Chapter 176
Lina
I didn't mean to overhear.
I woke up alone in the room, the cushions still warm where Emmaline had been sitting.
I heard voices. Raised. Sharp.
Emmaline's. And Jihun's.
I followed the sound.
I stood outside the office door, my hand hovering over the wood, and I listened.
I didn't mean to overhear.
But I did.
Now I hear Emmaline's heels clicking on the wooden floors of the hallway. Furious. Sharp. She walks past my hiding spot—I press myself against the wall, heart pounding—and doesn't see me.
She storms away.
I wait until her footsteps fade.
Then I rush back to the room, slip inside, and lie down on the cushions. Arrange my hair. Close my eyes. Slow my breathing.
Pretend to sleep.
A few moments later, I hear the door open. Soft footsteps. The creak of the floorboards.
He lies down behind me. His arm wraps around my waist. He pulls me close, his chest pressed to my back, his breath warm on my neck.
His arm tightens around me.
I pretend to sleep.
***
