Mr and Mrs Sim ⋆ s.jake

Chapter 27

Rose's pov

I nearly died of embarrassment escorting Heeseung back to the policemen after our not-so-professional meeting, my teeth marks still vivid on his Adam's apple. The temptation to bite into it again lingered after our fiery kiss, and he'd given me all the time I needed to savor its sweetness. It felt intimate yet strangely detached exchange, as I didn't need to spread my legs to hold meaning in his doe-like eyes.

One kiss was all it took to lose my mind.

It kept replaying the subtlest signals—his looks, his gestures, his words. Every fleeting intention and breath sent my way haunted me more than any of my husband's actions ever could. It was as if my thoughts whispered: I have sinned, I liked it, and now I must pay the price.

"You just kissed me, Rose. Do you know what that means?" Heeseung asked breathlessly, his thumb brushing my lower lip, erasing the last trace of Jaeyun's touch. I shook my head, eyes closed, as my hot breath mingled with his. We were so close, each second stretching, neither of us ready to break that intoxicating kiss. "It means you're already imagining what it's like to be wanted, not just owned. You've felt the rush, and now you're questioning if it's worth it. But deep down, we both know the answer, don't we?"

Did I ever know the answer?
Before that, my marriage had been idyllic. What was "that"? Heeseung's defense entrusted to me? Jungkook's murder? William sinking into a quiet depression over the loss of his cousin? The heavens crashing down on me, conjuring up the worst?

Even if I had to lose my life, slitting my wrists in a bathtub filled with Jaeyun's victims' blood, I would get the truth.

"Evan... I told you, it's the sin that calls, not the feelings. I swore before God that I'd stay with him, for better or for worse," I whispered, biting my lip until it bled. Salty tears brimmed in my brown eyes, blurring the vision of Heeseung's gentle smile as it faded away. He lowered his head, nodding in silent acceptance, and pulled his hands from my waist—hands I hadn't even realized were there. His warmth left me. I shivered.

He stepped back slightly, sinking into my office chair as if he were an exhausted CEO after a long day of meetings. His love for me was starting to wear him out. "My name for you is Heeseung, remember?" he stated in a calm, almost playful voice, tilting his head. The wicked game had resumed, more drops of blood falling on my tongue in a stinging pain. Resist temptation, control yourself. I stayed leaning against the edge of my desk, ignoring his words and avoiding his gaze.

How could Heeseung be so composed, when I was the one who kissed him, then rejected him? If it had been Jaeyun, for the exact same thing, he would have slammed me against the wall, over and over, until I learned the lesson.

"Rose, I don't have a heart left to break. You could play me the way she did, and I'd still be at your feet, grateful for even a shred of your attention." In a way, his words made sense. When something is already broken, it can't be shattered again—you try to repair it, piece by piece, no matter how futile it seems. But does that logic extend to people?

"Heeseung, I'm no saint. Look at what I've done to you, giving you false hope and risking my career for a kiss, all because I'm a selfish bitch trying to dull my own pain," I confessed, my voice trembling with desperation. He cocked an eyebrow, a silent question in his gaze, as though daring me to admit what was truly in my heart. A cold war raged between my reason and the relentless desire I felt for the man in front of me.

"Dare to tell me you hated that kiss," he continued, his tone thick with defiance. To lie would only add another sin to my long list, so I kept my poker face. What was the point? He knew the truth. I had kissed him on impulse, and he had returned it with equal fervor. "Dare, and I'll leave you trapped in your marriage forever, if that's really what you want."