I find myself back here, huh?

Jonghyun was staring at the apartment building in front of him. He was driving around aimlessly all day, unsure of where to go or what to do. No matter what he did, it was not good enough. Both the Company and the Prime Minister were using him for their own gains while he was stuck as their pawn. They wanted to keep him as their bargaining chip, not letting him go nor allow him to live. His mind was drifting here and there like an aimless boat, seeing no destination before him.

​​

And yet, he somehow ended up at her place. Where Sunye lived.

He took out his phone and dialed her number but to his surprise, she was not picking it up. That was unusual because Sunye always picked up her phone if it rang. If she was engaged with work, she would turn it off. But she was not answering this time.

Was she avoiding him?

It was past midnight but he doubted she was sleeping. Sunye had once mentioned that she had a habit of sleeping at 3 am because she worked on cases late at night. Which is why she woke up late in the morning and also went to work late.

"Is she alright?" he wondered. He hesitated to get out of the car and go upstairs. What if she became angry again for visiting her after hours?

Shaking his head, he decided to leave when he noticed a white BMW pulling up in front of her building. To his slight surprise, it was an X5, one of the most expensive models of the car. Only a handful of people in the country could afford it. And he was even more shocked to see Sunye stepping out of it. But it was not the usually formal and modest Sunye he was used to.

She wore a floral dress and even put on a bit of makeup. She did not notice him but was fixing her hair.

Inside the X5, SD was about to drive away when he noticed a familiar Maybach parked near the building.

Son of a bitch, he's here? SD cursed in his head. Then an idea hit him and he decided that he could have some fun with his dear brother. Reaching over to the dashboard, he opened the drawer and took out a jacket along with a pair of shades. He wore the jacket, put on the hoodie and shades before sprinting out of the car.

"Sunye!"

She stopped in her steps and was surprised to see the SD had put on shades and hoodie. Before she could ask, he grabbed her cheeks and leaned closer but stopped short of kissing her.

"Your boss is here again," he muttered. Sunye frowned and glanced over his shoulder and noticed the Maybach which belonged to Jonghyun. Meanwhile inside that car, Jonghyun's nostrils flared.

He saw a hooded man approach her and was standing too close to her. Who was he and how was he related to Han Sunye?

"What is this?" he muttered under his breath. Clutching the steering wheel, he wanted to get out of the car and punch the man for daring to stand so close to her. She would never let a stranger touch her like that! Was she being intimidated by him? Was he harassing her?

Jonghyun put his hand on the door, about to open it.

"Your boss seems to be having fun stalking you," SD sighed. "I'm jealous."

Sunye gritted her teeth at the thought that Jonghyun would not take no for an answer. His persistence was now becoming unsettling for her and this needed to stop.

"Time to shake him off my back then," Sunye whispered. SD was about to ask what she meant but to his pleasant surprise, she stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss squarely on his lips. Jonghyun, who had just gotten out of the car, stopped in his tracks.

He glared at the couple who were kissing out in the open and to his displeasure, it was Sunye who kissed the man. He clenched his fists and a fiery anger was burning in his heart. The hooded man was now kissing her back with more passion and they looked like a couple undeniably in love with a crackling chemistry which Jonghyun could only dream of having with Sunye.

That was supposed to be me...he thought in his mind. I was supposed to be the one kissing her. I should be the one to hold her in my arms and make love to her. Then why…

His gaze was fixed on the couple who were lost in their own world. They had finally broken apart and the man was whispering something in her ears.

"When I move back, look at me and giggle," SD murmured in Sunye's ears. He slowly pulled back and she pretended to giggle. They did not even glance at Jonghyun and yet, their actions were provoking him. Even Sunye was not sure why she was needling the poor guy but she knew he deserved it for his useless pursuit.

She did not like him romantically and never will. But if he kept on acting like a possessive boyfriend, she would like him even less as a human being.

"Good girl," SD winked and kissed her cheek. He moved back and retraced his steps towards the car, hiding his face. Sunye waved him goodbye, still pretending not to have noticed Jonghyun. She turned around and entered her building while SD drove off, the dark windows of his car hiding him.

Jonghyun turned away to hide his face, thinking that they did not notice him. But the image of Sunye laughing and kissing another guy was haunting him, eating his soul from the inside. The thought of her being with someone else was torturing him, making him go insane but he had to control his temper.

