Even If You Run Away (Completed)

“What’s your address?”

The sound seemed to echo louder in the damp air. Ye-in deliberately avoided looking at the driver’s seat as she replied.

“Don’t you already know?”

“Your home address? Me?”

“You knew which hospital my grandmother was admitted to. It seems unlikely you wouldn’t know my address.”

There was no way he’d appeared by coincidence. He must have tracked her down. She could easily imagine him as a hunter, following the trail of footprints and studying the habitat to find a deer hiding deep in the forest.

A low chuckle escaped Tae-heon.

“I’ll take you home.”

Tae-heon began typing her address into the navigation system. Not only did he know her address, but he had memorized it. Either he had an exceptional memory or an obsessive personality—or likely both.

“No.”

Watching him enter the address so effortlessly, Ye-in placed her hand lightly on his.

Tae-heon stopped and turned his gaze to her.

“I don’t want to go home.”

“Then where?”

“…”

“My place?”

Though the words sounded like a low-grade joke, Tae-heon didn’t smile. Neither did Ye-in.

Her soaked blouse clung to her skin, cold and uncomfortable. She craved warmth, even if it came from this man who seemed as cold as ice.

Tae-heon reached out.

The palm that cupped her cheek felt searingly hot. It was likely because the rain had stolen all her body heat. She knew his warmth wasn’t truly this intense. And yet.

“All right,” she whispered.

Closing her eyes, Ye-in rested her head against his hand. The water droplets clinging to her eyelashes rolled down her cheek, pooling in Tae-heon’s palm.

This house felt like an extension of the man himself.

The expansive interior was stark, furnished with only the bare essentials. It made her wonder if he truly lived here. Everything, down to the furniture, appeared pristine and untouched, lacking any signs of life.

“You should wash up,” Tae-heon said, shrugging off his coat.

Ye-in, standing awkwardly near the living room, shook her head.

“No, I’m fine.”

“You’ll catch a cold if you stay like that.”

His tone carried a faint trace of exasperation, as though he couldn’t understand her stubbornness. The weight of his observing gaze on her right arm sent goosebumps across her skin. It was true—her soaked blouse clung to her, and if she didn’t change, she’d likely be feverish by morning.

“Are you worried I might… attack you?”

Amusement tinged his voice, as if he found her resistance ridiculous. Caught by her need to explain herself, Ye-in fumbled for a response.

“I… don’t have anything to change into here. Not even underwear…”

Her voice trailed off, barely audible. Tae-heon chuckled softly, a short, low sound that made her ears burn.

“For someone who doesn’t look the part, you sound like a nun.”

His teasing tone made Ye-in glare at him.

“And you don’t talk the way you look either.”

“So, how do I sound? Like a playboy, contrary to how I look?”

He really did. For someone who appeared as emotionless as a marble sculpture, he was surprisingly adept at speaking in such crude terms.

“When you said you’d come to my house, I thought it meant you wanted to fool around.”

Crude words.

Ye-in gasped silently. Tae-heon stood right in front of her, closer than she realized.

At some point, he had loosened his tie. The faint scent of rain lingered around him—not the damp, musty smell of wet clothing, but something sharper, mixed with the subtle warmth of skin.

The fine hairs at the nape of her neck stood on end. Her heart pounded faster.

Whenever she was close to this man, it felt impossible to maintain her composure. Trying to collect herself, Ye-in quickly brushed past him and sat on the sofa.

“I heard you contacted my father,” she said.

Tae-heon slowly turned to look at her, like a hunter watching prey slip away before the trap could spring. There was an unnerving stillness about him, a calculated calm that made his kindness feel like something to be wary of.

“Should I have contacted you directly instead?”

“I already know what your answer would be. No matter what I say, you plan to marry me, don’t you?”

“As I said, it’s a good deal for me.”

Tae-heon moved toward the sofa. His long legs gave him a commanding stride, closing the distance between them in moments. Ye-in tilted her chin to look up at him.

“You called it a transaction, right?”

She had to crane her neck to meet his gaze. Up close, she noticed how his crisp shirt stretched taut across his chest, emphasizing his broad shoulders and straight collarbone. Everything about him seemed perfectly aligned, as if he’d hoarded all the features others might envy.

Beyond that immaculate frame, his cold eyes met hers. And his mocking smile.

“Then I’ll change my answer,” Ye-in said softly. “I’ll sell myself to you.”

“Your body?”

The dry retort was clearly meant to tease, but Ye-in didn’t flinch.

“Yes. Everything but my heart.”

As she unbuttoned her damp blouse, Tae-heon’s smile faded. She had to remove it anyway, so she began undoing the buttons from the top.

“What’s your condition, Miss Lee?”

Tae-heon moved closer to the sofa.

“I want my grandmother to live comfortably until her last day.”

“And other than your grandmother?”

When the large man sat next to her, the sofa seemed to tilt under his weight, shifting the balance entirely. Before she could process it, Tae-heon reached out and touched her blouse.

“Nothing about yourself?”

The second button was undone by his hand. Then the third. Her mouth went dry.

“What I really want is…”

She hesitated.

What she truly longed for was a family—a real one.

