The morning sunlight slashed through floor-to-ceiling windows, painting cruel gold across the silk sheets tangled around Yura's legs.
She woke slowly, body aching in delicious, ugly ways — faint bruises on her hips, teeth marks on her breasts, her thighs still sticky with last night's filth.And beside her, Kang Jinhyuk reclined against the headboard, fully dressed in a tailored charcoal suit, watching her with bored amusement.
"Get up," he said."You have a job today."
Yura blinked, throat dry.
"A... job?"
"CF shoot. With Velure."
The name made her heart stutter.Velure was the pinnacle of international luxury — higher than anything she'd ever dared hope for. Their campaigns were whispered about in agency bathrooms, every girl dreaming of a chance.
Jinhyuk's eyes narrowed, catching her stunned expression.
"You'll be the new face of their Seoul expansion. Assuming you don't embarrass me."
She tried to sit up straighter, hugging the sheet to her chest.
"I—I won't. Thank you, Chairman—"
His hand shot out, fisting in her hair, yanking her head back. She gasped.
"Don't thank me yet. This isn't kindness. This is a test. Betray me — even once — and I will see to it your face never appears on another screen, even in back-alley massage parlor ads."
Her heart slammed against her ribs.
"I understand."
"Do you? Because Velure expects perfection. And I expect obedience. Smile pretty, close the deal, and prove you're worth the investment."
By afternoon, they were in the penthouse suite of the Shilla, the air thick with expensive perfume and soft piano drifting from hidden speakers.
Yura wore a pale peach couture dress, custom-fitted that morning by Jinhyuk's private stylists. Her hair was a waterfall of glossy dark waves, makeup flawless. She looked every inch the international muse.
But her hands trembled as she adjusted her diamond bracelet, heart racing.
One mistake, and he'll end me.
The Velure delegation was all sleek European accents and tailored navy suits.At their head was François Leclerc, brand director for Asia-Pacific. He was silver-haired, handsome, with sharp blue eyes that flicked over Yura's figure in cool assessment.
Jinhyuk's hand rested possessively on her lower back.
"Miss Han will of course be available for the full campaign tour — Tokyo, Paris, Dubai," he said smoothly."You'll find her quite accommodating."
Yura flushed. François's eyebrow quirked at the faint emphasis.
"I look forward to seeing how Miss Han embodies the Velure woman. Confidence, sophistication, a certain… surrender to luxury."
"She surrenders very well," Jinhyuk murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.
Dinner was served — tiny porcelain plates of dry-aged Wagyu and truffled foie gras, paired with wine that cost more than her old car.
Yura laughed on cue, posed for smiling photos, let François kiss her hand.All the while, she could feel Jinhyuk's gaze burning into her, reminding her of the price of failure.
When François finally raised his glass, his smile turned wolfish.
"To our new star. The contract will be couriered over by morning."
Jinhyuk's hand slid higher on her back, almost to her waist.
"To new beginnings," he echoed.
Yura clinked her glass against theirs, swallowing her terror with a polished smile.
After the Velure team left — trailing polite promises and delicate waves — Jinhyuk led her to the private lounge at the rear of the suite.
The door clicked shut. Silence swallowed them.
Then he was on her. His mouth crushed hers, hands gripping her hips so tightly she whimpered.
"You did well," he growled against her lips."Kept your composure. Let them see a perfect, elegant queen."
His hand slid under her dress, fingers brushing her slick heat. She moaned helplessly.
"So now… your reward."
He bent her over the leather sofa, lifted her skirt, and fucked her hard — each thrust driving tiny gasps out of her throat.
"My pretty Velure pet," he rasped, biting down on her shoulder."Smile for the cameras tomorrow. But never forget whose name you scream at night."
When it was over, she lay boneless across the cushions, hair mussed, lipstick smudged.Jinhyuk tucked himself back into his slacks, smoothed her dress down like he was resetting a delicate doll.
"We'll sign the final contracts tomorrow. Be ready to look even more beautiful."
She nodded weakly, tears gathering in her lashes — not from pain, but from a dark, dizzy happiness she couldn't begin to understand.