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[Daring woman ] - [Twice]

The night had fallen, but the party raged on, the lights of the mansion casting a golden glow that seemed to blur the edges of reality. Laughter, clinking glasses, and the occasional outburst filled the air, the music now just a backdrop to the chaos.

People were drunk, some leaning against walls, others dancing in their own little worlds.

And just like that, it was gossip hour.

The marketing team gathered together, admiring the grand mansion before them. The sprawling estate was everything one could dream of—luxury, elegance, and wealth at its finest. But there was one person among them who didn't seem to share in the awe.

Sungchan, who normally reveled in these moments, sat in silence, his gaze distant and indifferent. His disinterest didn't go unnoticed.

After a few beats of silence, he finally spoke, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, yeah, the house is amazing."

Jiwon, the blonde from the team, shook her head, not missing a beat. "Yet there are women who leave all of this behind... this luxury. A living example is Mr. Park's ex-wife. How could she divorce such an amazing, handsome man?"

Iseul's fingers instinctively fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. Her mind seemed to drift away from the conversation, her gaze focused on the floor as the words hit harder than expected. It wasn't just the mention of Sunghoon that bothered her, but the weight of her own thoughts—her complicated feelings, the decisions she had made.

Jaemin, sensing the tension, cleared his throat, trying to steer the conversation away. "Uh, Jiwon, enough..."

But Jiwon, oblivious, pressed on, her voice loud and unyielding. "Seriously? I'm right though. She's dumb for leaving him. If it was me—"

Before she could finish, the entire group's attention shifted. Their eyes widened, a subtle shift in energy as they all looked behind Jiwon. She turned around, following their gaze, and her heart dropped when she found herself face-to-face with none other than Sunghoon and Rena.

Jiwon quickly bowed, her voice trembling with apology. "I'm so sorry, sir. I only spoke out because what happened to you seems unfair." Her words were sincere, but the guilt in her voice only fueled the tension that was already thick in the air.

If Iseul hadn't been standing there, Sunghoon would've been quick to scold Jiwon, to put her in her place. But today was different. His emotions were boiling beneath the surface, too raw, too powerful for him to ignore. He clenched his jaw, his hands gripping his drink with a force that made his knuckles white.

"It's no problem," he said coldly, his voice clipped. "But I don't like the topic of my ex-wife being discussed. She's not worth it."

Iseul could feel the weight of his words, the bitterness dripping from them like poison. She'd known him long enough to see the way his eyes flashed, the subtle crack in his composure. But instead of backing down, she took a long gulp of her drink, as if fortifying herself for the next round.

"I think both sides of the story should be heard," she said, her voice deliberate, unwavering. Her eyes locked onto his, challenging him with every syllable. "My friend—she knows your ex-wife, sir. She says your ex-wife isn't the demon you paint her to be. In fact, she even sacrificed her dreams for yours. Unbelievable, right?"

Sunghoon's eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare, his fists clenched by his sides. His gaze was hard, unyielding, but there was a storm behind it—a storm that Iseul couldn't help but notice. Her words had struck something deep inside him, something he wasn't ready to face.

Rena, standing just a step behind him, muttered Iseul's name under her breath, a soft but firm warning.

But Iseul wasn't done. She didn't flinch. She didn't look away. She knew that this moment, this argument, was something that had been simmering for far too long. She wasn't about to let it go now.

"When we spoke, she told me your ex-wife worked so hard for you, suffered for you, so you could build your business. But you were so focused on your work that you didn't even see your wife hurting."

He didn't move, his gaze fixed on her with a burning intensity. His fists clenched at his sides, but the words wouldn't come. He was angry, just at her.

Rena, ever the protective shield, stepped in, her voice calm but firm. "Or maybe you shouldn't listen to gossip, Iseul."

Iseul didn't back down. She stood tall, unwavering. "My friend is no liar, and neither am I," she said, her voice steady. "Sir, is my friend telling the truth?"

For a moment, the room held its breath. Sunghoon's face twisted with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. The words felt like a weight in his chest, but he forced them out anyway. "No." His brows furrowed deeper, the anger thickening in his voice. He couldn't let her win. Not like this.

