After all this is a fake relationship

Taewoo's fingers tapped lightly on the desk as he stared at Mingwa's picture again. It wasn't just about the talent—there was something else. Something deeper that he couldn't quite place yet. She had captivated him, in a way no one had in a long time.

As he leaned back in his chair, swirling the whiskey in his glass, Taewoo smirked. He enjoyed puzzles, and Mingwa was turning out to be one worth solving. Her reluctance, her hesitation, her fire—it was all part of the challenge.

He reached for his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he landed on her name. He stared at it for a moment before locking the screen without calling.

"She'll come to me when she's ready," he muttered to himself. "And when she does, I'll have everything in place."