The restaurant was quiet, far too quiet for Ji Eun's liking.
It wasn't one of those crowded, luxurious places filled with noise and pretentious laughter. No. Park Hyun Woo had chosen somewhere private. Exclusive. The kind of place where even whispers carried weight.
Ji Eun sat stiffly across from him, her arms folded, her expression cold and unyielding. The white lace gown she had carefully picked now felt like a mockery of her plans.
Everything had gone wrong.
And the man sitting opposite her…
Was the reason.
Park Hyun Woo, on the other hand, looked entirely at ease.
He poured tea into her cup with slow, deliberate precision before filling his own, as though they were simply two acquaintances sharing a calm afternoon.
The contrast between them was stark.
"You kidnapped me now?" Ji Eun broke the silence sharply.
He didn't even look up.
"No," he said calmly. "You walked in yourself."
Her jaw tightened.
"I didn't have a choice."
He finally lifted his gaze to her, his dark eyes steady.
"There is always a choice," he replied. "You just didn't like the alternatives."
Ji Eun scoffed, turning her face slightly away.
"Stop pretending like you didn't interfere. What did you do to Mo Han?" she demanded.
Hyun Woo took a slow sip of his tea before answering.
"I paused a business arrangement," he said simply.
Her eyes flashed with anger.
"You think that's normal?"
"No," he admitted calmly. "But it was necessary."
Ji Eun leaned forward slightly, her restraint slipping.
"Necessary for what? To control me? To prove whatever twisted point you're trying to make?"
"For you to see things clearly," he corrected.
She let out a short, bitter laugh.
"Clearly?" she repeated. "You think sabotaging his deal proves anything? You're just showing me exactly the kind of person you are."
"And what kind is that?" he asked quietly.
"A manipulative one," she snapped without hesitation.
Silence followed.
But Hyun Woo didn't react.
If anything, he seemed to accept it.
"Maybe," he said finally.
Ji Eun blinked, caught off guard by the lack of denial.
"But that doesn't make me wrong."
Her brows furrowed.
"What are you even talking about?"
Hyun Woo set his cup down gently and leaned back, his gaze never leaving her.
"Let's make a bet, Ji Eun."