𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ── 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗚𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗬

sixteen

─•❃✾❃•─

It's different, standing by his car at the sprawling expense before PY corporation rather than heading straight to the CEO's office. The barriers meant to restrict entry seemed almost trivial in the face of his authority, and yet, an unfamiliar hesitation held him in check.

Nearly a week had slipped by like elusive sand through his fingers since he last caught a glimpse of her. And now, fate had orchestrated this rendezvous for an imperative meeting, one that necessitated the exchange of courteous nods, the unfurling of business smiles─a charade of professionalism masking the clandestine currents that surged beneath.

Greeting her in the boardroom was an inevitability, the script of their interaction rehearsed meticulously to belie the unsanctioned feelings that they both knew simmered beneath the surface. The space between them in that room, though punctuated by desks and documents, was tempting with an awareness that transcended their roles as mere business partners.

Yet, how was he to carry on this pretense when even the mere thought of Yoona had the power to sap his resolve, to undermine his firmest determination? His palms felt clammy, the skin dampened by a nervous sweat born from the anticipation of seeing her again. His once razor-sharp mind now seemed rendered mushy, every thought disrupted by the insistent memory of her presence. Her image floated before him, and his heart drummed an erratic rhythm against his chest. He knew that soon their eyes would meet, he would be ensnared in the labyrinth of her gaze.

The grand conference room buzzed with the murmurs of anticipation as businessmen and women gathered, each wearing their professional facade like a second skin. Yoona stood at the head of the room, her posture commanding attention, while a figure entered with grace, his steps measured and his expression composed. Her eyes look up from her laptop just in time to see a tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome figure entering the room. The corners of her lips curl up into a smile at the sight of him, Do-yeong, as they exchange polite nods and brief smiles, it was as though that night had been locked away in a secret compartment of his mind, untouched and unspoken of. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant surprise, made all the more satisfying by a flicker of something other than stone-cold indifference within those deep brown eyes. As subtle and fleeting as it was, the reaction would have gone entirely unnoticed by anyone else, but not her.  

The meeting began, discussions flowing smoothly. Charts were presented, proposals discussed, and decisions made. Do-yeong and Yoona, both seasoned professionals, engaged actively, their eyes occasionally meeting across the table. The thought of Yoona continued to plague Do-yeong's mind as he struggled to focus, watching her walk around the room in those short short skirts and heels that leave him tight in his trousers. The pain is only able to be soothed in cold showers late at night while he dreamt of her being under him. He was too transfixed on her shirt, the way the fabric parted at the buttons when she leaned in just the right way. Sometimes if he was lucky he could catch a flash of skin, a glimpse of delicate lace from her bra. It almost made him wish he would have picked a seat closer to the front.

Yoona's gaze remained steady, her lips curved into a polite smile. She could feel his eyes taking in every inch of her. Would Yeon-jin be jealous just as Yoona had been when she discovered Jae-jun's betrayal? But then again, she mused, would Yeon-jin react with the same fiery intensity that had consumed Yoona, or would she cloak her feelings beneath a facade of composed indifference? Perhaps, after all, Yeon-jin was often the more dramatic of the two sisters, she mused, a touch of wry amusement mingling with her thoughts.

Amidst these musings, her conscience inevitably wandered to her own actions, her own choices that now stood in the shadowy corners of her mind. Did her one night with Do-yeong cast her into the same role she had despised Jae-jun for playing? Yoona found herself questioning the nature of her actions, dissecting each nuance with a mixture of self-doubt and self-justification. The memory of that rain-soaked night with Do-yeong etched itself into her thoughts. Yet, she was quick to counter it with the reasoning that Jae-jun had signed the divorce papers before her rendezvous with Do-yeong. It was an intricate dance of justification, each step seeking to reconcile her actions with her values. But did that make her own choices any less tarnished?