𝔒𝔟𝔰𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔬𝔣 𝔐𝔞𝔣𝔦𝔞

18

As the night wore on, the mansion was quiet, save for the occasional sound of distant footsteps from the maids. Hae-rin lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, fear, and confusion. The events of the day replayed over and over in her head—the gunshot, the coldness in Taehyung's eyes, the way her world had spun out of control. She didn't know how much more of this she could take.

Her heart raced as the door creaked open, and she tensed slightly, knowing who it was. Taehyung walked in, his face unreadable as always. He didn't say a word, heading straight to the bathroom. The sound of the water running was the only thing breaking the silence.

Hae-rin swallowed hard, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the edge of the blanket. When Taehyung emerged from the bathroom, a towel was wrapped loosely around his waist, water droplets still glistening on his chest and abs. His dark hair was wet, brushing against his forehead as he stood in front of the mirror, running his hand through it.

For a moment, she couldn't help but glance at him, her eyes trailing down his sculpted torso. He noticed. She could feel it—he always noticed. And sure enough, when she quickly averted her gaze and pulled the blanket higher around herself, his smirk appeared.

He said nothing as he changed into a pair of trousers and threw on a loose white shirt, his smirk lingering as he caught her brief glances from under the blanket. She tried to act indifferent, but Taehyung knew better. He always did.

He slid under the covers, his proximity causing her heart to race again. His voice was low, almost a purr as he whispered close to her ear, "Did you enjoy the view earlier?"

Hae-rin tensed, her face flushing as she stammered, "W-What are you talking about?"

"Acting like you don't know, huh?" he teased, his voice laced with amusement.

Before she could muster a reply, Taehyung moved closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. The sudden intimacy took her by surprise, her breath hitching as his warm body pressed against hers. She could feel the heat of his chest through the thin fabric of her shirt.

Her breath came faster, especially when his lips brushed against her neck, placing soft, wet kisses on her skin. Each kiss sent a shiver down her spine, her body betraying the turmoil in her mind. She was torn between the magnetic pull he had on her and the fear that came with it.His hand slid under her shirt and squeezed her waist a bit tight that she moan and he open her shirt buttons and kiss her collarbone and his kisses reaching down slowly slowly.

But she didn't stop him.

***

The next morning, Hae-rin awoke to an empty bed. The space beside her, where Taehyung had been, was cold. She sat up slowly, running a hand through her hair as the events of the previous night lingered in her mind.

Pushing the thoughts aside, she got out of bed and went downstairs. The smell of breakfast wafted through the air as she entered the kitchen. One of the maids greeted her with a polite bow.

"Where's Taehyung?" Hae-rin asked, her voice still groggy with sleep.

"He left for work early this morning, ma'am," the maid replied, setting down a plate of toast and fruit in front of her.

Hae-rin nodded, a strange sense of relief mixed with unease settling over her. She wasn't sure if she was relieved that he wasn't there or unsettled by his absence. Either way, she ate her breakfast quietly, her mind still buzzing with thoughts of the man who had thrown her life into chaos.