*Few Moments Ago*

Orea went rigid with fear when she heard footsteps outside the washroom. Her heart beat palpated and she was sweating. Was she caught? Sam Cheng must have discovered her!

​​

"Oi!" Myung's annoyed voice came from outside. "Dinner is here. How long will you take to come out? I'm hungry!"

Orea let out a sigh of relief. She opened the door and quickly got out. "I was just talking to my brother," she said in a soft tone, looking down in an attempt to hide her nervousness. "I felt that there would be cameras around the house and it made me very uncomfortable."

Myung rolled his eyes. "If it was someone else, I'd have thought they were planning a terror attack," he sneered.

Orea did not reply but followed him to his room. From the corner of her eye, she saw Sam's silhouette was climbing the staircase so she quickly entered Myung's room with him and sat in front of his desk. She smoothed out her expressions, masking her fear under that of teenage curiosity and seriousness.

Myung did not suspect a thing and he went on to explain the different parts of a hotel. She was listening intently to his words, pushing away all ominous thoughts. Her face contorted into that of a student genuinely learning from a peer.

It was a basic rule of survival in her world. If you want to hide your true feelings during an undercover mission then immerse yourself completely in the role to the point that you would forget your own identity until you dig it out again.

….

*Present*

"I think we should design the guest check-in system first," Orea was saying to Myung as she drew on a paper. Suddenly, the door burst open and Sam barged in.

"Young Master, you asked for-" he was saying but Myung threw him a dirty look.

"Don't you know how to knock?" he sneered in annoyance. They were engrossed in their work and Sam's disturbance broke his concentration.

SD and Sunye turned up behind Sam, looking bewildered. Sunye was surprised to see Orea with Myung while SD was expressionless. Sam looked down in shame.

"I was told that you were facing a faulty light," he gritted.

"My lights are fine!" Myung snapped.

"Mr. Cheng must have mistaken my words," Sunye said. "When I said Young Master, I meant Jonghyun. A light in his room was flickering badly so he asked me to have you check it. He's staying here overnight so he'll need to be comfortable."

"It happens," SD chimed in. "Mr. Cheng has so many duties to attend to. He must have misheard you."

Sam did not respond but glared at Sunye in suspicion. Sunye did not flinch but stared back at him with her cold eyes, not showing a hint of fear. In her mind, she was protecting a minor from possible persecution by a predator. Why should she be afraid?

"Yes ma'am," he said with a low bow before heading off towards Jonghyun's bedroom.

SD and Sunye watched him leave. The tension they felt had lessened but they did not dare to let out a sigh. Myung was irritated by the intruders.

"If you two are done spying on us," he said loudly. "Then leave."

If SD was not playing his part, he would have probably used his words to put the brat to his place. But seeing Orea safe was the bigger relief. He nodded and backed off, followed by Sunye.

"What were you doing?" Sunye muttered as they descended the stairs but SD did not reply. He stayed quiet, walking fast so that she was left behind. Sunye got the hint that the cameras were probably watching them. If SD was caught, she would also be painted as an unwitting accomplice to his plan. She quietly followed him from a distance as he entered the dining hall once again.

"Ah Ms. Han and Mr. Kim!" Lee exclaimed. "We're about to start dessert."

"I'm not fond of sweets," Sunye said sheepishly. "I received a call from my assistant lawyer for the Shin Hyun case and he sent me some of his findings. I'm sorry but can I leave early for tonight?"

"But it's too early!" Lee laughed. "Are you sure you don't want to stay back for dessert?"

"Thank you very much but I really should get going," Sunye said with a stiff smile. "After all, I want to win this case too."

Lee nodded, understanding the implication of her words. Jonghyun stood up.

"I'll drop you off," he offered but Sunye shook her head.

"You should be with your family, so Secretary Kim can drop me off," she said. "Besides, he was also mentioning on the way that he had some work at the office."

"He did?" Jonghyun frowned.

