THE BITCH CEO (Im Nayeon)

22

NO ONE'S POV

"Hello, my darling. Come join us!" Nayeon's father called out brightly as she walked past the dining room, heading toward the staircase.

His voice, filled with warmth, didn't quite reach her.

She had just got home from work and decided to stay the night at the mansion, the familiar surroundings offering comfort after a long day.

But as her gaze swept across the dining room, her steps faltered.

The sight before her stopped her dead in her tracks.

Her breath hitched, her body frozen.

Her eyes locked onto the figure seated at the dining table with her parents.

The last person she expected to see.

Her mind raced.

'What is she doing here?' Her thoughts were barely coherent, her pulse spiking in a way that made her feel dizzy.

The air seemed to grow thick with tension.

Then Hans met her gaze, her expression calm, but there was something unreadable in her eyes.

"Good evening, Ms. Im," Hans said smoothly, her tone casual, as if nothing were amiss.

A faint smile curved at the corner of Hans' lips, but to Nayeon, it felt like a mocking gesture.

After a moment, she found her voice, though it was barely more than a whisper.

"I already ate at the office, Dad. I'll just go to my room." Her chest felt tight, and she turned quickly, desperate to escape.

"Sure, honey," her mother replied, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her daughter. Her voice was light, as though everything were perfectly normal.

Nayeon's feet moved before she even fully processed what had just happened.

She didn't look back as she ascended the stairs, her heart hammering in her chest, her mind racing.

The door to her bedroom clicked shut behind her, and she leaned against it, breathing heavily, trying to slow her erratic pulse.

The room was silent, the only sound her uneven breathing.

Her thoughts tumbled over each other, each one more frantic than the last.

"Of all people my parents' had invited for dinner, why did it have to be her?" She blurted out as her hands trembled as she sank into the plush sofa in the sitting area.

She pressed both palms to her face, desperate to quell the panic rising inside her.

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, and she couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that had settled in her stomach.

Nayeon had told herself, she will not going to get affected by Hans presence if they ever cross their paths again, but this, this was something she hadn't prepared for.

The encounter with Hans had sent a ripple through her carefully constructed sense of control.

"What had my parents been thinking for pete's sake!" Nayeon screamed in her head as she also punched the armrest of the sofa.

--

An hour later, after Nayeon had calmed down, taken a long, soothing shower, and gone through her night routine, she decided she needed some fresh air to clear her head.

The night was still, and she hoped her parents' guest had already left, allowing her some peace and quiet.

She slipped outside and made her way to the pool area, the cool night air brushing against her skin.