The house was quiet except for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant patter of rain against the glass walls. Joon-hyuk loosened his tie as he entered the kitchen, his steps echoing faintly against the marble floor.
The chef had already prepared dinner before leaving — grilled salmon, steamed vegetables, perfectly plated. But the sight of it made his appetite vanish. He poured himself a glass of water instead, leaning on the counter.
Who was she texting?
He could still see her from earlier — sitting on the couch, hair falling over her face, smiling faintly at her phone like it was whispering secrets. He hadn't meant to notice, but every soft sound of her typing had grated on him more than he wanted to admit.
Finally, he gave up pretending not to care.
"Who were you texting?" he asked, voice low but firm.
Hye-rin looked up from the sofa, startled. "What?"
"You've been on your phone all evening," he said, crossing the room with slow, deliberate steps. "I'm just curious."
She frowned, setting her phone down. "Curious or suspicious?"
He stopped a few feet away, eyes narrowing. "Both."
"Fine," she said, arms crossed. "It was Choi Min-jae."
The silence that followed was heavy enough to fill the entire living room.
"Choi Min-jae," he repeated, tone flat. "My business rival."
"He's also a friend," she said calmly, though her pulse quickened. "And I'm allowed to talk to people, last I checked."
His jaw tightened. "You do realize his company produces the same tech we do, right? He's not exactly harmless."
Hye-rin let out a sharp laugh. "You think every man who talks to me has some hidden motive? You're not my boss right now, Joon-hyuk."
For a moment, his composure faltered — something raw flickered in his eyes before he looked away. "Just be careful," he muttered.
She sighed, picking her phone back up. "You really should eat before your food gets cold."
He didn't.
He just stood there, watching her fingers move across the screen again — and for the first time in years, Lee Joon-hyuk realized there was something worse than losing a deal.
Losing her attention.