THE BITCH CEO (Im Nayeon)

37

NO ONE'S POV

As Hans stormed out of Nayeon's office, her frustration boiling over. She needed space, and she knew exactly where to go.

Without a second thought, she grabbed her car keys and headed for the mountain retreat she owned, a secluded spot that had always been her sanctuary.

The drive was long, but the silence of the road and the cool evening air helped her calmed down.

By the time she reached the small cabin nestled in the trees, the sun had begun to set, casting a warm orange glow across the landscape.

She spent hours wandering the trails, clearing her mind, and replaying the argument with Nayeon in her head.

As much as she hated the confrontation, part of her couldn't shake the sting of Nayeon's words.

'Why does she care so much about what people think?' Hans' thought bitterly.

When darkness fell, Hans lit a fire in the cabin's fireplace and curled up on the couch with a glass of wine, determined to forget everything for a while.

Back in the city, Nayeon paced anxiously in her office. It was past 6 p.m., and Hans still hadn't returned any of her texts or calls.

After their argument, Nayeon had tried to throw herself into work, but Mingyu had quickly excused himself, sensing the tension was too thick to navigate.

Left alone, Nayeon's thoughts had spiraled, each moment of silence from Hans making her regret her harsh words more.

By 7 p.m., she couldn't take it anymore. She grabbed her coat and headed to the DeBourbon's mansion, hoping to find her there.

When Nayeon arrived, the guard let her in and she drove her car to the driveway.

The house was dark except for a light in the foyer. Hans' younger sister, Lisa was still in the living room watching some videos on her laptop, her face lighting up with surprise seeing Nayeon entered the house.

"Nayeon unnie, what are you doing here?"

"Is Hans home?" Nayeon asked quickly, her voice laced with worry.

"No, she hasn't been back all day. Why? Did something happen?" Lisa shook her head.

"We...had a fight earlier. I thought maybe she came here." Nayeon admitted and bit her lip.

"She hasn't. But now that you mention it, she did texted me earlier saying she needed some space. She didn't say where she was going, though." Lisa said while looking at Nayeon in concern.

"She didn't say anything else?" Nayeon's asked, her chest tightened.

"No, just that. But you know Hans unnie, she always goes off to clear her head when she's upset. She'll come back when she's ready." Lisa said reassuringly.

Nayeon nodded, though her worry didn't ease. She knew Hans well enough to guess where she might have gone.

The mountain retreat had always been Hans' escape, but Nayeon also knew how isolated it was, especially at night.

"Thanks, Lisa." Nayeon said hurriedly before turning back to her car.

By the time Nayeon reached the mountain, it was nearing 9 p.m. She parked her car outside the cabin and saw the faint glow of light coming from inside.

Relief flooded through her as she knocked on the door.

Hans opened it a moment later, her face blank with surprise.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, her tone guarded.

"You didn't answer my calls." Nayeon said, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.

The warmth of the fire greeted her, but the tension in the room was palpable.

"I needed time to think." Hans mumbled and sighed, setting her glass of wine on the table.

"And you didn't think to tell me where you were going?" Nayeon shot back, though her voice was more concerned than angry.

"I didn't think you'd care. You were too busy worrying about your precious reputation." Hans blurted out and crossed her arms.

"That's not fair, Hans." Nayeon flinched at the jab.

"Isn't it? You'd rather hide me than risk someone finding out we're together. Do you know how that makes me feel? We've been like this for almost eight months now." Hans countered, her voice rising slightly.

Nayeon looked down, her fingers clenching into fists.

"I wasn't trying to hide you because I'm ashamed. I'm trying to protect what we have. You know how brutal this industry can be. One slip, and they'll tear us apart."

Hans softened slightly but didn't let her guard down completely.

"You don't get it. I don't care about any of that. I just want to be with you, openly, honestly. If that's too much for you, then maybe..."

"Don't say it. Please, don't say it." Nayeon interrupted, her voice breaking. She stepped closer, reaching for Hans's hand.

Hans hesitated, her resolve faltering as she saw the pain in Nayeon's eyes.

"I'm sorry. I handled everything wrong today. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I hate that I did. But please believe me when I say that you mean more to me than anything else." Nayeon said, her voice barely a whisper.

Hans's shoulders relaxed slightly, though her eyes still searched Nayeon's for sincerity.

"You promise?"

"I promise. We'll figure this out together. No more hiding, no more excuses. I'll tell anyone and everyone if that's what it takes to make you happy." Nayeon said firmly, taking both of Hans's hands in hers.

"I don't need you to announce it to the world. I just need you to stop pretending it doesn't matter." Hans' lips quirked into a small smile.

"It does matter. You matter." Nayeon said, pulling Hans into a hug.

For the first time that day, Hans felt the tension in her chest ease. She held Nayeon tightly, letting the warmth of the moment replace the bitterness that had lingered since their fight.

"Next time, just answer my calls. You scared the hell out of me." Nayeon murmured into Hans' neck.

"Deal. But only if you promise not to yell at me in front of your business partners anymore." Hans said and chuckled softly.

"Don't give me a reason to." Nayeon pulled back just enough to give her a pointed look.

"Fair enough." Hans said with a grin.

As they settled onto the couch together, the fire crackling softly in the background, Nayeon felt a weight lift off her shoulders. It wasn't a perfect resolution, but it was a start, and for now, that was enough.