Chapter Twenty-Five – A Fire He Can’t Quench
The first time he noticed it, he almost convinced himself it was nothing.
Amara sitting across from Daniel in the library, the two of them bent over the same book, her soft laugh carrying across the room. He had been on his way out, pretending to study, pretending not to care, but the sound stopped him cold.
It wasn’t the laugh that hurt. It was the way Daniel looked at her.
Like she was sunlight.
And she let him.
Joon-Ho gripped the strap of his bag until his knuckles whitened, forcing himself to keep walking. He had no right. He had no claim. He was the one who had left her alone. He was the one who kept his distance, who walked past her without a word.
Still, it burned.
By the second time, it was harder to ignore. A week later, he spotted them again—this time in the cafeteria, Daniel leaning in too close, Amara’s roommate laughing along with something he’d said. Amara’s expression was softer than before, guarded but not cold.
The sight was enough to unravel him.
That night, at dinner, his father’s words grated against his raw nerves.
“You’ll be attending the Lee family’s dinner next week,” his father declared, not bothering to look at him. “Their daughter has just returned from studying abroad. She’s cultured, educated, well-suited to stand beside you.”
Joon-Ho set down his fork. “I already told you. I’m not interested.”
His father’s gaze lifted, sharp as glass. “You don’t get to be interested. You get to obey.”
His mother’s hand brushed his father’s arm, a silent warning not to push too far, but Joon-Ho barely noticed. His chest was already heavy, his thoughts tangled in a storm he couldn’t calm.
Amara’s face wouldn’t leave his mind. Her eyes, her smile, the way her presence pulled him like a tide no matter how far he tried to push away. And now Daniel was stepping into the space he had abandoned.
He told himself he should be glad. If she was with Daniel, maybe she’d be safe. Daniel wasn’t tied to a family empire. Daniel didn’t carry secrets that could crush her.
But Joon-Ho couldn’t stop the jealousy clawing at him. It wasn’t just jealousy—it was fear. Fear that he had already lost her.
When he lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling, the thought haunted him.
If I don’t do something soon, Daniel will take her away from me.
And worse—maybe she’ll let him.
