Chapter 11

• Clara buried her face in her hands, sobbing as dramatically as possible. The sound of her crying echoed through the stuffy police office, grating on everyone’s nerves. Her two friends, who’d tagged along from the beginning, weren’t any better—loud, obnoxious, and feeding the chaos like a bad sitcom laugh track.
• “She—she slapped me first! Look at this!” Clara pointed at the red mark on her cheek, her voice sharp with wounded pride. The corner of her lip was split—thanks to Ivy’s slap, which had landed with no restraint. “I was just talking! I never laid a hand on her! And then she just attacked me!”
• Ivy smirked, completely unbothered. Since being brought into the station, she hadn’t said a word. Not because she couldn’t defend herself, but because the man standing beside her had said calmly, “Miss Kim, allow me to speak and handle this for you.”
• She didn’t even know who he was—just that his name was Danny. But so far, he’d been sharp, composed, and surprisingly competent. Besides, her arm was starting to throb, especially near the shoulder. She must’ve landed on it weird during her little brawl with that venomous snake.
• The officer sitting behind the desk gave Clara a long, tired look. “You said earlier you were just ‘talking.’ What exactly did you say?”
• “I might have brought up our past a little—what’s so wrong about that?” Clara snapped, all innocence and wide eyes. “Ivy’s always been... difficult. Ungrateful. She acts like she’s above everyone now, and then suddenly attacks me?”
• Ivy clenched her jaw, feeling the sting of her scraped hand. But still, she said nothing. Arguing with Clara was like shouting into a void—pointless.
• “So, you provoked Miss Kim?” the officer asked, eyes narrowing at Clara.
• “I didn’t provoke her,” she said defensively. “I was just talking, Officer. What part of my words could’ve possibly provoked her?” She turned to her friends for backup. “Right?”
• They nodded eagerly, like puppets on command.
• That was when Danny finally spoke. His voice was calm, but his tone held the precision of a scalpel. “Miss Kim wouldn’t have attacked you without cause,” he said flatly. “But if you’re truly concerned about the condition of your face, I’d be happy to recommend a nearby aesthetic clinic. Maybe have them check your personality too, since that seems to be the part most in need of repair.”
• Clara whipped around, eyes wide with outrage. “Who the hell are you?!”
• “Hwang Danny,” he replied without flinching. “Representative for Miss Kim Evelyn. And here to make sure she doesn’t get disrespected without consequence.”
• The officer sighed and tapped his pen against the desk. “That’s enough. Let’s try to resolve this without dragging it any further.”
• Before anyone could respond, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the hall.
• “Clara, are you okay?” Rico’s voice cut through the tension like a blade.
• “Look at me, Rico!” Clara wailed, flinging herself toward him with renewed tears. “She slapped me—she hit me and attacked me for no reason!”
• Ah, the drama continues, Ivy thought with a sigh. She was ready to go home. She’d had her fill—slapping Clara, yanking her hair, and making the woman scream in pain. Tonight, wouldn’t be something Clara could easily forget. Consider it a warning, a reminder to keep that mouth in check next time.
• “What the hell were you thinking, Ivy?” Rico snapped, his voice laced with fury. “There’s no way we’re settling this peacefully. I know Clara would never be violent. This is all you, aren’t it? Say something!”
• “Sir, please calm down,” the officer interjected, trying to maintain order.
• “How am I supposed to stay calm, Officer?” Rico glared sharply. “This lunatic attacked my fiancée! She’s completely out of—”
• “Miss Kim is not a lunatic,” Danny cut in, his smile faint but his eyes piercing. “If you think a woman being publicly insulted and humiliated should just stand there and take it, then you might want to check if your heart is still beating. People react when they’re hurt. And I know for a fact Miss Kim wouldn’t lash out without reason.”
• Rico scoffed, his brow arching. “I wasn’t talking to you—”
• “But I was talking to you.”
• Clara’s sobs escalated again. “I’m not letting this slide. I’m pressing charges!” she said dramatically as she stood. “Come on, baby, let’s find a lawyer. This is a waste of time!”
