Lucy thought she was about to succeed but the fierce shouting from outside her room managed to startle both of them.
"How dare you locked the door, Lucy?! And he's inside too! Come out, both of you!", Charles Kim was about to bang the poor door.
"What? Grandfather!", she tched. How could he interupt?!
"We should stop.", Aubrey distanced himself away from her. Then he took the towel by the sink and wrapped her body with it. She wouldn't catch a cold this way.
Lucy faced Aubrey, she seemed disappointed. But for the sake of the old man outside, she gave in.
"Geez.. I know you want me too.", she turned away.
Aubrey kissed her on the head.
"You're welcome to try again next time.", he said, and he immediately disappeared outside the bathroom. He wanted her to shower first.
'Can't we take bath together..', she pouted. But a small smile graced her lovely face.
After the bath, she saw that Aubrey was nowhere in her room.
'Where did he go?', she looked around. She then put on a blue sundress from her closet. She grabbed a white towel and began drying her hair.
A simple one knock from the door made her turned towards the sound. It was her grandfather.
"Grandfather.", she sat on the bedside. And Charles sat beside her.
"It won't take long but will you listen to me?", he faced her with a gentle smile.
Lucy nodded slowly. She knew what he wanted to say.
"I hope you know what you're doing, and you won't regret it. He's not a simple man, Lucy. I saw and I knew the things he had to go through. It was beyond words. But that isn't all, what I'm most worried for is because he's a Lee. He is too far for you to reach, but somehow you managed to. And the problem lies there, you won't be safe when his older brother found out."
Lucy didn't say a word. She knew it would take more than courage alone to be with a man like Aubrey.
"I'm not going to regret it, I choose him myself. Nobody can tell me what to do. You know me right?", she said.
"And life won't be fun when we know what the future holds. That's why.. I will be facing it head on! Because I love him.", Lucy turned to Charles. Her face full of determination.
Charles Kim didn't get to find any fault in her words. He knew she was serious. She loved Aubrey not because of pity or obligation. It was more than that. They were not playing around.
"What makes you fall in love with him?", he asked, curious.
Lucy hummed before she could think of the reason.
"I don't know. Do we need a reason to love?", she said, chuckling.
"I just want to be with him. My thoughts are full of him. I'm always worried about him. And.. I guess I can't live without him.", she answered.
Aubrey was the first love she ever experienced, and she wanted him to be the last.
She wasn't easy to fall for someone, she was known as an ice queen for a reason. Her cold attitude towards men was evident.
Perhaps she was waiting for Aubrey all this time..
Charles saw the look in her eyes. He wasn't going to lie that she looked the happiest he had ever seen in his life. Love really was powerful.. it changed the people and their principle towards reality.
"I don't have a say in this matter do I..", he sighed softly.
"Yes you don't.", she giggled, wrapping her hand around his arm.
"Fine. Do whatever you want."
"Thank you, grandfather.", she rested her head on his shoulder.
"I wish my parents were like you..", she said in a low but hearable tone. A little bit sad.
Charles Kim turned his head to his granddaughter.
"Your parents won't also have a say in this matter. I'll see to it myself.", his voice strict.
Lucy held back from cracking a smirk. Her acting was superb!
"I love you grandfather!", she hugged him closely, smiling to her ear.
'Ah.. it's good to be a psychologist.'
Now that she got her backing, there was nothing that could stand in her way anymore.
•••
The next day, on the sunny and fine weather, Olivia was dragging her own feet to the five star hotel restaurant.
'Room O24.. where is the damn room..'
She arrived right before the door. It wrote 'VIP ROOM 024'.
She stood there, stilled like a tree. She purposely arrived later than the exact time. She was actually 30 minutes late..
"Won't you be going inside?", a deep voice said behind her.
Olivia turned around, to see a man with a t-shirt and a brown leather jacket over his shoulder. He looked too casual to be in a place like Feskin Hotel..
".. yes?!", she opened the door in haste and walked inside. There was no one here.
Olivia turned to the man who also went in with her.
"What? This is also my room.", he said indifferent, and he took a seat right across the table.
What? He was the date?! He also came late..?
Olivia couldn't help but gasped in shock. She then went to her seat silently. Her yellow A line dress that was just above her knee fluttered with each step she took.
"So you're Lucy?", he began to ask. The waiter came in and handed him the menu.
Olivia took the menu from the waiter too, and she just nodded.
'Gosh.. he sounds like a jerk!', she gritted her teeth.
"Hm.. so doctor Lucy, what would you like to eat?", the man asked, his smile mischievous.
"Why not introduce yourself first before asking me what I would like to eat?", Olivia said, her voice mocking. But she couldn't hide her nervousness.
The man smiled to himself when he saw Olivia fidgeting. What a cute little kitty.
"Joe Ahn.", he said just two words.
"Oh.", she answered with just one.
'Please.. let this be over soon..!', Olivia screamed inside her head. She was afraid. She didn't want to be alone with a man in a private room.
As soon as the waiter left to bring in the meals, he stared at Olivia very intensely. He noticed something was weird. Lucy Kim was a psychologist, she would be able to not let her real feelings shown. But this woman before him wasn't like that at all. She was so easy to read, like a book.
Joe Ahn stood up suddenly and he went to her seat. His one hand on the table, while the other was at his waist. He bended down to her height, while his face inching closer.
"So doctor.. how's the hospital you worked at? Would you mind sharing some story with me? I'm a bone specialist, not a psychologist..", his deep voice went to her ear like a whisper. It made Olivia turned red.
"What- yes. No! Why should I?!", she didn't know how to react. She didn't have any story regarding the psychologist's job! She owned dessert stores, not a white robe!
Joe Ahn wasn't in the mood to joke anymore.
"Who the hell are you?", he asked, his voice cold. It sent shiver down her spine.
Olivia was cornered when he moved his face right in front of her. How could he know???
"Um.. I.. ", she looked away from his gaze.
'Damn you jerk!'
"Answer me, you fake."
What?
Olivia was shaking in anger, how dare he called a daughter of the CEO a fake?!!!
"I'm Olivia, you jerk! A daughter from the famous Min Corporation!", she snapped.
He took a step back. So she really was someone else.
"How dare you call me a fake! You think I want to be here if not because of Lucy?!", she crossed her arms and stood up immediately.
"And why are you here instead of the actual person?", Joe asked Olivia. He was still calm even when she was clearly showing disgust.
"Because she already has a boyfriend! Why would she be here when she has a guy more handsome than you?!", Olivia took her purse and walked towards the door. As she thought, men are all stupid.
Her words triggered some irritation within Joe. He sneered in disbelief. He was a young doctor who was also an heir to the leading pharmaceutical company, how dare she told him he was not handsome?! And a jerk too?!
Women out there would be lining up to his feet, and bow to his money and face. But this brazen woman..
"Stop, you!", he grabbed her arm when she was just about to leave. His grip was strong and rough.
"Hey! Let me go-", Olivia was about to give him another insult when she saw herself in the woods. Running from a group of boys that wanted to tear her clothes apart.
She suddenly became quiet. Her face paled.
'I'm still scared..!', she wanted to run, but her body turn stiff.
She then remembered Lucy's words.
'I'll be forever alone if I don't take my first step now..', she thought to herself.
Olivia took a deep breath and Joe loosened his grip on her hand.
"I'm sorry.", he said. Guilt spread over his chest when he saw her pale face.
"It's fine. I had some gruesome experience with men before.", Olivia said honestly. She really wasn't comfortable being alone with a man.
Hearing her said that, his guilt went up a hundred levels.