Tears had dried on Mi Rae's cheeks, but the tremble in her chest refused to leave. She had just witnessed a body fall from God knows what floor, heard the splat that still rang in her ears. She could probably still feel the traces of blood on her face and the metallic scent of blood lingering around.
Across from her sat a man… handsome, perfect by all standards, the nation's darling and yet his dark gaze bored into her like he was deciding whether to keep her alive or erase her from the world.
The face she'd seen countless times on television, now inches away, watching her like a predator who had all the time in the world.
Mi Rae forced her eyes down, but the memory wouldn't leave: the rooftop, the doctor's voice, antisocial personality disorder. That diagnosis echoed in her head like a warning bell.
No different from a psychopath, she thought to herself.
Her throat tightened but for some reason, it wasn't with hatred. Her mind was spiraling and several thoughts ran through her mind and the unexpected one was the thought of feeling sympathy for this man.
Raven Park was a man adored by millions but he had a secret he couldn't afford to let the world know and a mask he couldn't afford to let slip off his face. It was no different than living a lie.
However, Mi Rae's pity didn't last long.
"Where have I seen you before?" Raven's voice was low, smooth, yet it cut into her thoughts like something sharp was hitting her.
The words jolted her back, making her whole body still in shock. If he had caught her while pursuing her earlier, if what happened hadn't happened, what would he have done? Silence her? Kill her? Anything to keep his perfect image intact?
She had met him before at an interview once. Then she caught glimpses at movie premieres, press conferences, exclusive events where he shone brighter than anyone else. But never this close, never this terrifying.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you work in the hospital? You don't look like someone who could." He leaned forward, the corner of his lips twitching, almost amused. "Where have I seen you?"
Mi Rae kept her gaze on her trembling hands. Her mind raced for an answer, but words refused to form.
Before Raven could press further, the door creaked open and a figure stepped inside.
It was a woman, though at first glance, it wasn't easy to tell. Her slightly broad shoulders were filled with a black leather jacket. Her hair was a sharp buzz cut, her jawline hard, and her features severe. The only thing that marked her femininity was the swell of her chest beneath the jacket.
It was the same woman who had brought them to the police station after the accident.
"Mr. Park," the woman said, her tone flat. "Please come this way." Her eyes cut to Mi Rae, narrowing with something like disdain. "You too. Follow."
Raven's demeanor shifted instantly. That sweet, dazzling smile, the one plastered on billboards, the one the nation adored, lit up his face as he turned to the woman. "Sure."
If Mi Rae hadn't just known the true colors of this man, she might have believed it. She might have believed he was genuinely that charming.
Reluctantly, she pushed herself to her feet, every instinct telling her to run, even though escape wasn't an option anymore.
Raven rose gracefully, every movement too composed for a man who had just seen someone die. He stopped at the door, one hand pressed lightly against it. Turning to the leather-jacketed woman, he stretched out his hand with a practiced smile.
"Ladies first."
The woman's unimpressed stare didn't change even though an A-List was literally offering her the door, an action millions would die for. She brushed past him without taking his hand.
Then it was Mi Rae's turn. She tried to walk forward, but Raven shifted just enough to block her path. His shadow loomed over her.
"Funny," he murmured, his voice low enough for her alone. "People who overhear things… usually don't live long. But you don't look like the type who'd cause trouble, right?"
His voice wasn't loud. It doesn't even reveal any hint of violence. But the words clawed into her chest.
Before she could even respond, his lips curved upward. "We simply collided at the entrance before it happened. We don't want to say unnecessary things, do we?" He said, a cold smile appearing at the corners of his lips. "Don't add, don't remove."
And then, with a wink that felt more like a warning than anything sweet, Raven stepped aside and followed the other woman.
Mi Rae stood frozen, her heart pounding against her ribs. Why me? Why am I cursed like this? Her day had already been hell… rejection at work, fainting in the hospital, and now standing in the shadow of Raven Park, the nation's lover boy with a smile too dangerous to believe.
Wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? Shouldn't Raven be begging her not to expose him? Yet somehow, he was the one in control, and she was already bending under his words.
When it came time to write her statement, her fingers trembled around the pen. In the end, she wrote exactly as Raven had instructed. 'We collided at the entrance before the incident'. Nothing more, nothing less.
Maybe it was the best way to avoid further trouble. She had seen enough blood for one day. Maybe the doctor was right, maybe it was time to step away, before her mind snapped completely.
"Is that all?" The leather-jacketed woman's piercing voice snapped her from her reverie.
"Yes," Mi Rae whispered, forcing a small, tight smile.
"Like I said," Raven chimed in smoothly, every word coated in honey, "I had an appointment with my doctor and happened to collide with this lovely woman at the entrance before the unfortunate incident. Truly tragic." He lowered his head slightly, sighing as though he were deeply affected.
It was so convincing, Mi Rae almost believed him herself.
"Very well," the woman said at last. "You can leave. We'll contact you later if there are further concerns."
"Of course," Raven replied with a dazzling smile. "I would be glad to cooperate."
He stood first, holding the door like a gentleman, but when Mi Rae passed by, she swore she felt his gaze brush against her skin.
She just wanted to leave.
Mi Rae walked as fast as her legs could carry her, even though her knees trembled. She could hear Raven's unhurried footsteps behind her, but heavy enough to remind her he was there. She knew this was the police station, that he couldn't do anything reckless here.
And yet, her heart refused to calm.
Do not judge a book by its cover. She had heard the phrase countless times before, but never had it cut so deeply. Raven Park was the living embodiment of it.
As they stepped out of the police station, the cold night air slapped against her skin, jolting her slightly awake. Mi Rae's first instinct was to bolt, to disappear into the crowd, to put distance between them. But before she could act on it, his voice stopped her.
"Lim Mi Rae."
Her name rolled from his lips in that thick, velvety voice, and she froze mid-step. How did he know her name? She had done her best to not allow him to see her name when she was giving her statement. Yet, her name rolled off his lips like he was familiar with it.
Mi Rae wanted to run. She really should run.
But then Raven's words followed.
"Although I intend to do some things I don't want to talk about…" he tilted his head, that perfect smile tugging at the corner of his lips, "…I have no choice but to act like this."
Before she could react, his hand brushed against her arm, twisting her gently but firmly so that she faced him. His grip wasn't rough, but it carried a strength that made escape impossible.
"So…" his unreadable dark eyes bore into hers, "…can we talk, Miss Lim Mi Rae?"