Ares awoke after the anaesthesia wore off, just like the doctor said he would, and the press conference went ahead later in the evening as scheduled even though he was still looking a little pale and groggy. It wasn't anything that Gina and a couple of skilful strokes from the makeup artist couldn't fix.

When Ares and Hyejin entered the waiting room behind Gina, Hyunwon and Ryu were already there. He glanced up from his magazine when he heard the door open, frowning slightly when he saw how Ares was holding on to Hyejin's hand and shooting daggers at him with his eyes.

"Where's Kara?" Gina asked, looking around the room and seeing on one else around.

"Gina, I've had quite enough of all this. Do you know how much negative publicity all this is going to bring to the Cutting Edge? Ever since the photos hit the tabloids and the websites my phone has been ringing off the hook! Hyunwon's reputation is going to be fed to the dogs, and that's going to deal some serious damage to my business," Ryu exclaimed in exasperation, walking up to the petite manager. For once he wasn't pleased with the media attention, and for good reason.

"Your dear creative director should have thought about that," Gina shot Hyunwon an accusatory glare, "before he decided to show up at Ares's front door to pick a fight over a girl." Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out several sheets of paper and handed a different one to each person present. "Practice your statements again. We've got fifteen minutes till the start of the press conference—where is Kara?"

Right on cue, the door to the waiting room swung open and Kara walked in, dressed in a chic lightning blue dress with a pair of Chanel shades covering her eyes.

"There you are!" Gina said. "Perfect, now we're all ready."

Kara removed her shades, scanning the faces in the room and reserving her most unimpressed look for Hyejin. She walked over and sat down beside Hyunwon, while her manager began engaging in a conversation with Gina about how they were going to approach this press conference. To everyone's surprise, she appeared perfectly calm about all of this, which was unexpected given that she had supposedly been kicking and screaming the day before when she first heard of the news from her manager.

"So this is how it's going to be?" she said, glancing sideways at the man sitting beside her.

"We've been through this many times, Seorin. It was over between us a long time ago," Hyunwon replied stoically.

"Because of her?" Kara pointed a scornful finger at Hyejin. "If you were going to dump me then I would have hoped that you'd have better taste than that. But who am I to say anything now? You already went ahead and declared your love for her in front of the cameras. Did you even think about how I would feel after I found out?"

"You never cared much for how I felt every time you declared something in front of the cameras either."

Pursing her red lips together in displeasure, Kara remained silent, given that she had no way of refuting that.

The tension in the room was palpable as the four leading characters in this drama sat there in silence just staring at one another. Ares never let go of Hyejin's hand, and she didn't make an effort to break free either, not after what had happened to Ares this morning. When he had awoken, he had smiled so brightly when he saw her sitting by his bedside that she felt her heart aching because of what she had been planning to do to him. None of this was Ares's fault—none of this was any of their fault—it was just that circumstances had somehow landed them in this situation.

"It's time," Gina declared when the clock hit seven, and she began shooing all of them out of the waiting room and into the conference room.

The moment they stepped foot into the room, the camera flashes began going off in a frenzy, blinding Hyejin and making her take a couple of steps back. Bumping against the chest of someone behind her, she turned to look around, finding Hyunwon standing there with a look of concern in his eyes. He looked like he was about to say something, but before the words could leave his lips, Ares had already wrapped his arm around Hyejin's shoulders and led her away.

I'm sorry, Hyunwon, she thought miserably to herself as she sat down beside Ares on the stage. On the other side of her, Kara was seated looking just as poised as she always was, with Hyunwon on the far side.

Tapping on the microphone, Gina said, "Good evening everyone, thank you for joining us for this press conference today. I understand that everyone is concerned after seeing the photos of Ares and Hyunwon," she omitted Hyejin's name on purpose, "so I hope that after our session today we can help you to clear some of your doubts. Kara has kindly agreed to join as well. Maybe we can start off with Hyunwon, who might wish to explain his actions from yesterday."

Everyone's attention shifted towards Hyunwon, who still remained as placid and calm as he typically was. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see how Ares still had his hand wrapped around Hyejin's.