Sungchan, sensing the tension that was thickening like smoke in the room, awkwardly cleared his throat. "The cake was really good, right?" he tried, attempting to lighten the mood.

But Iseul wasn't having it. Her patience snapped, the last thread of restraint breaking apart. Without saying another word, she grabbed her bag, storming out of the room with a force that made the door swing shut behind her.

Before Sungchan could even move to stop her, she was gone, her heels clicking angrily on the grass as she made her way down to the street.

Walking down the empty street, Iseul cursed herself under her breath. The cool night air did nothing to soothe the boiling frustration churning inside her. She didn't even bother to ask Sungchan to get her a ride; she'd been so caught up in the fight, in everything spiraling out of control.

"God damn him," she muttered, slamming her heel into the pavement, "He ruined my life and isn't even ready to take responsibility."

She kept walking, muttering more curses, each one more venomous than the last, throwing every insult at Sunghoon she could think of. Her words felt hollow, though, like they couldn't truly reach him. Her heart dropped with the sudden realization that no matter how much she cursed him, it wasn't going to change anything.

Then, a black car slowed behind her. Iseul froze, her thoughts scrambling. "Is this my karma?" she whispered to herself, her breath catching in her throat. The car inched closer, too close, the headlights too bright in the dark of the night.

Her heart rate spiked, fear creeping into her chest. She reached into her bag, pulling out her homemade pepper spray. If it was anyone else, she'd be prepared to fight, but seeing the car get closer made her hands shake.

As the car stopped right beside her, the door opened, and before she could even react, she sprayed the pepper spray directly into the figure's face. The sharp, burning sting hit him, but instead of the usual reaction, he didn't flinch.

Iseul's breath caught in her throat, her eyes wide with panic. Sunghoon stood there, his brow furrowed in frustration, unfazed by the spray that should have stopped him in his tracks.

Iseul tried to ignore the fact that her homemade pepper spray wasn't working, the cold realization sinking in as she wiped her hands on her skirt, the remnants of the spray useless. She stood there for a moment, her eyes narrowing, trying to hold onto her anger.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice a mix of defiance and exhaustion. She wasn't going to give in so easily, not after everything.

"Get in. I'm taking you home."

"I don't want to," she shot back, her words sharp, but deep down she was too tired to keep this fight going.

She turned away, hoping that maybe, just maybe, she could walk away from this and not let him drag her back into his mess. But Sunghoon's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"There are no taxis."

Iseul stopped, her hand gripping the strap of her bag as she fought the urge to scream in frustration. She opened her mouth to protest, but all that came out was a frustrated sigh. "Ugh, fine. Whatever."

She was too drunk, too emotionally drained, and too exhausted to argue. The night had already been a mess, and the last thing she needed was to make a scene. So, she walked towards the car, sliding into the backseat with a huff.

Sunghoon followed her in, the door clicking shut behind him. Iseul wasn't surprised to see that he had a driver, not at this point. Everything about him screamed wealth and control, and this was just another reminder of the world she didn't belong in.

Inside the car, the tension was thick, wrapping itself around them like a suffocating fog. Their shoulders brushed occasionally, the proximity forcing both of them to feel every inch of the distance that had built up between them over the years.

Iseul tried to ignore it, but the heat radiating from Sunghoon was impossible to ignore, and it only made her angrier.

"Sunghoon, move over. You're choking me," she snapped, her voice sharp, but it was obvious she was holding back more than just annoyance.

He didn't budge. "Why don't I just leave then?" His voice was cold, but underneath, she could hear the frustration that mirrored her own.

"God forbid," she muttered, turning her body further away from him. "You're so skinny you'd freeze to death in the cold."

She shifted her posture, pushing herself deeper into the seat, closing herself off from him as best as she could. "I don't want to see your face anyway."

