Chapter 10 - The Sadistic Smile

Kill me, Sunye thought bitterly. Kill me now.

How she ended up sitting between Jonghyun and SD, she would never know. But there she was, sitting on a couch with both of them on the single chairs on her either ends. SD or Kim Haein, whichever name he went by, held a notepad and pen in his hands. Unlike the other times, his sadistic smile was gone and in its place was a very serious expression. Sunye could only gape at him.​​

Was this really the wily information broker she knew?

"Ms. Han?"

Jonghyun's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Y-yes!" she said. "I came here today to…"

Subconsciously, her eyes went towards SD, who was still pretending not to know her. She had known this man for almost nine years and this was the first time he was feigning ignorance. It unsettled her. Whenever he put on such acts, it meant that he was up to no good.

"I came here to take up your job offer," she stated, tearing her eyes away from SD.

Jonghyun leaned back, studying the prosecutor. He had to admit that she was quite a beauty. Her brown hair was tied back into a knot and she wore minimal make up on her face and yet, looked as beautiful as a celebrity. The light blue suit she wore perfectly highlighted her curves and she looked every bit as professional. Her pitch black eyes were looking directly into his without fear.

He was a little intrigued. Most people would not dare to look at him in the eye. But then again, this was Han Sunye, the top prosecutor in the country. She would not look away from him nor was she the type to flinch.

"Why?" he asked. "You refused my offer many times. And yet, here you are, taking it up all of a sudden. Is something wrong?"

"No," Sunye replied.

"Are you not happy with your current job?"

"I'm very happy with it."

"Then why are you keen to work with us?" Jonghyun asked.

"To pay back a debt to someone," Sunye stated boldly. She had said it on purpose in the hopes that SD would react in some manner. To her disappointment, SD did not react and kept on scribbling on his notepad, detailing every moment of the meeting like his boss ordered him to.

What is going on? Sunye wondered.

"What sort of debt?" Jonghyun demanded. "And what does LN Partners got anything to do with this person whom you owe to?"

"An old client of mine begged me to take up the case of Lim Byungsoo," Sunye smoothly lied. "They're friends and I couldn't refuse."

"But now, I am doubtful of your motives," Jonghyun shot back. "I don't think I'll hire you."

"Fine," Sunye shrugged. "Best of luck winning this case. That is, if you can find a prosecutor for this case. As far as I know, no one is willing to take it up."

Sunye sat back, crossing her legs and glared at the CEO as if challenging his authority. As a lawyer, lying had become her second nature since they had to lie a lot in their profession in order to win a case.

Jonghyun could sense the lie but did not say anything. It did not matter if she was lying. All he needed was for her to win the case.

"Haein," he said to his assistant. "Lead Ms. Han to the HR Department and help her with the formalities. Make the transition as smooth as possible."

SD bowed and said, "Alright sir."

He stood up and motioned to Sunye. "This way, madam," he said, ushering her to follow him. Sunye bowed at Jonghyun and followed SD out of the office. Walking through the corridor, they passed by many employees who greeted SD. He acknowledged them on his way while leading Sunye to a fire exit.

Once they were at the secluded fire exit, Sunye pulled SD back and tackled him against the wall, pressing his throat with her elbow. He could have stopped her but he did not and let her pin him. His earlier stoic mask fell off and was once again replaced by a sinister smile.

"My my, you're kinky," he mused. Sunye only glared at him.

"Why are you here?" she hissed. "If you're already working here, then why do you want me here?"

"Hmm…" SD pretended to think. "I guess it's because I need someone to entertain me here while I slave out in this place. Working here is boring you see-"

Sunye pressed her elbow harder against his throat, hoping to choke him a bit but he only laughed.

"Hun, I love pain," he wheezed. "And your hits don't pain at all!"

"Tell. Me. The. Truth!" she gritted through her teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"It is the truth," he sighed. "I'm here because I want extra cash and I brought you here for my personal entertainment."

"You infuriating little fuc-"

Suddenly, SD yanked her closer and before she knew it, he flipped her and now she was pinned against the wall. He held her arms, caging her. Their faces were close, their noses almost touching. He was standing so close to her that she could count his eyelashes.

"The truth is," he whispered. "I do have an agenda to come here. And you, my dear will help me achieve it."

"Why should I help you?" she retorted. Her heart was beating fast at their nearly intimate position. If someone were to enter the fire exit, they would definitely misunderstand those two. Sunye wanted to push him away but for some reason, her body would not move.

"Because my dear," SD smirked. "It's your only choice. Either listen to me or let your brother suffer. You choose."

"You're despicable," she declared in a soft tone.

"Tut tut," SD tutted. "That's tame. Say what's in your heart. Just call me a psychopathic asshole. I know that's what you want to call me. Just tell me what's in your heart."

"As if!" Sunye scoffed. SD's blue eyes lit up in a strange twinkle. He leaned in closer. Sunye was momentarily panicking because he was so close that their lips were almost touching…

"But I do know what's in your heart," he whispered. Good luck hiding it."

He backed off and let her go, increasing the gap between them. Sunye was panting heavily. She just realized that she had subconsciously held her breath. She glared at SD who had reverted to his Haein persona.

"Please follow me," he said in a stoic tone. "The HR Department is waiting for us."

With that, he descended the stairs, leading her away.

Fuming in anger, Sunye slowly followed him, not speaking to him for the rest of the way.