Body and Words Don't Match
When had it ever been like this?
It had been the first time she had heard him say no.
Hyun-seo drew in a sharp breath.
He had never thought of holding a woman who said she didn't want him, but stopping here now felt like it required inhuman patience.
Instead of stopping, it would be better to convince Tae-yeon's body.
“No? Really? Even like this?”
Hyun-seo's hand tightened with force.
Even though they were already touching, he pushed his body closer, pressing Tae-yeon against the wall.
Tae-yeon's trembling form wedged between the wall and Hyun-seo's body heaved with labored breaths.
His fingers slid inside her panties with a little more force, pushing and rubbing against her soft flesh until they scraped her delicate skin.
The wetness spreading across his palm soaked into the fabric.
He pulled his hand back, showing Tae-yeon the glistening palm, and then licked it slowly with his tongue.
The sight was wild, like a beast in rut, making Tae-yeon shake her head in denial.
It was the undeniable proof of her arousal.
The body that had promised to accept him was now grudgingly wet and unwilling.
“When the body says one thing and the words another, which should I believe?”
Hyun-seo's hand plunged back into her panties immediately.
Tae-yeon's mouth had gone dry; she tried to cross her legs, but she couldn't.
His hand was so strong he lifted her entirely, holding her up against her will.
On his palm, Tae-yeon writhed under the intense stimulation.
“Ha…ah… Chairman-nim…”
“That voice you use. It drives me crazy. Especially like this.”
His rigid, pounding desire was making its frustration loud, demanding he push straight into her.
All his senses had focused at his fingertips, and his body felt everything she felt.
His lips invaded Tae-yeon's mouth again.
He sucked her tongue, stroked the roof of her mouth and her soft skin, drinking her in deeply.
Tae-yeon's moan broke free from her lips at his repeated actions.
“Hic… ha…”
Even as she trembled through a small climax, Tae-yeon grabbed his wrist and pulled it away.
It was clearly an attempt to stop him.
Tae-yeon's flushed face had turned even redder.
She was definitely aroused, but the wound she had received from Oh Jin-hee that evening was too deep to simply lean on him.
On top of that, a fever had started to creep into her body.
Tae-yeon made her refusal crystal clear.
“Even if it's work, there is vacation. Sick leave, annual leave, all of it.”
“You mean you're using your sick leave and annual leave right now?”
Hyun-seo wanted to scold her for saying that at a time like this, but he clenched his teeth and held his breath.
“Today I don't want to.”
“I know you saw your mother come and go. Is that not enough compensation? Do you need more?”
Insane. If it's money, then it's money.
Tae-yeon bit back the fresh wave of resentment rising in her and shook her head.
“My body's not well….”
“Your body?”
Hyun-seo gave her a suspicious look and reached out to press his hand to her forehead.
Tae-yeon widened her eyes at the sudden action.
Hyun-seo's eyes were serious as he held his hand there.
It wasn't quite worry, but the emotions swirling in his face were far too intense to be simple concern.
After a moment, Hyun-seo pulled his hand away and told her, “You seem to have a slight fever. Did you catch a cold? There must be medicine somewhere. I take this over-the-counter stuff; the fever and pain relief is quite effective.”
He headed to the study, came back with a medicine packet, and looked completely unruffled, as if he hadn't just been breathing hard with desire moments ago.
In contrast, Tae-yeon's body was still trembling as if she hadn't escaped from his caress.
It made her feel ashamed that she was acting this way alone.
He pressed the medicine packet into her hand and met her eyes.
“I won't touch you, so eat it and rest. Min Manager.”
Was the Chairman this gentle with his subordinates?
The air itself seemed to warm with his mood, his voice, his expression.
The atmosphere that felt almost sweet if she waited a little longer was unfamiliar, so Tae-yeon blinked and asked, “Why are you treating me so well?”
“What?”
He gave her a careless reply that made her draw in a breath.
“Never mind.”
“What do you mean never mind? Am I too kind and that makes you uncomfortable? You can't get confused. You know that a workplace isn't supposed to run on its own, right? If you get sick, someone should take care of you so we can keep you working. Isn't that right, Min Manager?”