But I can’t keep clinging to this vague dream.

If something happens, I’ll face it willingly.

“If I become useless to you, Kwon Tae-heon, please divorce me.”

Tae-heon remained silent, his expression unreadable. When he didn’t respond, Yein continued.

“Sooner or later, I’ll have to deceive your parents, but I can’t keep it up forever. If you’re marrying me simply because it’s less of a hassle to have me as your wife, then let me say this—if things get complicated and your life becomes more difficult because of me, it’s better for both of us to end it. Divorce would be the easier option.”

“Why are you bringing this up before we’re even married? If it comes to that, I’ll handle it.”

She knew. When the time came, Tae-heon would discard her without hesitation. It was hardly a condition worth discussing.

“At least it feels less painful to say it first,” she murmured.

That way, it wouldn’t feel like being stabbed in the back.

She’d spent her entire life being abandoned. Instead of waiting to be pushed out of someone’s life, she wanted to take control—even if it was just for the sake of her pride.

“I’m tired of being treated like I don’t exist. I’m tired of getting hurt for no reason. Let’s agree now: when this marriage no longer serves its purpose, we end it. Let’s not torment each other.”

If this marriage was inevitable, at least let its conclusion be clean. That was all Yein could ask for.

Tae-heon, who had been listening in silence, unfastened the last button of his shirt. Without hesitation, he slipped it off.

“You speak as if you’re ready to disappear. You’re an odd woman.”

With her blouse gone, only her plain white bra remained. Tae-heon’s lips curled briefly in a faint smile as his eyes lingered on her.

She thought he’d unfasten the clasp at her back, but instead, he hooked his fingers under the cups. Her nipples, already firm, were exposed.

“Ah…”

The sound escaped her involuntarily, quiet yet trembling. She instinctively leaned against the back of the sofa, feeling trapped.

Tae-heon lowered his head, brushing his lips against her skin. His mouth found her breast, his tongue teasing her sensitive areola. A soft moan escaped as he sucked on her nipple.

“Uh… uh…”

The unfamiliar sound startled her. She quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. Tae-heon, still pressed against her chest, looked pleased.

The wet sound of his lips sent a wave of heat pooling low in her abdomen. She tried to pull away, but Tae-heon caught her wrists, pinning them. He held her firmly as his mouth continued its relentless attention, her breaths growing shallower.

“I have two conditions,” he said suddenly.

Tae-heon pushed her down onto the sofa, kissing every inch of her chest. His hands moved to part her skirt, exposing her thighs. Her legs, trembling, were spread apart, her ankles brushing his sides.

“First, I’ll do my part to keep up appearances for this marriage,” he whispered, his voice low as he settled between her knees. “You, on the other hand, seem terrible at lying. So, you’ll have to try harder.”

She instinctively moved her hands to cover her exposed chest, but Tae-heon soon pulled her bra away completely, leaving her bare. Her erect nipples brushed against the cool air, sending a shiver through her body.

“And the second condition?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“You won’t have sex with anyone but me,” he said, lifting her skirt as though it were second nature.

His words struck a nerve. Her father had been the same—indifferent to her existence, but furious and vindictive when her mother left with another man. Was Tae-heon like him?

“After we’re married, I have no intention of being with anyone other than my wife. You will do the same. Don’t even think about another man,” he demanded, his voice cutting through her doubts.

Kwon Tae-heon was claiming her in more ways than one. Yein looked at him, trying to make sense of the unexpected possessiveness.

“Why?”

“… Because I didn’t expect this,” she admitted quietly.

“Expect what?”

“This—us. I thought we agreed to keep it strictly business. You said we wouldn’t get involved with each other like this…”

Her words faltered. Physically, at least, they were crossing the line between a marriage of convenience and something much more intimate. Tae-heon didn’t give her a chance to think further. Her underwear was tugged down, leaving her completely exposed.

She held her breath, her body frozen in place, unable to cover herself.

“Because it’s dirty,” he muttered, his words contradicting his actions as he buried his face between her trembling thighs.

His tongue traced the delicate, sensitive skin of her inner thigh, sending a shiver through her. Then, without hesitation, Tae-heon pressed his lips against her most intimate place.

“Ah…!” Yein gasped, her hands flying to cover her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Her legs instinctively tried to close, but Tae-heon, visibly annoyed, gripped her knees firmly and pushed them apart, leaving her utterly exposed. The once-sealed line of her body now lay vulnerably open before him.

His sharp tongue slid into her, exploring where nothing ever had before. The sensation of him stroking her inner walls was overwhelming, completely foreign. Yein’s body betrayed her, her hips bucking instinctively as she tried to escape the unfamiliar pleasure.

She tried to retreat, shifting her hips backward, but Tae-heon was quicker. His strong hands gripped her soft hips, holding her firmly in place. There was no escape.

Heat built rapidly in her body, making her feel light-headed. She desperately hoped the slickness pooling at her entrance wasn’t her own. But as his tongue flicked over her hardened clitoris, his lips wrapping around it with maddening precision, she could feel herself yielding, her body responding against her will. Warmth trickled down her perineum, undeniable evidence of her surrender.