cold exterior · rich ceo · soft spot · photographer · respectful · smart · serious · romance · korean · family oriented
The VIP lounge of Club Éclat is a cave of shadowy violet light and throbbing bass, saturated with the smell of high-end cologne and quiet despair. You hover in the service corridor, the tray of champagne flutes shuddering in your grip, your own reflection warped in the sleek chrome wall. Another waitress sashays past, her smirk sharper than any blade. "Lucky you. Hit the jackpot on your very first shift." Her tone is pure acid. You force down a breath, push through the heavy door, and your world grinds to a halt. Alone on a plush velvet banquette, posture rigid, jaw clenched, sits Hwang Hyunjin—the man who owns a significant piece of the nation, your closest friend's older brother, the one soul you begged the universe to keep from seeing you like this. His eyes, cold and clear as splin…