Chapter 29 - The Rift

"Ash, you should go and answer the door," Mirae insisted. The bell was ringing for the past ten minutes but Ash paid no attention to it. He was busy fondling Mirae.

"Fine," he groaned. He put on his shirt and pant before answering the door. To his surprise, it was not a staff with breakfast. It was KJ.

Noting Ash's disheveled hair and slightly annoyed expression, KJ assumed he was interrupting something. A strange feeling of foreboding was creeping up in his heart.

"May I come in?" he asked coolly.

"No," Ash replied. "What do you want?"

"Is there someone in there?"

"Yes."

Both of them stared at each other for a while, contemplating what to say next.

"I'm assuming it's not Madam Hong," KJ said.

"It's not," Ash confirmed. "What do you want KJ and how did you know I'm here?"

KJ maintained his poker face but his eyes were throwing daggers at his friend. Ash did not miss the animosity burning inside KJ. His strange expression made Ash frown.

It was out of character for KJ to personally come all the way to pass on a simple message. He would either call or text. However, KJ had been hanging around Mirae quite a lot in recent times. Ash ignored it at first, but something about KJ's reactions seemed off.

Does KJ fancy Mirae too? Ash wondered. But he did not say it out loud.

"The guard said that you were at the studio all night," KJ replied. "But I could not find you anywhere. So I thought you might be at your hotel room, taking a short break. Anyways, Madam Hong is requesting for a second meeting with you today at 2 PM. You know what to do."

"I do," Ash replied. "I'll go there directly." KJ nodded at him and turned around to walk away.

"Mirae will accompany me today," Ash announced. KJ stopped in his tracks.

"I have a schedule from 2 PM," Ash continued. "Mirae will accompany me to the meeting and then at my scheduled shooting."

KJ turned around. "I have a schedule at that time too," he said. "She should accompany me."

"Last time she accompanied you and she was humiliated," Ash raised his eyebrows. "You stood there and did nothing. I highly doubt she should accompany you today after that traumatizing experience. Jinhyun and Dasom are already off for their shoots. Which means that I can ask her to be my assistant for the day."

"Mirae is-" KJ started.

"EXOTIC's personal assistant," Ash reminded him. "She has to assist all of us. You had your chance that day and you screwed it up. It's my turn...to teach her."

KJ did not miss the underlying meaning of his words. Did Ash suspect about KJ's feelings for Mirae?

"Fine," KJ finally said. "She'll go with you today. I'll tell her."

"She has already been informed," Ash said in a firm tone. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for today's activities. I'll go directly to Madam Hong's office from here. Please do not disturb me anymore today."

He shut the door, leaving KJ alone in the corridor.

KJ slowly turned around and started to walk away. With every step he took, the irony of the situation weighed in on him. He did not tell Ash that the guard near the main gate saw him and Mirae exiting the building together.

It was hard to describe what he felt. The numbness in his heart was getting heavier. The choice he made years ago was now haunting him. What if he never made that choice? How would their lives turn out to be? Would Mirae still be married to him? Will she still love him the way she used to before he removed their relationship from existence?

For years, KJ wanted to reverse his decision. He wanted to go back in time and tell that stupid 20 year old version of him to man up and accept his responsibilities. After all the neglect and unfulfilled promises, which woman would want to have his baby?

Maybe Mirae of that time knew how loveless their marriage was. Raising a child in such an environment will create new complications with lasting effects. Hence, she was forced to take such a step.

"Why didn't I ask her?" he regretted. "Why did I leave?"

Sometimes, KJ wanted to smack the young Jiwon for being such a wreck. If only Jiwon was not so stubborn...

With a heavy heart and envious mind, KJ exited the hotel.

....

"Who was it?" Mirae asked as Ash rejoined her in bed.

"KJ," he replied.

"What does he want?"

"He came to tell me that Madam Hong wants to meet me at 1 PM," he answered.

Mirae's bright mood dampened after hearing this. Ash read her expression and gently kissed her.

"This time, you're coming with me," he said. "As EXOTIC's PA, you should accompany me to my meetings too, you know."

'Tch," Mirae made a face. She would rather strangle that woman for her deeds.

"I'm still afraid," she admitted. "That woman is very dangerous. She isn't foolish like Madam Lim. This woman is a monster. She is almost as cruel as Teppei. I can't even begin to describe-"

The rest of her sentence was drowned under Ash's kiss. He kissed her with a fierce passion, diving his tongue deep into her mouth. It was not like his seductive kisses. He was being protective, as if afraid to lose her. Mirae kissed him back with the same passion, holding on to his nape to pull him towards her. She crushed her lips against his, holding on to his touch and the sensation they shared. They kept on kissing each other till they were breathless.

"I know what she is," Ash said as their lips broke apart. "But as I said, you gotta trust KJ. He knows what he is doing. Nothing will happen to me as long as he's around."

"I don't trust him," Mirae said. "I might be here to protect him, but I don't trust him. It's as if... as if he will run away at the last minute. He seems like the type of person who'd abandon his loved ones for his own selfish reasons."

"I've known KJ for ten years and believe me, he isn't the type of person to run away," Ash assured her. "He'll take down Madam Hong and lead you to the Cartel. I just know it."

Mirae was not fully reassured but she had to take the risk. Maybe, KJ will keep Ash safe.

Ash snickered. His hand were snaking up her thigh till it reached her opening. "You know, we still have two hours left," he whispered in her ears.

"You're being awfully perverted today," Mirae said in astonishment. Usually, she had to try every trick in her book to seduce him.

"Why, you don't want another round?" he winked. His fingers were now gently thrusting in her. A soft moan escaped her lips as she responded to his thrusts.

"Did I say no?" she purred, pulling him into a ferocious kiss. They were so engrossed in their second round that they did not even bother to answer the poor waiter who brought them breakfast.