by Jayci Lee
She shot up to her feet and paced the floor. The temptation to explore these newfound feelings was overwhelming, but her willpower had to be greater. Jihae was excited about what CS Productions brought to the table, and she was very much interested in working on Best Placed Bets. But did she have the discipline to make certain that she wouldn’t act on her attraction?
Partnering with CS Productions would provide a great opportunity for Rotelle Entertainment’s venture into Hollywood. Partnering with Colin Song could mean trouble for her. Big trouble.
* * *
Colin was back at CS Productions but he wasn’t getting any work done. His mind was too busy replaying his meeting with Jihae Park. He dragged his hands through his hair and leaned back in his chair.
Her beauty had taken him by surprise. He had no business thinking it, but it was undeniable...she was beautiful. He couldn’t breathe for the first few seconds in her presence. Her hair had been pulled into a low knot, revealing her long, graceful neckline. Her fair, heart-shaped face looked like cool porcelain, with an expression to match—placid and aloof. Dressed in an all-white pantsuit, she’d seemed almost celestial. Like the elves in The Lord of the Rings.
When she spoke with a sexy-as-hell British accent in a warm, husky voice, his libido had spiked like it had been hit with a shot of adrenaline. If that hadn’t been enough to throw him off, there was the matter of her shoes. She’d worn a pair of nude, patent-leather stilettos—he was a sucker for women in gravity-defying heels—with rock studs imbedded in a T shape over her feet. It was edgy and hot. Were her shoes—so different from the rest of her—a glimpse into her true personality? And...he was analyzing her shoes.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He wearily wiped a hand down his face.
It was all Colin had been able to do to focus on the meeting. But Jihae had conducted the interview with frank professionalism and respect, listening to what he had to say with genuine interest. What had stunned him the most about her was her embarrassment and regret at having her cell phone ring during the interview. The blush on her cheeks couldn’t have been feigned, and she’d apologized profusely. That didn’t seem like something an entitled, self-absorbed woman would do.
Colin was confused and enthralled by Jihae Park. Dislike and suspicion were the only emotions he’d felt toward her before the meeting, but his first impression of Jihae Park now warred with what he’d assumed her to be. If he didn’t know about the espionage, he would’ve seen her as a colleague he could respect and come to like. Since they might end up working together, having some professional respect for her wasn’t all bad, but it made spying on her even more distasteful.
In all honesty, his plan to spy on her had never been pleasant. The idea of sneaking around and gleaning information from someone through subterfuge made him mildly nauseous. Besides, he had no idea how to go about gathering intel or even what kind of information would help rekindle Hansol’s investigation against Rotelle. All he had to fuel his plan was his loyalty to his family, and his desire to do what was right by them.
Was he willing to put the film in jeopardy for his family? This partnership would be a huge step forward for CS Productions, and it would open up many more doors in the future. Opportunities like this didn’t come along often, and Colin wanted to make the most of it. He wasn’t about to unnecessarily risk the partnership if it could be helped.
But if he found concrete evidence of Rotelle Corporation’s involvement in the espionage against Hansol, he would have to inform his family. He would do everything in his power to minimize the risk of being exposed and see the project to its conclusion, but he would always choose his family in the end. Even over the film. He just hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
A knock sounded on his door, and he smoothed the frown off his face. “Come in.”
“Am I interrupting something?” Ethan asked, poking his head in.
“Not at all.” Colin sat up straighter in his chair, giving himself a mental shake. “What can I do for you?”
“I think we might be able to sweeten the deal even more for Rotelle Entertainment.”
His stomach lurched with excitement and dread. “I’m all ears.”
Colin was excited for CS Productions, but the thought of being another step closer to spying on Jihae Park started a throbbing pain behind his eyes. He just hoped his inconvenient attraction to her wouldn’t cloud his judgment in this precarious situation. One thing was for certain: under no circumstances could he act on his attraction her.
They would be business associates and any other relationship between them would be unprofessional. It could adversely impact the partnership and stifle the film’s potential. That alone should be enough to nip any interest he had in her. Moreover, she was an enemy of the Song family. He shouldn’t be swayed based on a single meeting with her. It wasn’t worth the complications.
“You know the screenwriter Charity Banning, who wrote the screenplay for Never Again Maybe?”
“Of course I know her. She’s immensely talented and her comic timing is perfection. Are you telling me that we have her?”
“Sort of.” Ethan adjusted his red-framed glasses when Colin cocked an eyebrow. “She’s very interested in Best Placed Bets, but after her success with Never Again Maybe, her pay rate should reflect that. It would be a stretch to hire her on our budget, but a partnership with Rotelle Entertainment should make things like budgets a nonissue.”
“Charity Banning would be a fantastic choice.” But Colin wasn’t sure if Charity Banning would be a big draw for Jihae Park. She might not have even seen Never Again Maybe yet. “Is the movie still playing somewhere?”
Ethan quickly typed into his phone and looked back up in five seconds flat. “Most of the mainstream theaters pulled it last week, but the Shadow Cinema in Santa Monica is still playing it a couple times a day.”
