Sleeping With The Enemy

Incarcerated

"How did we come to this?" Min Hyeon said in a mocking tone he knew Seo Ryeong could never ignore. He was right. Her head snapped back up and shot daggers at him through the sturdy sheet of glass dividing them.

"Someone snitched," she said testily.

"You didn't cover your tracks well enough. There's always a paper trail."

He held back a bark of laughter just watching Seo Ryeong swallow her anger. Min Hyeon knew that it wasn't the paper trail. KU Group had fingers in many pies. One of them just happened to be the teller in the Corean China Banking Exchange Group. It wasn't a stretch of coincidence that that particular teller was in charge of VIP banking transactions, including royalty and politicians.

"Did you just come to gloat at me? You can leave right now."

"I have thirty minutes. I'm going to enjoy every single minute of it. After Barcelona, I think I deserve some gloating time."

"It was you, wasn't it? You framed me."

A small smile curled around Min Hyeon's lips. He always knew Seo Ryeong was smart. She always had the last word. How the tables have turned.

"It was for the greater good. We got rid of three of Corea's most corrupt ministers thanks to your testimony."

"I'm not going down alone. Of course I'll take them with me."

"You'll get a shorter sentence for cooperating with the Corean Anti-Corruption Agency. It helped that the money you moved offshore has been returned to the Treasury."

"How did you know that?"

"Ohhh... you're welcome."

"You negotiated for me?"

"Of course I didn't. Why would I get involved?" Min Hyeon replied, hoping that he looked urbane and unaffected – which was the complete opposite of what he truly felt. He had pulled strings and called in favours to ensure that Seo Ryeong's sentence would be reduced to 18 months. With good behaviour, perhaps just 13 months. Min Hyeon felt that with Seo Ryeong's history of unpredictable behaviour, it was likely to be 18 months anyway.

"Oppa, your lawyer negotiated for me, then?" Seo Ryeong asked, feeling slightly nervous that Min Hyeon was this involved with her fate in jail. What does he really want from me?

"He might have mentioned a thing or two about a shorter sentence."

Min Hyeon chanced a peek at Seo Ryeong. There was something in her expression that look akin to suspicion. Her mind looked like it was going a thousand miles and hour, trying to figure him out.

"Why?" The terse statement was filled with unsaid words. Why did you do this? Why are you helping me? Why did you send me to jail? Min Hyeon shrugged. There was always so much unsaid between him and Seo Ryeong.

"I didn't want you to marry Pyeha." Min Hyeon noticed Correctional Officer Kim, who sat uncaring behind Seo Ryeong stiffen at his words. He also noticed the quick double blink that Seo Ryeong gave him.

"Why? You can't stomach scraping and bowing to me as your Queen?" Min Hyeon wasn't surprised to hear an acerbic reply. This was Koo Seo Ryeong, the ice queen. She was acerbic by default.

"No. I just want you to marry me."

He smiled as Seo Ryeong scoffed out loud.

"Are you crazy? You framed me so that you could marry me? Forget it. You're the last man I would ever marry."

Min Hyeon smiled and replied, "Koo Seo Ryeong, with your arrest, I've just completed the ninth dare. You'll marry me or no one else."

He nodded to Officer Kim and headed out. Somehow, he had a good feeling about this episode. There was just one more dare to be completed. If he played his cards right, this elusive jailbird would just be his bride. Family opinion and share prices be damned.