the chauffeur. Next, he got back into the car and drove off, leaving her standing on a deserted road. Her nose twitched. There was a gentle scent of floral in the air, but she could not pinpoint exactly what type it was. She was pretty positive it was not the type to grow in the wild like this.

"Kwon Jiyong?" She called out into the darkness, growing more and more wary of the silence. She could hear crickets in the distance, the rustle of the grassy fields, and the sound of approaching footsteps. She bit her bottom lip and turned to face the cars that her bodyguards exited. None of them were in sight.

Her face hardened and she uncapped the "lipstick," preparing her weapon. She clicked on the button and watched electricity crack in the darkness, emitting a small glow. Perfect. The batteries were still working.

"Relax." A voice spoke from the bleak abyss of black.

In the blink of an eye, the entire world lit up before her, a soft gasp leaving her lips. She was blown away by the beauty of this place. There was a path of pink magnolia petals surrounded by beds of gravel with off-white pebbles placed on top of it to form small islands and mountains. The garden was racked so that it resembled the ripple of water. There was greenery sprouting from some places, adding the finishing touch to the beautiful location. There were also candles strategically placed to light up the area and add a warm hue to the scene.

Standing at the end of the pink magnolia path was a tall and scrumptious man. Behind him was a wall made of thin bamboo with wooden lanterns hanging from it. The lanterns resembled the ones she would see in historic dramas of imperial palaces.

"Do you like it?" Kwon Jiyong asked her, his voice deep and mellifluous to her ears. It was rich like finely tempered chocolate being churned in a mill.

"Of course." Dara Park breathed out, her eyes twinkling like a child on Christmas morning.

Her lips were parted while she took in everything. Her head moved around curiously with childlike wonder. "How did you get all of this done?"

"That's not the important part." Kwon Jiyong mused whilst he walked over to her with a bouquet. She expected to see the traditional flowers, but to her absolute delight, it was actually rice cakes carved and molded into the shape of carnations, gardenias, lilies, and leaves! She laughed delightfully, clapping her hands a bit.

"You know me best!" She was bouncing on her heels in excitement, eagerly accepting the bouquet with both hands.

"It's from Hedong." He added the final blow, causing her eyes to light up even more. A thousand-watt smile broke out on her face as she launched herself at him, hugging him with all of her might while carefully handling the bouquet of rice cakes. She smiled up at him with so much happiness, it was contagious.

He was starstruck by her, as he always was. When she innocently tilted her head, he felt his heart stop. She was just so damn beautiful, there were not enough words in this world to describe it. He wondered how it was possible for her to capture the universe in those tiny gems of hers. Nothing mattered to him when she smiled, for the world was nothing but a blur, and she was the center of his eyes.

"I love it!" She happily replied, wrapping one arm around his neck, standing on her tippy-toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

Kwon Jiyong finally snapped back to reality, responding by resting his hands on her lower back, tugging her to him. "I love it too." He whispered under his breath, referring to her smile and not the rice cakes.

"Hm, what was that?" She asked, not quite catching what he said.

Did he say he love something? What was it? She wanted to find out so that she, too, can give it to him — the same way he always showered her with love and gifts. A bubble of guilt aroused in her when she thought about all of the times she was the cause of his white hairs, but it was pushed down when he lifted a hand and brushed the hair covering her eyes.

"Nothing, my love." He responded, a dazed expression on his face. His eyes were clouded and captured by something, but she did not realize it, for her face was too engrossed in nibbling on the rice cakes.

Kwon Jiyong guided her down the pink magnolia petal path, adjusting his pace so that he could match hers. Because of his long legs, he always walked faster than her by at least five steps. However, ever since he met her, he has been slowing it down so that she could catch up to him.

"This is only the beginning." He informed her, watching her bite down on a rice cake and pulling her head back a bit, stretching the gluteus pastry. She thoroughly chewed it and swallowed, his eyes flickering to her lips and then her neck. He could give her something else to swallow. He awkwardly coughed a bit at the idea and chided himself for thinking something so dirty when she was barely ready to take their sexual relationship to another level.

"Oh? What else did you prepare?" She asked, watching him stretch his long, firm arms hidden by the crisp and well-tailored suit. He slid the screen-door to the side and took her into another world of wonder.

For the second time tonight, she was left speechless by the view in front of her, and she wasn't talking about Kwon Jiyong. It was as if she stepped into a completely different world.

Bamboo trees lined the walls, each leaf was a healthy forest-green color, with LED lights installed in the floor to make it glow. Candles dotted the grassy floor, a contrast to the gravel and dirt road outside.

