Zion's Garden - Chapter 9.1
A voice, carefully masking its unease, broke the silence.
“Don’t forget, you have a photoshoot in Hong Kong tomorrow. It’s for the cover of V Magazine’s 20th-anniversary issue. It would be wise not to overexert yourself today.”
The man addressed as Manager Jang was someone I’d met once before. At our first meeting, he handed me an advance of 100 million won, promising an additional 2 billion three months later. Now, seeing me in such a vulnerable state beneath Zion, I couldn’t begin to imagine what he might be thinking.
I met Zion’s gaze directly, his expression one of triumph. His captivating eyes gleamed with the arrogance of someone who had finally claimed a treasured prize. It was only then that the true meaning of Zion’s earlier words dawned on me. I had, without a doubt, piqued his interest.
My merciless patient had me firmly in his grasp, as if to remind me of my place, much like an owner disciplining a disobedient pet. Zion’s lips curled into a small, devilish smile, mocking the momentary stirrings of my heart from earlier. Unable to face his piercing gaze, I shut my eyes tightly.
“I’m feeling great,” he said nonchalantly. “No need to worry. If you’re done, could you leave? Your sudden appearance seems to be making my doctor uncomfortable.”
From the start, Zion had no intention of considering my position. To him, I was merely an intriguing plaything. Catching his attention came at the cost of a humiliation that burned deeper than shame. What must Manager Jang think, seeing a personal doctor entangled in such an intimate position with her patient?
“Understood,” Manager Jang replied curtly, his tone unreadable.
The words struck me like a blow. I hadn’t fulfilled my role, and now he was leaving. A chilling thought crossed my mind—what if Manager Jang decided to terminate my contract for breaching its terms?
Being forced out of Zion’s castle. Never seeing him again. Losing the fragile thread of my title as his doctor and being dragged away unceremoniously.
The idea felt like a crushing weight. Even though Zion had publicly shattered my pride, the thought of never seeing him again filled me with a dread so intense it made my skin crawl. I could barely make out Manager Jang’s figure through my blurred vision, his hesitation evident as he lingered by the door.
“Are you leaving or not?”
Zion’s irritation was clear as he turned his impossibly handsome face toward the manager. Without meeting his gaze, Manager Jang finally spoke.
“I also have something to tell Dr. Han Jeong-won…”
I braced myself. So, this is the cost of my foolishness with a superstar patient. There was still a month left on my contract, but the thought of being dismissed early wasn’t part of my plans. Then again, when had anything in this castle ever gone as planned? My body trembled slightly.
Should I beg? Even if I were only a toy to him, would pleading to stay by his side be the answer?
“What could you possibly want with my doctor?”
Zion asked, still sprawled over me, his voice carrying a sharp edge. Manager Jang hesitated for a moment before responding in a measured tone.
“It’s about patient Kang Ae-sook. Her condition has deteriorated significantly. With no immediate family, she expressed a wish to see Dr. Han one last time. The hospital contacted me to relay the message.”
A furrow appeared on Zion’s otherwise flawless forehead.
“Who?”
A sigh escaped my lips before I could stop it. I wasn’t sure if it was out of worry for Aunt Annie’s condition or relief that I wouldn’t be thrown out of Zion’s castle after all.
“I need to go.”
Despite the chaos in my mind, the words slipped from my mouth. Manager Jang had come to inform me of Aunt Annie’s condition. The woman who once handed me chocolate when I was a child was now preparing to leave this miserable world, just like my mother—alone, with no one by her side.
“What?”
Zion looked down at me, his face a mixture of confusion and disbelief.
“I said I need to go.”
My lips, trembling from the release of tension, delivered the words weakly. Aunt Annie’s message was clear. It was a wake-up call, urging me to come to my senses. Even if I’d been momentarily blinded by Zion’s sweet words, she was warning me to step back before it was too late.
My breathing quickened as I realized what emotion had gripped me moments ago: fear. Another wave of terror washed over me, a different kind altogether. The thought of clinging to someone who saw me as nothing more than a fleeting amusement was unbearable.
This was Zion. A man who viewed me as a mere toy to be played with. What made it worse—what I couldn’t forgive—was my own inability to push away this selfish man who used me to feed his desires, even in the presence of others.
“Let me go.”
I had to escape, at least for now. If I met Aunt Annie, if I confronted the mess of my reality, perhaps my sanity would return. It had to. If I didn’t snap out of it soon, I couldn’t predict what humiliating things I might do in desperation to hold onto Zion.
“No.”
Zion’s cruel lips moved again, his hand tightening on my jaw. I turned my head, trying to break free, but he wouldn’t let go.
“Stop this.”
“You look like you’ll never come back if I let you leave now,” Zion said, his voice low. “I’m not letting you go. Stay by my side.”