The lights were even dimmer in this section, shining purple, blue and pink to exhibit the multicolored, glowing jellyfish that filled the various tanks. The firm line of Colin’s lips and the frown creasing his forehead looked out of place in the beautiful setting. Soon he ended his call and turned to her, his expression transforming into a regretful smile.
“I’m sorry. I’m afraid we need to leave,” he said.
“Leave?”
“I’ll drive you back to your car.”
“My car?” She knew she was repeating everything he said, but she didn’t understand. They’d just shared a passionate kiss, and he was going to dump her at her car. Shouldn’t they go someplace to talk? Or kiss some more?
“I’m so sorry,” he said again. “We’ll talk later.”
* * *
His grandmother had uncanny timing.
He was beyond frustrated by her interruption, and...grateful. He’d lost his head. No, he’d known exactly what he was doing, and he hadn’t wanted to stop. Jihae had tasted improbably like a summer day—like the warm sun and a soft breeze. Then she’d sucked him in like a sultry, tropical night. Her soft, cool hands exploring his body, and her sweet, wet lips kissing him with a hunger to match his own. No, he’d never wanted to stop.
But Grandmother’s call had been like a bucket of ice-cold water thrown at his face. A much-needed wake-up call. He couldn’t kiss Jihae forever. He shouldn’t have kissed her in the first place. Not only were they business partners, but he was also a Song. His cousin had broken their engagement, and she had sought revenge against him. They had quite a sordid backstory, except Jihae didn’t know yet. What was worse was that he planned to spy on her. He couldn’t risk having her become emotionally attached to him. He had no intention of breaking her heart. Ever.
Their drive back to his office had been tense and silent. Was it regret that had clouded her expression? His gut clenched. Hell. He couldn’t believe that he felt disappointed at the thought. Was he kidding himself that the kiss was a mistake that he never intended to repeat?
Before he could dissect his jumbled thoughts, he arrived at his grandmother’s Pacific Palisades home. He parked in the driveway and jumped out of the car. He was glad he could escape his confused emotions. And he had other things to worry about. He was quite positive that his grandmother had found out about CS Productions’s partnership with Rotelle Entertainment.
“Hello, beautiful,” he said when Liliana, the Song family’s housekeeper, opened the door.
“Hello, handsome boy,” Liliana said, laughing, and tousled his hair. “Mrs. Song is in her study. What trouble have you gotten yourself into today?”
His mind immediately flashed back to the darkened halls of the aquarium with Jihae sighing and arching into his body. He shook his head and flashed Liliana his daredevil smile. “What have I not gotten myself into is the question.”
Despite his flippant words, he walked down the hall with solemn steps. He thought he’d prepared himself for this, but one could never be fully prepared to face off with Grace Song. After taking a deep breath, he knocked on the study door.
“Come in,” she ordered.
He opened the door then closed it behind him. Despite his instinct to hightail it out of there, Colin walked up to his grandmother and bowed. “Hal-muh-nee, have you been well?”
“I had been rather well, but I’m not so sure at the moment,” she said with a slight downward turn of her mouth. “Are you ready to explain yourself?”
Damn. She was pissed off. She usually began her interrogations with complete stoicism. The tension in the corners of her mouth didn’t bode well for him. Was he ready to explain himself? No. “Yes.”
“What in the world prompted you to partner with Jihae Park? After what she and her family tried to do?”
“Jihae Park and I aren’t partners. I don’t seem to have the romantic luck that Garrett and Adelaide have,” he quipped, but quickly turned down the humor when his grandmother’s eyes narrowed with impatience. “CS Productions entered into a promising partnership with Rotelle Entertainment. It has nothing to do with us personally.”
“And who might this us be?”
“Jihae and me.”
“Jihae and you are an us to you?”
An emotion between fear and doubt churned through him. “Grandmother, you’re playing word games with me. If you think I’ve forgotten what Rotelle tried to do to Garrett, then you don’t know me at all. I’m not only looking out for CS Productions’s interests but those of our family.”
“You’re not altogether wrong about me being a little unreasonable right now,” she conceded with a sigh. “But we almost lost Natalie and the baby because of the Parks. Well, them, and Garrett behaving like a complete fool by pushing Natalie away like that. All in all, it’s not something I could easily forget or forgive.”
“And that brings me to my second motivation for entering into a partnership with Rotelle Entertainment.” Colin sat forward in his seat. “Jihae Park doesn’t know that I’m your grandson, since we’ve made sure that only our family and our oldest friends know.”
“Go on.”
“I could earn her trust and find evidence of Rotelle Corporation’s involvement in the espionage attempt against Hansol.”
“While you work with her on a project that will benefit CS Productions? Do you think that wise? Or honorable?”
“Honorable? They’re the ones who started the war. I only mean to end it with justice.”
“Technically, Garrett began the war by refusing her hand. I have to take partial responsibility for that, as well.”
“Are you defending them now?” Colin couldn’t understand his grandmother’s reaction. Didn’t she want the Parks brought to justice?
“Not at all. The only one I care about in this twisted farce is you, my child.” Grandmother sighed, shaking her head slowly. “You’ve told me, and shown me, how much CS Productions means to you. You are putting your company at risk by this stunt you’re intending to pull. What happens to the partnership if she finds out who you are? What happens when she finds out you’ve set out to betray her and her family from the start?”
“Jihae is a brilliant businesswoman. I don’t believe she would jeopardize the film because of a personal falling-out. She wouldn’t. I know her.” But Colin also knew that Jihae would never forgive him for intending to spy on her.
“Suk-ah,” his grandmother said, her tone softening with the use of his Korean name. “Listen to yourself. You believe Jihae Park to possess integrity. If what you say of her is true, then I find it hard to believe that she was involved in the corporate espionage. Perhaps she’s in the dark about what Rotelle Corporation did. Or perhaps your objectivity has already been compromised. Either way, if you keep pushing yourself to spy on Rotelle Corporation through her, I’m afraid you’ll only be harming CS Productions and your conscience.”