The night we first met, Taehyung POV

Her glassy sorrowful orbs caught me off guard.
So far, I'd only observed from a distance when she was out & about with Hana or her father. I had expected to meet an arrogant spoiled brat, but she was nothing like it.
And she's so fucking gorgeous up close. Pure & charming like a white daisy, yet fiery & feisty like a seething spark of fire in a dry meadow.
An immediate attraction overwhelmed me.
Remember your purpose. She's the daughter of that monster.
But my wall broke down when she shocked me to the core by saying..
"Please help me lose my virginity."
The cig in my hand dropped to the floor as I gaped at her in disbelief.
Did she really just say that?
Seeing my stunned reaction, she retreated. But before she fully regretted her decision, I smashed my lips onto hers.
Lust overcame me. She affected me more than any women I'd slept with had done before. It was definitely the best sex I had ever had in a long time.
I only realized what I had done after I'd come down from the high. And Hana's frown instantly flashed in my mind.
What the hell have I done?
She was hurry to escape, but I couldn't let her go just yet. So I said all the right things, trying to lure her even deeper.
I need her for my plan.
However, deep down I knew that it was only an excuse. I was the one who got hooked by her.

The day we went to the secret beach

The evening leading to my first visit to Y/n's house
"What was that about? Girlfriend? You asked her to be your girlfriend?!" Hana asked as soon as she stepped into my apartment, slamming the door behind her.
"It was all an act." I calmly replied & continued eating my dinner.
"Oh really? Do you know how much it hurt me when I saw you kissing her?! And you even gave her a phone?"
"I'm sorry."
"Tell me, how much of this is actually an act, because I feel like you're starting to develop real feelings for her." The hint of truth in her accusation stabbed through the center of my heart.
"I'm not." I flatly answered.
"Taehyung aaah, can you please not do this to me? I still have my mother to take care of. If I lose my job, how will I pay for the hospital fee? And if I lose you too, I'll go crazy!" She plopped down beside me & begged, urgency filling her voice.
"I need you to do one thing for me." I turned to her, ignoring her plead on purpose.
"What?" She eyed me suspiciously.
"I need you to tell me how to turn off the alarm & cameras at Kang sajang's house. I'm going to visit her tonight."
"What?! No! Uh uh, there's no way I'm going to do that. What if she suspects you of wanting to take advantage of her & tells her father? It's one thing breaking Y/n's heart, but breaking into their house is a legitimate crime! We could go to jail for that!" She abruptly stood up & flailed her hands in the air.
"I've gained her complete trust, she won't do such thing to me. So, I'll take this chance & search their house for any evidence. Didn't you say that you wanted me to get this done as soon as possible? I'm trying to do just that, so help me." I tried to convince her.
"Fine. I'll help you this time, but it will be the last time I'm helping you. Do you hear me?" She reluctantly agreed in the end.
"Thank you Hana ya." I pulled her into my embrace & stroked her head.
"I love you so much Taehyung ah. I can't lose you." She muttered into my chest.
"Me too. Me too." I said as I crossed my fingers inwardly.

The evening leading to my second visit to Y/n's house
Hana's piercing stare made me feel extremely uncomfortable. Nonetheless, I tried to act nonchalant.
"So you need to go to see her again tonight because you hadn't found what you were looking for last night?" She finally opened her mouth & asked.
"Yes. His office was locked so I couldn't get inside." I answered truthfully.
After Y/n fell asleep, I searched around the house & found Kang sajangnim's office. Unfortunately, the door was locked so I came home empty-handed.
She looked at me for a long moment before pulling out a tiny vial from her pocket.
"Use this on her tonight." She said as she put the small glass bottle on the table.
"What's this?" I took the vial & observed the clear liquid inside it.
"It's a heavy dose of sedatives which I stole from the hospital. Mix the whole vial into her drink & she will go straight to heaven. Or hell." She smirked.
"What?! Are you telling me to kill her?! Are you crazy?!" I quickly throw the vial back onto the table like it was hot coal.
"This is the fastest way to get your revenge! I can't do this anymore. Sajangnim has hired a new bodyguard slash assistant for Y/n. I'm sure he does it because he's suspicious of me. There's too much at risk Taehyung ah. Just end this now." Her brows knitted into a deep furrow.
Kill Y/n? Can I do that? She's the daughter of the person I hate the most after all.
"Are you going to do it?" Hana's question snapped me out of my thought.
"Alright, I'll do it." I agreed despite my heart screaming no.