“That should work. Thanks, Ethan.” An idea formed in Colin’s mind. It was bad for his sanity, but good for CS Productions. “Good job getting Charity Banning’s interest in Best Placed Bets.”
“You’re welcome,” Ethan said with a beaming smile, and returned to his desk.
Colin pulled up Shadow Cinema’s website on his computer and purchased two tickets for an evening showing.
His hand hovered over the phone for several seconds. Then, with an impatient flick of his head to get his overgrown hair off his forehead, he snatched up his phone. He listened to the dial tone for two deep breaths, then punched in Rotelle Entertainment’s office number.
“Rotelle Entertainment,” said the singsong voice of Jihae Park’s assistant. “How may I assist you?”
“Ms. Park, please. This is Colin Song.”
“Hold, please.”
Colin caught himself fidgeting in his seat and stopped himself. He was not some awkward teenager asking a girl out on a date.
“This is Jihae Park.”
Her sultry voice hit him in the gut, and he was momentarily out of breath. “Hello, Ms. Park. This is Colin Song and I have news that might interest you.”
“Do go on. Please.” He grinned when he heard the curiosity in her voice.
“We found the perfect screenwriter for Best Placed Bets, and she’s interested in working with CS Productions.”
“Oh? What’s her most well-known work?”
“Never Again Maybe. It’s a recent release, just fading from the big screens.”
“Never Again Maybe?” Jihae’s laughter, pitched slightly higher than her speaking voice, rang across the line and raised every hair on his arms. She sounded so carefree and young in that moment. “I love that title. So adamant then...not so much. But I’m afraid I’ve never heard of or seen the movie.”
“That’s not surprising since you have so many films to keep track of in multiple countries. I assure you it’s great, but you don’t have to take my word for it. I found a theater still playing
it, and have taken the liberty of getting us tickets for tomorrow night at eight twenty.”
“For us? At the theater?” She sounded stunned, and Colin frowned. Did she think he was asking her out on a date? It couldn’t be.
“CS Productions would like to persuade Rotelle Entertainment to work with us. I believe seeing Never Again Maybe will convince you that a perfect story with the perfect screenplay could be ours if you say yes to the partnership.”
“Let me have the name of the theater and I’ll meet you there at eight o’clock sharp.” Her voice was poised and professional once more. “Will that work for you, Mr. Song?”
“Absolutely. It’s the Shadow Cinema in Santa Monica. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
Colin hung up his phone and placed his face in his hands. He could barely handle a phone call with her without getting hot and bothered. How was he going to keep it together sitting beside her in the dark?
By remembering what a coldhearted, vengeful woman she was.
Jihae Park had planted a corporate spy in Hansol and endangered their partnership with Vivotex, a multibillion-dollar venture. Not only that, but she’d also chosen a spy who had been Natalie’s college boyfriend to cast the blame on her, and put Garrett’s marriage in jeopardy. How could Colin forget what Jihae had nearly done to his cousin and Natalie? What she had almost accomplished with Hansol Corporation?
No, he could never forget that. Not only would he not forget it, but he would also get this partnership any way he could and get hard, cold evidence of Rotelle Corporation’s culpability in the Hansol affair. Somehow. That was what tomorrow night was about—making sure CS Productions secured the partnership for its future and finding justice for his family. He wasn’t in any way motivated by his attraction to her.
His argument was so convincing, he almost had himself for a second.
Three
Jihae felt glued to the spot and none of her limbs obeyed her. Had she just agreed to go to the movies with Colin Song? It certainly wasn’t a date. People wanted to wine and dine her all the time. This was no different. He was only trying to get in her good graces so she’d partner with his company.
But Jihae had never even been to the movies at a public theater. She’d been sequestered to watch movies in her family’s private theater or at the office. It would’ve been a lonely, isolating experience, but the movies always transported her out of there. She couldn’t imagine how wonderful the experience would be with a room full of people. She was beyond excited about going to a real theater. Their home theater served five-star meals and beverages, but she wanted nothing more than some popcorn and a Coke. She wanted to experience the movies as they were meant to be, enhanced by the shared excitement of the other viewers. It was going to be amazing.
She couldn’t tell June. She wasn’t trying to keep it a secret from her friend. After all, it was nothing. But she didn’t want June to blow things out of proportion and call it a date. That was unacceptable. It was a casual business meeting to determine the quality of the screenwriter’s talent. It was necessary for her to make an informed decision.
After a short knock, June walked into her office, and Jihae stared at her with wide eyes, not saying a word.
“I’ve done more research into Colin Song and his production company, and everything comes up squeaky clean and up-to—” June stopped both talking and walking when she looked up from her tablet. “What the heck is going on here? What’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” Jihae replied in a tiny voice.
“Don’t even go there. I want you to spill it in five seconds.” She began counting off on her fingers. “One. Two. Three. Four—”
“I’m going to the movies with Colin Song,” she nearly screamed then clapped her hand over her mouth. When she resumed, her voice was at the right decibel. “It’s a business meeting.”
