Calms and storms

"What do you mean there's nothing you can do about it?!" Na-eun's voice cut through the air like a blade, raw with fury.

"Ma'am, until we determine the source of the—" The voice on the other end was abruptly silenced. The line had gone dead.

Na-eun's grip tightened around the phone before she hurled it against the wall. The sharp crack echoed through the room as the device shattered into a mess of splintered plastic and exposed circuits.

"How dare they?" Her breath came in jagged bursts, her usual composed demeanor dissolving into something unrecognizably volatile. Her hands trembled—not with fear, but with barely contained rage.

Kang, standing stiffly by the doorway, finally spoke. "Ma'am, you have a phone call."

Na-eun turned to him, eyes dark with frustration. "Who is it?"

"Private number," he replied cautiously.

Without hesitation, she snatched the phone from his hands. "What do you want?" she demanded, venom dripping from each syllable.

A chuckle—low, slow, and dripping with something unclean—slid through the receiver like oil. "I see I've disturbed your evening, Ms. Na-eun."

Her grip on the phone tightened. "Who are you?"

"Strange... you never asked me that when I was feeding you information about Jaewook. You took it all so eagerly, every little piece, never questioning where it came from."

A chill curled down her spine.

"Look, I don't know what kind of game you think you're playing, but—"

The voice cut her off, sharper this time. "Listen to me, hag."

Na-eun's breath hitched.

"I gave you information because I thought you were efficient. Ruthless. I thought you got things done." The voice sighed, long and exaggerated. "But now I see you're just… slow. Useless. Weak."

Her fingers dug into the phone. "Excuse me?"

"Jaewook is still alive." A brief silence, then the voice exhaled, slow and deliberate. "I want him dead."

A slow smile crept across Na-eun's lips. "And who do you think you are, giving me orders?"

"The longer he keeps soaring ahead, the more billions you'll bleed."

Na-eun's smile faltered.

"Is that a threat?" Her voice was steady, but something in her gut twisted.

Another eerie chuckle. "I'm someone you shouldn't test, Na-eun. You lost ten billion today. Next time, it'll be a hundred."

And just like that, the line went dead.

Na-eun's pulse thundered in her ears. Kang took a cautious step forward, offering a glass of water.

Without a second thought, she flung it across the room, the glass shattering against the marble floor.

"Who the hell does she think she is?!" she shrieked, her breath coming in ragged bursts.

The room felt smaller, the shadows darker. And for the first time in a long time… Na-eun felt something dangerously close to fear.

MEANWHILE

Jae-wook strolled into the kitchen, his robe hanging loosely off his shoulders, making no effort to tighten it as he made his way to the refrigerator. He moved with an air of nonchalance, deliberately ignoring Carrie, who sat curled up at the counter, hands wrapped around a steaming mug of hot cocoa.

Carrie's eyes flickered up, and she nearly choked on her drink. "Oh my God! Can you not walk around like that?" she hissed, her voice muffled behind the rim of her mug.

Jae-wook arched a brow, barely sparing her a glance as he pulled out a bottle of water. "Why? Does it bother you?"

Carrie clicked her tongue in annoyance. "There's really no point talking to you. Do whatever you want."

Jae-wook smirked, leaning lazily against the fridge. "No bickering today? That's unusual."

Carrie rolled her eyes. "Do you miss it?"

"Maybe." He shrugged, as if the thought had only just occurred to him.

Carrie eyed him skeptically. "You're the one acting all weirdly nice. Why?"

"Hm." Jae-wook tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. Could it be sorcery? Did you charm me?" His voice was teasing, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Carrie groaned, sinking further into her seat. "You're draining my energy." She picked up her book, trying to focus.

Jae-wook, unfazed, took slow steps toward her until he was just inches away. "What are you reading?"

Carrie snapped her book shut and shot him a look. "Go to bed."

"I can't sleep," he replied, his voice dipping into something dangerously close to a whine.

Carrie exhaled through her nose, barely concealing her irritation. "And what exactly do you want me to do about that?"

"Give me a head massage," he said, tilting his head toward her, voice uncharacteristically light. "Like the other day."

Carrie scoffed. "Not happening."

Jae-wook let out an exaggerated sigh. "Look," he said, grabbing her hand before she could protest and placing it against his forehead. "I'm burning up again."

Carrie's breath hitched as her palm made contact with his skin. His gaze locked onto hers, and suddenly, she felt her pulse betray her. A strange warmth coiled in her stomach, spreading rapidly like wildfire. Her heart pounded erratically—too loud, too fast. She yanked her hand back as if his skin had scorched her.

"I'm going to bed," she blurted out, refusing to meet his eyes. She bolted up the stairs without another word.

Jae-wook watched her disappear, rubbing his temple with a dramatic sigh. "All I asked for was a head massage," he muttered to himself. He took a sip of water, shaking his head. "This is sad. My head really is killing me."

Meanwhile, Carrie sat on her bed, burritoed in her blanket, trying to calm the chaos inside her.

"No. No way," she whispered to herself, gripping the fabric of her hoodie. "I can't possibly be in love. That would be ridiculous." She groaned, ruffling her hair in frustration. "How could I fall for a walking red flag?"

She clutched her chest, feeling her heartbeat hammering against her ribs. "This is bad. What do I do?" She flopped back against her pillows, staring at the ceiling as if it held the answers.

"Carrie Evans, you need to get yourself together," she mumbled, nodding as if that would convince her. "It's just... weird nighttime emotions. I just need to sleep it off."

With that, she squeezed her eyes shut, praying morning would wash away whatever this feeling was.