IN WHAT HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOURSELF INTO?
THREE WEEKS EARLIER…
A cold, dull silence filled the small room, interrupted only by the ticking of an old wall clock and the deep, menacing voice of the man sitting across from her.
"Your time is running out, Lena," he said, watching her with a dark smile as he placed his palms on the worn-out wooden table. "Your father left behind debts, and now they're yours."
His words echoed in her mind like a haunting refrain.Her father's debt.A wave of sorrow and anger surged through her.
"But I… I don't have that kind of money," she whispered, barely keeping her voice steady.
The man chuckled. Short. Cold.
"I know you don't. But that's not my problem. We gave you enough time, Lena. Now, it's time to pay."
She swallowed hard.
"How much exactly?" she asked, though she already knew the amount was beyond her reach.
The man pulled a folded piece of paper from his coat pocket and slid it across the table toward her.She glanced at the figure.Her heart stopped.
It wasn't just a large sum. It was monstrous.
Even if she sold her apartment, her car—everything she owned—she wouldn't even come close.
"You can't expect this from me," she whispered.
The man leaned in, his dark eyes piercing through her.
"I expect you to find a way. Because if you don't… you know what happens next."
Fear rooted itself deep in her chest.
She knew what that meant.
He stood up, adjusted his coat, and walked toward the door.
"You have three weeks. Don't disappoint me, Lena."
The door shut behind him with a heavy sound, leaving her alone in the silence.
She sat there, trembling, clutching the paper in her hands. Her fingers tightened around it as her mind raced for a way out.
What could she do?Who could she turn to?
No one.
There was no one she could tell. No one she could rely on.
She needed money, and she needed it fast.
Hours later, Lena sat on her bed, staring at her laptop screen. She read an article about luxury ski resorts in Switzerland. Places where the rich and powerful spent their winter vacations, throwing away money like it meant nothing.
Places where people didn't care about a few thousand euros, where they spent them on wine and extravagant suites without a second thought.
Her thought was clear.
If she had to do something… she would do something that hurt the least.
She wouldn't steal. She wouldn't beg.
But she could seduce.
One wealthy man. One naive millionaire.
She only needed one.
She closed the laptop and bit her lip.
She had three weeks.
And now, she had a plan.
Lena set down her small rented suitcase on the floor of the luxury apartment and exhaled. The interior was sleek, modern, with large windows offering a breathtaking view of the endless white slopes of the Swiss Alps.
This was a world away from her real life. A world away from debts, from threats, from the poverty that breathed down her neck every day.
But there was no time to admire the beauty around her.
Her purpose for being here was clear.
Find a man.
A wealthy, gullible man who would fall for her.
Just one.
One man, one good plan, and she could be free.
She pressed her forehead against the cold window, watching people ski down the slopes, laughing, enjoying life.
How had it come to this?
How many times had she told herself she wasn't this kind of person?
She wasn't a manipulator.She wasn't a con artist.She wasn't…
But would her morals matter when they came to break down her door to collect her father's debt?
She hadn't put herself in this situation.The world had forced her into it.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped away from the window and checked her reflection in the mirror.
She looked perfect.
Relaxed, smiling, her ski suit fitting her slender figure flawlessly. Her blonde hair tied into a high ponytail, her face without a flaw, just enough makeup to highlight her blue eyes.
Men here fell for simple elegance.
She was ready.
Hours later, she was sitting in a crowded ski resort bar, swirling a glass of warm wine between her fingers, scanning the room.
She immediately knew who to rule out.
Young rich boys? Too immature, only looking for fun.Older businessmen? Married, too cautious.
She needed someone… in between.
And then she saw him.
The first thing she noticed was his height.
He stood near the window, surrounded by a group of men in expensive ski jackets, yet even among them, he radiated a unique energy.
His face was serious, masculine. Sharp jawline, dark hair falling just above his brows, deep black eyes that carried an aura of cold elegance.
He wasn't the typical rich man who laughed too loudly and drank too much.
He was quiet, calculated, composed.
But he radiated power.
Every movement was controlled, deliberate.
Lena pulled out her phone and quickly snapped a discreet photo before sending it to a contact in financial circles.
"Find out who he is."
While she waited for a response, she didn't take her eyes off him.
Something stirred in her stomach.
That man…
He wasn't just rich.
He was fascinating.
Minutes later, her phone vibrated.
She glanced at the message.
And nearly dropped her drink.
"Kang Seo Joon. Owner of Kang Group. A billionaire. Cautious, reserved. Very, very powerful."
She froze, her heart hammering in her chest.
This…
This was much bigger than she had planned.
She hadn't expected this.
She hadn't expected to find someone this powerful, this… perfect.
For the first time since forming her plan, doubt crept in.
How could she do this to him?
How could she try to seduce a man like him for her own gain?
But then, she remembered her father's debt.
She remembered the words that echoed in her mind:
"You have three weeks."
She couldn't back out.
She had to do this.
Taking a deep breath, she downed the last sip of her wine and stood up.
She fixed her smile, lifted her chin, and walked toward the exit.
She knew where he would be.
On the slopes, preparing for a run.
And that's where she would meet him.
In a way he would never forget.