I prop myself up on my elbow, taking Levi’s phonefrom him and putting it on his chest before slapping on the speaker icon.
“Who is Gyuri,Dongsaeng?” I ask again, leaning over Levi and dropping my chin on my arm resting on his chest.
“How long have you been awake?” Levi asks, ignoring my question while giving me a massive, boyish grin.
I frown at him and speak more firmly. “If someone doesn’t tell me who Gyuri is, I’ll sic Sebastian on you both.”
Levi snorts before dropping his back on his pillow. My head is moving with every beat of his laugh.
“Noona,” Taewon finally responds—whines, really. “She’s no one, okay? Now, tell me, how are you?”
I groan angrily and hit the end call button. Levi is looking at me with shocked amusement when I dial Taewon again a second later.
He picks up on the first ring and quickly stammers out the answer I demanded. “Sorry. Gyuri’s an ex,Noona. From like… years ago.”
“And… what did Iris do that was similar?” I prod.
I can feel Levi’s firm grip on my waist now, tightening in warning. He doesn’t want this answered. And I wonder why?
“Iris didn’t—I mean, I misunderstood,” Taewon says, grumpily. “Gyuri and I dated for a few months before she started making moves on Levi. I was apparently just a… pit stop.”
I mull over his words, my brows furrowing. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but… doesn’t that makeLevithe pit stop here? Since Iris dated him first?”
In a flash, I’m nearly propelled off of Levi’s warmth when he starts coughing violently—chokingon air. His glare forms quickly, planted firmly on me as his whole frame shudders on each cough.
I try to shrug innocently, but his scowl deepens further when Taewon’s laugh filters through the phone that’s slipped off Levi’s chest now. And is currently buried under the duvet layers.
“Good point,” Taewon states, and I snort.
When Levi’s wheezing doesn’t die on its own, he sits up. And I pat his back with one hand and fish the phone from the other.
I’m passing a glass of water to him when Tae speaks again, his voice shaking with laughter. “Is he dying?Daebak!He won’t need to resign this week if he does. Hey—can I be President then?” (Wow/Awesome!)
“..uck you,gae saekkiya!” Levi manages through his broken vocal cords and pauses to drink the water. (bastard.)
But Taewon’s words have already jolted me enough to wipe my smile off my face. And I stare at Levi’s reddening one, his eyes watering. “You’re really resigning?”
His chest heaves, and he gains his breathing back. His gaze intensifies when he watches how pale I have gotten.
I genuinely thought he wouldn’t go through with it. Why would he—when I was right here? Agreeing to a marriage that was designed for the facade we’d both been living in for a year.
He nods, clearing his throat.
“I’ll—uh—yeah…” Taewon says before the call disconnects.
“You don’t have to,” I say numbly, but the tremble in my voice belies my fear and utter shock.
He shrugs before leaning forward and dropping a kiss to my wobbly lips. “I want to. And I’m privileged like that, baby. I get what I want.”
“What if… what if—” My throat closes up viciously, but I force the words out anyway. “The board. What if they don’t vote you b-back in?”
For a moment, he says nothing. The silence that stretches between us is thoughtful rather than tense.
His gaze drifts somewhere over my shoulder, as though he’s genuinely considering the possibility.
Then he smiles. The sight is so unexpected that I stare at him in confusion.
“Isn’t one of Wentworth Group’s directors retiring soon?”
