“Dasan...” Aina called softly, her voice like a soothing whisper of concern. “You’re still thinking about what happened at Noira’s office earlier, aren’t you?”
Dasan ground his teeth. He took a somewhat rough sip of his wine. “How could I not think about it, Aina? Noira’s behavior earlier was completely outrageous! She let that poor, uneducated secretary insult me in public. She even grabbed the man’s arm!”
Aina slowly set down her knife and fork. She offered him a faint, sympathetic smile, then reached across the table to gently stroke Dasan’s fingers.
“Dasan, that’s exactly why you need to understand,” Aina said in an exceedingly gentle, instructive tone. “Noira is playing with your emotions.”
Dasan raised an eyebrow, gazing at Aina, who looked so supportive. “Playing with my emotions? What do you mean?”
“You know what Noira has always been like,” Aina explained, widening her eyes innocently as she positioned herself as the younger sister who understood Noira best. “Noira’s pride reaches the sky. She’s a powerful woman, a successful CEO, and she never wants to appear weak in front of a man. The breakup of your engagement last year dealt a devastating blow to her pride, Dasan.”
Dasan remained silent, listening to every word that left Noira’s cousin’s sweet lips.
“Noira still loves you very, very much, Dasan,” Aina continued, skillfully injecting her poisonous doctrine. “Her anger earlier was only momentary. She deliberately acted cold and hired some random secretary like that man named Noah just to make you jealous! She wanted to see how far you would go to chase after her again.”
“But... Noira defended that man right in front of me, Aina. Her eyes didn’t look like she was pretending,” Dasan objected, his masculine ego still troubled by Noah’s sharp stare that morning.
“Oh, you’re so innocent, Dasan...” Aina let out a soft laugh, the sound utterly sweet to Dasan’s ears. “Noira is a great actress. A man like Noah is just a tool, Dasan. Just ‘property’ she paid for cheaply to provoke you. How could a woman of Noira’s caliber truly be interested in a dull man like him? A man who doesn’t even know how to wear a tie properly?”
Dasan fell silent. Aina’s words slowly seeped into his mind, caressing his wounded ego.
“So... you’re sure Noira did all that just to get my attention?” Dasan asked, seeking confirmation.
“I’m one hundred percent sure, Dasan,” Aina replied firmly, wearing the most honest expression she could manufacture. “Who else in this world deserves to stand beside Noira besides you? No outsider could handle Noira’s rigid and domineering personality. You’re the only man in her league.”
Dasan let out a long breath, and a confident smile slowly returned to his lips. His sense of humiliation suddenly transformed into emotional satisfaction. Of course. Noira was only pretending. There was no way she could turn away from me.
“You always know how to calm me down, Aina,” Dasan said, returning Aina’s handclasp across the table. “Thank you for always being by my side. You’re much gentler and understand me far better than Noira does.”
Aina blushed sweetly and lowered her head as if shy, though inside she was cheering with delight. “I only want what’s best for you, Dasan,” Aina whispered, her words dripping with falsehood. “I can’t bear to watch you get swept up in Noira’s emotional games. If Noira wants to play hard to get, let her. Once she grows tired of being lonely, she’ll come begging you to take her back.”