Jiana is new.
After getting adopted by one of the country's wealthiest couples, she is steeped into high society full of people who have everything. As she struggles to shake that feeling of being completely out of depth with her new environment, Ji...
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JAY WAS SURROUNDED BY people.
After leaving his parents, he'd headed inside and been accosted by friends and classmates and acquaintances wanting to wish him well. Etiquette dictated that he linger and chat. But Jay hadn't seen Jiana since they left for the castle. He officially considered himself an addict.
Later he found an opportunity to slink away and promptly ran into a person he preferred not to see.
"Why are you here?" Jay asked, pausing by the landing of the stairs.
Hyunjoo stiffened. "My family was invited."
Should he tell her to leave? No, that would cause an entire thing, and he did not have the energy. He breezed past her.
Hyunjoo caught his arm. "Jay."
"What?"
"Let's talk."
"No." He shook her off.
"Please," she whispered. "You know we need to talk."
There was a beat of silence. "Make it quick."
They edged into a corner of the stairwell. She stood before him, gnawing on her lip. "I need to apologize."
"For what?"
"For what I did. To you. At that party. I didn't mean to take advantage-"
"You didn't mean to get me drunk so you could fuck me?"
"No! I mean, I..." Hyunjoo trailed off. "It's my mom. She wants the best for me, and she thinks you're the best for me-" She stopped abruptly and raised her head to look him in the eye. "I think you're the best for me, too, if you'd just give us a chance-"
"Why?" he interrupted.
"Why what?"
"Why should I?"
"Because..." she began. "I- we're, uh, because you're..."
"Because I'm what? Rich? It's my father's money. Or because I'm good-looking? We'll see in twenty years. What else? Why are you obsessed with me?"
She was quiet.
"You don't feel anything for me." Jay stepped closer. "You've deluded yourself into believing you do, but the truth is that I don't like you, and you don't like me. So why do you bother?"
"My mother-"
"Your mother is sick. And so are you."
Hyunjoo launched herself at him, latching thin arms around his waist. "I know you felt something," she insisted hysterically. "I shouldn't have done what I did that night, but I know there was something-"
"Stop." Jay pried her hands away. "I'm embarrassed for you."
"Jay-"
He ran a hand over his face. "I thought we were past this, Hyunjoo."