Present, Taehyung POV
"Hana ya, you came." I smile in relief & motion to hug her.
"Don't. Just say what you need to say." She puts her palms up & backs away.
"Look, I'm sorry ok? I didn't mean all those words I said last night. Please forgive me. You're the only one for me Hana ya." I earnestly plead.
She stares at me with suspicious eyes, a deep frown furrowing her brows.
"I don't believe you. I think you're only apologizing because you still need my help." She says after a minute of silence.
"What should I do to make you believe me?!" I exclaim in frustration.
"Tell me you love me."
I instantly freeze at her request.
"Why? You can't do that, can you? You've never even said 'I love you' back every time I say that to you. You lied to me when you said it to me the first & only time, didn't you?" The whimper in her voice & tears in her eyes make me feel even guiltier than I already do.
"I don't say it often doesn't mean that it's not true." I look away & clench my jaws.
"Then say it now. Look into my eyes & say it." She demands.
I sigh heavily & look right into her eyes.
"I love you." Ignoring the uncomfortable stir in my heart, I cup her face & kiss her.
Her cold lips feel so familiar yet foreign.
I wish she were Y/n.
The thought pops out of nowhere inside my head & takes me by surprise. My eyes snap open immediately as I push her away.
"Do you believe me now?" I ask, itching to wipe her saliva off my lips.
"Alright. I'm going to believe you one last time. If you do anything that angers me again, I'll go straight to Kang sajangnim & tell him everything." She threatens & I know she means every single word from the look in her eyes.
"I promise I'll be faithful to you." I reply with a heavy heart.
"Good. Now leave before someone sees us. We'll talk about our next plan tonight." She flatly commands.
"Ok. See you later." I force a smile on my lips & walk away.
My heart sinks deeper with each step. Without realizing, she's gotten the upper hand & control over me.
What should I do with her after all of this has ended? Should I force myself to love her? Or should I leave & break her heart?

Jimin POV
Wait.. That man.. Kim Taehyung? He & Hana are together?
Hana turns towards my direction once Taehyung is gone. Our eyes meet instantly & I can see the panic in her eyes.
"J-Jimin ssi, how long have you been standing there?" She stutters.
"Long enough. Who's that man?" I ask nonchalantly.
"H-He's.. He's just someone I know." Her eyes roll frantically left & right as she tries to find a plausible explanation yet fails miserably.
"Oh really? Do you kiss every man you know? Then will you kiss me too?" I chuckle sarcastically.
"Fine. He's my boyfriend & it's none of your business who I am kissing." She glares at me, turning her shame into anger.
"Of course it's my business because he's Kim Taehyung." I scoff.
Blood drains from her face, her eyes widened in shock, as soon as I mention the name.
"H-How do you know who he is?"
"Kang sajangnim told me that there was a guy who attended the same church as him & he got on his nerves, so he asked me to do some background checks on the guy & his name is Kim Taehyung. What are you doing with him? Are you planning something indecent towards Kang sajangnim or Miss Y/n?"
"N-No. It's pure coincidence that he goes to the same church as Kang sajangnim." Hana averts her gaze & replies stubbornly.
"Oh ok then. If you don't want to tell me, I'll call Kang sajang right now & tell him about what I saw earlier." I fish out my phone & throw an empty threat at her.
Luckily, she takes the bait & frantically stops me from dialing.
"Wait! Ok ok, I'll tell you, but you need to promise me not to tell anyone about this."
"I'm listening." I put my phone back into my pocket & cross my arms.
"We plan to extort some money from Miss Y/n to pay for my mother's hospital fee. I told Taehyung to approach Miss Y/n, make her fall for him, & then ask her to give him money. Well, she hasn't given us any money so far, so really no harm has been done. That's why there's no need to tell Kang sajangnim about this." She explains.
"No harm has been done? You're playing with someone's heart! She'll be devastated if she knows that you & Taehyung are only using her for money!" I exclaim incredulously at her shameless defense.
"I know! I know that what we do is wrong. But what else am I supposed to do? I need money to pay for my mother's mountainous bill. I've tried asking for a loan from Kang sajang, but he only laughed at me saying that it wasn't his problem. Please don't report me. You know how cruel he is. He'll kill me on the spot, then who will take care of my mother?" She kneels down & begs as tears flood her face.
I'm not sure whether I should trust her, but her desperate cry makes me feel pity on her. Plus, her reason does sound plausible because I've experienced first hand how inhuman Kang sajangnim can be.
"Ok. I won't tell on you but you need to promise me to stop whatever you're doing. Tell Kim Taehyung to stop approaching Miss Y/n. Don't ever come anywhere near her again. Do you understand me?" I finally relent.
"I promise. Thank you Jimin ssi. Thank you so much." She holds my hands & shakes them in gratitude.
"Now get up. Keep your word & pretend that nothing happened. Miss Y/n was looking for you so you better go find her now." I pull her up & say.
"O-Ok." She wipes away her tears, straightens herself & walks back to the library.
Her steps halt when she realizes that I'm not coming with her.
"Aren't you coming?" She asks in suspicion.
"I'm going to tell the driver to wait for us at the gate since it's almost time to go back to the mansion. You go ahead first."
"Oh, alright." She hesitantly nods & continues walking.
Once she is out of ear shot, I pull out my phone & dials the first number on my speed dial.
"Hello?" The man on the other side picks up the call after five rings.
"Sajangnim, I've found out why Kim Taehyung approaches Miss Y/n."
"Is it because of money?" He asks, voice as cold as steel.
"I believe so."
"Ok. Good job. Keep your eyes open & report back to me if you've found anything else."
"Yes, sajangnim."
I huff as I put my phone back into my pocket.
Kim Taehyung, you're messing with the wrong person. I have no choice but to expose you now before you hurt Y/n even further.