"Thank you for coming," he began. "I would like to start off by saying that all of this is entirely my fault and that Miss Song," he gestured towards Hyejin, "is not to be blamed for any of this." That was already a line that was not in his script, and as he spoke Gina's knuckles were beginning to get whiter by the second. "As you may already know, Miss Song is my apprentice at the Cutting Edge and we have been working together for a number of months now. As a result of that working relationship, I one-sidedly developed more feelings for her than I should have, even though I knew that she was already in a relationship with Ares. Because of that, it resulted in the disturbance outside Ares's apartment yesterday and—" he stood up from his seat and delivered a ninety-degree bow to the audience, "—I would like to apologise for that."

The reporters immediately went into a frenzy, shouting out questions that were all blending into one another into a raucous mess.

"What about your engagement with Kara?" one reporter shouted out.

"Kara, what have you got to say about this? Kang Hyunwon has openly admitted to having feelings for his apprentice!"

"Ares, what is your reaction towards this? The photographs showed you punching Hyunwon in the face. Are you outraged by his declaration of love?"

"Hyunwon, will you be calling off your engagement to Kara?"

"Miss Song, is it really a one-sided relationship on Hyunwon's part? Can you say that you have no feelings for him whatsoever?"

Hyejin was trembling in her seat, the words being shouted out by the reporters simply flying over her head. What Hyunwon had just said was still echoing in her mind, leaving a huge gaping hole where her heart should have been. Seeing him bow to all these people as he apologised for his own actions made her feel like standing up and shouting that this wasn't his fault, that he wasn't a relationship wrecker who tried to barge in between her and Ares, but the cold hand that was wrapped around her own kept reminding her that she couldn't do that.

Turning to her right, she found Ares looking back at her with a weak smile on his face, as if seeking reassurance from her that she wouldn't leave his side.

"Quieten down, quieten down," Gina called out. "We'll take one question at a time. I think many of you are concerned about the status of the engagement between Kara and Hyunwon, given what we have just heard. Maybe Kara can take this question?"

A hushed silence fell across the room as all eyes turned to look at Kara. Sitting quietly in her seat with her head bowed down, she didn't speak for a couple of minutes, but the moment she looked up, an audible gasp could be heard coming from the floor. Under the bright lights, there were the unmistakeable traces of tears glistening in her doe-like eyes, making her seem all the more weak and vulnerable.

"I'm so sorry," Kara said, her voice trembling as she spoke. Her manager immediately handed her a couple of tissues, which she expertly used to dab the corners of her eyes. "I didn't mean to cry, but I just couldn't control myself." Already Hyejin could see many looks of sympathy in the eyes of the reporters as they watched on. "Thank you all for the concern that you have been showing me and I know that all of you and my fans alike will want to know what's going to happen to our engagement after all that has happened. Hyunwon is someone that I love very, very much but—" she turned to look at Hyunwon, who was still staring blankly straight ahead as if his heart was made of stone, "—if I'm not the one that he loves, then I don't think it's right for me to continue clinging on to him. I wish him all the best in the future and I hope that all of you will look upon him kindly, even though he has broken my heart."

Hyejin stared at the sobbing woman in disbelief. "If I'm not the one that he loves, then I don't think it's right for me to continue clinging on to him?" Why didn't she think that way when Hyunwon said that he didn't want to continue this charade with her? Why didn't she say that after she failed to make her Hollywood break? What the hell was she playing at by acting all pitiful and crying her heart out in front of all these reporters now?

From the way the reporters were now glaring at Hyunwon in anger and disgust, she knew that Kara had achieved her goal. She had successfully made use of the entire situation to win herself a whole ton of sympathy points, while giving Hyunwon a kick in the guts while he was already down. This was revenge for him giving up on her and falling for someone else.

Hyejin was about to stand up and expose the woman for the lying, conniving bitch that she was when she felt Ares tug at her arm, keeping her down.

"Don't," he whispered into her ear. "No one's going to believe a word that you're saying. Kara has carefully built up her reputation for years and it's not going to be torn down so easily, especially not when they all think that you're the reason she's been abandoned by Hyunwon."

One of the reporters, a lady with horn-rimmed spectacles that framed her hawk-like eyes raised her hand in the air to field a question.

"Miss Song, now that the engagement between Hyunwon and Kara has been called off, what is your response towards Hyunwon's declaration of affection towards you? He has been your mentor for these past months and the both of you have been working closely together, can you say that there completely nothing going on between the two of you?"

Everyone was now staring expectantly at her, waiting for her answer. At the side, Gina cleared her throat and gestured subtly towards a sheet of paper in her hand, reminding Hyejin of the need to stick to the prepared statement. As long as Hyejin said the one simple line she had been told to, then both her and Ares would be off the hook. All of this would be entirely Hyunwon's fault and the case would just be closed as such.