• “And so will we.” Danny lifted Ivy’s arm gently, revealing a bruise and a light scratch. “This injury happened while she was trying not to retaliate. Miss Kim hasn’t uttered a single complaint since we got here—she only answered when asked directly by the officer. It’s you who’s been blowing things out of proportion.”
• The officer let out a long, exhausted sigh. “I really don’t have time for theatrics. I suggest we resolve this calmly. There’s no need to escalate it.”
• “No,” Clara cut in quickly. “I am escalating it.”
• “Then go ahead,” Danny replied smoothly. “Because we’ll be filing a counterclaim for defamation.”
• Clara and Rico shot daggers with their eyes—first at Danny, then at Ivy—but didn’t say another word. With rushed steps, they exited the station, trailed by Clara’s two loyal background-noise friends.
• “I’ll walk you to the car, Miss Kim,” Danny said politely, his tone softening as he turned to Ivy. The same man who’d fiercely defended her just moments ago now lowered his voice and even dipped his head slightly, as if worried he might say too much.
• “All right,” Ivy said quietly, not in the mood to argue. She was exhausted. Her head was pounding, and though she tried to brush it off, Clara’s parting words clung to her mind like static.
• “If you’re worried about her threats, don’t be,” Danny added, opening the car door for her. “I’ll make sure everything is handled.”
• Ivy gave him a small nod before slipping inside. She leaned back against the seat, letting herself breathe. Who was this Danny, really? He’d appeared out of nowhere in the middle of her altercation with Clara—immaculately dressed, calm under pressure. A crowd had gathered, some tried to intervene, but no one had succeeded... until Danny stepped in. And now, here they were—police station, bruises, paperwork.
• All she knew was he claimed to be one of Josh’s employees.
• “Speaking of which...” Ivy’s lips twisted into a pout. “Where the hell is Josh?” she muttered. “He left me just like that? Thank God Danny took care of the groceries.”
• She closed her eyes with a quiet sigh. I really owe him one.
• Just like he’d promised, Danny didn’t take long. Whatever he’d gone back inside to do with the officers, Ivy didn’t ask. She was far too drained to care.
• “Are you oke?”
• Ivy gave a small nod. “I think so.”
• They were already on their way back to Josh’s apartment. Danny had said everything at the police station had been taken care of. And if that woman went through with filing charges, he’d already prepared the necessary steps to defend Ivy.
• “But Danny,” she sat up straighter, her voice laced with suspicion, “who are you really? Why would you go out of your way to handle all this?”
• Danny, eyes focused on the road ahead, gave a faint, almost sheepish smile. “As I mentioned earlier, Miss Kim, I work for Mr. Josh. He asked me to make sure you got back to the apartment safely. But when I arrived, you were in the middle of a... heated exchange. I couldn’t just stand by. Your safety is my top priority.”
• Ivy’s frown deepened. “Why would Josh go out of his way for something so... unnecessary?”
• Danny glanced at her in disbelief, then returned his attention to the road. Did she even hear herself just now? Joshua Miller rarely spent time in Korea, but whenever he did, Danny knew everything his boss was up to—especially if it involved women.
• And one thing was certain: Josh never saw the same woman twice. Beautiful women who’d practically crawl to be in his presence weren’t hard to come by, and yet—never once had Josh given Danny instructions to protect one. Not until tonight.
• That alone made it clear—this woman was different.
• So yes, Danny took this seriously. He was going to do his job and do it well.
• “Before we head back, I’ll take you to the nearest clinic. Your injuries—”
• “No need,” Ivy cut in before he could finish. “Just take me home.”
• “But Miss—”
• “And where’s Josh right now?” Ivy asked, her sharp tone clearly not in the mood for a debate.
• “Mr. Miller is still attending to some business, Miss Kim.”
• “Please, just call me Ivy.”
• “I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Danny replied at once, shaking his head. “It wouldn’t feel right.”
• “I’m not your boss,” she muttered in exasperation.
• Danny didn’t respond this time. The rest of the ride passed in silence, giving Ivy too much room to think.
• Who exactly is Joshua Miller?
• The more time she spent around him, the more questions piled up in her head. And none of them had real answers—at least not the kind that made sense. Every time she tried to ask, Josh would just smirk and say something like, “Just think of me as a genie that popped out of a magic lamp.”
