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(Seo-rin's POV)
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The next morning, the tray outside her door wasn't locked inside.
And the door?
It clicked open.
Seo-rin stepped back instinctively — wary. Confused.
Was this a mistake? A trap?
Then he appeared.
Jae-hyun.
Not in a suit. Not with a weapon. Just a black sweater, dark pants, and that same unshakable calm.
"Get dressed."
Her heart jumped. "Why?"
"We're going for a walk."
She stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "A… walk?"
"In the garden. You've been locked in that room long enough."
A pause.
"Let's see what you do with a little freedom."
There it was. The test.
---
Minutes later, she followed him through the halls of a private mansion that felt more like a museum — cold walls, no family portraits, just silence and shadows.
But the garden…
It was stunning.
Tall hedges. Marble statues. Pale roses blooming in the early sun.
Seo-rin blinked at the unexpected beauty.
This place doesn't match him.
"Why are you showing me this?" she asked quietly.
Jae-hyun didn't look at her. "Because I want to see if you'll run."
There it was.
He was giving her the illusion of freedom — just to see if she'd take the bait.
Seo-rin met his gaze. "What happens if I do?"
"I'll catch you."
Simple. Final.
"And if I don't?"
"Then you're smarter than most."
---
She didn't run.
Instead, she walked the path beside him. Silent. Strong. Choosing dignity over desperation.
That seemed to… amuse him.
"You're not like other people," he muttered.
Seo-rin glanced at him. "What are other people to you?"
He stopped walking. Turned to face her fully.
"Weak. Predictable. Breakable."
"And me?"
His eyes met hers — dark and unreadable.
"You're something else."
---
For a moment, neither of them moved.
And Seo-rin realized something terrifying:
This wasn't just a game anymore.
He was watching her. Learning her.
Not just to control her…
But because something about her made him forget how cold he was supposed to be.
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