She took one final glance at Hyunwon, and then at Ares, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.

"The relationship between Ares and I is perfectly stable and has been as such ever since we started dating," she recited.

Gina heaved a sigh of relief, but the next moment, her heart was strung up again when she heard Hyejin continue speaking instead of ending her statement there and then.

"But Kara Jung is a lying bitch."

Another gasp went round the room, this time even louder than before. Everyone stared at Hyejin in shock, unable to believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. Even Hyunwon, who had been sitting rigidly in his seat throughout, turned to look at Hyejin with a frown beginning to form across his forehead.

"Kara has just been putting on a show for all of you. All that she has said about how upset she is about the engagement and how she's willing to set Hyunwon free is a complete lie and the only reason why she's pretending to cry in front of all of you is so that she can gain your sympathy."

"Song Hyejin, what are you saying? Why are you telling these malicious lies about me?" Kara retorted, looking as though she was about to burst out in tears again.

Hyejin glared back at Kara and said, "You know full well whether or not what I'm saying is a lie. If you were really willing to let go of Hyunwon then you would have let go of him ages ago instead of clinging on to him and insisting on an engagement just so that you could have an excuse to come back to Seoul without everyone finding out that your attempt at breaking into Hollywood was a complete failure. Now that you don't need him to salvage your reputation anymore you're actually willing to throw him under a bus in order to gain sympathy and brownie points? Are you kidding me right now, Kara Jung?"

"Shut up you crazy bitch!" Kara shouted, getting up to her feet and pointing a finger angrily at Hyejin. "You're just jealous because... because..."

"Because of what? What would I be jealous of? The only thing that you have is a pretty face and some impeccable acting skills, I'll give you that. I have no idea why Hollywood would have rejected you because you are one Class A actress."

The camera flashes were going off manically and the reporters frantically scribbled down everything that they were listening to right now. Everyone, including the people on stage, were in a complete shock at the turn of events.

Kara's manager immediately rushed up to the stage and said, "I'm sorry everyone, it seems like Miss Song is a little out of sorts. We'll have to call this press conference to a close. If you have any more questions you can direct them to me or Gina. Thank you all for coming." She gestured towards the security guards and they immediately formed a barricade between the press and the people on stage so that they could make a hasty exit.

Everything after that happened in such a flurry that Hyejin wasn't even sure what was going on—all she knew was that she was being herded from place to place and it wasn't until she was inside a mini-van with just Ares and Gina (and their driver) that she realised the entire press conference had come to a rather unexpected close thanks to her.

"Fucking insane," Gina was muttering under her breath. Leaning back in her seat, she took a deep breath to calm her own nerves down. "All you had to do was stick to the script. Stick to the script. But no, you just had to go and create more drama. Why is my life so difficult?"

After that, Gina didn't say anything else, much to Hyejin and Ares's relief. What else could she say? Although Hyejin had deviated from her script and started a shouting match with Kara, none of it had much impact on Ares beyond the fact that his girlfriend could be maniacal, but that was not a big problem in Gina's books. The one who would take the biggest hit out of this would be Kara—assuming that people believed Hyejin's words—but that was a problem for Kara's manager to worry about.

"I'm sorry," Hyejin said softly after they had been riding in silence for a while.

"What for?" Ares asked.

"For not listening to you. I know you told me not to speak out against Kara, but I just couldn't help it. I couldn't stand seeing how she was just lying to everyone and they were all just lapping it up as if it were the truth."

"Showbiz is scripted, darling, how many times do I need to teach you that," Gina said with her eyes closed.

Ares placed a reassuring hand over hers. "It's alright. I understand. But thank you, for not giving up on me." A part of him had been fearful that Hyejin would not have stuck to the plan and taken Hyunwon's side in the entire matter, leaving him in the lurch, but much to his relief she had come out to say that their relationship was still stable, which meant that she had chosen him.

Hyejin smiled weakly, turning to look out of the car window instead.

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After Gina and Ares dropped her off at her place, Hyejin stood under the cold shower for a good half an hour just thinking about what had taken place today. As she stared at her own reflection in the mirror, wet hair dripping down the sides of her face, she had to admit that she was rather impressed with her own performance at the press conference today. She had no idea where she found the courage in her to expose Kara in that sort of a manner.

Doesn't matter if no one believes you, at least you tried.

