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“Absolutely. It’s the Shadow Cinema in Santa Monica. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
Colin hung up his phone and placed his face in his hands. He could barely handle a phone call with her without getting hot and bothered. How was he going to keep it together sitting beside her in the dark?
By remembering what a coldhearted, vengeful woman she was.
Jihae Park had planted a corporate spy in Hansol and endangered their partnership with Vivotex, a multibillion-dollar venture. Not only that, but she’d also chosen a spy who had been Natalie’s college boyfriend to cast the blame on her, and put Garrett’s marriage in jeopardy. How could Colin forget what Jihae had nearly done to his cousin and Natalie? What she had almost accomplished with Hansol Corporation?
No, he could never forget that. Not only would he not forget it, but he would also get this partnership any way he could and get hard, cold evidence of Rotelle Corporation’s culpability in the Hansol affair. Somehow. That was what tomorrow night was about—making sure CS Productions secured the partnership for its future and finding justice for his family. He wasn’t in any way motivated by his attraction to her.
His argument was so convincing, he almost had himself for a second.
Three
Jihae felt glued to the spot and none of her limbs obeyed her. Had she just agreed to go to the movies with Colin Song? It certainly wasn’t a date. People wanted to wine and dine her all the time. This was no different. He was only trying to get in her good graces so she’d partner with his company.
But Jihae had never even been to the movies at a public theater. She’d been sequestered to watch movies in her family’s private theater or at the office. It would’ve been a lonely, isolating experience, but the movies always transported her out of there. She couldn’t imagine how wonderful the experience would be with a room full of people. She was beyond excited about going to a real theater. Their home theater served five-star meals and beverages, but she wanted nothing more than some popcorn and a Coke. She wanted to experience the movies as they were meant to be, enhanced by the shared excitement of the other viewers. It was going to be amazing.
She couldn’t tell June. She wasn’t trying to keep it a secret from her friend. After all, it was nothing. But she didn’t want June to blow things out of proportion and call it a date. That was unacceptable. It was a casual business meeting to determine the quality of the screenwriter’s talent. It was necessary for her to make an informed decision.
After a short knock, June walked into her office, and Jihae stared at her with wide eyes, not saying a word.
“I’ve done more research into Colin Song and his production company, and everything comes up squeaky clean and up-to—” June stopped both talking and walking when she looked up from her tablet. “What the heck is going on here? What’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” Jihae replied in a tiny voice.
“Don’t even go there. I want you to spill it in five seconds.” She began counting off on her fingers. “One. Two. Three. Four—”
“I’m going to the movies with Colin Song,” she nearly screamed then clapped her hand over her mouth. When she resumed, her voice was at the right decibel. “It’s a business meeting.”
“Whoa.” June ran the rest of the way to Jihae’s desk and sat on a guest chair that faced her. “Is that why he called? To ask you on a date?”
“Are you out of your mind, woman? It isn’t a date. He called to let me know that he had something to sweeten the deal. He’d found the perfect screenwriter for Best Placed Bets. On that note, I want to know everything you can find on Charity Banning.”
“Got it. Now go on.”
“I told him I’d never seen anything Ms. Banning has written. He said there was a theater still playing her latest film and offered to take me to watch it. He wants to convince me how perfect the film could be with someone who could masterfully transform the story into a great screenplay.”
“All I hear is ‘blah, blah, blah.’”
“I’m serious, June. This is not a date. I can’t risk my professional reputation by having people believe that I have a personal relationship with Mr. Song. Can you even imagine what would happen if my father found out?”
Her parents would accuse her of being naive and frivolous for dating a colleague, and put her under complete lockdown and take Rotelle Entertainment from her. Sadly, she wasn’t exaggerating at all. When her father had agreed to let her work at Rotelle Entertainment, he probably thought she was seeking a fleeting distraction. He didn’t believe she’d excel at her job and become recognized as a successful businesswoman. According to him, it made her bigheaded and fed her rebellious nature. He would jump at the chance to remove her from her position over the slightest mistake, but she hadn’t given him the opportunity so far.
As for her rebellious nature, she had smothered it to ashes after her one flailing leap for freedom. When she’d finished her last term at Oxford, she had disappeared into the countryside instead of attending her graduation. Both of her parents had prior arrangements. Couldn’t they have made an effort to care for once? After all, her college graduation was a huge milestone. Their absence had made Jihae furious and reckless.
Even though she’d lived in Oxford for nearly eight years, Jihae had never been allowed to travel around Europe on her own. She decided if she didn’t take a chance then, she would never be able to be on her own, even for a few months.
She’d relied completely on the cash she’d saved up, and had taken Eurail to go from city to city, mostly staying in hostels. It had been the most freeing, exciting few months of her life. She had returned to the UK and settled down at a little inn in the Lake District when her father’s men had tracked her down. They’d escorted her home immediately, and she had never been out of her family’s and the security guards’ sight again.
After years of denying her entreaty to expand Rotelle Entertainment to Hollywood, her father’s sudden order for her to travel to the US was a godsend. Her parents’ unreasonable expectations and constant scorn had become unbearable to live with. Especially when her engagement to Garrett Song had come to an end. Jihae had been secretly overjoyed by the cancellation of her impending arranged marriage, but her parents blamed her for the broken engagement. For bringing shame to their family. They told her Garrett Song broke the engagement because he’d somehow found out about her selfish, wild nature. Just one, single rebellious incident as a college kid had permanently marked her as the family’s black sheep.
“I just wish you could have some normal moments in your life,” June said with somber understanding. “You’re like Rapunzel trapped in a tower. Even an ocean away, your father controls your every action. Why can’t you go on a freaking movie date?”
“Someday, but not with this man. Getting involved with a business associate is unprofessional and improper enough to give my father the excuse he needs to remove me from Rotelle Entertainment.”
Jihae reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. It meant so much to have someone who understood that she wasn’t living a fairy-tale dream. She was grateful for the privileges she had, but being a jaebul heiress meant isolation and loneliness. It was like being imprisoned in a golden cage, tightly leashed at all times.
“Okay. Fine. Then you better make sure no one construes your outing as a date, either. You did mention him being on Hollywood Insiders.”
