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Oh, my God.
All that time, her father had blamed her for the broken engagement. That it had happened because word of her unruliness got out. He had blamed what she’d done as a college kid to guilt her for her broken engagement. And like a prat, a part of her had believed him. She’d believed that it was her fault. And she’d beat herself up for losing the chance to gain her freedom from her family. Soon, she’d regained her senses and was relieved the arranged marriage hadn’t happened, but she still had carried her guilt inside her, trying to appease her father.
But behind all that censure, he had committed corporate espionage to get revenge for his humiliation. He couldn’t stand that a mere nouveau riche family had dared to refuse his daughter’s hand. So he’d taken out his frustrations on his jilted daughter and had gone after Hansol where it would hurt the most.
He hadn’t been able to keep his crimes a complete secret, based on the rumors floating around among the inner circle. Her father, with his brilliant, conniving mind, must’ve known that his crimes could be revealed. And that was where Jihae came in.
He’d timed her business trip to the United States so she would be present for the commencement of his espionage plans. And his recent attempts to get her involved in dealings with Yami Corp. all seemed too perfect to be coincidences. Her involvement now would make her the perfect fall guy. That was why he’d been so adamant that she meet Sylvia Taylor and make the introductions she demanded. It might’ve even been her father who’d offered Jihae’s services to Sylvia Taylor to fabricate a direct connection between her and Yami Corporation.
All the evidence would point toward her—the woman scorned who’d sought revenge against her ex-fiancé and his family. She was the one in the United States. And if she’d blindly done what her father had demanded, she would be the one who went out of her way to help Yami Corporation. It would look like Jihae was trying to appease Sylvia Taylor because she had something on her. Then her father could claim to have no knowledge of the crime, and accuse Jihae of doing everything behind his back. There was no better scapegoat than his own daughter.
Devastation seared her heart black, and she shivered uncontrollably. She hugged herself tightly and clenched her jaws to keep them from chattering. She’d thought he loved her in his own way. She was his daughter, after all. But wasn’t this proof of what she’d been denying all her life? Her father didn’t love her. At least not enough to take the fall for his own crimes.
Her heart was breaking and her world was falling apart, and she could only think... Colin.
She needed him. Her shaking would only stop when his arms were wrapped around her. Silent tears were falling down her cheeks, soaking the front of her shirt. With jerky movements, she reached for her cell phone.
Colin. I need you. Please, she typed after several attempts.
What’s wrong? What is it? Are you okay?
Just come. Please.
Are you at the office?
No, I worked from home today.
I’ll be there in twenty minutes.
The mere fact that he was on his way eased some of her shivering, but she couldn’t make her limbs work. So she sat very still at her desk, not bothering to stem the flow of tears. She didn’t have the will to make them stop. She couldn’t don her stiff upper lip, like Princess Jihae should.
In what seemed like both a second and a year, keys jingled and her door opened. Even though they were always together when they visited each other’s places, they had exchanged their keys just in case. It was a good thing since her legs wouldn’t hold her long enough to have stood up and opened the door for him.
“Jihae.” Colin came thundering in, his hair standing in peaks and his eyes wild with worry. When he spotted her at her desk, he rushed to her side and kneeled beside her. He held her face between his warm hands as the tears continued to fall. “What is it? What’s wrong, baby? Please tell me.”
There was so much—so much that needed to be said. But now, she only wanted him and to forget everything else. By some miracle, she managed to whisper, “Hold me, Colin.”
He wrapped his strong arms around her without hesitation, and he held her head tucked into the crook of his neck. He murmured soothing words while his hand drew reassuring circles on her back.
At some point, he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the sofa, then nestled her on his lap. The murmurs and the gentle touches didn’t stop. She couldn’t remember how long they stayed like that, but at some point, her tears finally ran dry and she clutched at the front of Colin’s shirt.
She’d been abandoned by her father in the worst way, and she couldn’t lose Colin, too. There was no family for her anymore. Even if her mother hadn’t been part of her father’s scheme, she would never oppose him for Jihae. She was alone and had no obligations, responsibilities or duties to make her return to Korea. Rotelle Entertainment was as good as lost since she’d disobeyed her father. But she had the experience and connections to start fresh in Hollywood. Losing Rotelle Entertainment didn’t frighten her anymore. As long as she had Colin, she could face anything.
“I love you, Colin. I love you so much.” She wanted promises. She wanted forever with Colin, and she didn’t have to hold back anymore.
“Jihae.” He tensed under her, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “You can’t say that. Not yet. Not right now. You’re hurting, and there are things you should know...”
All she needed to know right now was that she loved him. That she’d finally found the courage to tell him she loved him. Talking could wait. She placed the tips of her fingers on his lips.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. I don’t want to hear it. In fact, I don’t want to talk, either. All I want is you. Right now. Make love to me, Colin. Make me feel whole.”
He gently pulled away her hand and looked at her with such sad eyes that it frightened her. “Jihae, I have something to tell you.”
She didn’t want to hear why he had such sorrow in his eyes. She couldn’t handle any more bad news today, so she grabbed his face with both her hands and brought his mouth down to meet hers. He stiffened and tried to pull away, but she straddled him and swept her tongue across his bottom lip. When she swiveled her hips against him, he capitulated with a helpless groan and kissed her back with dark, stormy passion.
Their mouths met and dueled, and their teeth bit and teased. They frantically tore off each other’s tops, and Jihae spread her hands possessively over his broad, muscular chest, then leaned back to admire his beautiful body. While she was distracted, Colin threw her bra to the floor and palmed her breasts and massaged them.
She moaned and ground her center against his hard length until he echoed her moan and leaned in to kiss the sensitive spot behind her ear.