Towelling her hair dry, she stepped out of the bathroom and collapsed on her bed, wanting to sleep it all away. Unfortunately, the sound of her phone ringtone stopped her from doing just that.

"Hello?" she mumbled, face still buried in her pillow.

"Hyejin?"

She immediately shot up, sitting straight as a washboard. It was Hyunwon's voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Do you think you could come outside for a moment?"

"Now?" she exclaimed, rushing over to her window and peering downstairs. Sure enough, she could just about make out the silhouette of someone standing in front of her block. "What are you doing here so late at night? Are you sure it's safe? Won't the paparazzi be lurking around my place?"

There was a short pause at the other end as Hyunwon contemplated what she was saying. "I'll meet you at the small park three blocks down then," he said, and she watched as he headed away from the block in the direction of the park.

Hyejin quickly threw on a jumper and traded in her pyjama shorts for a pair of track bottoms and tied up her wet hair into a messy bun before dashing out of the house. When she got to the park, she saw a solitary figure sitting on the playground swing, his face partially covered by the hood over his head. Taking a deep breath, she walked over slowly.

"What is it?" she asked, a little concerned by his sudden appearance. "Is it because of me? Did I create more trouble because of what I said at the press conference?"

Hyunwon stood up from the swing and took a couple of steps towards her. "No," he said. "I just wanted to stop by to say thank you for trying to stick up for me, even though you really didn't have to. Everything that has happened between Seorin and I is our problem to solve. I didn't want to have to drag you into it."

"I know, I just couldn't stand seeing her acting that way when it was completely untrue," Hyejin replied ruefully. "Ares thinks that no one will believe me though, because Kara's reputation has always been really good in the public's eyes."

"He's right, which is why I also need to say sorry to you. Because of what you did in my defence, you may face quite a bit of backlash over the next couple of days. Kara does have quite a significant fanbase in Seoul. Gina will probably have a way to help you out with that though, if you ask her nicely."

Hyunwon sounded perfectly calm, just like he always did, but somehow Hyejin felt bad just listening to him. She wasn't the only one who would be facing some backlash—he would undoubtedly still need to bear the brunt of it, not just from Kara's fans but from Ares's as well. He stood there looking at her for a couple of seconds, then turned to leave.

"Also, I'm sorry if my liking you has caused you and Ares any distress. I never meant for it to turn out that way, I just... lost control of my own emotions I guess. Sorry," he muttered. "Goodnight, Hyejin."

"Wait!"

Hyunwon paused in his step, turning around and giving her a questioning look. "Hmm?"

Under the illumination of the park lamps, Hyejin could see just how tired Hyunwon looked. Even though he acted like he was perfectly fine, all this had still taken a toll on him somewhat. Through it all, Hyunwon had been the only person who had been willing to face his own emotions truthfully. She hadn't, because she never had the courage to tell the world who it was that she truly liked; Ares hadn't, because he was still holding on to her so that he could cover up for his own insecurities; Kara hadn't, because she had been lying to herself about her own feelings towards Hyunwon when in actual fact she loved herself more than anyone else. But the one who would be suffering for it was just Hyunwon, and she couldn't stand to see him like this anymore.

Running over to him, she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest.

"I'm sorry too," she said, her voice sounding muffled against his hoodie.

"What for?"

"For not telling you that I liked you sooner."

Hyunwon looked down at the girl that was clinging tightly onto him, and the corners of his lips tilted upwards in a tiny smile. Tilting her face upwards, he looked her in the eyes and said, "You did."

"I did?" Hyejin was puzzled. When did she ever do that?

"When you got drunk that night in Hong Kong and I had to send you back to your hotel room."

The colour slowly drained out of Hyejin's face when she realised what she had possibly done in her drunken stupor. Had she really confessed to Hyunwon all the way back then? Embarrassed, she instinctively let go of him and wanted to back away, but Hyunwon had already wrapped his arms round her waist and locked her in.

"I just have one question for you," he said. "Do you still like me as much now as you did then?"

Hyejin looked up at his face, the face that she had once slapped a long time ago, those handsome features that she had once detested, that irritated her to no end—and that was the very same face that she had ended up falling in love with.

She nodded her head. "I love you even more than I did then." And it was the truth.

His smile deepening even more, Hyunwon leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips as he pulled her even more tightly into his arms. Suddenly it didn't matter what he would need to face tomorrow, because he had finally gotten the answer that he was looking for.

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