Kim Soyeon woke to the sensation of warmth, her cheek pressed against something firm yet oddly comforting. Her head throbbed, a dull reminder of last night's excesses, and her mouth tasted like regret and champagne. She blinked, her vision clearing, only to freeze as she realized she was sprawled across Park Jungwoo's chest on the suite's plush couch. His arm, draped loosely around her, felt like a trap she'd stumbled into. Her sequined dress had twisted up her thighs, and his unbuttoned shirt revealed a glimpse of toned muscle that made her heart lurch. Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
"Morning," Jungwoo said, his voice low and infuriatingly calm. His dark eyes met hers, glinting with amusement as she scrambled upright, nearly toppling off the couch.
"What—what is this?!" Soyeon squeaked, her voice a mix of panic and mortification. She tugged her dress down, her face burning. "Why am I—why are we—did we—" She couldn't finish, her mind racing to the worst possible conclusion. Last night was a blur of neon lights, vodka, and… vomiting on his blazer? But this? This was a whole new level of disaster.
Jungwoo raised an eyebrow, leaning back with a composure that made her want to scream. "Did we what?" he asked, his tone maddeningly neutral, though a smirk tugged at his lips.
"You know what!" Soyeon hissed, clutching a throw pillow like a shield. "Don't play dumb, Mr. CEO! I wake up practically in your lap, and you're just… sitting there? What happened last night? Tell me right now!"
Jungwoo tilted his head, studying her with a look that was both infuriating and electrifying. "You don't remember? Interesting. Let's just say it was… memorable." He stood, stretching casually, his shirt shifting to reveal more of his annoyingly perfect physique. "You were very… expressive."
Soyeon's jaw dropped, her brain short-circuiting. "Expressive? What does that even mean?!" She sprang to her feet, wobbling on her heels, and pointed an accusatory finger. "If you took advantage of me, I swear I'll—"
"Relax," Jungwoo cut in, his voice firm but laced with dry humor. "You passed out after redecorating my blazer. I carried you here to keep you from face-planting in the club. You're welcome, by the way."
Soyeon blinked, relief warring with embarrassment. "So… nothing happened?" she asked, her voice small.
Jungwoo's smirk deepened, his silence deliberate. "Nothing you need to worry about," he said, his words dripping with just enough ambiguity to make her stomach twist. "Unless you want to discuss your… performance."
"Performance?!" Soyeon shrieked, hurling the pillow at him. It bounced off his chest harmlessly, and he caught it with one hand, his expression unchanged. "You're the worst! I'm leaving!"
"Bathroom's that way," Jungwoo said, pointing to a door. "You might want to fix…" He gestured vaguely at her face, where smudged mascara and lipstick had staged a modern art exhibit. Soyeon gasped, rushing to a mirror, only to yelp at her reflection. She looked like a raccoon that had lost a fight with a glitter bomb.
"You could've warned me sooner!" she snapped, storming toward the bathroom.
"Thought you'd appreciate the surprise," Jungwoo called after her, his voice tinged with mischief. He grabbed his jacket—mercifully clean, thanks to the club's laundry service—and slipped out, leaving Soyeon to her chaos.
Inside the bathroom, Soyeon splashed cold water on her face, muttering curses. Her phone buzzed incessantly on the counter, her mother's name flashing like a warning siren. She groaned, answering with a forced chirp. "Morning, Mom!"
"Soyeon, where are you?" Kim Yoonmi's voice was sharp, laced with the disapproval only a mother could wield. "You didn't come home last night. This is unacceptable."
"I'm at Jisu's," Soyeon lied, crossing her fingers. "We had a late night, you know, girl stuff. Totally innocent!"
Yoonmi's silence was deafening. "I expect you home by noon," she said finally. "We have matters to discuss. And Soyeon? No more of this nonsense. You're not a child."
"Yes, Mom," Soyeon mumbled, ending the call. She stared at her reflection, her headache worsening. How had her night gone from epic to catastrophic? And why was that smug CEO messing with her head?
After a quick shower—blessing the suite's stocked toiletries—Soyeon emerged, wrapped in a fluffy robe, only to find a delivery at the door. A sleek black box held a cream-colored sundress, simple yet elegant, paired with strappy sandals. A bouquet of white roses sat beside it, their fragrance filling the room. Her heart skipped, until she read the attached card: "To a night we'll never forget. – J"
Soyeon's scream echoed through the suite. "That jerk!" she yelled, clutching the card. "What does he mean, 'never forget'?! Nothing happened! Right?" She paced, her mind spiraling. Jungwoo's cryptic games were driving her insane, but she couldn't deny the dress fit perfectly, hugging her curves like it was made for her. The roses, too, were annoyingly beautiful. She stuffed the card into her bag, vowing to keep this humiliation a secret. No one could know she'd spent the night with Minho's mysterious brother—especially not Jisu, who'd never let her live it down.
