“Be careful going in.”

Si Heon’s voice interrupted the gaze between the two. Ji Wook turned to Si Heon and greeted him with a gentle smile.

“Alright, let’s meet again next time. See you next time, Ms. So Yi.”

After getting in the car, So Yi kept glancing at Si Heon. His expression was dark. He had casually held hands earlier.

No, he had even smiled just moments ago when they kissed in front of the house. But yesterday and today, his expression was full of coldness. Was he trying to draw a clear line so I wouldn’t have any other feelings?

The suffocatingly awkward silence made her feel she had to say something.

“Actor Choi Ji Wook is much more handsome in person.”

In fact, actor Choi Ji Wook was more gentlemanly and cool than expected. His bright smile had calmed her nervous heart.

“He has good manners too. His voice sounds much better in person. Thank you so much. For letting me meet actor Choi Ji Wook in real life.”

So she kept chattering on. Don’t worry, I won’t fall for you. My ideal type is a man like actor Choi Ji Wook.

So Yi turned to Si Heon with a happy expression but flinched.

Si Heon’s expression had darkened even more. She immediately felt embarrassed about her chatter.

She quickly turned her head to stare out the window. She felt ashamed, like she had pretended to be close on her own. Was he still upset about yesterday?

‘Actually, Cha Si Heon has been with the granddaughter of Daehan Electronics since before…’

Suddenly Ha Young’s words came to mind. Was his ex-girlfriend the granddaughter of Daehan Electronics? Is that why his mood suddenly sank?

So Yi thought Si Heon must not have gotten over her completely. That’s why he even suggested this fake relationship.

Seeing how he didn’t seem to hear anything she said, it seemed he must still miss her a lot.

The warm air from the heater slowly filled the car as it drove in suffocating silence.

So Yi rested her head on the headrest and stared out the window. Si Heon’s hand gripping the steering wheel was reflected in the dark glass.

Her chest ached dully.

No matter how much she told herself not to fall for him, not to have a one-sided crush, her heart raced madly when those large hands gently held hers.

‘I have no sense. Getting all excited just from holding hands once. A man who still can’t forget another woman like that…’

She hated how she was foolishly getting excited all by herself. So Yi bit her lip hard.

‘How am I going to get through a whole month like this…’

She kept letting out quiet sighs, as if trying to soothe her stuffy chest.

“This isn’t the way to my house, is it?”

After driving for a while, So Yi asked since the route seemed different from the way home no matter how she thought about it.

“You haven’t eaten dinner yet.”

They had worked late unexpectedly, so dinner had been delayed. In fact, her stomach was a bit upset from just sipping wine on an empty stomach.

“It’s fine. I can just eat something quick at home.”

Surely he wasn’t suggesting they eat together now? It would be more awkward to sit face to face and eat like this.

Just as she was about to part her lips to say again that she’d just go home, Si Heon’s car slowly pulled up in front of the entrance of a grand hotel.

“Ah, no! I…”

Thinking he meant to eat here, So Yi hurriedly waved her hands, when the passenger window smoothly rolled down.

“I ordered in advance before we left.”

As Si Heon said, an employee waiting at the entrance approached. The man politely handed over a shopping bag he was holding with both hands.

“Take it.”

So Yi, who had been staring blankly, quickly reached out her hand. The employee bowed once more in greeting. With a quiet sound, the heavily tinted passenger window smoothly rolled back up.

[This is the timeline separator]

“Ah… how embarrassing.”

So Yi flopped down on the sofa, burying her face in her hands after entering her home.

“The person giving the rice cake isn’t even thinking about it, but I almost drank kimchi soup on my own.”

She recalled how she had hurriedly waved her hands, thinking he meant for them to dine together at the hotel restaurant.

“If you were going to buy dinner anyway, you could have at least said something. When did you even place the order?”

He hadn’t called anyone from leaving the gathering with friends until getting in the car.

“Ah… when he seemed to be sending a message in the elevator earlier. Did he contact someone then?”

She had seen him take out his phone from his jacket pocket and send a message while still holding her hand. He must have requested the order in advance from someone at that time.

“What’s this, not even being tsundere. Acting cold one minute but then why buy dinner?”

She peeked at the shopping bag on the table through her fingers. So he had stopped by Hotel Chahan just to pick this up. She quickly shook her head as unnecessary feelings of being touched kept trying to well up.

“No. This could just be for show too. Don’t be moved.”

As she let out a quiet sigh, her phone vibrated. The familiar number with the name deleted – it was Park Young Hyun.

