Episode 1
It had been fifteen days.
Tap, tap.
The familiar sound of footsteps echoed in the old corridor of the apartment complex.
“…?”
Seo-hee, who had just finished washing dishes, turned her gaze toward the kitchen window that overlooked the corridor.
Beyond the frosted glass, a shadow—just as familiar as the sound of those footsteps—passed by.
“Could it be…?”
She quickly untied her apron and tossed it onto the sink before rushing toward the front door, following the sound of footsteps.
Ding dong.
The doorbell rang, and her heart began to race.
Without even asking who it was, she opened the door. She already knew who it was. She had been desperately waiting for this man for fifteen days.
“Director…”
…Sir.
The words stuck in her throat.
Before she could finish, the man barged into the house as soon as the lock was undone.
Kang Jae-shin.
The man who had taken her heart—and her very soul—with him.
Jae-shin shoved her against the wall by the doorway and kissed her roughly.
The cold, dry autumn air flowed through the open door.
It wasn’t a gentle kiss. Nor was it a kind one.
He bit her lips as if to devour them and forced his tongue into her mouth. The thick muscle pushed in deeply, almost reaching her throat, making her gasp and shiver.
“Ugh.”
When she instinctively tried to resist by biting back, his large hand grabbed the nape of her neck, holding her firmly in place. Naturally, their lips pressed even tighter together.
Their mouths tangled in a messy, overwhelming embrace.
His thick tongue entwined with hers, wet and aggressive. When she tried to pull back to breathe, he chased after her relentlessly. When she let out a breath, he pushed deeper, like his kisses—intense, nearly violent, and entirely possessive.
A kiss like this after fifteen days.
Heat surged deep within her body.
Her closed eyelids trembled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her lips wider, accepting him fully.
Their tongues clashed, twisted, and meshed together, making wet, messy sounds that echoed in the room.
At some point, Seo-hee forgot the front door was still wide open. She was too consumed by him.
Fifteen days.
She had resented and blamed him for not contacting her, but all of that vanished.
He was here.
And he was holding her like this. That was enough.
Her heart pounded wildly.
The kiss, messy and rough, continued until Seo-hee’s reason was completely swept away, leaving her only able to greedily take in the pleasure he offered.
“Hah, hah.”
It was only when Jae-shin’s lips left hers and moved down to her chin that she could finally catch her breath.
Her neatly tucked blouse had ridden up with her bra, and his hands, now sticky with warmth, were pressed against her bare skin.
Leaning her head back, she gave herself to him, gasping as his lips trailed down her neck to her collarbones. Wherever his lips touched, it burned as if she had been branded. His hands roamed with the same intensity, bringing waves of overwhelming pleasure.
“Ah, Director…”
Her moans spilled out, her voice thick with desire and trembling with need.
It was then that a low, gravelly voice broke through the haze.
“Did you miss me?”
As his lips brushed against her shoulder, he asked.
“Did you miss me that much?”
“Mmm,” she nodded instead of replying, her voice trapped in the soft, desperate sounds escaping her lips.
Only fifteen days, and she missed him so much it hurt. She wanted to tell him how she had waited every day, hoping to hear his footsteps in that old corridor.
Tears welled up as the realization of her feelings for him hit her hard.
This man had captured her heart completely. There was no going back.
She wanted to tell him her deepest secret as her tears blurred her vision, but then—
“Director…”
He pulled back, looking at her sharply, his gaze piercing through her.
“Tell me, Seo-hee.”
The kiss stopped. His hands, once heated and overwhelming, left her.
The coldness in his eyes chilled her to the bone, replacing the heat with icy dread.
“Why did you lie to me?”
Her heart sank.
It wasn’t a question; it was an accusation.
A sharp blade seemed to pierce her chest, the pain unbearable.
Her trembling hands fell from his neck.
She should say something, but her mind was blank. Every possible excuse vanished before she could grasp it.
Had he… discovered everything?
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?”
No.
“Did you think you could fool me?”
No, not that either.
“Did you think I was a fool? That you could take advantage of me because I couldn’t think straight when I saw you? Because I wanted you so much that I couldn’t control myself? Was it easy for you?”
Easy? No, never.
Around him, even breathing felt like walking on thin ice.
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face.
“No, that’s not…”
Before she could finish, he grabbed her shoulders tightly, the pressure making her bones ache.
“Director…”
“Speak, Seo-hee.”
But he didn’t listen. He didn’t even give her the chance to explain.
His hand slid up to her neck, gripping her nape.
The shadow of his anger darkened his sharp features, making him look cold and unforgiving.
“Should I break your neck or the neck of the man you’re trying to reach?”
His thumb brushed over the delicate line of her throat, the same place he had kissed and marked just moments ago.
Tracing his claim on her skin, he spoke again.
“Should I kill you for betraying me, or kill him for being the reason you betrayed me?”
His words dripped with chilling rage, the kind that could destroy everything in its path.
“Choose wisely.”
Seo-hee bit her trembling lip, tears streaming uncontrollably.
Seeing her, Jae-shin’s gaze burned darker, fiercer, his voice cutting through her fragile resolve.
“Because one of you will die by my hand.”
Despair washed over her.
Three years of effort, wasted.
She thought bitterly, I shouldn’t have let myself love him.
Having her heart utterly stolen by him now left only unbearable sorrow.
“Director…”
Her chin trembled in his unrelenting grasp, soaked with her tears.
Despite everything, she wanted to cling to him.
She held onto a faint, desperate hope.
Kang Jae-shin, the protector of Taesung Group, the loyal dog of the family—
He was furious at her betrayal. Not just anyone’s, but hers.
“If I beg you… if I cry and plead, will you kill him instead of me?”
His grip loosened for the first time.
“If I do that… will you be on my side, Director?”
“Seo-hee.”
Letting go of her chin, he let his hand slide sensually over her neck.
“You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.”
He pressed down on her shoulders, forcing her to kneel before him.
“Cling to me. Cry. Beg me pitifully.”
Looking down at her, his dark eyes burned with something wild—anger, desire, or perhaps both.
“Maybe then, your tears will drive me mad enough to kill him for you.”
Maybe I’ll become your beast.
