A Billionaire For Hanni

Chapter 46

Minji's heart thudded painfully in her chest as she stepped out of the sleek black car, the same luxurious vehicle she had driven countless times without a second thought. Today, however, it felt like an anchor, weighing her down with every step toward the front door of Hanni's grandmother's house. The unresolved pain of her past with Hanni, the guilt that clung to her like a second skin, had led her here. She needed to fix this—she needed to face it.

But as her heels clicked against the pavement, her eyes landed on a familiar figure standing by the gate. Soobin. Her stomach lurched at the sight of him, a man she'd never quite trusted, not fully. He was leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, a smug smirk playing at the corner of his lips. His presence here, under Hanni's grandmother's roof, felt like an intrusion, a reminder of all the messiness Minji had tried so hard to untangle.

Soobin was the kind of guy who had always been around the periphery of her relationship with Hanni—an ever-present shadow, complicating things in ways that made everything harder to understand. When Hanni had been torn between her past and her feelings for Minji, Soobin had been one of the people who made it all the more confusing for her. His cryptic words and persistent attempts to insert himself into Hanni's life only pushed Minji further away from the woman she loved.

Minji's jaw clenched, and her eyes narrowed as she approached the gate. The sight of Soobin here, under these circumstances, made the anger and worry inside her flare up again. Her steps slowed as she fought the surge of emotions—frustration, jealousy, a deep sense of helplessness.

As she drew closer, Soobin noticed her, his eyes flickering with a glimmer of recognition. He stood upright, uncrossing his arms, and his face softened into something that could almost be described as a smile, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Minji," he greeted, his tone light and nonchalant. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Clearly," Minji shot back, her voice sharper than she intended. She took a few more steps forward, every inch of her body radiating discomfort. She couldn't help but feel the anger welling up in her chest at the mere sight of him, standing in front of the place that had once been hers—her and Hanni's.

"Soobin, what are you doing here?" Minji demanded, her voice low but filled with a restrained intensity. She couldn't keep the edge of possessiveness out of her words. "This isn't your place."

Soobin's smile widened, but there was no humor in it, only something colder, more calculating. "I could ask you the same question. Are you here to fix things with Hanni? Or are you just here because you can't let go of what you lost?"

The sharpness of his words hit Minji harder than she was prepared for. She didn't flinch, but the tension in her shoulders became more pronounced. The way Soobin spoke, with that knowing tone, it was as if he saw through her—the endless cycle of mistakes, the insecurities she couldn't shake.

"I'm not here for you, Soobin," she said, her words clipped. "I'm here for Hanni."

Soobin chuckled softly, a sound that grated on Minji's nerves. "Oh, I know. But it's funny, isn't it? How you still can't let go of her. And yet, here you are, the same way you were before—all mixed up."

Minji's chest tightened at his words, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of showing how much they affected her. "I'm trying to fix things."

"Fix?" Soobin raised an eyebrow, his smirk never faltering. "You think you can fix something that's already been broken? You don't get it, do you? Hanni is done with you. She's been done. You're just too proud to accept it."

Minji fought back the urge to lash out. Every word he spoke felt like a jab, each one digging deeper into her already bruised heart. "Don't talk about her like that," Minji said, her voice steady but filled with an intensity that surprised even her.