CHAPTER 24: CHAPTER 24

Park min’s POV

I had been pacing for an hour, maybe more. The room was quiet, but my mind wasn’t. I was tired of thinking. Tired of hating myself for thinking, tired of hating him for lying, and tired of lying to myself about not feeling anything at all. I knew the truth now, and it was a punch to the gut I didn’t want. I was in love with Yu Jin. A man who lied to me, who was part of something I hated my entire life, but still... I loved him. I hated that too.

I got up and left the office, ignoring everything I was supposed to do. Forget strategy, forget work, forget all the damn pride I had. He wasn’t coming in, not after what happened. So, I made a decision I didn’t even have to think about. I was going to his place.

I couldn’t drive, not right now. The taxi ride felt longer than it was. My hands gripped the edge of the seat, and my mind ran through every possible way he might react. Angry? Scared? Sad? Probably all three. I had no right to see him. I didn’t care. I needed to.

I got out, the air was colder than I expected. The street was quiet. His building was quiet. I pressed the buzzer, but no answer. I rang again. Nothing.

That’s when the door opened behind me. This guy who was always with him, he really always pissed me off. Woo Min.

"Park Min." His voice was flat. Too flat. Arms crossed, blocking my path like a human barricade. "You’re here. Of which you shouldn’t be."

"I’m here to see Yu Jin," I said, trying to push past him, and failing. He didn’t budge. He was big, and I wasn’t in the mood for a fight. Not that I didn’t want one.

"You’re not seeing him," Woo Min said. "He doesn’t want visitors."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Because last I checked, he didn’t have a restraining order against me."

"I don’t care about laws right now. You’re not seeing him." He sounded calm, but his jaw was tight. I noticed it anyway. Sharp lines, like he was ready to snap.

I laughed, low and humorless. "Fine. Then you’ll have to tell me why."

He didn’t answer right away. He just looked at me. I could see him thinking, judging, calculating.

"Park min let him be please. You guys are of different status. Just do you and let him be."Woo Min finally said.

I felt a pulse of anger. "You don’t get to tell me what he feels. "

"I know exactly what he feels," Woo Min interrupted, stepping closer. His hand grazed my chest. Not a touch, a warning. "And right now, he doesn’t want you. He doesn’t want any part of you. He doesn’t need you judging him for who he is. You made him lie about his identity."

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Because he was right. Every word burned, but I couldn’t look away.

"Do you think I came here to argue?" I said finally, voice low. "Do you think I care about being polite or careful? I came here because I can’t wait for him to show up at the office, pretending like I don’t exist, pretending like I’m not dying over him."

Woo Min smirked, just a little. Sharp. "Dying over him. That’s a new level of desperate. Are you really sure he’s worth it?"

I shouldn’t answer. But I did. "He’s the only one worth it."

For a second, his expression softened. Then it hardened again. "You’re not worth him right now."

I took a step forward. He didn’t move. He was like a rock. I clenched my fists. "And what if I don’t care about being worth it? What if I just... want him?"

"You want him," Woo Min said, voice low, almost amused. "You don’t get him. Not like this. Not after everything you’ve done. And don’t even think about twisting this. He’s not some prize you can grab when you decide feelings are convenient."

I wanted to shove past him and to take Yu Jin in my arms and never let go. Instead, I just stood there, breathing hard, heart racing, trying to figure out what to do next.

That’s when the door opened again. Yu Jin.

He came out, hair messy, eyes tired. But there was steel in his gaze. "Stop looking for me," he said. His voice was calm, but I could feel the force behind it. "I don’t want to see you."

I wanted to say something, anything. "Yu Jin..."

"I said stop," he interrupted. "I don’t care if you’re Park Min. I don’t care if you love me. I lied. I deceived you. I can’t... I can’t have anything to do with you."

"You lied?" I asked, a laugh that wasn’t funny escaping me.

"Yes," he said, sharp and unflinching.

Woo Min didn’t move either, just watching me with a quiet, almost mocking expression. "See?" he said. "Not interested in your feelings. He’s done. You’ve had your chance."

I wanted to grab Yu Jin. I wanted to beg him to change his mind. I wanted to tell him I’d been wrong, that I’d been stupid, that I loved him more than anything else in the world, but the words stuck in my throat.

Yu Jin’s gaze didn’t falter. He just stared at me like I was a problem he couldn’t solve. "I’m done," he repeated. "I’m done with lies, with games, with you. Don’t make me say it again."

I swallowed. My throat burned. My chest ached.

"Yu Jin," I said finally"Please. I..."

"You need to go," he said, cutting me off. "Now."

I didn’t move. I couldn’t. Woo Min stepped forward, placing a hand lightly on my shoulder. Not to stop me, just a reminder. I was trespassing, and I knew it.

I looked at Yu Jin one last time. His jaw was tight, eyes dark, lips pressed in a line that told me he meant every word. I felt something inside me break, sharp and bitter and humiliating.