The morning sunlight pierced through the gap in the curtains, blinding the eyes of a girl who had just awoken from a deep sleep.
Mia stirred weakly, then suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened when she saw a half-naked man sleeping beside her—his torso exposed, the blanket draped loosely over his sculpted form.
"Damn… how did this happen?" she whispered in panic, holding her pounding head. "What the hell happened last night? Why am I here… with a man I don't even know?"
She sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes darting around the room in panic. Her clothes were scattered across the floor. Hastily and in silence, she picked them up one by one and got dressed.
"Who put something in my drink last night?" she thought bitterly, clenching her jaw. "It must've been her… Wina. Or maybe Agnes. They set me up."
Just as Mia reached for the door handle, ready to escape the hotel, a deep, threatening voice rumbled from behind her.
> "Don't even think about running from me. Stay right where you are… or I'll break your legs. If you leave, I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth."
Mia froze. Her heart pounded violently. That voice… it was the same man from last night.
She turned her head slowly. He was still lying down, eyes shut, but his words sounded far too aware.
Was he pretending to sleep?
Cautiously, Mia stepped closer and looked at his face. Sharp gaze, defined jawline... Ryu Chen. The man known for being cold and untouchable.
> "Tch, do you think I'm afraid of you? Who do you think you are?" Mia whispered mockingly, lips curling in disdain.
"If you threaten me, I can fight back too."
Her hand hovered near his face for a moment—almost touching—but she pulled back. With an irritated scoff, she turned away and walked to the door again.
Still, her heart wouldn't stop racing.
Moments later, Mia fled the hotel. Her steps were unsteady, her cheeks flushed with a mix of shame and fury. Her body was weak, but her emotions burned hotter.
Meanwhile, Ryu woke up alone. His eyes scanned the hotel room—but Mia was nowhere to be found.
> "Damn it!" he growled, throwing a pillow against the wall. "She actually ran off. After begging me like that last night?"
He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.
Then his eyes landed on the white bedsheets—faintly stained.
> "So she's… innocent," Ryu muttered under his breath, feeling a strange tightness in his chest. Still, his expression remained cold and unreadable.
He quickly got dressed, left the hotel, and drove straight to his mansion to change and head back to work.
---
At RC Group Headquarters
Ryu was focused in his office, signing a stack of important documents, when the door suddenly slammed open.
> "RYU!!!" shouted Dio, storming in with a furious expression.
Ryu looked up slowly, calm and composed.
> "Why are you yelling in my office?" he asked flatly.
> "Where did you take Mia? What the hell did you do to her last night?!" Dio snapped, his chest heaving in anger.
> "That's none of your business," Ryu replied sharply, eyes narrowing in challenge.
Without warning—
THUD!
A punch landed squarely on Ryu's jaw. His head turned, but he didn't fall. He simply wiped the thin trace of blood from the corner of his lips.
> "You've got guts hitting me," he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Dio clenched his fists.
> "Tell me the truth. You didn't hurt her, did you? You didn't—"
> "What, you think we just cuddled and talked about childhood memories?" Ryu cut in coldly, then patted Dio's shoulder with a mocking smile. "She came to me. She started it."
Dio's eyes turned bloodshot. His jaw tightened.
> "Bastard…"
THUD! THUD! THUD!
More punches rained down—on Ryu's face, his chest. But Ryu didn't fight back. He just stared at his friend, unblinking and silent.
> "If you hurt her… I don't care who you are. I'll destroy you, Ryu," Dio hissed, voice trembling with fury and guilt.
Ryu said nothing. But his eyes made it clear—this wasn't over.
> "Mia isn't like other women. She's not tempted by your looks or your money. So don't even dream of getting her easily," Dio added coldly, then turned and walked out, leaving Ryu alone in the office.
Ryu, still feeling the sting of Dio's blows, remained silent. He wiped the blood from his lip again, fists clenched to suppress the fury inside him.
> "Talking to Dio gets me nowhere. I'll find Joy. He knows something about that woman," Ryu muttered, then stormed out of the building.
---
JR Group
Ryu drove straight to JR Group. His curiosity about Mia wouldn't leave him alone. No woman had ever walked away from him—much less dared to defy him. That's what made Mia different. That's what made him want to know more.
Inside, a major board meeting was in progress. Executives were deep in discussion when—
SLAM!
The door burst open, making everyone turn.
Ryu stood there, eyes sharp, expression unreadable.
> "What's going on?" Joy asked, standing from his seat, surprised by Ryu's sudden, intimidating entrance.
> "I need to talk to you," Ryu said flatly, but firmly.
> "Sorry, sir. Mr. Chen refused to wait," said a staff member, trying to de-escalate the tension.
Joy raised his hand in signal. The staff member backed off immediately.
> "This meeting is over. We'll continue tomorrow," Joy announced, ending the session. The attendees quickly filed out, leaving only Joy and Ryu behind.
Once the room was empty, Joy approached the man standing stiffly by the door.
> "Let's talk in my office. I know why you're here," he said calmly, then turned and led the way out.
Ryu followed him wordlessly, his eyes burning with unresolved emotion. He wasn't here to talk nicely—he wanted answers about the woman who kept haunting his thoughts.
Once they reached Joy's office and the door shut behind them, Joy spun around, eyes filled with fury.
> "You want to know where Mia is, don't you?! But I'm not telling you. Even if you threaten me, I won't say a word," he said, voice echoing with rage. The wound in his heart from last night was still fresh.
> "Tell me now! Where is that woman?!" Ryu demanded, his temper exploding.
> "I don't know where she is… and even if I did, I still wouldn't tell you…" Joy said between gasps as Ryu grabbed him by the collar, choking him.
> "Damn it! What kind of friend are you? Instead of helping, you're in my way!" Ryu growled, then shoved Joy back with force.
Still holding on to the thread of their friendship, Ryu held himself back.
> "Consider yourself lucky. You're still alive because we're friends."
He stepped back, breath heavy from emotion.
> "Forget it. Talking to you is just like talking to Dio—stubborn and infuriating."
Without waiting for a reply, Ryu turned and walked out, leaving Joy coughing and clutching his reddened neck.
---
From there, Ryu continued his search. He asked all his other friends for information about Mia. But every lead came up empty. No one was willing to help. No one was willing to talk.
---
Meanwhile…
The woman everyone was so desperately looking for was calmly enjoying her breakfast at a small local restaurant.
> "Ugh, my stomach's not giving me a break," Mia muttered while scooping rice and side dishes into her mouth. Her expression was relaxed, as if last night's storm had never happened.
> "I'm not going to the office today. My head's still spinning," she sighed, sipping warm water and checking her phone.
She began typing a short message to Mr. Biromo.
> "Sir, I need a few days off to rest," she wrote simply.
Once she was full, Mia stood up, grabbed her bag, and stepped out of the restaurant.
Her stride was fast and purposeful.
> "I have to get to the Xiao family's house right away. I won't stay silent. Wina needs to be taught a lesson. How dare she plan something so vile against me…"
Her eyes gleamed with a new fire—sharp, blazing. Mia was done being a victim.
This time, she would strike first.