Chapter 24: Morning Encounter

Ji-Ah was restless.

The night after the engagement event, she lay awake in her new apartment, staring at the ceiling.

Yes, her new apartment.

Post-engagement, both families had arranged for her and Evelyn to move into separate places—close to each other but near their respective workplaces. It was a way to maintain appearances without forcing them under the same roof.

Ji-Ah should have been relieved. At least she wouldn't have to deal with Evelyn's constant presence.

And yet…

Her mind kept replaying that moment from earlier—the exhaustion in Evelyn's voice, the quiet way she had held onto Ji-Ah's wrist when they argued.

It annoyed her.

She shouldn't care. This engagement was forced. Evelyn was nothing but an obstacle—one she had no choice but to tolerate.

So why did she feel so unsettled?

An Unexpected Morning Encounter

The next morning, Ji-Ah had planned to avoid Evelyn altogether.

But fate had other plans.

She had barely stepped out of her building when she spotted Evelyn leaning against a sleek black car, sipping her morning coffee.

Ji-Ah frowned. "What are you doing here?"

Evelyn smirked. "Good morning to you too, fiancée."

Ji-Ah groaned. "Don't call me that."

Evelyn chuckled and took another sip. "Relax, I'm just here because our dear parents thought we should have breakfast together. You know, bonding and all that."

Ji-Ah crossed her arms. "You agreed to that?"

Evelyn shrugged. "Didn't have much of a choice."

Ji-Ah sighed. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Breakfast Tension

They ended up at a quiet, upscale café near their offices.

The silence between them was heavy.

Evelyn played with her coffee cup, glancing out the window. Ji-Ah, for once, didn't snap at her.

Finally, Evelyn broke the silence. "So… you're not going to ask why I look like shit today?"

Ji-Ah blinked, caught off guard.

Evelyn usually deflected, dodged, or turned everything into a joke. But this… this was different.

Ji-Ah sighed. "Didn't sleep?"

Evelyn exhaled through her nose, eyes flicking toward the window. "Not much."

Something about her tone made Ji-Ah pause.

This wasn't Evelyn playing games.

This was honesty.

And Ji-Ah had no idea how to respond to that.

Instead of saying something sarcastic, she grabbed the extra coffee on the table and slid it toward Evelyn.

"Drink that before you collapse."

Evelyn stared at the cup, then at Ji-Ah.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, without a word, Evelyn picked it up and took a sip.

It was a small thing. A stupid thing.

But for some reason, Ji-Ah's heart beat just a little too fast.

Evelyn's Dilemma

Later that day, Evelyn sat in her office, staring at the files in front of her but not really reading them.

Ji-Ah's words from that morning echoed in her mind.

"Drink that before you collapse."

It was so casual. So natural.

But Evelyn wasn't used to people looking out for her like that—especially not Ji-Ah.

She should be ignoring it.

Instead, she found herself thinking about Ji-Ah more than she should.

And that… was a very dangerous thought.