𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗥

𝗑𝗂𝗂𝗂.

Jiwon fixed her gaze on Joshua, an uninterested expression etched across her face. He stepped closer, close enough for her to feel the warmth radiating from his body. She crossed her legs and leaned back against the bed, adopting a stance of nonchalance. "How does it matter to you?" she asked, her tone indifferent. "As far as I remember, we had nothing to do with each other."

Joshua closed his eyes briefly, a sigh escaping him as if the weight of the moment pressed heavily on his shoulders. "What I'm here to tell you is—" he began, but she cut him off sharply.

"Save it. I'm in no mood to hear it," she shot back, her voice firm. The headache that had plagued her all day surged back with a vengeance, turning her thoughts into a dull throb that pulsed in rhythm with her heartbeat. Jiwon stood up from the bed, squaring her shoulders and refusing to show any sign of her discomfort.

Standing tall in front of Joshua, she found herself dangerously close to him, their faces mere inches apart. She stared into his deep ebony eyes, her expression unreadable. "That was Jeonghan, wasn't it?" he asked in a low, menacing tone, the atmosphere thickening between them.

"And what if it was?" Jiwon replied, her voice casual but laced with defiance. Their words hung in the air, spoken almost in whispers, the tension crackling like electricity around them. It was a warning sign; when Joshua Hong and Jiwon Hwang lowered their voices, it was time to tread carefully.

"Jiwon, I'm saying this for your sake. Jeonghan is—he isn't what he seems like when it comes to women. Don't give in," he urged, fighting to keep his voice steady, each word dripping with concern.

Jiwon let out a hollow scoff, devoid of any emotion. "I don't care what kind of person Jeonghan is. All I know is that he's a better man than you are," she spat, her face mere inches from his. She could count the marks speckled across his cheeks, but this moment was far from playful.

Joshua's nostrils flared, and he turned his face away from hers, the tension palpable in the air. After a few seconds, there was silence. Then, Joshua met her gaze again, and without warning, she felt his strong arms encircle her waist, pulling her close. Jiwon's eyes widened in surprise as he pressed her back against the wall, an unexpected softness in his grip that belied the intensity of his intentions.

His right arm brushed near her neck as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against her skin. Jiwon knew that Joshua was not in his usual mood; annoyance radiated from him, yet beneath that surface was something darker, something exhilarating. Her stomach twisted into a knot as anticipation coursed through her veins.

Breathless, she stared into Joshua's eyes, which were now filled with an urgent intensity. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, and her heart raced, pounding against her ribcage like a caged bird desperate for freedom. The ringing in her ears faded into the background as her focus narrowed solely on him—this was not the gentle, genial Joshua she knew, but a man consumed by a primal hunger for something she couldn't quite grasp.

Her palms pressed against his sculpted chest, feeling the rhythmic thumping of his heart beneath her fingers. His aura was cold and authoritative, a stark contrast to the usual gentleness and warm persona he often had. Jiwon felt herself teetering on the edge of something monumental. As Joshua leaned even closer, an electric jolt shot through her, igniting a fire deep within.

"Tell me, Jiwon, how can I earn your forgiveness?" he began, his voice low and husky, a commanding presence enveloping her. "I'll walk through hell and beg on my knees if that's what it takes, but please—don't punish me by considering another man." Jiwon's breath hitched in her throat, her eyes shimmering with a mix of fear and intrigue. "You, your smile, and your everything is mine, and only mine," Joshua growled, his words a possessive declaration that sent shivers down her spine.

A part of her felt frightened, yet another part was undeniably captivated. This was a side of Joshua she had never encountered—a magnetic, entrancing force that drew her in. The urge to surrender, to drop to her knees and let this newfound infatuation consume her, was overwhelming. But Jiwon fought against her wild heart.

Stabilising her gaze, she tried to calm the storm within her, despite the tension that hung heavily in the air. Joshua's eyes bore into hers, a silent plea for a response, begging for permission. Jiwon slowly moved her hands away from his sculpted chest, removing his hands from her waist, her touch deliberate and firm.

She pushed him away slightly, just enough to signal that she would not relent. Deep down, she wanted to scream that she didn't belong to him, but her heart betrayed her, whispering that she was his. Her mind, however, commanded her to remember the painful moments he had left her in, refusing to yield to the heart that was ready to give itself away so effortlessly.

In the end, Jiwon chose to listen to her mind. She wasn't ready to accept him, not now, not ever. Joshua's authoritative aura dimmed, and his eyes searched hers for answers she did not possess. Jiwon met his gaze, steely resolve settling in her chest, and whispered, "You don't own me. You never did, and you never will." 

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, closing the door with a decisive bang that echoed through the stillness of the apartment, leaving behind a charged silence that lingered long after she was gone.