Chapter 34: The Green-Eyed Monster
The next morning, Clara lay wide awake in her bed. She hadn't slept a single wink the entire night. Her mind was trapped in a continuous, breathless loop, replaying Min-ho's voice from the kitchen and that incredibly sexy, husky sentence: "I don't want to control myself anymore." Even now, under the warm covers, the mere memory of it gave her full-body goosebumps.
With a heavy sigh, she dragged herself out of bed, threw on her lightweight robe, and walked downstairs. To her surprise, Min-ho was already fully dressed and ready for the day.
Clara stole a quick glance at him but instantly averted her eyes, looking at the floor. The sheer embarrassment and awkwardness of last night made it impossible to look him in the eye. She tried to slide past him to grab a much-needed cup of coffee, but Min-ho stepped directly into her path.
"Ji-soo," he said softly.
Clara kept her gaze locked on the marble tiles.
"Ji-soo, please look at me when I'm talking to you."
Nervously, Clara lifted her head. She searched his face for any sign of tension from the night before, but his expression was entirely unreadable. "I have to go to the office today," he said, his voice professional but laced with underlying concern. "Please, do not go outside alone. And message me the absolute second anything happens."
Clara felt a wave of relief wash over her. Good, he's leaving. "Yeah, no problem. The boys are actually coming over to visit me today anyway."
Min-ho didn't miss the sudden change in her demeanor—the way a bright, genuine smile instantly lit up her face. His eyebrows shot up. "What? Those two... I mean, your friends are coming here? What are your plans?"
"Nothing special," Clara replied entirely carelessly. "We're just going to stay in my room and talk."
Min-ho froze. "But there's only one bed in your room."
"I know. That's fine, we lie in bed together and talk all the time," she shrugged, heading toward the coffee machine, completely oblivious to the bomb she had just dropped.
Behind her, the hairs on the back of Min-ho's neck stood on end. The vivid mental image of his Ji-soo lying in bed with two flawless European model-types—even if it was 'just to talk'—sent a spike of pure adrenaline through his veins. He immediately began mentally scanning his calendar, wondering if he could cancel his meetings and stay home.
But right on cue, the heavy penthouse doors opened, and his assistant stepped in. "Mr. Min-ho, we really must leave now, or we will miss the board meeting," Secretary Kim announced formally.
Min-ho tightened his jaw and turned back to Clara, giving her an intense, lingering look. "You call me the moment anything happens. And I mean anything." With a sharp turn, he strode out the door.
A few hours later, the twins arrived, bringing a whirlwind of familiar energy into the massive apartment.
"Boys, I am so incredibly happy you're here!" Clara exclaimed, throwing her arms around them.
"Well, well, princess," Pascale smirked, looking around the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. "Living in an elegant penthouse is quite a step up from your two-room apartment. Though, you won't have to share a bathroom with Lukas anymore. He literally takes up ninety percent of the space."
"Boys, please, I know it's been rough," Clara interrupted, lowering her voice as she dragged them toward her room. "But listen... last night, I almost had sex with Min-ho. At the refrigerator."
Lukas was the first to react, his eyes widening in pure delight. "Mmm, not bad! I'm pretty sure the refrigerator ranks pretty high on the list of unusual places to do it. Mine was in a wardrobe. What about you, Pascali?"
"Under the bed," Pascale answered thoughtfully. "But I wouldn't recommend that to either of you. Kept banging my head against the frame."
"Yeah, thanks for the tip," Clara groaned, burying her face in a pillow. "But what am I supposed to do now?"
Pascale and Lukas exchanged a knowing look. Lukas leaned forward on the mattress. "I don't really get what you mean, sweetie. Nothing actually happened—it was just an almost. If you ask me, you're stressing yourself out for no reason."
"Exactly," Pascale chimed in, sitting cross-legged next to her. "The way I see it, you are completely head-over-heels for this clueless producer, and you're just torturing yourself by forbidding yourself from letting love in. Look, we get the whole dilemma with your web of lies and everything. But god, sweetie, just enjoy being this close to your prince. If he ever finds out the truth in the future... do you really think you'll regret having slept with him and being happy?"
"Right," Lukas agreed firmly. "Just do exactly what our mom always used to say: It's much better to regret things you have done, than to regret the things you didn't do."
Clara went quiet, processing their words. "So... you guys think it's okay if I'm just selfish for once, and...?"
"Good lord, girl, if you want the man, just go grab him and devour him like a delicious piece of cheesecake!" Lukas laughed.
Clara couldn't help but grin. Her boys really did always know exactly what to say.
Meanwhile, across the city at the Shinwa Group headquarters, Min-ho was sitting at the head of a massive mahogany conference table. The board of directors was giving a critical presentation on security logistics, but Min-ho hadn't heard a single word. His mind was entirely trapped inside Clara's guest room.
As soon as the meeting adjourned and the room emptied, Secretary Kim approached him, holding a tablet. "Is everything alright, Mr. Min-ho? You seemed entirely detached today."
Min-ho slumped back into his leather chair, running a hand through his hair. "Secretary Kim... imagine this. Those two catastrophic twins are currently lying in bed with Ji-soo right now, 'talking'. I mean, they are Europeans. They have a completely different concept of what 'talking' even means."
Secretary Kim stared at him, his face perfectly blank and expressionless. "Yes. And? Where is the problem?"
"The problem is that those three are entirely too close! They are constantly touching each other when they're together, they speak in their own language, and they use pet names," Min-ho vented, his voice rising in frustration. "I have shared a bed with her before too. Do I have a pet name? No."
Secretary Kim remained entirely unmoved. "So... you are jealous because the three of them are close and share a long history together?"
Min-ho's shoulders slumped, and he let his head drop slightly, staring at his desk. "Actually... I'm jealous because I want to be the only one who lies in bed with her. And she should only be calling me by a pet name."
A tiny, almost invisible smile tugged at the corner of Secretary Kim's mouth. "Mr. Min-ho, you really do not need to worry about those twins. And if you truly feel this strongly for Ji-soo... you should simply tell her."