Pay With Your Heart

Another round of shock engulfed Eun-Sun as she stared at the man standing before her in stupefaction.

'Dinner for fifty percent of her debt? What was the meaning of that?' She didn't understand what he had just said.

Dan-Han held the petite lady's gaze as he patiently waited for her response.

"Miss Eun-Sun what do you say?" He pressed. Eun-Sun was brain blank. she was expecting him to say something like that.

But what was this man's problem? Did she say she couldn't pay back his money? He'll write off fifty percent of debt now if she has dinner with him and then later he'll go back on his word and ask for the same money again? Wasn't that how humans behaved?

She has experienced that just a few years back, back then she had barely escaped with her life, there was no way she was going to make that same mistake again.

Puff...it was the angelic mini version of herself appearing on her right shoulder. She was sure when one showed up the other will eventually follow. And she was

'What are you waiting for, say yes. You don't have to think too much. President Lee isn't like that vicious girl...'

"Shut your mouth" The evil version appeared snapping through gritted teeth.

"Don't you dare say yes. Aren't all humans bound to think the same way?What about your pride? Remember you swore you were never going to indebt yourself to anybody, and because you did this man is looking down on you. He's acting like a demigod. Who is he to act this way around you? He asks for dinner what else is he going to ask for. Keep your pride up that's all you have' Devilish Eun-Sun sneered. Eun-Sun's heart swayed towards her argument. She did made a lot of sense.

"That's not all you have" The angelic one rebuked, glaring at the bad Eun-Sun.

"Forget about your pride for once. Pride goeth the fall"

"Yeyeye...quoting scriptures now are we?' Don't forget the borrower is a slave unto the lender. What is she now?"

Angelic Eun-Sun simply ignored her rant, as she rolled her eyes at the little devil before returning her attention back to Eun-Sun.

"Look you're barely keeping your head above water. You've got bills to pay, debts your mom owes are yet to be settled, the bank will foreclose on the house, and you have to help your mom get better by looking for your dad...This things are too much, they'll swallow you. It's just dinner. You're just using your time to pay back for what you owe. If it was immoral I'd never support you but this is a good opportunity, a heavenly one" The angelic Eun-Sun paused and glanced at Dan-Han. "And look he's a fine man, you don't know what you can find"

"Something like what hmm?" Evil Eun-Sun cocked a brow defiantly.

"Something like love" She retorted.

Eun-Sun creased her brows when she heard that.

"Love huh?" A scoff escaped evil Eun-Sun.

"She doesn't need love, all she needs is to make money and do some face slapping to all those who messed with her like that evil girl and also that bitch at the restaurant who slapped her and those who'll try to do same in the future. Who needs love?" Evil Eun-Sun said in a convincing tone.

"What do you know about love? You people from hell know nothing about that, saddist' Angelic Eun-Sun gruffed. Eun-Sun looked over her left shoulder to see the sneer on her evil version's face. Evil baby's about to fight.

And soon another round of bantering and bickering ensued between the good and bad version of Eun-Sun. She shook her head to shake them away, their noises were messing with her head. Both arguments had valuable points.

There was the part of her that wanted all this problems to go away in heart beat, that wanted to let go of all the walls she had built around herself and learn how to live and breath freely, that wanted to fall in love and be loved. That wanted someone to place a kiss on her forehead and hold her hand silently comforting her and assuring her of better days. But there's also that part that wanted to be alone, wanted to guard herself and depend on nobody and also bring chaos on all those who had struck her, abused her, laughed, molested and took advantage of her.

She knew at some point she might have to come to a point of compromise in her life.

These rules and principles which had laid down for herself are what has been keeping going since her father left. Seeing herself through school — both high school and university — Eun-Sun had learnt to depend on herself, most especially after the betrayal she endured in the hand of the girl who she had called friend. But had sorely betrayed her by selling her out to gangsters to be gang raped because of a loan she had taken to sort out her mother's bill back in school. That was when she laid down a rule to never to seek help or receive favours from people ever in her life.

But was she willing to let her guards down and compromise?

She raised her gaze to Dan-Han who was impatiently waiting for her reply. Should she really consider this offer? It was a reasonable one.

But what if he turns out to be like the others who had tricked her too?

It wasn't an easy decision for her. Life has thought her a hard lesson so no one could blame for seeing her fellow humans as vile and vicious beast, who were on a rampage.

Looking at Dan-Han staring at her with that stealth look almost as if he was assuring her that he'll be true to his words, she asked, "Mr Lee will you be true to your words?"

Dan-Han shoot a brow up as he held her gaze, carefully scrutinizing her. "Yes I will" He assured her.

Biting her lower lips with a contemplative look on her face, Eun-Sun asked yet another question, "And you promise it's just dinner?"

Dan-Han was really getting tired of this. Him standing in a public place such as this, answering all these questions was something he hasn't done before, but he knew he had to be patient with her"Just dinner" He reaffirmed.

"Can I get some sort of assurance then that you won't go back on your word?" Eun-Sun was really being cautious. As it's said 'Once bitten twice shy'

Dan-Han's brows scrunched up. 'Has she really been that scarred that she has this much trust issues?' He couldn't help but think to himself. To see her this alert made him feel a pang in his heart.

From his years of experience and training as the sole heir of the Lee empire, he understood that Eun-Sun must have been dealt a hard blow in life

One thing he understood from all this was that behind her strong and fierce demeanour was a weak girl who was trying to protect herself from being hurt, hence all the defence mechanisms.

With a soft and gentle tone, he asked, "What sort of assurance? A signed deal perhaps?" He cocked a brow at her.

"Yes" She nodded. Something that carried his signature would assure her. It might look uncalled for, but she sure needed to guide herself especially against powerful people like Lee Dan-Han.

"Fine. Come with me" Dan-Han said, his cold tone returning back to him.

Although Eun-Sun was still skeptical about it, she still said, "Okay" and trailed behind him, leaving a reasonable distance between them.

As soon as she stepped into the lobby of the magnificent hotel, her mouth gaped. She couldn't believe a hotel would look this grand. The grandeur of the lobby was more than captivating. She noticed as the staffs bowed in reverence to Dan-Han as he strolled in like a king with no care in the world.

Observing his gait from behind her and the dangerous aura emanating from him, she was convinced that her boss, President Lee Dan-Han was indeed who ruled over his empire with a mighty hand.

Dan-Han walked over to the reception, something he hasn't done before and the look on the receptionist face as he approached her was that of one who was suddenly visited by the angel of death.

"A4 paper" He ordered.

" Yes sir" The receptionist nodded vigorously as she hurriedly brought out the paper from her desk behind the counter.

Dan-Han brought out a pen from his inner breast pocket and started scribbling some words on the piece of paper, before putting in his signature.

He ran his eyes over what he has written, put back his pen and turned around to Eun-Sun who was standing behind him like a bodyguard.

He stretched out his the paper to her and Eun-Sun accepted it, her eyes carefully running through it. She couldn't help but notice Dan-Han's perfect penmanship. It looked like that of a noble man with an aristocratic background, not that she has seen one before but it shouldn't be that hard to imagine right.

Eun-Sun was still reading what was written in it, or more like appreciating the way it was written, when Dan-Han's cold voice interrupted her, "I hope that gives you some sort of assurance and maybe next time you can be more trusting. I'm a man of my word that's something you should remember" He said, while Eun-Sun nodded.

"Now miss Eun-Sun, you still owe me dinner" He told her, his dark-brown eyes looking intently at her hazel ones.