The sensation of being burned alive had finally ebbed away.
It was replaced by a cooling comfort, enveloping my battered body like a soft cloud.
I forced my heavy eyelids open, staring up at the familiar ceiling. I was still in Ren's bedroom. Yet, the atmosphere had shifted.
The heavy blackout curtains, usually drawn tight, had been pulled back a fraction. A sliver of golden afternoon sun spilled across the floor.
The oppressive stench of high-grade tobacco had vanished. Only a crisp, refreshing scent remained, saturating the room.
"Are you awake?"
A velvety voice spoke from the side of the bed.
I turned my head and froze. Zen was sitting in a chair beside the mattress.
The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows. In his hand, he held a damp towel.
Had he been... wiping my arm?
"Mr... Zen..."
I stammered, attempting to sit up in panic.
"You're inside..."
"Shh."
Zen placed a long finger against my lips, silencing me. His golden eyes curved into a reassuring smile.
"Lie back down. Your fever just broke. You shouldn't be moving yet."
He gently pressed my shoulders back into the pillows.
He resumed his task, dragging the cool towel along my neck and flushed face.
His touch was a total contrast to Ren's.
When Ren touched me, he scrubbed my skin as if trying to erase a filthy stain—harsh, abrasive, and devoid of humanity.
But Zen... he treated me like a fragile piece of glass, moving with extreme caution, terrified he might break me.
Tears of gratitude welled up in my eyes.
"Why are you crying? Does something hurt?"
Zen asked, a note of urgency coloring his tone.
He leaned closer to inspect me. I shook my head, my vision swimming.
"No... It's just... no one has treated me like this in a long time. Thank you."
My broken confession caused a flicker within Zen's golden eyes. He stared intensely into mine.
"Did you know, Yurin..." he murmured, his thumb brushing a stray tear from my cheek.
"From the first day I walked into that dining room and saw you sitting in the corner... I couldn't tear my eyes away from you."
I froze. My heart skipped a beat at the borderline confession.
"Your eyes looked so sorrowful, yet they possessed a magnetic pull."
"I told myself right then that I had to know you. And if the opportunity arose... I wanted to cherish you in a way that he never could."
His warm gaze hardened as his eyes drifted downward.
Locking onto the dark bruises peeking out from my collar, and the heavy leather choker around my throat.
His fingertips lightly traced the red marks.
"He beats you like this. And then abandons you here while you're dying."
Zen ground his teeth, looking infuriated.
"A monster like him doesn't deserve an ounce of your loyalty."
His words drove a wedge into my chest.
I knew the truth. But what could I do? My entire existence was locked within Ren's grip.
"I... I have nowhere else to go," I whispered.
"He holds my contract. He owns my family's debt. And..."
I swallowed the rest of my sentence, suppressing the guilt.
I was reaching my breaking point. I felt as though I was fracturing a little more every day.
"That is hardly a difficult issue to resolve," Zen countered.
He caught my hand, pressing my palm against his cheek. The comforting heat of his skin transferred into my icy fingers.
"If you want, I can save you, Yurin."
"I can take you away from here. Hide you where he will never find you."
"I will pay off every cent of your debt. Just say the word, and I am ready."
It was a proposition as sweet as lethal poison. My heart hammered against my ribs.
Escape with Zen? Start a new life with this kind man?
But the imagery of Ren's brutality interrupted my fantasy.
'If I ever catch you smiling at him again... I will rip your mouth apart.'
I shuddered in pure terror, pulling my hand back from his grasp.
"I... I can't do that."
"You don't know him. He is more dangerous than you comprehend, Mr. Zen."
"If he catches us, he'll destroy you too. I refuse to drag you into this hell."
Zen offered a soft, understanding smile. He didn't press the issue.
"That is fine. I am a patient man."
"I will wait for the day you are ready. The day you have the courage to walk out of this cage yourself."
"And until that day arrives... will you allow me to continue caring for you in secret?"
... I didn't answer. I simply stared back into his serious golden eyes.
Zen seemed to understand he wouldn't get an answer today.
He reached for a porcelain bowl on the nightstand. Plumes of steam rose from the surface, carrying a savory aroma that triggered my hunger.
"You need to eat. I made some shrimp porridge. I borrowed your kitchen—I hope you don't mind."
He scooped up a spoonful, blowing on it to cool the broth before holding it up to my lips.
"Say ahh." He was treating me like a helpless child.
Embarrassment caused a fresh flush to bloom across my cheeks, but I parted my lips and accepted the meal.
I finished the entire bowl. For a brief moment, I forgot this penthouse was a prison.
I forgot the master of this domain was a demon.
It felt as though the entire universe consisted solely of me... and this warm, gentle man.
Zen remained by my side for a while.
It wasn't until past three in the afternoon that he finally stood up.
He gathered the empty bowl and the damp towel, concealing the evidence inside his paper bag.
"I should go. Ren will likely be returning soon."
He gave my hand one final, reassuring squeeze.
"Take care of yourself, Yurin. I will find a way to contact you. Don't surrender your hope just yet."
Kiss. His warm lips pressed against my forehead in a lingering gesture.
Then, he turned and silently exited the room, moving like a ghost.
He left behind nothing but a persistent warmth in my chest, and that crisp, clean scent saturating the air.
...
Beep—Beep—Beep. Clack! The electronic locks of the front door disengaged.
I jolted. My heart hammered against my ribs, overflowing with a mixture of paranoia and guilt.
Ren had returned...
Bang! The bedroom door crashed open.
Ren stalked into the room, looking unhinged.
His tie was torn loose. His slicked-back hair was a chaotic mess. His face was flushed with raw fury.
He swept his predatory eyes around the room with paranoia. His nose crinkled as he detected the scent.
"What the fuck is that stench?"
He growled, marching directly toward the bed.
"Why does this room smell like cheap cologne?"
My heart pounded so hard I thought it might crack my ribs.
I forced my features into a blank mask, even as cold sweat beaded across my forehead.
"I... I applied some ointment,"
I stammered, snatching the tube of muscle relaxant—the exact tube Zen had left behind and holding it up as proof.
"This brand... has a very strong scent."
Ren snatched the tube from my trembling fingers. He twisted the cap off and shoved it under his nose.
Satisfied, he tossed the tube back, letting it strike my chest.
"It reeks," he spat.
He collapsed onto the sofa at the foot of the bed, burying his face in his hands, massaging his temples.
"The negotiations collapsed," he muttered darkly, talking to the shadows rather than to me.
"Those braindead fossils on the board refused to approve the new initiative. Plus, there are rumors that a third party is manipulating the competitor's stock."
He lifted his head to look at me.
His pitch-black eyes were heavy with exhaustion and a twisted, demanding hunger.
"I'm stressed, Yurin... Come here."
He commanded, gesturing sharply, completely ignoring the fact that I was deathly pale and recovering from a fever.
"Relieve my stress. Right now."
I stared blankly at him, my eyes flicking briefly toward the door Zen had exited through.
The warmth of his kiss had barely faded from my skin. Yet, the suffocating cold had already rushed back in.
This was the inescapable reality I was bound to. The angel had departed, leaving nothing behind but a ravenous demon.
I drew in a shuddering breath.
Forcing my recovering body to obey, I climbed out of bed.
I stumbled weakly across the carpet, approaching my master to fulfill my duty as his living stress relief...
Burying the secret of that forehead kiss within the deepest vault of my shattered heart.