DANCE WITH THE DEVIL

CHAPTER 23

As Areum walked out of Jaemin's room, Mark's firm hand gripped her arm, pulling her with him down the hall. She barely registered the hallway's cold, sterile lights as he led her into the clinic. Her pulse was still racing, the sting of Jaemin's presence lingering on her skin.

Mark's jaw was tense, eyes hardened as he helped her sit on the clinic bed, his worry barely masked by his brotherly frustration. The door closed softly behind them, the quiet hum of the clinic pressing in on the silence.

A few minutes later, the door opened again, and Jaemin strode in, flanked by Yanna—the girl Areum recognized instantly. Jaemin escorted Yanna to the adjacent clinic room, nodding curtly to the nurse before turning to leave, only to find himself face-to-face with Mark halfway down the hall.

"Is Areum—"

"Why did you bring her here?" Mark cut him off sharply, his eyes flashing. "You know who she is."

"Areum," Jaemin repeated, ignoring Mark's hostility, his eyes darting to the clinic door.

"Clinic-B," Mark replied curtly, arms crossed, his posture unyielding.

Jaemin's gaze held steady, defiant. "I couldn't leave her there," he replied, his tone a mix of irritation and something else, something more vulnerable. "You know that."

Mark exhaled, shaking his head. "Fine. But we both know she likes you." His voice softened, though his frustration was still evident. "And you're not good for her."

Jaemin's jaw clenched, a trace of anger flickering in his eyes. "And you hate it. But don't worry. Yanna's just someone I used to know."

Mark raised a skeptical brow. "Someone you used to know? She's your ex-fiancée. I can't believe you'd bring her here, of all places. If you're just using my sister—"

"Enough, Mark." Jaemin's voice dropped, his authority unmistakable. "I understand that you're protecting her, but you're still speaking to your boss." He let the weight of his words sink in before adding, "And you should know by now that I wouldn't hurt her."

Mark narrowed his gaze. "Then explain why you've brought your ex here. And why the hell you thought it'd be okay."

Jaemin rolled his eyes, impatience simmering beneath his cool façade. "Yanna's just a part of my past. She doesn't mean anything. Not anymore. I only brought her because she needed help, the same as any other person would."

Mark's eyes darkened as he remembered. "Areum was with Jeno when you first met her, wasn't she?"

Jaemin's calm shattered for a split second, his gaze flickering. "She was," he admitted. "But that's all in the past."

"And she knows?" Mark pushed, his voice tinged with anger.

Jaemin didn't answer right away. His expression turned unreadable. "She was drunk back then, just venting about Jeno and his... indiscretions."

Mark's face twisted, seething as he pieced it together. He clenched Jaemin's collar in his fist, fury making his grip tremble.

"You slept with her."

Jaemin's jaw tightened, but he held his ground. "And she came to me," he replied, voice cold.

The air was thick with tension until a quiet voice cut through.