Irene woke first the following morning and even before she could process what had conspired the previous night she was already reprimanding herself for giving in. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to give in the way she did, but over and over again through the hours she gave into his touch. She cursed herself, shuffling silently to watch him. He was fast asleep, his hair brushed down against his forehead, god he looked so hot. His bare chest was pressed against her back, his arms tangling around her, resting against her waist. She moved her hand slightly to move his hair away from his eyes but stopped herself halfway. She couldn't allow this. With ease she moved out his arm, making sure he was still asleep. She rushed around the room, picking up her clothes and placing them back on. She spared him a quick glance before heading out of the room. She grabbed her bag looking around for her phone in a desperate movements. She needed to get the fuck out of here. She cursed slightly dropping to her knees to search for her phone. "What are doing?" Spoke a husky voice. Startled she shot up banging her head on the coffee table. She winced, Jackson taking rushed steps towards her, lightly caressing her head to assess if she had sustained an injury. Irene desperately tried to conceal the blush that coated her cheeks. "I'm fine." She said, her hands resting against his bare chest to push him back slightly. "What were you doing?" She sighed. "Looking for my phone." "It's in the bedroom." She resisted the face palm as she looked at him. "I thought you were doing a runner." He spoke, turning away from her and heading towards the kitchen. "I was." She said firmly. Her eyes shooting up to meet his. "I am." She headed back into the bedroom, grabbing her phone before heading back out. "Why?" She heard from behind her. "We can't do this." She spoke, her eyes refusing to meet his. He moved around the counter leaning back on it as he watched her. "That's not the attitude i received last night." "Last night was a mistake. It can't happen again." He looked at her carefully, arms crossing over his chest as she turned to him. "Was it a mistake?" He asked her, knowing that inside, that deep down, that she was lying. "Yes." She said firmly. He looked at her. "Is this what you do? Go around having one night stands? And then leave the following morning like nothing ever happened? Like you were never there." She glared at him. "It's easy for you to say. You don't understand." "Then help me too." "Look thank you for the date, and thank you for last night, but this is where it ends. This is were our paths need to diverge. I've warned you before: you need to walk away, you've got what you wanted right. Sex? One night? So let me go." "No. And it wasn't just one night. Or one date. I was serious when I said to you that I wanted to get to know you. I was serious when I said that I wanted to hold your hand and protect you; why can't you see that?" Irene let out a frustrated breath. "Don't fucking say words like that if you don't mean them." "I do." She shook her head. "Do you really think I'm that foolish to fall for that? You use your words like a weapon. That's clearly your defence. And if you know what's best for you then you need to let me walk away." He watched her carefully, taking a step forward, and turning her so she was pressed against the counter he had just been leaning on. "Is this seriously what you want? For this to end before you have even given it a chance?" Irene gulped, his head dipping closer, his lips ghosting hers, his breath fanning her slightly as she looked up at him. "You may not say the words Irene but your actions speak louder. You want me in the same way I want you. You're just scared." He dipped closer, his lips trailing against her neck. He picked her up with ease, sitting her on the counter, he pushed her legs open standing in front of her, sucking lightly on her neck. He travelled up slightly, capturing her ear in his teeth, pulling at it gently. "Tell me you don't want this." She gulped, her eyes rolling back slightly as his hands trailed her skin. "Because your body is saying something else." She pulled him closer slightly, feeling him smirk against her. And it was that, that pulled her back into reality. She pushed him away, him taken back in shock at the way her eyes shone. She looked at him. "Even if I do. I can't. There's a difference." She clambered off the counter falling slightly. He moved to secure her, but she pushed his hands away from her waist. "I'm dangerous for you. Stay away from me." "No." "Jackson." "Irene." "Why won't you listen to me?" "Because I don't care. I've told you that before." "You have no idea what your getting yourself into and that's more pitiful. I'm destruction Jackson. I breath corruption and I dance in blood. You won't be able to handle it. So stay away because if you come to me again I'll be forced to make sure that it won't happen again." She sighed slightly pinching the bridge of her nose as she looked up at him. "You're a good man, keep it that way, and let me walk away, I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire." "Shouldn't I make that decision myself." "Not when you don't know the reality." She looked up at him, seeing the way he was observing her. "For what it's worth; if I didn't live the life that I did, I would have given into you the first time. But I can't. Responsibilities out weight pleasure. I need to go. I hope I don't see you again." He looked at her, his face recoiling at the end of her words. But looking closer into her eyes Jackson knew she had accidentally allowed him to see the vulnerability. And it was this that, that he would take advantage of. She moved back further, her feet falling into a rhythm until she was at his door. She knew she shouldn't have spared him a glance; because in that one glance lay nothing but want. But she foolishly did, and his eyes sauntered up to meet hers, and he caught on to it. She pulled herself away from him, her hand opening the door as she left. Jackson heard the door shut softly behind her, and unknowingly he released the breath he didn't know he was holding. If she was scared of becoming addicted. He already was.

