Whispers of Betrayal

The silence of the evening weaved around Seo-yeon as she stood at the window of Joon-woo's penthouse. Down in the city, the lights twinkled along, but her thoughts were well off the beauty of the skyline. The intensity with which she had lived the moments just past with Joon-woo was still inside her, but doubt crept in at the edges of her mind. She had gone along with the attraction between them, but something about the way Joon-woo acted felt wrong.

She hugged herself, looking for comfort as a sense of tension started running inside of her. Something was going on, something was hidden, and everything was wrong.

Suddenly, she heard the muffled voice coming in to her. She pulled out her thoughts and listened because these were coming from Joon-woo's office. She knew how she shouldn't do it, but curiosity and suspicion won over.

She crept on quietly near the slightly ajar door.

"I said so," Joon-woo's voice cut through the silence, cold and sharp. "Hyun-soo has never even sensed it. Once the contract is signed, he's out of here."

Seo-yeon caught her breath. Hyun-soo? He was the rival with whom Joon-woo had clashed earlier, while introducing themselves. What was wrong with Joon-woo, talking about that man as if with such hatred? And she felt her heart pounding as she pressed herself back into the wall, straining to catch more of the words.

"We've got it all under control," Joon-woo continued. "The moment we move in, it's over for him."

Another voice, one Seo-yeon didn't recognize spoke up. "And what about the girl? Seo-yeon?"

Ice cold, Joon-woo replied, "What about her? She is irrelevant. If she becomes collateral damage, then so be it. The end result is all that matters."

Seo-yeon's blood ran cold. Collateral damage? That's all she was to him? A pawn in his dangerous game? The passionate moments they had seemed like cruel jokes, well-crafted illusions meant to keep her close to play his games of power.

Her legs felt liquid beneath her. She could feel her heart racing with a mix of disbelief and horror. Was everything they shared just manipulation?

The conversation continued as the mysterious man inquired, "You really think Hyun-soo won't catch on? He's no fool, Joon-woo."

Joon-woo sneered. "He won't know. I've covered every base. As long as Seo-yeon stays in line, there's no risk. But if she doesn't…" His voice trailed off and left with an unspoken threat suspended in the air.

Seo-yeon's fingers found the door frame almost automatically, digging into the wood as she stilled herself, trying to make no noise. The pain of how betrayed she felt was suffocating, almost too much to bear, in its weightiness. Everything he told me, every tender word, every touch—it all lies.

She could hear no more. She stepped back from the door, feeling all of her world crumble. The man she had grown to care for was a stranger. A liar. One who saw her only as a pawn in some ruthless game.

Teardrops had scorched at the lashes of her eyes, but she blinked them back. She needed to be strong now, to think.

"What do I do now?" She stumbled down the hallway, her mind racing with a thousand questions.

She landed upon the edge of her bed as she reached the safety of her room; she sat down with trembling hands. "How could I be so blind?" she whispered on a near-whisper.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket jolting her back to the present. She tugged it out, her heart nearly stopping when she saw Hyun-soo's name flash on the screen.

Hyun-soo. The man Joon-woo was going to ruin. The man who, for some reason, had crossed her mind far too often lately.

Dropping into the bed, she answered the call without thinking, her voice shaky.

"Hello?"

"Seo-yeon," Hyun-soo's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a tension she hadn't noticed before. "We need to talk. It's about Joon-woo."

Her heart was racing. What did he know? Could he be involved in this, too? Or was he the only one who could help her? She had hesitated for a second before speaking, trying to sound composed. "What is it, Hyun-soo? Why are you calling me?"

"You need to know the truth," he replied, his voice deep. "Joon-woo is not who you think he is."

Seo-yeon squeezed her phone tighter. The truth. She felt a wave of nausea. "I-I don't understand. What is this?"

"Come see me," Hyun-soo said, his voice softer now, almost concerned. "There is something I need to show you and would rather explain in person. It's important."

Seo-yeon's heart beat with questions. Trust Hyun-soo? Was it a trap too? And then hearing all of it, she really didn't have much of a choice.

"Okay," she whispered as hard as she tried not to tremble her voice. "Where should we meet?"

"Do you know the café by the Han River? Midnight. Be careful, Seo-yeon. I'm not the only one watching you."

His words made her shiver. "Midnight," she replied, and then hung up.

Seo-yeon sat there in stunned silence for a few seconds, trying to steady her heart. Her head was spinning like a tempest. Joon-woo's betrayal, Hyun-soo's mysterious call—everything was so fake that it was as if she weren't living it. It was like she crossed into a nightmare from which she couldn't wake up from.

Her phone jolted from the nightstand, jolting her out of trance. Seo-yeon winced back, feeling it must be Joon-woo. The screen lit up with a text:

"Are you alright? I didn't see you in the living room. Come to my office—I want to talk."

Her breath was caught. Joon-woo is looking for her. Has he realized she overheard his conversation?

Seo-yeon's fingers hovered over the screen. She typed quickly

"I am not feeling well. I need some rest."

She hit send and stood by in suspense, awaiting a reply. A minute went by when her phone rang again.

"Check in on you later. Rest well."

Her stomach churned inside at his feigned concern over what he said about her. How could he pretend so well about faking concern after telling her the things he said? She set the phone face down so she would not look at it anymore.

Now, all she had to do was to make it to midnight without raising a finger in his suspicion.