Minra hadn’t thought twice about it.

Not when she had agreed to help him.

Not when she had volunteered to stay late.

Not when she had followed him out of the studio, completely unbothered by where they were going.

It wasn’t until she actually stepped into his place that she realized—

She had let her guard down.

Too much.

.

The doors slid open with a soft chime, and Minra stepped into what could only be described as a royal suite.

Floor-to-ceiling windows.

Sleek, minimalistic design.

Everything was expensive, pristine, untouched.

Exactly the kind of place that screamed “famous actor.”

And exactly the kind of place she had never imagined herself standing in.

Minra’s breath caught.

Because what was she doing here?

This was his home.

His personal space.

And she had followed him in without hesitation.

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Like it was normal.

Like this was just another work session.

Like she hadn’t just walked straight into his world without realizing how deep she was in.

Her pulse jumped.

She was trusting him too much.

And now—

It was too late to back out.

.

Shuun, meanwhile, was calm.

Too calm.

He tossed his keys onto the counter, rolling up the sleeves of his loose sweater, completely unaffected by her growing panic.

Like this was just another night.

Like this was normal.

Minra stood stiffly, still trying to process everything.

And then—he glanced at her.

And smirked.

“Regretting it already?”

Minra’s stomach flipped.

Because—damn him.

Of course, he noticed.

.

She quickly shook her head.

“No. I just… didn’t expect this place to be so—” She waved a hand vaguely. “Big.”

Shuun leaned against the counter, tilting his head slightly.

“What, did you think I lived in a shoebox?”

Minra scowled. “No, I just—”

She cut herself off.

Because why was she even defending herself?

This wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that she had gotten too comfortable.

She had let her walls down.

And now, she was standing in Shuun’s home, working alone with him, in a space that was dangerously intimate.

Minra inhaled sharply.

She needed to focus.

She was here for work.

That was all.

Nothing else.

Absolutely nothing else.

.

Shuun watched her for a moment—too closely.

Then, like he found her entire internal crisis amusing, he pushed off the counter.

“Relax.”

Minra tensed. “I am relaxed.”

Shuun chuckled. “No, you’re not.”

Minra’s jaw clenched.

Because—damn it, he was right.

She wasn’t.

And the worst part?

She wasn’t sure if it was because of the place… or because of him.

.

Shuun casually grabbed a stack of scripts from his coffee table, flipping through them as he walked toward the living area.

He sat down easily, effortlessly.

Then—he patted the seat next to him.

“Come on. Let’s start.”

Minra hesitated.

Because this felt like a test.

Like he was waiting to see if she would hesitate.

If she would pull back.

If she would try to escape.

And if she did—he’d know exactly why.

So she forced herself to move.

To sit.

To act like nothing was wrong.

Even when everything felt wrong.

.

Minra took the script from his hand, exhaling slowly.

This is just work.

Nothing more.

Just a script reading.

Just an actor and a writer figuring things out.

But as Shuun leaned back against the couch, casually turning to the first page—

Minra couldn’t shake the feeling that she had walked into something she couldn’t get out of.

And the worst part?

She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to.

.

Chapter 15: The Moment She Let Her Guard Down