Jackson waited patiently outside of his office, apparently a meeting was being conducted with some higher ups and then Jackson was to be called in alongside his team to formulate a new plan under their manager. He waited patiently until the door opened and he was signalled to come in. His team however weren't allowed in and Jackson could feel himself tense. He looked towards the silhouette that sat in his chair, waiting patiently for him to start. "Jackson." He was called. "Yes sir." The man in the chair opened a file, but Jackson was yet to see the mans face. "I heard you have been investigating Ms Bae." Jackson remained stoic. "Yes sir I have." "And has she told you anything useful?" Jackson hesitated for a moment. "Sir?" He questioned trying to work out what the man was insinuating. "What's her weakness?" Jackson's eyes widened, but he knew how to play. "She doesn't have one sir." He heard his senior chuckle. "Have you already caught feelings for her? I didn't think you were the type to fall for someone like her." "I haven't sir." "Then stop withholding information. What is her weakness?" Jackson momentarily closed his eyes. "Her apparent need for love and family." "Good. We shall exploit that first. She's been a problem for too long. We need to step up our process." Jackson could feel himself nod against his will, his eyes lowering for a split second; feeling as if he had betrayed her. Which he had. He heard something move, the chair moving backwards, as the silhouette moved to stand in front of him, the light that peaked through the blinds revealing Mr Kang. Jackson's eyes widened. He swore to himself. He had given her away, he had exposed her to more attacks; because now Jackson had come to the realisation that she was being plotted against. But for what? And why? He saw the sick smile that lay on Mr Kang's features. "I want to ambush her..." Jackson's eyes widened, a retaliation forming in his mind as he moved to protest, yet the words died on his lips. He couldn't. He was bound by his duty. She was just another case. Another corrupt woman that needed to be put away but why did she feel like more? He watched as Mr Kang left, the last words he spoke, Jackson narrowly catching. And when the door closed loudly behind him, Jackson tossed up the first thing his hands could get to, swearing loudly. He had betrayed her; he knew he would have too at one point, but this seemed worse. She had trusted him even if it was for a fraction of a second. She trusted him enough to shed some light on her past and he had openly abused that. He closed his eyes momentarily. And he knew he had to continue down this path; she was right, sometimes you can't turn back.

