The Devil's Pact | BBANGSAZ

T W O

Hanni didn't know what to expect. She wasn't sure if Minji was just a rich crook or involved in any sort of crime. She remembered how scared her father had been the day the bank seized his restaurant. He had been more afraid of Ms. Kim Minji finding out than of the prospect of his family being broke and out on the street. But Hanni was determined not to fear Kim Minji. She wouldn't give her the pleasure of seeing her sweat.

She sat in Minji's office, staring around the large, cold area. She couldn't believe that something this chic would be located in the back of a restaurant. Everything in Minji's office was black and white, including the artwork on the walls. She assumed one of Minji's paintings was probably worth more money than Hanni made in a year. Minji didn't have any personal pictures on her desk like a lot of businesspeople do. Or at least how they portrayed it in movies. She actually didn't have a desk. It was just a large glass table with a fancy chair on the opposite side of her.

Hanni jumped when she heard the door open. She quickly stood up and faced the people entering. She recognized the first man that entered. He was the security guard who kept giving her a hard time. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she rolled her eyes back at him. The next man that came through the door, she didn't recognize. He was a tall, well-muscled guy. He had light blonde hair and hazel eyes. He glanced at her and flashed a predatory grin. She wondered if he saw her shiver.

The last one to enter was the tall brunette. She brushed right past her and sat down in the fancy chair before she acknowledged her presence. This was Kim Minji. Hanni remembered her from the day she came into her father's restaurant a few years ago. Hanni had tried not to look at her then, as her father, Minji, and one of her men went into the kitchen to discuss business. The other guy stood on the outside, daring anyone to enter the kitchen. Hanni had just caught a glimpse of Kim Minji that day, but she had been completely thrown off guard by how young and beautiful Minji looked. Hanni had been expecting some old craggy-looking fellow, like a godfather or something.

But Kim Minji was beautiful... and powerful.

And now looking at her, she hadn't changed at all from that first day Hanni had seen her. Minji had beautiful, shiny black hair that she kept pushed away from her face, but it was longer than she remembered. The way she styled it kept it away from her face, making Minji appear menacing and beautiful all at the same time. It also gave Hanni a perfect view of her cold dark brown eyes. She had a straight, attractive nose, nice, plump lips, and a strong jawline. Hanni could also tell that Minji had a nice body underneath her powerful business suit, judging by the way Minji walked with her shoulders upright and her chest out, which... wait, she needed to seriously pull her mind together.

What the hell was wrong with her?

"Ms. Minji..." Hanni started.

"Minji," she interjected immediately.

"I just wanted to—" Hanni began again, but Minji placed a finger to her own lips, signaling for Hanni to be quiet. Hanni immediately shut her mouth.

"Hanni, my security guard, Seokmin, told you that I was busy, correct?" Minji asked.

Hanni nodded.

"What? I didn't hear you," Minji replied.

Hanni wanted to roll her eyes at Minji's arrogance, but she knew she had come here to ask a favor. Better to play the nice card.

"Yes," she answered.

"I thought so. So, you should have come back or set an appointment like everyone else does instead of interrupting me," Minji added, flipping through her phone.

"I tried, Minji. But the appointment time they gave me was two months from now," Hanni replied, raising her voice a bit.

"Yes, that's because I'm a busy woman, Ms. Pham."