Taking out his phone, he dialed Haein's number.

SD had taken a detour. Instead of taking the usual route home, he was passing through the highway, using a longer route to throw off Jonghyun in case the latter was following him. Thankfully, his brother was too shocked to think so his identity as Sunye's mysterious lover was safe.

SD was whistling freely, feeling jovial. For the first time in many years, he took a break and spent a day with the woman he loved. He was in seventh heaven and if he could relive the day again and again, he would gladly do that.

Then something caught his eye. It was a small piece of cloth which was left behind by his little minx. Her satin bra. There was even a note on it.

Stopping the car, he picked up the bra and the note.

"Think of this as a tip on your payment," he read. "Thank you for the date."

BA DAM!

SD felt his heart beat so rapidly that it would probably explode. Was it really his lucky day?

"Sadist Sunye," he smirked and kept the bra in his pocket, tucking it away safely.

CRING!

Something was ringing. "Agh! Who's disturbing my peace?" he asked in annoyance.

Reaching over, he opened the dashboard to find it was his other phone. He used this one to operate the activities of his 'Haein' persona.

"Aish! Bosses really don't let their secretaries live in peace!" he complained when he saw Jonghyun's name on the caller ID. "I'll ask for a pay rise from the HR."

He answered the call. "Hello sir," he greeted.

"I want you to investigate Han Sunye," Jonghyun instructed. "The people she meets, her friends, anyone she's dating."

He paused before adding, "Who is she dating and his identity. I want it all. Understand?"

SD shook his head in disbelief. Even after witnessing that fiery kiss, he wanted to know the identity of Sunye's secret lover and that too from the lover himself. How ironic.

Who knew a day will come when I'll be digging out information on myself, he thought in amusement.

"I'll try my best sir," SD replied out loud.

"Also, from now on, you'll be accompanying Sunye in all her official trips," Jonghyun went on. "I want you to report to me about all her activities and all the people she meets for work. Got it?"

We should hire him in the Light, SD sighed, shaking his head. He'd make a good spy.

"Yes sir," he said out loud. "I'll do that."

Jonghyun nodded and hung up. He glanced at the building, wondering if Sunye had slept yet. She was out with this guy all day without any inhibitions. What did they do? How far did they go? Did they sleep together already?

Haunting images of Sunye being intimate with that man was ripping out his heart. He had hoped that with his brother out of the way, he would finally have a chance with Sunye. If the Company had not kept him out of the country for so many years, he would have revealed himself as Kim San to her and they could have been together. Maybe even gotten married and had kids.

But now, she was in the arms of another man. Jonghyun slowly turned the key and revved up the engine.

It doesn't matter, he finally decided. Doesn't matter whom she kisses or dates. In the end, she'll end up by my side.

With that, he sped off, once again wandering aimlessly on the roads.

…..

That night, Sunye lay in bed, thinking about the day she spent with SD. The locket was still around her neck and she was fiddling with it as she reflected on the things they had shared. She slightly smiled, recalling the moment when he gifted her the locket. The way he looked at her, listened to her and answered all her unending questions without a thought made her happy.

Then she recalled something else. Picking her phone from the bedside table, she called Orea.

The teenager answered her after one ring.

"Sunye sis!" Orea greeted. "What's up?"

"Orea," she began. "That day when I was at your house, you sent me to SD's bathroom on purpose, am I right?"

There was a short pause before Orea replied, "You saw the medicines, too huh?"

"What are they for?" Sunye demanded. Orea took a deep breath. She sniffed on the other end, trying not to cry thinking about it.

"I'll tell you but please promise me that you won't let SD know that you're aware of his medicines," she pleaded. "He doesn't want you to know because it's his one big weakness. It'll only act as a handicap in his way and he doesn't want that."

"O...kay," Sunye said slowly. "What are those medicines for?"

"Years ago, SD had undergone an Iris transplant on his eyes," Orea revealed. "To turn his eye color blue. It's one of the riskiest surgeries in the world. The medicines he's taking are mere tools to delay the risks associated with this surgery. He's been relying on them for years but as time passes, the condition of his eyes are only deteriorating."

Sunye felt her hands shaking when she heard this. SD's eyes were...fake?

"What will happen if his condition worsens?" she whispered, her voice becoming shaky.

"He'll become blind," Orea replied, barely holding her tears.