Chapter 197.2

Chapter 197.2

Wooshin’s brow furrowed, his expression tightening as he stared into the air. The silence that followed was heavy and stifling. Then, all at once, he seized Natalia’s hand, tracing her fingers, the curve of her nails, the texture of her skin.

Seoryeong flinched and tried to pull away, but the grip lasted long enough to leave her hand tingling and bloodless.

Wooshin slowly closed his empty hand as though memorizing the shape of hers.

“Natalia Yegorova,” he said at last, his voice cold enough to freeze the air.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

Seoryeong looked up at him, swallowing hard.

“You don’t trim your nails often, do you?”

“…Sorry?”

“What hand cream do you use?”

“…”

“I don’t know what you’ve heard or from whom, but I’d rather you didn’t do anything. Whatever it is, don’t.”

“…”

“I’m sensitive to counterfeits.”

Lee Wooshin’s expression twisted further in displeasure. Seoryeong couldn’t understand why he was being so touchy all of a sudden.

From that moment, he went eerily silent. The guest nervously sipped his tea while Wooshin sat upright, lost in thought.

Even as the atmosphere grew cold, Seoryeong continued setting up the tea set to completion. Just as she was about to leave, Wooshin suddenly reached across the table, took a sip of hot tea. and poured it over his own hand.

“Hey!”

The guest jumped up in alarm, and Seoryeong froze. But Wooshin didn’t even flinch, his eyes fixated coldly on “Natalia.”

“Wipe it again.”

His voice was sharp and chilling. Snapping to her senses, Seoryeong reached for a napkin, but Wooshin snatched it from her.

“Your hands must be there for a reason, right?”

Seoryeong clenched her jaw. Has he completely lost it? Why was he acting like some arrogant bastard? She gritted her teeth and dabbed his wet hand again, forcing herself to keep her composure.

Each time her fingers brushed his skin, his expression shifted, his brow tightening, then easing, then tightening again as though he were fighting something inside. The bridge of his nose scrunched slightly.

Then, without warning, he grabbed her hair, Natalia’s hair, and yanked hard, like he was trying to confirm something.

“Ah…!”

Seoryeong let out a sharp cry. Wooshin’s lips curved into a faint smile.

He’s lost it. Completely. This wasn’t the calm, controlled man she’d known. His coldness was one thing, but this twisted kind of attention made her stomach drop.

“Sorry, but let’s call it a day.”

“Huh?”

“I’m not well enough to see you off.”

Like a cat grooming its fur, he ran his fingers through her hair, combing through the strands. Seoryeong’s fists tightened as she tried to keep steady. It had been just a few seconds, but she couldn’t shake the feeling she’d missed something crucial.

“Uh… yeah, sure…”

His friend, once a classmate, scratched his chin as he grabbed his coat. What the hell is this?

Yuri had some woman kneeling in front of him, and he was gripping her by the back of the head like it was some bizarre game. Wasn’t this the same guy who claimed he couldn’t get it up, who said he’d never once finished?

Still confused, the man stood and threw out a parting jab.

“Bit of a short visit, but I think I get it now… why you’ve been married twice. Your cheating stories are going to kill at the next reunion. Guess that limp d!ck of yours finally woke up, huh?”

He shot a smug wink and walked out.

Now alone with Lee Wooshin, Seoryeong no longer held back. She stood abruptly and shoved his shoulder against the sofa. “Leave Russia immediately.”

“Ow.” He pretended to be in pain, but his hands were still toying with her hair.

“Russia will trap you with pregnancy. So evacuate while you still can.”

“Why should I?” He said.

“Because you just took an aphrodisiac.”

Reclining on the sofa, Wooshin chuckled. The low hum in his throat sounded oddly satisfied.

“You’ve got a funny way of crossing lines.”

“I trust you understood.”

“Oh, I understood. So if I get pregnant, that’ll be the leash, right?”

“What…!”

“So I can’t go anywhere. Fuck, it’s like a dream.”

Seoryeong exhaled sharply at how devoid of reason he looked now.

Lee Wooshin let out a dry laugh and laced his fingers behind his head. “Feels like the world’s playing me,” he muttered under his breath.

“Natalia. You know what separates a veteran from a rookie?”

“…”

“It’s the details. Always the details.”

He gave another hollow laugh and crossed the parlor, leaving his cane behind for once. He drew the curtains shut and turned the lock with a quiet click.

Pulling the in-ear communicator from his ear, he tossed it straight into the trash.

Then he crooked a finger at her.

“Come here for a moment.”