“What the… ?”

So Yi pressed the reject button with a shocked expression. Calling at this hour, he must have been drinking. How much nonsense was he going to spout this time.

As she shook her head quickly as if disgusted, a message arrived.

[So Yi. Come to oppa even now. You won’t be able to go all the way with Cha Si Heon anyway. You’ll end up being thrown away, so why are you holding out like this?]

The spelling and spacing were a mess. Reading his message felt like translating a foreign language, and it made her feel dirty.

“I’m so dumbfounded I can’t even get angry.”

So Yi blocked his number with a sneer.

Right, come to think of it, the real reason I accepted this contract was because of Park Young Hyun too.

Those words about ending it like I was the one who broke it off first.

I have a purpose too. So just think about the purpose. We’re just in a contractual relationship to achieve our respective goals.

As if making a solemn resolution, So Yi headed to the bathroom. Her gaze fell on the necklace as she stood in front of the mirror. Everyone had been going crazy saying it was pretty. Why did it only feel so awkward to her?

He said he bought it for me to wear to today’s gathering anyway, so I should return it tomorrow.

Let’s not be greedy for things I can’t have. I need to erase all my feelings now so nothing remains.

She smiled bitterly as she unclasped the necklace.

[This is the timeline separator]

Thump thump, the loud music filled the club, but an icy silence flowed through the top floor room of Club Janus.

“Ah, this is so annoying.”

Ri Na furrowed her brows as she stood by the window overlooking the stage. She had come to the club today too, saying she was in a bad mood, even though she had already been here yesterday.

She often came to the club to relieve stress, saying she needed to manage her image outside.

Ri Na whirled around after looking down at the people dancing pressed together.

“Hey, you.”

An employee who had been bowing his head with his hands clasped politely as if he had committed a crime looked up sharply.

“Bring that.”

As if knowing Ri Na’s temperament, he moved without hesitation. He grabbed the liquor bottle from where Ri Na had pointed and hurried over, and Ri Na snatched the bottle.

With a thud, fragments of the bottle that had flown into the wall scattered everywhere.

“Ha, I’m still annoyed.”

She roughly ran her hand through her hair as if her anger hadn’t subsided.

“Not only did she abandon me to my mother. She brought that woman to the gathering?”

Ri Na’s eyes narrowed fiercely.

“Just you wait…!”

This time she reached out and roughly swept the table. The glasses and dishes that had been set out rolled across the marble floor with a loud clatter.

It was a story she had heard while dining with friends.

She thought she would go crazy trying to manage her expression when she heard that Si Heon had brought Jin So Yi to a college alumni gathering today. When she laughed it off as if it was nothing, her friends chattered on even more.

‘Oh, that woman was even wearing the new necklace from the Van Club line?’

‘What? Did senior Si Heon buy it for her?’

‘Of course he must have bought it. How could she afford an Alarab line on her own?’

Her mind went blank. He bought her a necklace? For that worthless woman?

She gritted her teeth and forced a smile, when another clueless friend asked probingly:

‘But Yeon Ri Na, did you really decide not to marry senior Si Heon?’

‘Ah, yes. I told you I wasn’t really interested in marriage. Our parents kept making a fuss so we reluctantly went on some arranged dates.’

‘So the marriage talk is completely off now?’

She felt even more furious at the persistent questioning when they should have tactfully moved on. Who said we weren’t getting married?

She had been planning to coolly overlook a woman he enjoyed before marriage. But to dare take such a worthless woman to that gathering that even I couldn’t join?

“Aaargh! So annoying!”

Ri Na stomped her feet and screamed madly as anger surged to her head. Still not feeling better, she picked up her phone and called someone.

“The kid I had do that job last time, call him again.”

− Oh ho, what do you need this time?

“Just do what I tell you without being cheeky.”

− So prickly. Alright. Same method as last time?

“Isn’t that obvious?”

− Okay, got it.

Ri Na ended the call with her hand still trembling with rage.

[This is the timeline separator]

The next morning, So Yi headed to work earlier than usual. She planned to return the necklace to Si Heon before the other employees arrived.

“Compensation Support Team Manager Jin So Yi is here.”

So Yi entered the CEO’s office with the secretary’s assistance.

Si Heon was sitting at his desk organizing some documents. When So Yi entered, he glanced up at her face briefly before lowering his head again as he answered.

“What is it?”

“I’m here to return this.”

So Yi approached Si Heon’s desk and placed the shopping bag on it.