THE BITCH CEO (Im Nayeon)

20

NO ONE'S POV (Part 3)

On the other side of the room, Hans' eyes burned with a cold fury, sending invisible daggers toward the couple on the dance floor.

She had watched as they kissed, their bodies swaying together as if no one else in the room existed.

The sight was unbearable, and yet, she couldn't look away.

Hans knew she shouldn't feel this way, jealous, hurt, but the tightening in her chest and the raw ache in her heart were undeniable.

Watching Nayeon, the woman who had consumed her thoughts for so long, in the arms of someone else felt like a wound that wouldn't stop bleeding.

"Excuse me," Hans murmured quietly to Irene, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to remain composed.

Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked swiftly toward the exit, her steps purposeful but heavy, as if the weight of her emotions was dragging her down.

She didn't look back when Irene called her name.

When Hans reached the pool area at the back of the mansion, she paused, taking a heavy deep breath.

She exhaled slowly, trying to calm the storm inside her.

But it was impossible to hold back the flood of emotions she had kept hidden for months.

"I shouldn't feel this way. This is too much!" Hans muttered to herself, her voice strained with frustration.

She began to pace back and forth by the edge of the pool, her hands gripping her hips tightly as her breath grew heavier with each step.

'Why does it hurt so much?' She thought, but the answer was already clear.

"I told you to stay away from her!" Hans suddenly blurted out, her voice rising in anger.

Without warning, she slammed her fist into her chest, hitting it hard several times, as if trying to force the pain out.

Her heart felt like it was suffocating beneath the weight of her own words.

"Hooooooooh!" Hans exhaled sharply, emptying her lungs as she stared up at the sky. She hadn't even realized that tears were streaming down her face until they blurred her vision.

She quickly wiped them away, frustrated with herself, and stood still for a moment, trying to steady her breath and calm the storm raging inside her. She needed a few minutes to collect herself before she could face anyone again.

But as she turned to leave the pool area, she froze.

Nayeon was walking toward her.

Hans stopped dead in her tracks, her mind scrambling for words, but all she could manage was a jumble of incoherent thoughts.

"Hans," Nayeon's voice called softly, pulling Hans' gaze upward. She was only a few inches away now.

Hans' face was completely void of emotion—utterly drained. She couldn't bring herself to look at Nayeon, her heart too heavy to bear the weight of it all.

Without a word, she walked past Nayeon, head down, hoping to escape. But before she could take more than a few steps, Nayeon reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt.

Hans stumbled slightly, barely catching herself, her body almost colliding with Nayeon's.

The silence between them stretched, both of them standing frozen, locked in each other's gaze. Neither spoke for a moment, the air thick with unspoken words.