---
Across town, Jungwoo strode into a glass-walled boardroom in Sheikh Zayed Road, his presence commanding silence. The executives rose as he entered, but his focus was on the woman at the head of the table: Kim Yoonmi, CEO of Daehyun Enterprises, her sharp eyes assessing him. Jungwoo had no idea she was Soyeon's mother—only that she was a formidable partner in the smart city project. Their negotiations were intense, each word a calculated move, but Jungwoo's precision sealed the deal: a multi-billion-dirham contract that would cement NexGen's dominance.
"Impressive, Mr. Park," Yoonmi said, her smile cool but approving. "I look forward to our collaboration."
"Likewise," Jungwoo replied, shaking her hand. He left the meeting buoyed by the victory, unaware of the tangled web he'd just stepped into.
His phone buzzed as he reached his office, Minho's name lighting up the screen. "Hyung, you disappeared last night!" Minho whined. "Did you see Soyeon? She was totally into me."
Jungwoo snorted, recalling Soyeon's drunken antics. "She's… something," he said, keeping his tone vague. "Focus on your studies, Minho."
As he hung up, another call came through—his mother from Seoul. "Jungwoo-yah," she said, her voice warm but trembling. "Your father and I are coming to Dubai. Our flight lands tonight."
Jungwoo's heart clenched, a rare wave of emotion breaking his composure. "I'll be there," he promised, already planning their reunion. His parents, the anchor of his life, deserved every comfort he could give.
That evening, at Dubai International Airport, Jungwoo stood at the arrivals gate, his usual stoicism replaced by quiet anticipation. When his parents emerged—his mother's face lined with joy, his father's eyes bright with pride—Jungwoo enveloped them in a rare hug. "Welcome to Dubai," he said, his voice thick. His mother fussed over his hair, while his father clapped his shoulder, their love a balm after years apart. Minho joined them, his chatter filling the ride to Jungwoo's sleek apartment in Downtown Dubai, where laughter echoed late into the night.
---
Meanwhile, at the Kim family's Palm Jumeirah mansion, Soyeon sat across from her mother at a marble dining table, picking at her kimchi jjigae. Yoonmi's gaze was unrelenting. "In two days, we're hosting a gala for Dubai's elite," she announced. "It's a chance to strengthen our ties with new partners, including NexGen Solutions. You'll attend, Soyeon, and you'll behave."
Soyeon groaned, slumping in her chair. "A boring business party? Hard pass, Mom. I'd rather—"
"You'd rather what?" Yoonmi snapped, her voice cutting like glass. "Embarrass this family with your childish antics? You're staying home tonight, and you're attending the gala. End of discussion."
Soyeon bit her tongue, storming to her room the moment dinner ended. She flopped onto her bed, dialing Jisu. "My mom's the worst," she ranted. "She's making me go to some stuffy gala, and I'm grounded tonight. Grounded! I'm twenty!"
Jisu laughed. "You probably deserve it after last night. Spill, what happened? You vanished after talking to Minho."
"Nothing happened," Soyeon lied, her cheeks heating as she recalled Jungwoo's smirk. "Just… partied too hard. Don't ask."
---
The next morning, Yoonmi sent a formal invitation to Jungwoo, inviting him and his family to the gala. Jungwoo, intrigued by the chance to network, accepted, unaware of the storm brewing.
On the night of the gala, the Kim mansion glowed like a palace, its chandeliers casting light across manicured gardens. Guests in designer gowns and tuxedos mingled, champagne flutes clinking over soft jazz. Soyeon, in a floor-length emerald gown, stood beside her mother, her smile plastered on despite her boredom. Yoonmi, radiant in navy silk, greeted each guest with practiced charm.
When Jungwoo arrived, his parents and Minho in tow, Yoonmi welcomed them warmly. "Mr. Park, what a pleasure," she said, shaking his hand. "And this must be your family. Allow me to introduce my daughter, Soyeon."
Soyeon turned, her polite smile freezing as her eyes locked with Jungwoo's. His expression mirrored her shock, though his quickly shifted to that infuriating smirk. Yoonmi continued, oblivious. "Soyeon, this is Park Jungwoo, our new business partner."
Soyeon's heart stopped. Minho's brother? Her mother's partner? The guy she'd… oh God. Jungwoo's gaze held hers, his silence screaming mischief. She swallowed, her voice barely a whisper. "Nice to… meet you."
To be continued…