Swapped by fate

Chapter 10

Hyunjin’s POV

I took a deep breath before heading downstairs. Felix had made it clear—Nami Yun wasn’t Kato Lara, and we had been holding the wrong person all along. The gravity of the mistake weighed heavily on me. But I couldn’t dwell on the error now; there was still the issue of what to do with her.

I opened the door to the basement and stepped inside. Nami was sitting against the wall, her wrists still tied, but her posture looked more relaxed than when we first brought her in. Her eyes followed me as I approached, though she didn’t say anything.

I cleared my throat, keeping my tone neutral. “Nami, I’ve talked with Felix, and it’s clear now… you’re not Kato Lara.”

She raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything right away. “Took you long enough to figure that out,” she finally muttered, her voice dry with sarcasm.

I ignored the jab, getting straight to the point. “We need to keep you here for a little while longer. But I’m not going to keep you tied up in the basement anymore. We’ve prepared a room for you upstairs.”

Nami’s eyes widened slightly. “You’re moving me upstairs?” she asked, clearly surprised.

“Yes,” I replied. “I know it’s not ideal, but it’s better than being stuck down here. We just need to make sure things are safe before you can leave.”

She eyed me suspiciously. “Safe from who?”

I hesitated. "We have a bigger situation to handle. If Mr. Kato finds out we actually wanted to kidnap his daughter, we’re in big trouble."

Her expression softened slightly as realization dawned. “You’re protecting yourselves,” she said quietly.

I didn’t deny it. “It’s more complicated than that,” I said simply. “But for now, you need to stay with us.”

Nami didn’t protest. She seemed resigned to the situation, and I could hardly blame her. “Fine,” she said after a pause. “But if I’m getting a room, can you at least untie me?”

I nodded, moving to her side and loosening the ropes around her wrists. She winced slightly as the rope fell away, rubbing her wrists where the skin had been chafed.

“Thanks,” she said, standing up and stretching her arms.

I motioned toward the stairs. “Follow me. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.”

Nami fell into step behind me as we walked up the stairs. I could feel her watching me, likely still trying to piece everything together, trying to figure out what was going on. I couldn’t blame her for being cautious.

We reached the top of the stairs, and I turned to lead her down the hallway. But just as I started to walk ahead, I heard a soft thud behind me. I turned quickly, just in time to see Nami trip over the edge of the hallway rug, stumbling forward.

Before she could hit the ground, I instinctively reached out and grabbed her by the arm, catching her right in time.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to freeze. Our eyes locked—her wide in surprise, mine narrowing with focus. I could feel the warmth of her arm under my hand, the small gasp she let out as I steadied her. It wasn’t long, just a few seconds, but it felt like longer. The way her gaze softened, vulnerable but guarded—it threw me off.

“Whoa, easy there,” I said, helping her regain her balance, my voice sounding more casual than I felt inside.

She let out a small, embarrassed laugh, brushing it off. “Guess I’m still getting used to walking without the ropes.”

I smirked, shaking my head slightly, trying to push the odd feeling away. “Let’s try to avoid any more accidents, alright?”

“Deal,” she said, straightening up. “I’d rather not faceplant in front of my captor.”

I led her the rest of the way to the room we had prepared. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean, with a bed, a dresser, and a small window that let in some natural light.

Nami stepped inside, looking around. “Not bad,” she said, her tone light. “Definitely beats the basement.”

I leaned against the doorframe, watching her as she took in her new surroundings. “You’ll be safe here,” I said quietly. “Just stay put, and don’t do anything to draw attention.”

She turned to face me, her expression serious now. “I don’t plan on going anywhere,” she said. “But you guys need to figure this out fast. I’m not going to just sit around forever.”

I nodded. “We’re working on it.”

With that, I turned and left the room, closing the door behind me. But as I walked down the hallway, I couldn’t stop thinking about that moment in the hallway. The look in her eyes, the way her breath caught as I caught her—it was a simple thing, but for some reason, it stuck with me. It was strange, feeling something stir in me about this girl we had essentially kidnapped.

I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away. **Focus.** This was already messy enough; I didn’t need any more distractions. But despite my best efforts, I couldn’t shake that moment, or the way her eyes lingered in my mind.

This chapter is kida short too,i hope y'all like the story...