LET THE WORLD BURN || P.SH X K.SN

T W E N T Y O N E

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE: HATRED IS WHAT I FEEL FOR YOU (PT.2)

'PARK SUNGHON'

I stood with a group of business executives, nodding along as they discussed potential mergers and future investments. But my focus was elsewhere. My eyes flickered around the room, scanning for any sign of him. These parties-especially when hosted by Sunoo's father, Seokmin-were tedious, but Sunoo never failed to make them worse. Just being in the same room as him always put me on edge, though I'd never admit it.

As the conversation droned on, I finally spotted him. And, of course, he wasn't alone. My blood ran cold when I saw who he was sitting wth.

Eun-suk.

My fists clenched at my sides, the drink in my hand forgotten. They were sitting at a small table in the corner, away from the crowd. I narrowed my eyes, watching Eun-suk's hand slowly creep across the table until it rested on top of Sunoo's. I expected Sunoo to pull away, maybe throw some snide comment at him like he usually does when someone annoys him. But he didn't. His hand stayed there, under Eun-suk's.

A familiar, nauseating anger flared up inside me, but I pushed it down, refusing to let it consume me again. I didn't want to feel like this-didn't want to care about what Sunoo did or who he was with. But my gaze stayed fixed on them anyway.

They were deep in conversation, but it didn't look... pleasant. Sunoo seemed tense, his face hard with irritation, but he wasn't doing anything about Eun-suk's touch. My jaw tightened, and I scoffed to myself, downing the rest of my drink in one go. Why should I care? Let him have hislittle reunion.

Still, the sight of them together gnawed at me, even as I tried to keep my expression cool and indifferent. I turned away, focusing back on th business talk, pretending I was actually invested in the numbers being thrown around. But inside, I was seething.

The party couldn't end fast enough. When it finally did, the skies had opened up. Rain poured down relentlessly, drenching everyone as they rushed to their cars. Sunoo and I had to ride together, a fact that already irritated me. I wasn't exactly sober, but I wasn't drunk enough to ignore the nagging thought that kept replaying in my mind: Sunoo, sitting with Eun-suk, not pushing him away.

The silence in the car was thick. The rain pounded against the winows, the only sound breaking the tension between us. My mind raced, but I forced myself to keep quiet. I didn't want to bring it up, didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing I'd even noticed. But the alcohol buzzed through my veins, loosening my tongue.

I glanced over at him, still staring out the window, completely ignoring me. I couldn't help it. The words slipped out before I could stop them.

"Had fun talking to your ex?" I asked, my voice sharp and cold, as if it didn't bother me at all. As if I didn't care.
S

unoo's head snapped around, glaring at me. "Now what do you mean by this?" he shot back, his voice laced with annoyance.

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the road. "You know exactly what I mean, Kim Sunoo. Don't start your act."

He huffed, crossing his arms. "You're drunk. Don't talk to me."

"And you're avoiding the question." I couldn't stop myself, the bitterness seeping into my voice. "I saw you with him. You didn't even pull away when he touched you."