Jean maintained her poised smile as Junho leaned in, his breath reeking of expensive whiskey. His confident smirk didn't falter as he lifted his glass toward her.
"Jean, why don't we go somewhere quieter? I'd love to have a drink with you… just the two of us."
Jean felt a shiver of discomfort crawl up her spine, but she refused to let it show. With a practiced elegance, she tilted her head slightly, flashing him a polite smile.
"My girls won't start partying if I don't join them," she said smoothly, motioning toward her team, who were engaged in conversation across the pool. "So please excuse me, Junho. Maybe some other time."
For a moment, his smirk tightened, as if he wasn't used to rejection, but Jean had already turned away, heading toward her team. She kept her shoulders squared, her steps graceful, but she could still feel Junho's gaze trailing after her like an unwanted weight.
Logan who was sitting right beside Mr Kim watched the exchange, his jaw tightening. He wasn't sure why he cared, but something about the way Jean held herself… a little too stiff, a little too controlled, bothered him.
She wasn't scared.
No, Jean Adams didn't get scared.
But she was uncomfortable.
And for some reason, that didn't sit well with him.
Walking back to her team, across the pool by the bar counter she saw them having drinks and snacks. Rosalie and Sasha were big party animals but here they had this annoying pout on their faces.
"I'm back." Jean announced as if she just returned from a war and sat beside Emma.
Jean took a sip of the martini Emma had handed her, letting the alcohol burn slightly as it went down. The bar counter provided a temporary refuge from the chaotic party surrounding them. The pool shimmered under the dim, ambient lighting, laughter and music filling the air.
"I swear, if we weren't here for business, I'd be skinny-dipping right now," Sasha, her PR manager, sighed wistfully, swirling her own drink.
Ganga, the fashion designer, chuckled, shaking her head. "I didn't know Korean parties could be this wild. This is on another level."
Emma leaned in closer, giving Jean a knowing look. "How did it go with Mr. Kim?"
Jean exhaled sharply, resting her glass on the counter. "Couldn't get much time with him. Logan was there, and then his drunkard son… Ugh."
Rosalie, her Marketing manager's eyes widened. "Junho? I heard he's bad news when it comes to girls."
Jean nodded and proceeded to tell them exactly what had happened. How Junho had been fixated on her, how he had interrupted her conversation with Mr. Kim, and most annoyingly, how he had asked her for a drink in private.
"And? What did you do?" Rosalie asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
Jean gave a half-smirk. "I made up an excuse about my girls needing me to start the party. I think it worked."
Emma snorted. "Good call. But Jean… that guy was definitely crossing the line."
Jean casually brushed it off with a wave of her hand. "It's nothing. I handled it."
But from across the pool, Logan sat with a whiskey glass in hand, his sharp gaze not missing a thing. He had seen Jean's forced smile, the stiffness in her posture, the subtle way she had recoiled when Junho leaned in too close.
He told himself it was none of his business, she could take care of herself. And yet, something about the way she brushed it off unsettled him.
He wouldn't bring it up now, but tomorrow? He was going to make sure they had a little chat about it.
The atmosphere of the pool party had shifted. Laughter and music filled the air, but Jean's team had other plans.
"Look who's coming this way. It's Junho." Emma exchanged a knowing glance with the others before setting their playful revenge into motion.
First, Emma took the lead. With a calculated misstep, she "accidentally" spilled her cocktail onto Junho's pristine white shirt. "Oh no! I am so sorry, Mr. Junho!" she gasped, though the twinkle in her eyes betrayed her innocence. Junho stiffened, muttered something unintelligible, and rushed off in search of a fresh shirt.
The moment he disappeared, Rosalie with a cunning smile on her face stepped in for round two. As soon as Junho returned, now dressed in a less flattering outfit… he found himself cornered by a discussion about international business law.
"You know," Rosalie began, swirling her drink, "there's an interesting clause in corporate law that states how intoxicated individuals may unintentionally forfeit verbal agreements. Fascinating, isn't it?" She grinned, watching Junho struggle to keep up with the conversation. She continued…
"I suppose you'd know all about that, right? Being such a seasoned businessman?" Junho stammered a response, but his words made little sense.
Finally, Ganga struck the final blow. As Junho attempted to regain his confidence, she eyed his outfit critically. "You know," she mused, tapping her chin, "that color really washes you out. And the fit, oh dear. Who dressed you?"
With her voice just loud enough for surrounding guests to hear, a few chuckles rippled through the crowd. Junho's face darkened in embarrassment, but he had no witty response.
Jean, who had been watching from her seat at the bar, sipped her martini with satisfaction. A small, appreciative smile played on her lips as she took in her team's efforts. She hadn't asked them to do this, but their loyalty and playful vengeance lifted her spirits.
Across the party, Logan leaned against a nearby pillar, watching the scene unfold with a smirk. Jean might have been hesitant to confront Junho directly, but her team? They had made their stance crystal clear. And for the first time that night, Logan felt a grudging sense of respect for the people she surrounded herself with.
Junho, humiliated but still persistent, eventually slunk off to nurse his wounded pride elsewhere. Jean let out a small breath of relief, knowing she wouldn't have to deal with him for the rest of the evening.
Emma raised her glass towards Jean with a triumphant grin. "To teamwork?"
Jean chuckled, clinking her glass with Emma's. "To teamwork."
Her eyes fell on him who was smiling at her from across the party. But her heart skipped a beat when she noticed Mr Kim standing beside Logan, with a displeased expression on his face.
"Oh no."