Flashback, Jimin POV
Looking up at the tall building in front of me, I took a deep breath & braced myself.
Let's do this.
I stepped into the fancy lobby & let the receptionist usher me up to the top floor.
"Kang sajangnim, Park Jimin ssi is here." His secretary knocked on his door & announced.
I'd imagined a scary-looking man with a permanent scowl on his face, but the real Kang Jihwan looked nothing like that. The middle-aged man sitting behind the huge mahogany table looked so handsome that I almost forgot about his preceding vile reputation.
"Welcome." He smiled charmingly at me & I was immediately taken aback by how open & friendly he was.
"Annyeong hashimnikka Kang sajangnim." I bowed ninety-degrees at him.
"Please sit down & make yourself comfortable." He signaled me to sit across him.
Cold sweat began to perspire on my temples as I was suddenly attacked by anxiety. Yet, I persisted & kept my calm mask on.
"You told me on the phone last week that you're Park Dongil's son? Is that right?"
"Yes. Park Dongil is my father. He passed away six months ago due to lung cancer. Before he did, he told me to come find you if I ever need to get a job. He said that he'd worked for you for a long time & that you were an excellent employer. I graduated last month & had trouble of finding a well-paying job, so I thought of my father's last words & called you."
"Oh, he'd passed away? I'm so sorry to hear that. If I had known, I would've visited him one last time. Do you have any picture of him? He did work for me for many years but I'm so old already that I can't clearly remember his face." He smiled apologetically, but I could sense the underlying suspicion in his tone.
"Certainly. Here's a picture I took with him before his condition worsened." I unlocked my phone & showed him a picture of me & my father.
"Ahh yes. I remember him now. He was a very loyal employee." He acted like he just remembered about my father after he'd seen the picture.
Father was right. This man is a very good actor. There's no way that he would forget about my father after what my father had done for him.
"Actually, you come right on time. I was looking for an assistant/body guard for my daughter. With your black belt in karate, I think you are well qualified for the job. So if you want to, you can start working right away." He offered.
"Of course, I would love to. Thank you very much Sajangnim." I stood up & bowed at him.
"Hahaha. What a polite young man. I like you already. My secretary will tell you the details, so you can go talk to her now." He laughed heartily & patted my back firmly.
"Yes, Sajangnim. Again, thank you for this opportunity. I promise I won't disappoint you." I bowed again & excused myself.
Just when I was about to step out of his office, he called out again.
"Btw Jimin ah.. Did your father say anything about me?" He asked smilingly, but his smile didn't reach his eyes & his gaze was overlaid with worry.
"He only told me that you were a responsible employer & a very good friend. That's all."
"Ah, ok then. Go on. I'll see you again soon." He dismissed me.
I scoffed silently once I was out of his office.
What did my father say about you? Oh he told me plenty, including how you forced him to cover up the atrocious crime that you did to your own family.

