Emily’s POV
The rest of the dinner passed in a surreal haze. The food was amazing. I had never eaten Korean food, and I can’t even name some of the dishes, but even if the food tasted like heaven, my mind was a whirlwind.
I kept staring at Jin. Our agreement was only going to last a year, meaning that after that, we were done. He should have said something to his family about us just starting or totally discarding marriage, for that matter.
But he didn’t do that.
Why? I wondered, but I knew it would be better if I didn’t ask him.
Jin’s mother’s words had landed like a stone in my stomach. I glanced at Jin and saw the subtle tension in his jaw, the almost imperceptible gulp. He was braced for my reaction, for the questions. But all I felt was a strange, hollow ache. Of course, he had a past. A man like him… he must have had many. The idea of him with other women shouldn’t have felt like a physical blow. It was illogical. We
Emily’s POVI scrambled up from the floor, my body still humming, my lips still tingling. I needed… something. Something to shock my system back to reality, to numb the riot of sensation and emotion he’d left branded on my skin.I went to the freezer and pulled out a tub of Rocky Road ice cream. I didn’t bother with a bowl. I just grabbed a spoon, pried the lid off, and dug in, taking a huge, freezing bite that made my teeth ache. I stood there in the middle of my kitchen, shoveling ice cream into my mouth like it was medicine, trying to freeze out the memory of his taste, the feel of his hands, the devastating look in his eyes.Liar.The word echoed in my head, followed by the searing memory of his kiss. It wasn’t a kiss of passion; it was a kiss of possession. An answer to a question I’d been too scared to ask. And I had kissed him back. God, had I kissed him back. I’d clung to him lik
Emily’s POVThe rest of the dinner passed in a surreal haze. The food was amazing. I had never eaten Korean food, and I can’t even name some of the dishes, but even if the food tasted like heaven, my mind was a whirlwind.I kept staring at Jin. Our agreement was only going to last a year, meaning that after that, we were done. He should have said something to his family about us just starting or totally discarding marriage, for that matter.But he didn’t do that.Why? I wondered, but I knew it would be better if I didn’t ask him.Jin’s mother’s words had landed like a stone in my stomach. I glanced at Jin and saw the subtle tension in his jaw, the almost imperceptible gulp. He was braced for my reaction, for the questions. But all I felt was a strange, hollow ache. Of course, he had a past. A man like him… he must have had many. The idea of him with other women shouldn’t have felt like a physical blow. It was illogical. We
Jin’s POVThe snap of the lacquered wood between my fingers was like a gunshot in the silent room.All eyes flicked to me, then to the two broken pieces of chopstick I held in a white-knuckled grip. Minjun’s smug smirk didn’t falter; it widened. He’d gotten the reaction he wanted. He’d baited me, and I’d taken it, hook, line, and sinker. My father’s expression remained an unreadable mask, but I felt his disapproval like a physical chill. Lack of control. The worst sin in his eyes.And Emily. I could feel the tension radiating from her beside me, a silent scream. Minjun had reduced her to a transaction, a bought favor, in front of my entire family. The fury that lanced through me was white-hot and blinding. It wasn’t just about the insult to her, though that was a fire in my gut. It was the casual cruelty of it, the way he sought to diminish something that felt… different.Mine.The thought was as startling as the
Emily’s POVHe got out of the car and came around to open my door. As I stepped out, my heels sinking into the immaculate gravel of the driveway, I felt a wave of dizziness. The house loomed before us, beautiful and intimidating.Before we could take a step toward the front door, it swung open.A woman stood there, her posture ramrod straight. She was dressed in an elegant, sleek black dress that reached her knees. Her dark hair swept into a severe but stylish knot. Her eyes were different from Jin’s. They were pitch black and reminded me of Minjun. I wonder if Jin ever felt he didn’t belong here because he didn’t look like his parents.She scanned me from head to toe in a single, efficient motion. Her expression was not unkind, but it was assessing. Deeply, thoroughly assessing.This had to be his mother.My brain short-circuited.Bow. Bow now. Halmeoni? No, that's grandmother. Eomma? Too familiar! Sir? Ma'am?
Emily’s POV“That’s the woman they need to see. That’s the woman I…”He stopped himself, the sentence hanging unfinished in the air between us.That’s the woman I what?My heart hammered against my ribs, waiting, hoping, terrified.He didn’t finish. Instead, he lifted our joined hands and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my knuckles. His eyes never left mine.“That’s the woman I’m bringing home to meet my mother,” he finished softly, his lips brushing my skin with each word.The blush hit me like a wave, scalding hot and instantaneous, flooding my cheeks and spreading down my neck. Any coherent thought I had left evaporated into the evening air. The panic was still there, buzzing in the background, but it was now drowned out by the roaring in my ears and the feel of his lips on my hand.He gave my hand a final, reassuring squ
Emily’s POVThe town car pulled up to the curb just down the street from my office building, a discreet distance away from prying eyes. The lunch, the conversation, the terrifying agreement to meet his family—it all felt like a surreal dream that was about to crash into the stark reality of my cubicle and my looming deadline on the von Oberhaus piece.Jin got out first, ever the gentleman, and came around to open my door. I slid out, my legs feeling like jelly. The bright afternoon sun was a harsh contrast to the warm, intimate gloom of the restaurant.l“Thank you for lunch,” I said, my voice still a little unsteady. I clutched my bag like a lifeline, unsure of the protocol. A handshake felt absurd. A wave felt too casual. What was the proper way to say goodbye to your fake-turned-potentially-real-but-still-terrifyingly-complicated billionaire boyfriend after he’s just invited you into the lion’s den of his fa