The city outside sparkled like a thousand fallen stars, but Qin Yue barely noticed. She stood by the office window long after the conference ended, her fingers pressed tightly against the cool glass. Her heart hadn't stopped racing since Han Jin's words—Because you're mine.
Those words kept echoing, like an invisible chain tightening around her chest.
What does he mean by that? Am I really… his?
The thought made her shiver. She had come here to prove herself, to escape poverty, to fight for her dignity in a world that looked down on her. She couldn't afford to blur the lines, to let emotions cloud her judgment.
"Lost in thought again?"
The deep voice startled her. She spun around to find Han Jin leaning against the doorway, his tie loosened, his sharp suit slightly rumpled after the long day. Even like this, he looked untouchable—cold, dominant, and far too dangerous.
"President Han," she stammered, taking a step back instinctively.
His eyes narrowed slightly at the formality, but he said nothing about it. Instead, he walked toward her slowly, each step deliberate.
"I noticed you didn't eat lunch today." His tone was calm, but his gaze was sharp, observant.
"I wasn't hungry," Qin Yue said quickly, clutching her notebook to her chest as though it could shield her from him.
Han Jin stopped only a breath away, towering over her. "Liar."
Her lips parted in shock. "E-excuse me?"
"You work yourself to the bone, you barely sleep, and you think I won't notice when you skip meals?" His voice lowered, carrying both anger and something she couldn't name. "Do you think your health means nothing?"
Her chest tightened. He sounded… worried. But no, that couldn't be right. Han Jin was cold, arrogant, untouchable. He wouldn't care about someone like her.
"I'm fine," she whispered, avoiding his eyes.
But Han Jin's hand lifted, tilting her chin upward until her gaze was locked with his. His touch was firm, commanding, yet strangely gentle.
"No, Qin Yue. You're not fine. You've been enduring, surviving, but never fine."
Her breath caught. The way he said her name—it wasn't cold, wasn't distant. It was raw.
And then, before she could stop him, he said the words that shattered her defenses.
"I care about you."
The world stopped.
Her eyes widened, her lips trembling. "What… what did you say?"
Han Jin's gaze didn't waver. "You heard me. I don't just respect your strength, or your stubborn determination. I care about you, Qin Yue. More than I should."
Her heart pounded wildly, like it wanted to leap out of her chest. She wanted to believe him, wanted to surrender to the warmth that flickered in his voice. But the memory of her reality—the poverty, the gossip, the contract that bound her—crashed down like cold water.
"No."
Her whisper was sharp, painful.
Han Jin's brows furrowed. "No?"
Qin Yue tore her face from his hand, stepping back with tears pricking her eyes. "Don't say things like that! Don't… don't confuse me."
Confusion flickered across his features, replaced quickly by a dangerous calm. "Confuse you? Qin Yue, I am being very clear."
She shook her head furiously. "You're my boss. I'm your contracted employee. That's all. Nothing else is possible between us."
His eyes darkened, a storm swirling within them. "Is that truly what you believe?"
"Yes!" she shouted, though her voice cracked with pain. "Even if you mean what you say now, what will happen later? People already whisper that I'm only here because of you. If I accept your… your feelings, it will only prove them right. And I refuse to be seen as someone who climbed by using a man!"
Her chest heaved as the words spilled out, raw and desperate.
Han Jin's jaw tightened. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, to force her to see the truth as he saw it. But then his hand dropped to his side, clenched into a fist.
"You're stubborn," he muttered, his voice low with restrained frustration. "Too stubborn to see what's in front of you."
Qin Yue bit her lip, tears threatening to fall. "If you truly care about me, then don't make this harder than it already is."
Silence fell between them, heavy and suffocating. The tension crackled like lightning in the air, yet neither moved closer.
Finally, Han Jin stepped back, his expression returning to its cold, unreadable mask. "Fine."
Her chest ached at the word.
But then he leaned closer, his voice like a dark promise brushing against her ear. "You can deny me all you want, Qin Yue. But one day, you won't be able to. One day, you'll admit that your heart has already chosen me."
Her breath hitched, her whole body trembling.
And then he was gone, leaving her standing by the window, her heart torn between fear and a warmth she didn't want to name.
Qin Yue sank into the nearest chair, clutching her chest. Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.
"I can't…" she whispered to herself. "I can't let myself fall for him. Not him."
But her racing heartbeat betrayed her.
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