The kindness she had felt moments ago now sounded completely different.
“I'm fine. I'll handle it myself….”
“It doesn't seem like something you can handle yourself?”
Choi Hyun-seo brought a water cup and forced her to take the medicine, then laid her gently on the bed.
He pulled the blanket up to her chin and said beside her, “Sleep.”
That single firm word felt exactly like an order from a boss to a subordinate.
Tae-yeon felt a flicker of resentment at the moment.
It was like being told what to do about basic rights; she hated it.
“You're ordering me to sleep?”
“Yes. Think of it as continuing your work and sleep. You'll recover faster that way.”
It was outrageous. Even as she felt outrage, a laugh escaped her.
Ordering her to sleep. This was a workplace that provided meals and lodging and yet received all these commands.
Even so, when she looked at Choi Hyun-seo staring at her so intently, she really did feel sleepy.
With the medicine's strength weighing down her eyelids, she let them close.
Only his voice reached her then.
“You don't need to listen to the story about my mother. Even if it's work, you're a daughter-in-law on the outside. You can clearly resist my mother-in-law's unfair scolding. That right is something I gave you. It belongs to my wife. So use it properly. Use the rights you have.”
The weight of his deep voice flowed straight to Tae-yeon and became strength.
But could she really do it?
He was speaking easily.
Even as a daughter-in-law, if you receive unfair treatment, just but your head against your mother-in-law and make her a horn.
But how could that even be possible?
It was something only a woman who received a husband's love, who had even given birth to a child in this family, could do.
With a daughter-in-law like that, she could even listen to words she didn't want to hear.
If it had been that her family was difficult and she had earned money to support the household, given birth, then it would be different.
With a strong natal family, she could rely on them more and resist her mother-in-law's unpleasant words.
But no matter how she looked at it from every angle, Tae-yeon felt she wouldn't be able to fight Oh Jin-hee at all.
“That's what I mean. I don't think that applies to me.”
Hyun-seo, about to leave, turned around.
The image of Tae-yeon looking at him like a pitiful puppy struck him painfully.
Perhaps it wasn't any special feeling, but he thought to himself, It's just that I'm listening to my subordinate's troubles.
He asked again, “Why doesn't that apply to you, Min Manager?”
“Think about it. I don't have any particular contribution to this family. I'm not earning money or anything, and my natal family isn't anything special. So how am I supposed to argue back against my mother-in-law's words?”
Then his face changed instantly.
“What are you saying, Min Manager?”
“What?”
“Is your mind straight? A person can't deceive others as long as they don't deceive themselves. On the outside, Min Manager gave birth to my child. Choi Yoon-woo. Simply because you're the mother of Choi Yoon-woo, you have great merit in the Choi family. You're denying that yourself?”
Tae-yeon had nothing to say to Hyun-seo's cold, scolding words.
Hyun-seo continued to teach her without restraint.
“As long as you, Min Manager, don't believe you're Yoon-woo's mother, no one else will either. If you keep acting so clumsily and someone suggests doing a DNA test, what are you going to do?”
Tae-yeon felt a chill of fear.
This was about the contract, about responsibility, a sensitive issue.
If she got it wrong, she would be responsible for everything.
“If that situation ever arises, you mean that responsibility will be entirely mine?”
Tae-yeon flared up.
That was too unfair. That was fraud, wasn't it?
She knew he was the one behind the whole thing.
“I didn't say that.”
“It sounded that way to me. I thought I was on the same side as the Chairman now, but actually, I'm not sure about that.”
“Why are you saying that?”
“Think about it. Aren't we the employer and employee contracted with each other?”
Hyun-seo nodded.
That was agreement. Yes, that was the relationship.
“So what?”
“But Chairman Oh Jin-hee and the Chairman are blood-related, mother and son. How can I claim to be closer to you two than the two of you are to each other? If the two of you really conspire behind my back….”
He raised his palm to stop her.
His action, with his brows tightly knit, felt suddenly threatening.
“What are you saying now?”
His low voice rumbled like a beast's growl.