"Wh-What's happening here?" Charlie stammered, his eyes scanning their disheveled appearances, a deep frown creasing his brow. "You didn't."

Seokjin stiffened beside her, but Luisa stepped in front of him. "Charlie, before you lose it, we really need to talk about this."

"What the hell are you doing here, Seokjin?" Charlie growled, refusing to acknowledge Luisa.

Seokjin smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

Charlie scoffed, his anger boiling over. "It looks like you're screwing with her mind—and her body." He took a step forward. "Treating her like your slut again."

"Charlie!" Luisa shot back, positioning herself protectively in front of the taller man.

Seokjin leaned in, his demeanor darkening. "You'd better watch your words," he warned. "Don't ever talk about her like that again."

"Jin! Charlie!" Luisa stepped in between them, frustration tinging her voice. "Can we please stop behaving like children?" She turned to Seokjin, her expression softening slightly. "Just wait for me here, okay?" Then she faced Charlie, pointing toward their door. "Come inside with me."

"Luli, I'm not—"

"Charlie, open the door and come inside," she interrupted firmly. "Right now."

With one last glare at Seokjin, Charlie snatched the key card and swiped it, the door clicking open.

"Ten minutes, Lu," the handsome man reminded her, his voice low.

Without responding, Luisa gently pushed Charlie into the room and let the door close behind them.

Charlie spun around, his face a mask of barely concealed disdain. "I can't believe you let Kim Seokjin back into your life."

"Just hear me out," Luisa urged.

"No!" he retorted, lowering his voice, his anger barely contained. "You slept with him, didn't you? After everything he put you through, you let him have his way."

He turned away, frustration radiating from him.

"Charlie, just stop for a moment and listen to me," she pleaded, following him as he moved deeper into the room. "I love him, and he loves me. There are things beyond our control."

With a groan, he collapsed onto the sofa. "I can't believe this! He drops out of your life for years after cheating, gets married, and you still trust him?"

"He never got married," Luisa said, crossing her arms defiantly.

Charlie let out a bitter laugh. "Oh, perfect. So he's back because he wants to marry you? Is that what he promised? Before or after he seduced you?"

Luisa lifted her chin. "For your information, he did propose to me." She couldn't hide her irritation at his loud scoff. "This isn't what you think. I don't have all day to explain."

"Why not?" he shot back, his scowl deepening. "What's the hurry? Afraid he'll be gone by the time you go outside? Luli, just think for a second." He stood up and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Try to be rational. How did you even run into him?"

She glanced down, her defenses wavering. "He was just...standing in the hallway. It was a coincidence."

"Really? Is that how it went? How did he find you? How did he know what hotel and what floor you were on? Think about it."

She shook her head, desperation creeping in. "I told you! It was by chance. Yoongi told him where Selina was meeting me, and then the receptionist—"

"Aha!" Charlie interrupted, stepping back and shaking his head in disbelief. "Let me guess. He charmed some lovestruck girl at the front desk into spilling the details of your stay—highly unethical, by the way. I bet he sweet-talked her with a kiss or a promise of something more. He waited for you to walk right into his trap. Sounds like an incredible coincidence to me."

Luisa bristled, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "You make it sound so sinister." She moved away from his grasp.

"Because it is!" he countered, his voice rising. "Can't you see what he's doing? He's slithering back into your life after—what? Four years? Has he already exhausted all the other women he pursued? Very telling that the first thing he does after finding you is to have sex with you. You're smarter than this."

"Stop."

He shook his head in disappointment. "Why do you keep letting him manipulate you? What hold does he have over you that makes you throw caution to the wind and run to him the moment he shows up? That's what happened, right? How long did it take him to get you into bed?"

Luisa averted her gaze, turning partially away from him. "Look, Charlie, you can say whatever you want, but this isn't about you. I love Seokjin. I'm sorry if I misled you, but I've never stopped loving him. Even when I thought he betrayed me, I always hoped it wasn't true. He may have used some lies to find me, but he did, and he loves me. I believe him. I wish with all my heart you hadn't found out like this, but now that you know, I guess this is the end."

He stared at her, his expression crumpling with despair. "Luli, I thought you were giving me another chance. I've tried to be the man you deserve. I've apologized for my past mistakes. I thought you could see how sincere I am. What about me? I love you. I've been here for you for two years. Did you ever really give me a chance? And now? What do I do?"

Luisa bit her lip, regret flooding her heart. "I'm sorry. I really am. Charlie, I appreciate everything you've done for me. Your support meant the world during such a rough time. You were...you are a good friend, and I'm grateful for that."

"Friend?" he echoed, disbelief lacing his voice. "After two years, you can only call me a friend? You can't be serious! You're willing to throw everything we've built together away after one quickie with Seokjin?" He shook his head in frustration. "No, you're better than this. Don't let him change who you are. What if it doesn't work out?"

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, her brow furrowing.

His gaze held hers with intensity. "What if he leaves you again? What if another woman comes into the picture? Can you imagine how that would feel? I care about you too much to wish you anything less than happiness, but I refuse to be the one picking up the pieces again. If you choose him, I'll walk away from your life." He paused, a bitter edge creeping into his voice. "Not that it would matter to you anyway."

"Charlie, please don't say that," she replied softly, her eyes reflecting regret. "I truly am sorry, but you need to understand—happiness is so fleeting and elusive. I have to seize this opportunity. I don't want to look back one day filled with regret. I need to try and make this work." She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him in a tender hug. "And if it doesn't, at least I'll know that I tried. I promise not to put any expectations on you, but I hope that one day, you might still want to be my friend. And now, I have to go." She pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek before making her way to the door.

"I'll pick up my things tonight and take care of my share of the room," she said, her back turned to him. "Please try to forgive me. Goodbye." With that, she exited, shutting the door softly behind her.

He stood there, staring at the closed door for several long moments before turning toward the bedroom. He sank onto the bed, despondent, his gaze lost in the emptiness around him.