Chapter 23

JENNIE POV:

The moment Lisa’s lips touched hers, Jennie felt a quiet explosion go off inside her chest.

For the last twelve hours, she had done everything she could to think like a CEO. She had counted the days left in their contract. She had calculated the risks. She had built a tall, thick wall of cold business words to protect herself from the memory of the rooftop gala. But the second Lisa leaned down and closed the distance between them, every single wall turned to absolute dust.

This kiss was completely different from last night. Last night had been fast, wild, and desperate. This was slow. It was so incredibly gentle that it made Jennie’s knees feel weak beneath her silk dress.

Lisa’s hand was warm and heavy against the back of her neck. Her long fingers tangled slowly into Jennie’s wavy hair, holding her like she was something precious, something that might break if she wasn’t careful. Lisa’s thumb was resting right over Jennie’s pulse point, and Jennie knew Lisa could feel exactly how fast and chaotic her heart was beating. She couldn’t hide the truth anymore.

A small, helpless breath escaped Jennie’s lips, and she completely gave up the fight.

She let her eyes stay shut, blocking out the bright greenhouse, the flashing lights, and the entire world outside. She didn’t care about the cameras anymore. She didn’t care about the director shouting behind the lens, or what the board of directors would say when they saw the photos. In that exact moment, the five-month timeline and the fake contract completely vanished from her mind.

Jennie reached up, her small hands moving automatically until her arms were wrapped tightly around Lisa’s neck. She pulled herself up on her bare toes, needing to be closer, needing to feel the solid warmth of Lisa’s chest against hers. The thin, soft silk of her dress rubbed against Lisa’s cream linen shirt, and the scent of rich sandalwood and clean mint enveloped her completely.

She opened her lips slightly, melting into the deep, sweet heat of the kiss. It felt like a total surrender. She was letting Lisa see everything-all her fear, all her hidden soft spots, and the terrifying truth that she didn’t want this to be an act anymore.

The cameras kept clicking around them, bright and blinding, but Jennie was completely lost in the dark. She was holding onto Lisa’s shoulders like she was the only safe thing left in her entire life, completely terrified of what would happen when the director finally told them to stop.

The heavy velvet curtains of the studio finally closed behind them. The bright flashing lights were turned off, and the golden sun had fully dipped below the horizon, leaving the Seoul sky a dark, bruised purple. The photo shoot was finally over.

Inside the back of the black luxury sedan, the air felt thick, heavy, and completely freezing.

Jennie sat pressed against the far left side of the leather seat. She kept her eyes fixed entirely on the window, watching the bright city lights blur into long, colorful streaks as the car sped down the highway. Her small fingers were tightly intertwined in her lap, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. Her lips still felt swollen and warm from Lisa’s mouth-a physical reminder of the total surrender she had allowed in front of fifty crew members.

She was panicking inside. Every corporate instinct she possessed was screaming at her that she had lost total control of the situation.

On the other side of the wide leather seat, Lisa sat just as quietly. She leaned her chin on her fist as she stared out her own window on the right.

Her long legs were stretched out, but her body was completely tense. She didn’t try to close the physical gap between them this time. She didn’t reach for Jennie’s hand, and she didn’t break the silence with a smooth joke.

Lisa was stuck in her own head. Rerun after rerun of the look in Jennie’s eyes right before they kissed played in her mind. Jennie had looked so small, so incredibly fragile without her high heels, standing there in that flowing white silk dress. The way Jennie had clung to her linen shirt-like Lisa was the only stable thing in her world-had made Lisa’s chest ache with a fierce, protective hunger.

But now, looking at the cold, rigid profile of the girl sitting next to her, the familiar wall felt higher than ever. Lisa’s fist tightened in her lap. She’s putting the ice queen mask back on, Lisa thought, a dull, heavy weight settling deep into her stomach. She thinks she gave away too much. If I push her right now, she’s going to hide completely behind the legal contract.

So, Lisa chose to wait. She chose to give Jennie the space she was silently begging for, even if the silence in the car was loud enough to make her ears ring. Neither of them said a word as the miles clicked by.

The sedan moved smoothly through the heavy evening traffic, finally pulling into the private, underground parking garage of their luxury penthouse complex. The car stopped with a quiet hiss of the brakes, the bright overhead fluorescent lights reflecting sharply against the polished black hood.

The chauffeur hurried around to open Jennie’s door. The moment the door clicked open, the cool, stale air of the garage rushed into the vehicle.

“Thank you, Sungmin. You are dismissed for the night,” Jennie said. Her voice was completely smooth, perfectly flat, and devoid of any emotion.

She stepped out of the car, her bare feet now tucked into a pair of simple leather slides. She began walking toward the private elevator lobby without looking back to see if Lisa was following her. Her silk skirt swished softly against her ankles, the raw white fabric catching the harsh garage light.

Lisa stepped out a second later, nodding to the driver before catching up. She walked a dynamic two paces behind Jennie, her bare feet silent on the concrete.

They stepped into the elevator together. The mirrored doors slid shut with a soft, expensive hum, trapping them in a small, brightly lit box. Jennie kept her eyes locked on the digital floor numbers counting up to the penthouse.

42… 43… 44…

Lisa watched Jennie’s reflection in the glass. She could see the slight tremor in Jennie’s lower lip, and the way her small fingers were still twisting the fabric of her dress. The tension was suffocating. It felt like a single word would shatter the entire elevator cab.

With a soft ding, the doors finally parted, opening directly into the grand foyer of their private penthouse.

Jennie stepped out first, her slides clicking softly against the marble floor. She walked straight into the dark, massive living room, where the city skyline glowed through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She didn’t stop. She wanted to run straight to Wing A, lock her bedroom door, and hide from the chaotic feelings crashing around her brain.

But she didn’t make it to the hallway.

Suddenly, a warm, strong hand reached out in the dark. Lisa gripped Jennie’s upper arm, her touch firm but gentle, instantly stopping Jennie in her tracks.

Jennie gasped softly, her body turning around automatically from the force of the pull. She looked up, her dark eyes wide with shock in the dim light of the penthouse. “Lalisa, what are you doing? Let go of-“

“Sorry,” Lisa interrupted. Her voice was deep, rough, and completely breathless. She stepped right into Jennie’s space, her tall frame blocking out the rest of the room. “I tried to give you space all the way home. I really tried, Jen. But I can’t stop myself.”

Before Jennie could even process the words, Lisa leaned down.

She caught Jennie’s lips in another deep, powerful kiss. This wasn’t the soft, careful pose for The director’s camera. This was raw, real, and full of the intense hunger Lisa had been hiding during the long, silent car ride.

Jennie’s hands instantly came up, pressing hard against Lisa’s chest. She tried to push her away, a soft grunt of protest escaping her throat. “Lisa, stop, we can’t-“ her brain tried to scream. This was breaking every single rule. This was destroying the contract.

But the moment Lisa’s fingers slid up to cradle her jaw, warmth spreading across her skin, Jennie’s protest completely died. The fight drained right out of her body. Her hands stopped pushing against Lisa’s linen shirt and instead gripped the fabric tightly, pulling Lisa closer.

Jennie melted into the kiss right away. She let out a quiet, shaky sigh against Lisa’s mouth, her lips parting as she surrendered completely to the heat. It was faster this time, more desperate, both of them drowning in the quiet penthouse. Jennie reached her arms up, wrapping them tightly around Lisa’s neck, pulling the taller girl down until there was absolutely no space left between them.

The cold corporate walls were completely gone. In the dark room, with the city lights glowing through the glass, they weren’t acting for anyone anymore.

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