In a secluded area towards the center of the place was a large structure comprised of ropes, forming a pyramid. Because of the evenly spaced out ropes, she could catch a glimpse of everything around them. An interesting and intricate three-layer canopy light hung from the top of the rope structure. There was a table underneath it, with two white-clothed chairs, a light green ribbon wrapped around each. Ranunculus petals littered the floor, surrounding the tables, adding soft tones of white, pastel pink, baby yellow, peachy orange, and sunset red. Surrounding the table was a large heart-shaped arrangement with candle lights outlining the area.

He stood behind her, hugging her stomach. He curved his head and whispered to her, "Do you like it?"

Dara Park glanced at Kwon Jiyong and instantaneously replied, "Yes. I love it." She was referring to both him and the location. It was beyond her wildest dreams, for she had never been to a place as beautiful as this.

When she breathed in, she could smell something savory and delicious. Her hungry stomach made itself known by performing a sound that would put a whale's mating call to shame. She hesitantly peered at Kwon Jiyong and hoped he did not catch the embarrassing sound. He did, but luckily, he kept his mouth shut.

"You don't have to hide it, I know you're trying to not laugh at me." Dara Park grabbed his hand and tried to drag him towards the table. She was eager to sit down and eat, but it seemed he had other plans, for he remained in his position.

Kwon Jiyong stayed firmly rooted to his spot and gently grabbed her hand, holding it like the treasure it was. He breathed in deeply and released it, only to settle his hand onto her lower back. It seemed to be his favorite spot for his fingers could feel the firm dip of her spine. He kept a tiny, half an arm distance between them.

His other hand reached into the pocket inside of his suit where he pulled out something from her wildest dreams, her eyes growing wider than the moon. She recognized it, her throat running dry and her head spinning in circles. He breathed in deeply and in a loving, tender voice, began his message to her.

"I never got the chance to ask you this or even had the honor to present this gift to you, but I will do it today." His thumb rubbed over the velvet of the small, black box with a single engraving of an infinity symbol on top of it.

"Marry me, my love. I will take away all of your sadness and give you my happiness. Shall you desire the world, I will conquer it and bring it to your knees. Whatever you desire, whatever makes you happy, you shall obtain it without any complications, this I can assure you." A small smile rested on his lips, something flashed in his eyes.

Was it nervousness? Was it anxiety and dismay? She could not tell.

"Not a second goes by where you do not plague my thoughts. When I close my eyes, all I see is you, and when I wake up in the morning, all I want is to see you. You've comfortably created a place within my heart and made a home there, a structure that I will carefully tend to." He could see her eyes moisten a bit. She pressed her lips together to control her emotions.

"When I look into your eyes, I see a future between us, a future filled with love, laughter, and a growing family. I know there will be bumps in our entwining paths and there will always be people out to break us apart, but I swear to you, my love, I will put my life on the line to keep you safely tucked by my side. If you disappear, I will chase you to the end of this world. All of those who stand in my way will drop dead and this entire world will be destroyed if it means I can see you again."

Dara Park could feel the waterworks begin. She sniffled, the river dam had broken and something wet trickled down her cheeks.

"My dear, as long as there are stars in the sky and water in the ocean, I will love you. Even when death does us apart, I will chase you into the next lifetime and the rest to come."

He kneeled and opened the box, revealing a set of rings. The first was shaped like a hearth made of golden leaves holding up a sole marquise-cut emerald. It was an interesting design that resembled a simple, yet elegant crown. The star of the show was the actual wedding ring. It was one of the largest emeralds she had ever seen, but it was not traditionally placed in the center. It shared its limelight with the crystal-encrusted olive leaf. Linking the two pieces together was an externally flawless diamond that she read about in magazines, but never had the chance to ever see for it herself.

"I couldn't decide which one looked better, so I went with both." Kwon Jiyong explained. He originally wanted to give her a family heirloom ring that his grandmother possessed. Traditionally, it was supposed to be given to the wife of the eldest son who happened to be Fan Jielan. She was not the Kwon Matriarch's first candidate in marriage and because Qian Kwon went against his mother's wishes, Madam Kwon never even got a glimpse of the ring.

No one dared to speak about Matriarch Kwon and her whereabouts were unknown. No one knew whether she was dead or alive, not even Elder Muxi Kwon himself. The ring was untraceable, but if Dara Park voiced a desire about possessing it, Kwon Jiyong was willing to utilize every resource possible to find the ring.

"I would give you a reply, but I'm pretty sure you already know what it is." She cracked a small smile, watching as he lifted her hand and slipped on the two rings that fit snugly on her finger.