“Whoa.” June ran the rest of the way to Jihae’s desk and sat on a guest chair that faced her. “Is that why he called? To ask you on a date?”
“Are you out of your mind, woman? It isn’t a date. He called to let me know that he had something to sweeten the deal. He’d found the perfect screenwriter for Best Placed Bets. On that note, I want to know everything you can find on Charity Banning.”
“Got it. Now go on.”
“I told him I’d never seen anything Ms. Banning has written. He said there was a theater still playing her latest film and offered to take me to watch it. He wants to convince me how perfect the film could be with someone who could masterfully transform the story into a great screenplay.”
“All I hear is ‘blah, blah, blah.’”
“I’m serious, June. This is not a date. I can’t risk my professional reputation by having people believe that I have a personal relationship with Mr. Song. Can you even imagine what would happen if my father found out?”
Her parents would accuse her of being naive and frivolous for dating a colleague, and put her under complete lockdown and take Rotelle Entertainment from her. Sadly, she wasn’t exaggerating at all. When her father had agreed to let her work at Rotelle Entertainment, he probably thought she was seeking a fleeting distraction. He didn’t believe she’d excel at her job and become recognized as a successful businesswoman. According to him, it made her bigheaded and fed her rebellious nature. He would jump at the chance to remove her from her position over the slightest mistake, but she hadn’t given him the opportunity so far.
As for her rebellious nature, she had smothered it to ashes after her one flailing leap for freedom. When she’d finished her last term at Oxford, she had disappeared into the countryside instead of attending her graduation. Both of her parents had prior arrangements. Couldn’t they have made an effort to care for once? After all, her college graduation was a huge milestone. Their absence had made Jihae furious and reckless.
Even though she’d lived in Oxford for nearly eight years, Jihae had never been allowed to travel around Europe on her own. She decided if she didn’t take a chance then, she would never be able to be on her own, even for a few months.
She’d relied completely on the cash she’d saved up, and had taken Eurail to go from city to city, mostly staying in hostels. It had been the most freeing, exciting few months of her life. She had returned to the UK and settled down at a little inn in the Lake District when her father’s men had tracked her down. They’d escorted her home immediately, and she had never been out of her family’s and the security guards’ sight again.
After years of denying her entreaty to expand Rotelle Entertainment to Hollywood, her father’s sudden order for her to travel to the US was a godsend. Her parents’ unreasonable expectations and constant scorn had become unbearable to live with. Especially when her engagement to Garrett Song had come to an end. Jihae had been secretly overjoyed by the cancellation of her impending arranged marriage, but her parents blamed her for the broken engagement. For bringing shame to their family. They told her Garrett Song broke the engagement because he’d somehow found out about her selfish, wild nature. Just one, single rebellious incident as a college kid had permanently marked her as the family’s black sheep.
“I just wish you could have some normal moments in your life,” June said with somber understanding. “You’re like Rapunzel trapped in a tower. Even an ocean away, your father controls your every action. Why can’t you go on a freaking movie date?”
“Someday, but not with this man. Getting involved with a business associate is unprofessional and improper enough to give my father the excuse he needs to remove me from Rotelle Entertainment.”
Jihae reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. It meant so much to have someone who understood that she wasn’t living a fairy-tale dream. She was grateful for the privileges she had, but being a jaebul heiress meant isolation and loneliness. It was like being imprisoned in a golden cage, tightly leashed at all times.
“Okay. Fine.
Then you better make sure no one construes your outing as a date, either. You did mention him being on Hollywood Insiders.”
“That was because he was with Sandy Lim.” She’d almost forgotten that he might still be dating her. Yet another reason not to get involved with him. He wasn’t available. “I doubt they’d follow him around when he’s not with her.”
“You know there are Korean media plants tracking you in the US, don’t you?”
“Bloody hell. Should I just cancel the stupid thing?”
“No. The paparazzi don’t get to dictate what you do. It’s enough your father has so much power over you. You just have to make sure you look the part of a businesswoman.”
“Do I ever not?” Jihae sighed wearily. “But I know what you’re saying. I’ll make sure and wear one of my pantsuits, not even a dress suit, and low-key shoes. And I’ll shake his hand when we meet and as we part. Those will make good, boring pictures.”
“You’re a pro. But can you try to have a little fun? Just a little bit. Deep inside.”
Jihae burst out laughing. “I adore you.”
“I adore you, too.”
* * *
The next evening, Jihae smoothed down her jacket and made sure she didn’t have a single strand of hair out of place before she stepped out of her cherry-red Corvette. It was a bit showy, but there was no rule that said she had to buy a white car. When she was in Korea, she happened to be driven around in white cars, but it had never been specifically discussed with her PR specialist.
She was lucky enough to find a spot in the tiny parking lot behind the equally quaint theater. Her sensible, white wedge heels clacked against the sidewalk as she strode toward the ticket booth, and it took all her strength not to stop and gawk at Colin Song. He’d ditched his jacket and tie, and he wore a pair of khaki pants and a white button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled past his forearms. Manly, veiny forearms. Gah. That multiplied his sexiness tenfold in her book.