Sunghoon's eyes were trained on her, watching every movement. The words she had fired at him stung, but they weren't new. They had been at each other's throats too many times for these words to matter anymore. What really stung was the way she was acting now—distant, like she was retreating into herself, unwilling to fight him anymore.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words caught in his throat. "I told you not to drink, but you never listen to me, do you? If only you—"

But he stopped when he noticed something that took him by surprise. She wasn't responding. She wasn't arguing back, wasn't throwing insults or sarcasm at him like she usually would. The silence from her felt... different. More resigned.

It wasn't until he felt the gentle weight of her head resting against his shoulder that he understood.

At first, he thought it was an accident, a slip of the mind, but as the weight settled against him, he realized it wasn't. She had chosen this. Iseul, the girl who always kept a sharp distance, always fought back, had given in, even just a little.

For a moment, he couldn't move, couldn't think. His heart skipped, the shock of her warmth against him completely throwing him off balance.

Her breath was soft, slow, and steady as she fell into a light doze, her fingers still wrapped around his hand, almost as if she was afraid to let go. Sunghoon's chest tightened. He could feel the soft rise and fall of her breathing, and for the first time in years, the old, familiar ache in his heart resurfaced. He didn't want to feel this, didn't want to care. But here she was, closer than she'd been in a long time, her body pressed against his, her scent filling the car.

He should've pushed her away. He should've said something, told her to move. But he didn't. He couldn't.

He let out a quiet sigh, turning his head slightly to glance at her. Her face was peaceful, devoid of the anger that had consumed her earlier. The vulnerability in that moment made his chest ache with something he wasn't ready to confront.

She had always been like this—complicated, stubborn, and yet so impossibly close, no matter how much time had passed.

Sunghoon shifted slightly, careful not to disturb her, but his gaze lingered on her, his heart beating a little faster than usual. He had spent so long trying to forget her, to let go of the past, but in that instant, he realized he wasn't sure he ever could.

No matter how hard he tried to run, he would always find himself back here, with her.

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Sunghoon opened the door to his apartment with Iseul still clinging to him, her arms wrapped tight around his waist as if she feared he'd slip away the moment she let go.

"Easy there," he mumbled, his voice a mix of exasperation and something else he couldn't quite place.

Iseul, still drunk, squinted up at him as if trying to make sense of her surroundings. "Why are we here? You're not gonna..." Her voice trailed off, a small frown pulling at her lips as her hazy mind conjured up some vague, embarrassing thought.

He shook his head, guiding her further into the apartment. "I can't take you like this to your parents," he muttered, trying to sound as composed as possible.

She blinked, her confusion deepening as she attempted to clear the fog in her mind. "Oh," she slurred, and then, as if a weight lifted from her, she shook her head in an effort to rid herself of any remaining dirty thoughts.

"Sunghoon, I can't walk," she whined, her voice soft and pleading as she leaned further into him, her hands finding their way around his neck.

Sunghoon sighed deeply, knowing he had no choice but to help her. He couldn't leave her like this, not when she was so vulnerable. Gently but firmly, he led her toward his bedroom, feeling her warmth against him with every step. He lowered her onto the bed, carefully easing her into a lying position, her face flushed from the alcohol and exhaustion.

As Sunghoon gently slid off her heels, Iseul mumbled in her half-asleep state, "You don't even know what I went through... how upset I was."

He sighed, pulling the blanket over her, tucking her in carefully. "You're always talking... even in your sleep," he muttered, shaking his head with a soft chuckle.

Just as he turned to leave, her hand shot out, grabbing his wrist with a surprising firmness. The way she mumbled his name, so faint and vulnerable, made his heart stutter.

"Don't go away," she whispered, her grip unwavering.

For a moment, he stood there, frozen. Then, almost on instinct, he found himself sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. He sighed, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "I'm here," he said softly. "I'm with you. I'm not going anywhere."

His hand hesitated before gently threading through her hair, a motion so natural it startled him. The room was quiet, save for the soft rhythm of her breathing. And as the night deepened, Sunghoon realized something he didn't want to admit even to himself—this felt like home.

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this book is gonna have 2 seasons cus there are soooo many things that still havent happened and i dont want it to have 100 chps its so overwhelming 😭😭