Irene stood outside of her office, running up the stairs after her desperate attempts to hide her hickeys. It remained failed. She swore under her breath, brushing her hair to her neck to conceal them as she walked into the office; her day beginning shortly after. Meeting after meeting she had no real time to think back to what had gone on the previous night yet still she had found herself thinking about it. The way his body felt against hers, the thought of their legs tangled underneath the sheets, and every time she closed her eyes she could see flashes of him. To make matters worse, his scent was still all over her body and it was proving more and more difficult to concentrate. Irene sighed frustratingly, signing off another contract before placing it roughly down and looking back at her screen, scheduling and booking things for her respective companies whilst also signing off on the financial side of things. Hours had merged to more as she leaned back in her chair, her hand reaching for her phone as she dialled Kai's number. "Hey Rene." "Hey Kai. How's things going with the investigation?" She heard him take a sharp intake. "We've been looking in to Park Jinyoung, his team, and rank still remains unknown but we are working on it, I'll get that to you as soon as I can. I had a look more into his personal life, and it turns out he's dating Jisoo Kim." Irene's eyes widened, a stance going rigid as she lurched forward. "Jisoo Kim as in Jessica Kim's sister?" She heard Kai let out another breath. "Yeah that one." "That doesn't make any fucking sense. Why would they plan to sabotage each other?" "I think they planned it Rene. It doesn't sit right. Maybe Jisoo wanted to take over the company?" "Then why didn't she attack me that night her brother did? Jisoo Kim knows something; keep tabs on her as much as you can. Is there anything else about Jinyoung?" "Other then a character assessment? No." "Give it to me." "Everyone that he has worked with  said that he was conniving. Like a snake. You don't hear him until it's too late. They spoke about him always being one to lay low, the silent type but he plays his moves very carefully and his cards are always kept close to his chest. In my opinion Rene I think that this job at KI is a cover up. Either he is involved and is using that as his method to hide, or he is trying to control and manipulate the situation from within." Irene hummed in agreement. "I agree but if he was trying to control the situation from within wouldn't he be higher up?" Kai agreed. "True Rene but what's to say he doesn't have some higher ups on his side? I'm looking further into his family but Me and Lay are struggling to grasp things. The story behind Samuel doesn't make sense either. The symbol isn't any where in any archives. We are going to head down to the prosecutors office to look through some paper files; and we are going to see if we can find anything about your family as well. You were right about one thing. Your dad knew. The symbol was in one of his old bank records. I'm still getting a hold of your adoptive fathers accounts but me and lay will see what we can find." "Thanks Kai. I wish I could help more with it." "Rene it's fine, focus on the business side of things, secure that before you come here, and be careful with your tracks, we don't know who's watching but considering the threats your phone is getting I'd say there's many. Don't do anything that can cause you more problems in the future." "You're talking about the drugs?" "Yeah." "I have a plan for that don't worry for that." "Okay Rene. But seriously don't worry about the investigation, I'll keep you updated and when you've settled the business side you can always join back in." Irene agreed.
"Actually Kai, before I let you go, can I ask you and lay for a favour?" She heard rustling in the back, Lay's voice carrying through. "Sure Rene what's up?" "Can you look into Jia'er Wang for me?" She heard silence and she knew they were sharing a look. "Do you think he's related to the case?" "No, but I just want a back ground check." "Sure we will get it to you as soon as we can." "Thank you." "Always Rene. Bye." "Cya Boys." She hung up the next minute leaning back in her chair as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

She heard a knock sound at her door.
Suppressing the moan she turned slightly, grumbling a soft command to come in before looking up. Her eyes widened seeing her little sister Ryujin. She leaped out of her chair. "What are you doing here?" She exclaimed, hugging her tightly. "I missed you Ate." Irene's eyes shined slightly. "God I missed you too. You've grown up so much. Where's my baby gone." Ryujin laughed loudly. "I'll always be your baby Ate." "At least you know." The two girls laughed as Irene lead her to the chairs. "Is everything okay in the states?" "Yeah everything is fine, I'm about to finish my degree and it's edging closer to that time of year, when mum and dad died. I didn't want you to be alone this year and I didn't want to be alone either." Irene smiled. "I'm sorry Ryujin." She shook her head at Irene, waving it off. "I'm okay Ate Ai I swear. I just wanted to come home this year. So did Lucas but he stayed back to manage the company." Irene sighed remembering her adoptive brother. "How is he?" "Good. He misses you." Irene sighed. "I'll visit him soon, I'm just really busy at the moment." "I know we saw. You've blown up across the world Ate." Irene smiled slightly. "It's not a good thing. Plus I thought I told you both it was too risky to come home." "I know. We know it's just I was adamant this year." Irene pulled her little sister into her arms, the two sitting in silence, enjoying each other's company. "Ate..." "yeah." "Why do you smell like a man." Irene's eyes widened just as her door barged open. "AHHA I knew you smelt like a guy." Said Joy, who hugged Ryujin quickly before attacking Irene, fighting to move her hair away from her neck. Ryujin greeted the others who smiled at her lovingly asking her how she was before turning back to scene. Joy had succeeded in moving the hair away, and they all stifled a gasp at the love bites. "Rene!" Shouted Wendy in disbelief. Irene glared at Joy who looked at her smugly.
"Wow Ate you've found a man?" Irene shook her head. "One night." She spoke harshly. "With who?" Asked seulgi, who watched her carefully. Joy eyed her carefully. "It was Jackson wasn't it?" Irene remained silent and in the next second chaos ensued with Irene face palming in between it. She looked towards Ryujin "We are going out let's go." And before anyone could even protest Irene was out her office door with her little sister in tow. "Lucas is going to lose his shit when he finds out you have a man." Irene glared over at her. "He's not my man." Irene grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Ryujin laughed at her older sisters face and Irene couldn't help but be grateful for her family. Because even unknowingly, they saved her from the depths of her own mind, time and time again.

TBC

Authors note:
Hey guys hope you enjoy this one. Let me know what your thoughts are about it. Lots of love and stay safe x