MASKED FACES || SEVENTEEN

⛥ FORTY FOUR ⛥

As Seungcheol's icy gaze continued to fall upon her, he calmly swiveled his chair back and forth, patiently waiting for her to sign the contract. In response, she stood there, motionless, her eyes transfixed on the contract perched on the desk.

The weight of his intense gaze settled upon her, as Seungcheol maintained his icy stare, while casually rotating his chair from side to side. Meanwhile, she stood there, paralyzed, her attention fixated on the contract lying innocently on the desk.

With a deliberate lift of her eyes, she locked her gaze upon him, the weight of her anger and the memories of the past crashing down upon her like a wave. The recollections flooded her mind—the heartless act of his father taking the lives of her parents, how he was merely a child then, yet still the son of a murderer, and the haunting realization of how Namjoon had stepped in, saving her from sharing that same tragic fate. The intense pain of that day, the screams, the excruciating agony...

Seungcheol returned her intense glare with a stoic expression, his face remaining cold and impassive. Yet within his thoughts, a hint of confusion flickered, as he was still oblivious to the truth - the fact that she was the daughter of Cha Hijoon, her father whom his own had murdered.

The temptation to seek revenge, to bring misery upon Seungcheol's life, burned intensely within her mind. Signing the contract presented a chance to exact such retribution, yet a glimmer of restraint held her back, a faint whisper of hesitation.

With trembling hands, she reached out to grasp the quivering pen, her body betraying her inner turmoil. Jun, standing off at the edge of the room, observed her with concern, the weight of the situation evident in his eyes. Though tempted to intervene, he reluctantly decided against it, mindful of the risks of angering Seungcheol.

Just as she poised the pen upon the contract, on the brink of signing, the door burst opened and Wonwoo barged into the room, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. As he took in the scene before him, his eyes widening as he registered the tension-filled air.

Seungcheol, his composure unshaken, raised a curious eyebrow, a hint of impatience in his expression as he waited for Wonwoo to justify his sudden and unannounced intrusion into the room.

"Hyung," Wonwoo began, his gaze flickering between Yn and Seungcheol.
His voice remained calm as he stated, "I believe we can find someone else for the contract marriage. She's just our hostage, after all," his words hanging heavily in the air.

Seungcheol's gaze hardened as he looked at Wonwoo, his icy stare locking onto him. A cold determination settled in his eyes as he stated firmly, "She's just a weapon. She may prove useful."
Wonwoo, however, disagreed, shaking his head, his expression reflecting his inner thoughts and opinions on the matter.

Wonwoo's head shake was met with a cold, dismissive look from Seungcheol. Irritation crept into his eyes as he retorted, "Don't act like you're growing soft, Won."
At the corner, Yn's anger flared up again, her heart burning with frustration and anger at their callous discussion, treating her as nothing more than a mere tool to be wielded to their advantage.

But Seungcheol, undeterred by Wonwoo's disagreement, maintained his firm stance. "We need her, and we will use her," he said with a cold, calculating tone, his expression unmoving.
Wonwoo's eyebrows furrowed, his own emotions conflicted as he struggled between his loyalty to Seungcheol and his sense of morality.

Dino burst into the room, dragging a girl along with him, pushing her forcefully towards Seungcheol. The girl, without hesitation, sat on Seungcheol's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Seungcheol's expression grew surprised, his eyes widening as he took in the unexpected scene unfolding before him.