"Of course he must have some work, Jong," Hyeri quipped. "After all, he's a Secretary of the Prime Minister's adoptive son! I was wondering why he came to the dinner, leaving so much work behind…"

Her condescending tone had not gone amiss. SD wanted to roll his eyes and laugh at her. If he wanted, he could have revealed information on her which could ruin her whole career but where was the fun in that? He would rather watch his prey eat and get bigger until he decided to cut it down to roast it.

He smiled and bowed. "I will take to finish them on time," he said.

Jonghyun was a little unsettled. For some reason, he was unwilling to let Sunye go with Haein. Even though they kept a formal relationship, there was something wrong in their dynamic. SD noted the change in his expression which was not surprising to him at all.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Sunye said, pretending to remember something. "Myung's friend...I forgot her name...shouldn't we drop her off home as well? After all, it's quite late at night and she might need a lift."

"Myung and his friend are probably busy," Hyeri stated in a bored tone. "They'll take a while to complete their work. I'll have my driver Youngdo drop her off."

Sunye was uncertain and wanted to protest but SD stepped in. "Shall we go, ma'am?" he asked.

She noted that he subtly shook his head so that only she could see. Did Orea have a backup plan? How was she going to leave the house?

"O-okay," she agreed. Jonghyun followed them, insisting to drop them off till the front gate. Sunye put her coat around her and walked alongside Jonghyun while SD was a few steps behind them. She wanted to ask him many things but with Jonghyun around, it was getting difficult. Her eyes kept on glancing his way as they made their way through the highly secured garden.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off home?" Jonghyun asked.

"I'm fine!" she assured him. "H-Haein can drop me off."

She smiled and tried to look calm but Jonghyun noted that she was calling his secretary by his first name. He did not comment on it but stepped aside to let her enter the car. Sunye got into the backseat while SD sat in the driver's spot. A guard handed them their phones before stepping back. Sunye waved at Jonghyun as they drove off, leaving him behind.

Jonghyun watched the car leave with a heavy heart. Why was he feeling this way? It was not an alien feeling to him. It was as if time had turned backwards and he was a little boy again who was watching another little girl of his age in the garden.

He stood at one of the towers, watching her from afar. She was picking up pebbles from the ground and playing with it, a smile etched on her innocent face. He wanted to go and play with her as well but then, another boy came into the view. The boy had the same dark hair and eyes as him. They had similar features, so much so that they were each other's shadows. No one could tell them apart unless an eagle eye courtier was present. But even then, they were not allowed to say it out loud.

He watched them play together, rage and jealousy writhing within him. I'm the Crown Prince! He yelled in his head. And yet...yet...why is she with him?

His heart held nothing but hatred for his other self. No matter how much they looked alike, Kim San was supposed to be the center of attention. The Crown Prince and future ruler. Then why was his shadow snatching away his one and only friend?

As he stood on the lonely road outside the mansion, he felt as if someone had ripped out his heart. He only felt this way whenever she was with...him.

Jonghyun let out an ironic laugh. These feelings of jealousy towards his own secretary were irrational and nonsensical. But when it came to Sunye, he was resentful of every guy around her. Especially of him...the other Kim San.

"Even in death, you're coming between us," he lamented. "Why don't you die already?"

….

"Pull over," Sunye suddenly demanded.

"Why?" SD frowned. "We're not near your house yet."

"Ugh! Just do it!"

SD complied and pulled over to the side of the road. Sunye got out of the backseat and took the front seat next to him instead.

"What happened?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Before Sunye could reply, her stomach answered for her with a loud grumble. She was embarrassed to admit it to him but she was terribly hungry.

"Ahh," he grinned. "Sexy lawyer is hungry. What do you want? Italian? Chinese? Or your favorite, Japanese?"

"Anywhere cheap," she groaned. "I don't want to see another lavish food because the mansion made me feel stuffy. Let's just eat at a place where it's not so...stuffy!"

"I know just the place," SD claimed, feeling self important. "Then again, I don't mind if you eat off me. Or…"

He flashed a seductive smile which made Sunye's heart beat fasten. "You can even eat me if you want," he winked. "My exes said that I taste like cinnamon-"

"Just drive!" she yelled.