"I didn't even pop the question yet." He teased her, his lips breaking out into one of the happiest smiles she had ever seen on his face. It reached his eyes and warmed her entire body.

She let out a surprised laugh when he suddenly whisked her off of her feet, his arms securely wrapped around her waist as he spun them around, holding her comfortably to him. She could feel her heart erratically pounding, an unbeknownst smile on her face. She had never felt this happy in a very long time.

"I still can't believe we're married."

"Speaking of marriage," She hooked her arms around his neck. "When shall we hold a ceremony?"

"I'll hold the ceremony anytime you want. It doesn't have to be a day or two long, we can prolong it to a month—"

"That's an absurdly outrageous length of time for a marriage ceremony. Don't you mean the celebration?" She decided it would be better to hold the ceremony once all of their troubles died down.

"Whatever makes you happy, it shall be done." He hummed, setting her down onto her feet.

Dara Park wondered out loud, "My goodness, which country did I save in my past life to get a man like you?" She leaned her head against his chest, her entire body relaxing when one of his hands began to lovingly caress the back of her head. The other was cupped over her hip, his thumb rubbing circles upon the area.

She hugged him tight when guilt bubbled in her stomach, causing aching pains in her heart. He was always giving and giving, rarely taking, but she could not find ways to respond to it. She was not used to people taking care of her or worrying about her safety. She was independent her entire life and the only person that seemed to directly lookout for her was herself. Burying her face into his chest, she knew she would have to start changing her ways soon, and only hoped it was not too late.

"Or perhaps you've saved my world." The words left his mouth without a second thought towards it. It seems his low EQ was slowly making itself less and less prominent...

Dara Park's heart clenched at his loving words. She sniffed the air. "Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Kwon Jiyong surveyed the area, his eyes lingering upon the bamboo screen in the far back where the chefs were preparing the dishes. Was she hungry? He guessed he should direct her to the table now. A hungry wife equals an unhappy life.

"I smell cheese." She teased him about his cheesy words. She escaped his arms and happily glided to the table where she was the first to be seated. It happened so quickly, the waitress on standby was caught off guard and panicked when the young lady pulled out her own chair and sat down.

Kwon Jiyong was initially perplexed by her words. Cheese? But none of the chefs were cooking with cheese tonight...

Ah, there goes his low EQ, making itself evident yet again.

It took a second for her words to register. He let out a burst of rich laughter that caused her stomach to excitedly flutter.

Half a year ago, if someone told him he would find himself in the position he was now, he would laugh at them and toss them into the black room where he'll personally brainwash the stupid idea out of that person. He was usually a man of very few words, especially in the presence of women. Many desired to flock to him and none dared to step out of line in fear of being heavily scathed by him. Lovey-dovey words and actions were never a part of his dictionary until she stormed through those hospital doors and wrote all of the definitions herself.

"Prepare your stomach and nose then." He confidently walked to her, his long legs easily carrying their way to her. He struggled to suppress his smile when he saw she was practically ogling his body. He pushed the chair in for her and bent down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. Next, he retired to his seat. "There's a lot cheesier content coming your way."

The waitress saw it was time to serve the first dish of the night which was the aperitif, consisting of a spring salad with slices of strawberries and sprinkles of fresh basil, grape tomatoes, the smallest tip of caviar, and truffle oil on top of an Italian bruschetta.

It was served with a side of non-alcoholic sparkling blood orange cider.

Kwon Jiyong had made sure it was non-alcoholic. If anything needed to be cooked with wine or any other liquor, the alcohol must be evaporated before it was served.

Dara Park cupped her hands in front of her, a small grin on her face. "Well then, I look forward to seeing what your exquisitely...slow EQ conjures up."

"My slow EQ?" He echoed her words, his brows raising. "I could've sworn our levels were on equal standing."

Dara Park was baffled by his words, a dramatic sharp gasp leaving her lips. "Of course, they're not on the same level."

He firmly nodded his head, agreeing with her. "You're right, mine is exceedingly higher than yours. Do not fret, my love, I will make up for your..." He paused to search for the right term. "...slow EQ with mine."

Dara Park could not believe he was so good with comebacks. She wanted to indulge herself into this childish argument longer. All thoughts left her mouth when she saw the waitress approaching them from a distance with platter and glass dome upon it. "You're lucky the food is here, or else I would've roasted you alive with my witty comebacks."

Kwon Jiyong watched as her eyes made a beeline straight towards the oncoming dish. "Excuses, excuses." He chided her but his words fell on deaf ears, for she was too concentrated on the dish set in front of them. He felt himself burning with envy and jealousy, even though the enemy was just a stupid platter of bread.