The walk back to the villa was quiet, the kind of silence that carried too much meaning.
Their footsteps echoed against the path, the night air thick with unspoken tension. Se-hee walked a few steps behind them, sensing the heavy mood.
When they reached the front of the villa, Se-hee hesitated at the door.
"I'll head in first," she murmured, giving Hye-rin a small, knowing glance before disappearing inside.
Hye-rin stood there for a moment, then turned slightly toward him. "You didn't have to act like that, Mr. Lee," she said, her tone polite but edged.
He looked at her, brow lifting. "Like what?"
"Like that," she said almost hesitant now. "At the café. You made things uncomfortable."
"He's not just anyone," Joon-hyuk replied, his voice clipped. "He's a business rival."
Her fingers tightened around her bag strap. "It didn't feel like business," she murmured. "You seemed… angry."
"I wasn't angry."
"Then what were you?" the words trembling at the edge of restraint. "Because for a moment, it felt like—" She stopped herself, shaking her head. "Never mind."
His jaw tightened, the faintest crack in his calm. "You're misunderstanding."
"Maybe," she said, now relaxing her tone. "But whatever this is between us, it's not real. You don't have to act jealous for something that isn't real."
He went still. The word hung there, stinging.
She forced a small, practiced smile—the kind she used in meetings when she wanted to look unaffected. "Goodnight, Mr. Lee."
And with that, she turned and slipped inside, the door closing gently behind her.
Joon-hyuk stayed where he was, eyes fixed on the quiet villa.
The cool night breeze brushed past him, but the warmth of her words—or maybe the ache beneath them—refused to fade.