WINTER SECRETS

The kitchen was dimly lit, a single flickering light casting shadows along the cabinets. Carrie stood beneath them, cradling a cup of warm milk, her mind blissfully blank. The silence of the night wrapped around her like a thick fog, offering a rare moment of stillness.

As she took another slow sip, the quiet was disrupted by the soft shuffle of footsteps. Jae-wook appeared in the doorway, his dark hair damp, clinging to his forehead. His nightshirt hung loosely off his shoulders, unbuttoned almost to the last button, revealing the lean muscles beneath. His expression was tense, his gaze distant—until he spotted her.

Carrie froze, her pulse quickening as he strode toward her with a quiet intensity. Without a word, he reached up, his arms brushing past her to open the high kitchen cabinet. The space between them vanished in an instant, his warmth pressing against her like a silent challenge.

"Why are you staring?" he asked, suddenly pausing, his deep voice breaking the silence.

Carrie blinked up at him, caught in the storm of his presence. "What else are my eyes for?" she quipped, her voice steadier than she felt.

A slow, mischievous smile curled on Jae-wook's lips. He leaned in, his face inches from hers, close enough that she could feel his breath, close enough that her heart pounded so loudly, she was sure even someone upstairs could hear it.

And then— BEEP! BEEP!

A shrill sound shattered the moment.

"Carrie! Carrie!" Ava's voice pierced through the haze, calling her name repeatedly.

"Do you think she's dead?" Ava whispered dramatically.

"She's probably dreaming," Leo replied. "She must've been exhausted from yesterday."

The voices faded.

Back in the dream, Jae-wook moved even closer, his fingers just about to graze her cheek.

"Carrie..." His voice was low, almost hypnotic.

Just as his hand touched her skin—

WHAM!

Carrie jolted awake and, without thinking, swung a solid punch straight into Jae-wook's nose.

"AH—WHAT THE HELL?!" Jae-wook yelped, staggering back, clutching his now bleeding nose.

Carrie blinked rapidly, disoriented. "Oh my God! Are you okay?" she gasped, finally realizing what she had done.

Jae-wook shot her a look that could melt steel. "DO I LOOK OKAY?!" He removed his hand for a split second—only for Ava to wince dramatically.

"Oof. That's bad," Ava muttered, squinting at the damage.

"I'll get the first aid kit!" Leo announced, dashing out like he was on a mission.

Carrie winced, guilt settling in. "I am so, so sorry," she said, biting her lip.

Jae-wook exhaled sharply, rolling his eyes. "Were you fighting for your life in that dream?"

Carrie sighed, rubbing her temples. "You have no idea." the exhaustion what the hell type of dream she had still lingering in her.

FEW MINUTES LATER

Jae-wook sat stiffly, wincing every few seconds as the pain in his nose pulsed like venom coursing through his veins. The makeshift stuffing in his nostrils did little to ease the sting—it was as if a scorpion had made a home inside his nose. Every sharp throb sent a glare toward Carrie before he quickly looked away, huffing.

"I said I'm sorry already," Carrie sighed, exasperation laced in her voice. "I had a nightmare, okay? A really bad one!"

Ava leaned in, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "A nightmare... or were you dreaming about kissing someone?"

Carrie gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "How dare you ask such a personal and emotionally devastating question?"

Leo blinked, utterly lost. "What... what is even happening right now?"

"Okay, moving on!" Ava clapped her hands together, abruptly shifting the mood. "We've got new intel!" Her voice turned serious, instantly pulling everyone's attention.

Leo straightened up. "Right. We all know Julia has been the thorn in our side this entire time."

Jae-wook and Carrie nodded in unison.

"Well, turns out she's more than just an annoying pest—she's been Na-eun's ally since high school," Leo revealed.

Carrie's brows shot up. "Wait—what?"

"Yup," Ava confirmed. "That's why she follows Alex to every school he attends."

"And here I thought she just hated me," Jae-wook muttered, shaking his head.

"Oh, she definitely does," Ava teased with a smirk. "But that's not the point. She let something slip—Na-eun is way worse than we thought."

Carrie furrowed her brows, trying to process. "So, Julia has been spying on Jae-wook all this time… and Na-eun has even more secrets than we expected?"

"Exactly," Leo said with a nod. "And that's not all. We found out something about Techcom's research team—three researchers have gone missing, all from the same department. That's why the job spot was so easy to obtain."

Jae-wook rubbed his chin, his eyes dark with thought. "Three researchers missing, and no real investigation?"

"Because it was written off as baseless rumors," Ava explained. "Techcom has too many enemies. It was easy to dismiss it as sabotage."

Carrie's face twisted in disbelief. "What about their families? Someone had to ask questions."

Ava's lips curled into a grim smile. "That's the interesting part. They don't have families. They were nobodies—homeless men Na-eun handpicked off the streets. She paid them generously and called it 'charity.'"

Carrie sat back, shaking her head. "That's… disturbing."

"It's how she builds her reputation," Jae-wook muttered. "She plays god, making people believe she's a saint when she's anything but."

Leo's smirk returned. "We need to figure out what really happened to those researchers. If they vanished under Na-eun's watch, then they must have seen something they weren't supposed to."

Ava exhaled, crossing her arms. "Whatever it is, it proves one thing—Na-eun is more dangerous than we ever imagined."

That's when they realized that this was just the beginning.