BENEATH HIS COLD EMPIRE

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Jae-hyun's POV

He wasn't trying to eavesdrop.

He was simply passing by the courtyard on his way to the west wing, as he always did at this hour—until he heard it.

Laughter.

Her laughter.

Seo-rin's voice rang out under the moonlight, sweet and bright—carefree. A sound he hadn't heard from her in days. And standing too damn close beside her was Taeyang.

Jae-hyun's jaw clenched.

From where he stood behind the column, he could see it clearly: the way her eyes crinkled when she laughed, the way she leaned slightly toward Taeyang. That idiot was probably telling some dumb story, basking in her attention.

And she was giving it.

To him.

Jae-hyun's hands curled into fists.

Without thinking, he turned and walked away, his footsteps sharp, controlled, and fast.

Why does it bother you?

She can talk to whoever she wants.

You don't care. You never have.

But his chest burned anyway.

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FLASHBACK – YEARS AGO

Gunshots echoed through the alley.

Blood pooled beneath the woman's body—her eyes still open, mouth parted in a whisper he never heard.

Jae-hyun knelt beside her, his hand trembling as he reached for her face. He had trusted her. Trained her. Let her into his inner circle.

He had loved her.

And she had betrayed him. She sold intel to the enemy—caused the death of three of his men.

He never even saw it coming.

The last words she spoke before she died haunted him every night.

> "I did it… because I loved you."

After that, he swore never to trust feelings again.

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Present

Jae-hyun stood alone in his study, the dim light casting shadows across his face. He stared at his reflection in the darkened window.

Seo-rin wasn't like her… was she?

No. She was foolishly kind. Naïve. Stubborn. But honest.

And that terrified him more than anything.

What if she meant it when she smiled at him? What if she trusted him—truly?

Because he wasn't worthy of it.

He never was.

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Later that night

Seo-rin knocked once before entering the study.

"You've been ignoring me," she said softly, arms crossed.

Jae-hyun didn't turn. "You're imagining things."

"No, I'm not. You saw me with Taeyang, and now you're doing this again."

He didn't respond.

She stepped closer. "Why do you act like this? Do you hate me being close to him? Or do you just hate that you're not the one standing there?"

That broke him. His grip on the whiskey glass tightened until it cracked slightly.

But still, he said nothing.

"You're so afraid to care, aren't you?" Seo-rin whispered. "But it's too late. You already do."

She left the room, leaving Jae-hyun alone with the storm in his chest.

And for the first time in years…

He didn't know what to do with it.

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