Pay With Your Heart

Chapter 368: Winter Cuddle Or Mating Call?

Ni-Na enquired at the reception and she was directed to one of the private lounges reserved for elite clients, most especially female clients who desire utmost privacy during their skin therapy sessions, as well as privacy for the many other things that made her gut wrench.

Her eyes scanned across the doors in the hallway till she finally saw it. Getting such information from the staff wasn’t ethical, but being a member of the most elite family in the city has its pecks.

Arriving at the door, Ni-Na pressed her ear against it and listened to whatever was going on in there.

“Will you tell me the meaning of the text you sent and why you kept calling me? Or did you just call me to waste my time?” She heard In-Ha say from behind the door. From the sound of his voice, she could tell he was displeased and uncomfortable.

A few seconds of silence reigned before she heard a response. A coquettish yet repulsive voice weaved through the door.

“Why are you being so hasty? I’ll tell you why I called but haven’t you missed me?” Ni-Na felt her stomach churn at the sound of that voice. She could recognize that annoying voice anywhere even though it wasn’t worth remembering. Kang Ji-A. It was her.

Highly revulsed as Ni-Na was knowing the person seating behind the door was Ji-A, she had never imagined she’d turn from being angry to feeling murderous in a split second until she heard the next words that rolled out of Ji-A’s mouth.

.....

“I missed you, In-Ha. Didn’t you miss me, just a little bit?” She heard her say.

Scorching heat surged through Ni-Na veins. The lady had no shame. Her hand gripped the door handle and she flung the door open, startling the people inside the room.

Her gaze fell on In-Ha who was utterly stunned to see her. His blue-green eyes fully widened in shocked surprise. She moved her gaze from In-Ha and settled it on the lady seated opposite him. Her cleavages sprouted out of her pink body-con dress like she had been squeezed into an undersized corset.

A smile curved her lips as she ambled deeper into the room and plonked herself beside In-Ha, who was yet to shake off the surprise of seeing her. With her gaze still fixed on Ji-A, or rather her round breast clenching against her neck and depriving her of air, Ni-Na asked, “Can you breathe?”

“Hmm?” Ji-A cluelessly mumbled.

“Isn’t it too tight?” Ni-Na innocently asked, tilting her head towards Ji-A’s chest. Ji-A’s face turned red when she realized what Ni-na was referring to as well as the insult buried inside her faux question of concern

“My apologies if I made you uncomfortable.” She apologized when she saw Ji-A’s embarrassed countenance, but they both knew she wasn’t sorry, and to confirm it she said, “I just don’t understand why you’d want to choke yourself with your breast, or is this the new suicidal trend?”

In-Ha pinched her elbow to caution her, but Ni-Na wasn’t one to be cautioned. She was unruly and tenacious in her own way, and her feral claws when let out, wouldn’t cave in until a good chunk of her target’s flesh was bloodily dripping from her palms. She nudged his handoff and threw a side glare at him.

“What are you doing here?” He asked in a hushed whisper.

Ni-Na glanced at him, before reply, but not in a low whisper as he spoke to her. “I heard you were here with someone, so I thought to drop by and say hi. But who knew this someone was your unspeakable past trying to be suicidal with her corset. It must hurt from how stiff she’s sitting.” She threw a side glance at Ji-A whose face has suddenly become distorted with a dark frown. Ji-A’s lips moved to say something, but Ni-Na returned her attention to In-Ha.

“What are you doing, brother In-Ha?” She asked.

“Meeting someone.” He tilted his head towards Ji-A who was silently gritting her teeth, and In-Ha was sure she was struggling not to get into an argument with a girl far younger than her. But even if she did, he was certain Ni-Na would incinerate her alive. The girl was calm, gentle and respectful but she was also a monster, especially with that mouth of hers which she wielded like a weapon.

Not sure of what to say, In-Ha looked away from her and turned to Ji-A. The little girl always had a way of unsettling him, but anyway she was right. What was he doing there?

The look on his face intensified as he gazed at Ji-A. “Can you tell me what you meant by your message?” He asked.

Ji-A was displeased when she heard his question, especially in the presence of Ni-Na who was being disrespectful. The girl had never failed to show her hatred towards her.

“Can we talk privately?” She asked making Ni-na contemptuously snicker. In-Ha looked at her before glancing back at Ji-A.

“She’s family, so say what you want.” He firmly said. He knew there was no way he’d ask Ni-Na to leave, that would be the end of his peaceful days on earth and he didn’t want to.

Ni-Na stared at Ji-A with a mocking smile, and the crease lines on Ji-A’s face deepened.

Ji-A cleared her throat as she uncomfortably shifted on her seat. “Your father heard you were staying in a hotel, and he thinks you might have had a fall out with President Lee, so he wants you to return home.” She said.

Silence reigned in the room after Ji-A said those words. Ni-Na and In-Ha both looked at her with incredulity.

“Is that it?” In-Ha asked just to be sure, and Ji-A nodded making Ni-Na rumble out a round of derisive laughter. She didn’t believe her. She knew that wasn’t why Ji-A had invited In-Ha to a place like this. She looked at In-Ha and her head throbbed because of his foolishness. She grabbed his hand and pulled him up, as she rose to her feet? “Let’s go.” She said.

“Go?” Ji-A asked with a frown, seeing what Ni-Na was about to do.

Ni-Na furrowed her brows. “Do you have anything else to say? At least something that will make my last five minutes miraculously become meaningful, because I believe even a stray puppy would have given us its best bark than what I’ve just wasted my time on. So?” She tilted her head towards her as she urged her for an answer.

She scoffed when she saw Ji-A’s lips quaver in a futile attempt to say something.

“I guess you have nothing else to say, so we’ll take our leave.” She announced.

“Take your leave?” Ji-A scowled.

“Do you have a problem with that, Mrs Kang?” Ni-Na inquired.

“Little girl.” Ji-A drawled as she rose to her feet, her fingers dug into her palms and the veins of her head twitched.

Ni-Na mockingly chuckled when Ji-A glared at her, but the hostility in her own eyes wasn’t losing to hers.

“Do you hate being called Mrs Kang?” Ni-Na asked, but her mocking tone and condescending gaze riled Ji-A up. She couldn’t believe a small girl was insulting her, and In-ha wasn’t saying anything.

“You should learn some manners, young lady, or I’ll teach you some.” Ji-A snarled.

“Learn some manners? From who? You?” Ni-Na scoffed as she let go of In-Ha’s hand. “Wouldn’t a dog be a better teacher to me than you? I mean in life, you can’t give what you don’t have right?”

“What do you mean?” Ji-A snapped making Ni-Na stalk towards her till she stopped in front of her, slightly towering over her. Her height gave her an intimidating advantage, and her cold and fierce gaze ruffled Ji-A, but she tried to maintain her ground. She wasn’t about to lose to a girl far younger than her.

Ni-Na trailed her from hair to toe, before staring back at her face. “Isn’t it mannerless of a married woman to be seen in a private room with an unmarried man, dressed like she’s in desperate need of a winter cuddle? Or is this the new dress code for a mating call?”