The strange silence of Joon-woo's penthouse rested heavy on Seo-yeon as she lay in the guest bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. The sheets carried a faint scent of him—clean and crisp, with a lingering reminder of something else, something that made her skin crawl more than she wanted to acknowledge.
She rolled onto her side, holding her palm to her forehead. She needed to get her head clear, but she couldn't sleep.
Joon-woo had offered her an option.
And she had lingered.
Why?
The question seared within her, yet she knew the answer already. It wasn't fear. It wasn't Hyun-soo's threats or even Joon-woo's possessiveness.
It was because part of her wanted to be here.
Her fingers tightened into the sheets.
She despised that reality.
There came a gentle knock at the door to cut through her thoughts.
Seo-yeon stiffened, turning her head to face the direction of the sound.
"Seo-yeon," Joon-woo's voice was low, almost persuasive. "Are you awake?"
