Chapter 16: Breathless Truths and Wall-Pressed Lies
Min-ho was waiting. He leaned against his black sedan outside the set, his silhouette dark and imposing against the evening sun. Clara was on the phone with Lukas, laughing at one of his dramatic stories, when she saw him. Her smile died instantly.
"Lukas, I'll call you back. Something's wrong," she whispered and hung up. She could feel the heat radiating from Min-ho even before he reached her. Without a word, he grabbed her wrist—not painfully, but with a firmness that left no room for argument—and pulled her into a quiet, deserted room on the set.
He slammed the door shut and pressed her against the cold wall. Before she could speak, his hands were on either side of her head, locking her in. He was so close she could feel the frantic beat of his heart.
"Ji-soo... what is going on?" His voice was a low growl. "Seo-yoon came to my office today. She said there is no Ji-soo. Not at Ariadne's office, not in this industry. Nowhere. I'm going to ask you one question, and you better not lie to me."
Clara's heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She was trembling, unable to look away from the raw intensity in his eyes.
"I don't care what Seo-yoon said," he continued, his face inches from hers. "I don't even care if you really work for Ariadne. All I want to know is... did our night in Busan mean nothing to you? I saw you with that 'perfect' Lukas. He kissed you. Are you two together? Are you just playing with me?"
Clara gasped. She had expected him to demand her ID or fire her. Instead, this powerful man was standing there, stripped of his pride, only caring about her heart.
Silence stretched between them, heavy and suffocating. Clara's mind raced. Should she tell him? Tell him she was Ariadne? Tell him about her ex-husband and why she was hiding in the shadows? She wavered between the safety of a lie and the danger of the truth.
"No," she finally whispered. "Lukas and I... we aren't together. He didn't kiss me; he was just protecting me. And no, I'm not playing with you. My feelings are real." She swallowed hard, looking down at his lips. "Busan... I ran because I was scared. I—"
She didn't get to finish. Min-ho let his entire weight fall against her, his mouth crashing onto hers. It wasn't a gentle kiss; it was a hungry, desperate claim. He drank her in, needing the confirmation that she belonged to him.
Clara's fear evaporated, replaced by a surge of pure passion. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer until there was no air left between them. He pressed his thigh between her legs, pinning her against the wall as the kiss deepened, his tongue tasting like velvet and fire.
It was more than a kiss; it was a promise. A feverish prelude that demanded more.
"Mr. Min-ho? Boss? Where are you? The meeting starts in five minutes!"
Mr. Kim's voice drifted through the door. "I know you're in here somewhere! I saw your car!"
Min-ho broke the kiss, resting his forehead against hers, both of them gasping for air. "That man... his timing is cursed," he muttered with a dark, breathless chuckle.
He looked at her flushed face, her swollen lips, and her dazed eyes. Gently, he cupped her face in his hands, but his expression turned serious again. "This conversation isn't over. We will finish this later."
His voice was deep and husky, vibrating with a promise that felt almost like a threat. He stared into her eyes one last time before turning and walking out of the room.
Clara slumped against the wall, her legs shaking. She needed air. She needed a plan. And most of all... she needed Lukas.