Flashback, Jimin POV
My heart pounded in my ears as I stepped into Kang sajangnim's office on my first day of work.
Am I really doing this? I am. I have to.
"Annyeong hashimnikka, Kang sajangnim." I bowed at him once his secretary let me in.
"Ah Jimin ah. Please sit down." He smiled at me.
I obediently sat down across him with my back as straight as a ramrod.
"I need to tell you a few things before you start today, but please remember that what's said here cannot leave this room." Gone was his friendly smile, replaced by a stern expression.
"Yes, Sajangnim." I nodded.
"Well.. This is embarrassing, so I'm actually very reluctant to tell you this. My daughter is involved with a scoundrel named Kim Taehyung. He is an infamous tattoo artist who's slept with half of the women in this town. I saw them having a secret meeting after church a few days ago, yet my foolish daughter doesn't know that. She thinks that I'm completely clueless about her little scandalous affair. Last night, someone broke into our house & I have a hunch that it was him. However, he somehow managed to turn off all the security cameras & nothing was missing, so I have no proof. Thus, I installed a few hidden cameras that are not connected to the main system just in case he comes back again."
"Why haven't you exposed them? Aren't you afraid that she would get hurt?" I treaded carefully.
"Bumping with her head to head will only make her hate me. I should let him break her heart, which he will definitely do, so that she would give up & realize that I'm the only one who truly wants the best for her. However, I'm anxious about why he approaches her. I've done background checks on him but I still can't figure him out. Maybe he does this for money. I'm sure it's not because he genuinely likes her. So, I want you to help me find out why Kim Taehyung is interested in my daughter & make sure he doesn't go overboard. I entrust my daughter's safety in your hand Jimin ah. Don't disappoint me. Prove it to me that you're as capable as your late father."
"Yes, Sajangnim." I readily nodded.
"Good. Hana will pick you up soon & meet my daughter at the hospital she's volunteering at. Ah, speaking of Hana.. I'm suspicious of her, so please keep an eye on her as well." He added.
"I understand, Sajangnim. Thank you for trusting me."
"I'm counting on you Jimin ah. Now go."
Millions of thoughts ran through my mind as I waited for Hana at the lobby.
Why didn't he expose them? He could've caught them red-handed. Is he scared of repeating the same mistake he did 18 years ago? If this Taehyung guy does have bad intention towards Y/n, what should I do?
"Park Jimin ssi?" A female voice broke my train of thoughts.
"Yes?" I turned sideways & found a petite brown-haired woman looking back at me.
She must be Hana.
"I'm Jang Hana, Miss Y/n's assistant. Kim secretary told me that you are Miss Y/n's new assistant?" The underlying annoyance in her voice didn't escape me, despite her flat expression.
"Yes, I am. Kang sajangnim assigned me himself. So, shall we go now? I was told that we need to pick Miss Y/n up at the hospital."
"Yes. Follow me." Her cold attitude was expected, so I wasn't the least bit bothered by it.
She seems displeased with my sudden appearance. Does she have a hidden agenda? Is she someone to trust or to stay away from?
Soon, we arrived at the hospital & I trailed behind Hana to look for Y/n. When we finally found her & I saw her in person, I was deemed speechless.
She looks so much like her mother.
Her instant dislike towards me was obvious. Understandable, because she most likely thought that I was just another of her father's dog.
After she dismissed me, I went straight to the security control room & checked the CCTVs. All of them were working properly, including the new hidden ones that Kang sajangnim had installed.
I almost dozed off watching the motionless screens, when all of a sudden all of the main cameras shut down by themselves, except for the new ones.
My drowsiness was gone in an instant. I intently stared at the huge monitor & a few minutes later Kim Taehyung appeared in one of the screens.
"So it is him.."
I followed his movement until he disappeared into Y/n's room.
"Shit. What should I do now? There's no camera in her room." Anxiety washed over me.
After much contemplation, I decided to go to her room & listened to their conversation from the outside.
Hastily, I rushed stealthily towards her room & stuck my ear onto the wooden door, trying to eavesdrop to their conversation. Nevertheless, the door was too thick so I could only make out laughters & giggles, not decipherable words.
It sounds like they're just talking & laughing. Should I barge in now? But if I do, Y/n will hate me even more & will never ever trust me.
Thus, I entered the room next door & waited.
Half an hour later, Y/n's door clicked open & I quickly took a peek outside.
Taehyung was tiptoeing down the corridor.
I quietly followed him from behind, maintaining a safe distance, & hid myself behind a pillar when I saw him entering Kang sajangnim's office.
What is he doing there? Is he trying to steal something? Wait. Maybe.. I should take something from Sajangnim's office & use him as a scapegoat. That way, Y/n would think that he's a thief & stop seeing him.
I took a deep breath & walked into the office. He was nowhere to be seen. The window on the far side of the room was opened though.
Maybe he escaped through the window when he heard my footsteps.
I scanned around the dark room & rummaged through the cupboards, looking for something worth stealing, & my eyes landed on a watch that was lying inside one of the drawers.
"Hmm.. this will do. Let's see how she reacts tomorrow."

The baffled & restless expression on her face the next morning when she heard about the missing watch caused me to think that I had successfully made her believe that Taehyung was a thief.
To my surprise, my triumphant feeling was burnt down to ash a few hours later when i saw her running away from school.
Where is she going?She didn't even care that I saw her. Is she- Is she going to Taehyung's place?
Does she not realize that he might have poisoned her? Doesn't she believe that he was the one who stole the watch?
I ran with all my might & chased after her.
"Ajusshi, please follow that taxi in front." I said to the cab driver.
And indeed, she went to his tattoo shop.
That was when I realized that she'd fallen under his spell much deeper than I thought, that this wasn't just a spur-of-the-moment fling, that she was willing to put a lot on the line for him, which made things a lot more complicated.
I immediately rushed back to the university before she did & waited for her like nothing happened.
Still not sure about what Hana knew & whose side she was on, I helped Y/n cover up her disappearance, saying that she went to see Professor Kim.
She was surprised at my action, but I pretended that I was clueless & innocent. Fortunately, she bought my act.
I need to slowly gain her trust for my plan to work.