• What kind of answer was that, anyway?
• “You should get some rest. The doctor is on the way to examine you,” Danny said politely as they arrived at the apartment.
• “The doctor?” Ivy echoed, her expression laced with disbelief.
• “Yes, Miss Kim. We can’t risk leaving your injuries untreated.”
• Ivy was at a loss for words—but then another thought hit her. “What about the groceries?”
• “There’s no need to worry. Some of the staff will take care of organizing everything.”
• Ivy genuinely couldn’t wrap her head around any of it. Who exactly had she signed this contract with? Because everything about this situation sent a chill through her entire body. If Josh really was the head of some underground mafia, maybe having security around her made sense.
• But Josh? A mafia boss?
• The more she thought about it, the dizzier she felt. So she did the only thing she could—she went to look for him. But the second she stepped into her room, the temptation to just lie down overwhelmed her. And before she knew it, sleep had demanded her, still fully dressed.
• Meanwhile, out in the living room, Danny was giving instructions to the household staff when the front door opened. Josh entered, moving briskly, accompanied by a doctor and Dylan.
• “Where’s Ivy?” he asked immediately.
• “I believe Miss Kim is asleep,” Danny replied, bowing slightly. “I didn’t have the heart to disturb her.”
• “Tell me exactly what happened,” Josh muttered, pressing his fingers to his temples as if trying to will away the headache. “Doctor Lee, come with me to Ivy’s room.”
• As they made their way down the hallway, Danny filled him in—everything from the confrontation with Rico to Clara’s threats of legal action. Josh’s expression grew darker with every word. If it hadn’t been for the urgent matter that forced him to leave Ivy alone, he would never have walked out that door.
• “Dylan, you know what to do,” Josh said, his voice low and sharp, leaving no room for debate. “And you, Danny—from tonight on, you're responsible for Ivy. Track her every movement and report to me immediately. Especially when I'm not with her.”
• “Yes, sir,” Danny and Dylan responded in unison.
• They reached Ivy’s room, the door slightly ajar. Josh entered first, quietly, with Doctor Lee close behind. Danny’s earlier report that Ivy had refused medical attention worried Josh was enough to call in his personal physician—he wasn’t about to take chances.
• There she was, curled up on the large bed like a child, sound asleep. Her face was flushed, but it was the long scratch on her arm that made Josh clench his jaw so hard, a muscle twitched at his temple.
• “That damn woman dared to lay a hand on my precious bunny,” Josh muttered, his voice laced with fury.
• No one spoke. The air around him had grown heavy—thick with tension, pressing in on everyone in the room. It wasn’t just Dr. Lee who felt it; even Dylan and Danny stood unnaturally still. They didn’t need him to shout or slam a fist into the wall to know it—Joshua Miller was angry. Very angry.
• Dylan stepped forward, carefully choosing his next move. “Mr. Josh,” he said softly, “I’ll take care of everything regarding Miss Kim. Let Dr. Lee examine her. If her condition is more serious than it looks, we’ll move her to the hospital immediately.”
• Josh didn’t respond right away. He let out a slow, controlled breath, ignoring Dylan entirely as his focus shifted to the woman lying so quietly on the bed.
• His steps toward her were slow—deliberate. Like even the sound of his footfall might be too much. The last thing he wanted was to wake her.
• “Dr. Lee,” he said, voice low but firm, “treat her gently. Do not wake her up.”
• Dr. Lee hesitated. Caught between protocol and the command of the man who had personally brought him in. If Joshua Miller hadn’t been his private client—and someone with the kind of power no one dared cross—he might have pushed back.
• “Will you be staying here while I examine her?” the doctor asked, unsure.
• Josh folded his arms across his chest, leveling the man with a look that made the temperature drop a few degrees. “Am I in your way, Doctor?” he asked, one brow raised in cool challenge.
• Dr. Lee blinked. “No, sir. Not at all.”
• “Then do your job. I’m staying right here to make sure you do it right.”
• Josh sank into the chair beside Ivy’s bed; his eyes never once left her sleeping form.
• “Well?” he said, with a subtle edge. “What are you waiting for? Get to work.”