CHAPTER TEN- Like Ice-cold water

~'Your eyes. Your hands. Your touch. All so cold. It freezes my heart.'~

Eric was being swept up by emotions. He did not know how to act or how to behave in front of his brother who was stubborn. He wasn't at all happy about this coalition and never had a say in the family either. His angst drew him to become more and more aggressive. Like a fire flame that couldn't be bought down.

And that's how I remember, when dad called upon the board meeting out of nowhere and declared to give away the 10% of the 30% share of the Hyunhan Island, the Jiseok Company holds to Park Co-operation in exchange of an official engagement pact between the chairwoman of the Park Co-operation, Park Yuna and the first son of Jiseok Family and the eligible heir to the Jiseok Company ,my brother, Jun Jiseok.

It came out as a shock for me to accept this. But I never really thought things were gonna work out, but at the end Ms.Park did accept the coalition between the two company's and the engagement was decided when I was here at Bangkok hanging around at the casino where I almost died by being crushed by the piano case that fell upon me. Huh!!

He went up above the top floors of the building, a huge terrace with open swimming pools. Which was surprisingly empty.

The terrace had two pools, they were both at deeper lengths, there were shower rooms, many lounging chairs with big umbrellas protecting from the shade and glass blue floorings. The air was fresh and yet had a pungent chlorinated scent to it.

And there she was, Lia standing near the pool playing in water with her feet.

She is literally everywhere. Eric thought to himself.

Lia raised her head up giving Eric a sigh of disappointment. She said "Sir the pool is closed at this hour, since we just chlorinated the pool water. So you'll have to wait 30 minutes please."

"HUH? I am not even going in the pools anyways, I am just here for some fresh air that's it."

"Sir if you want some fresh air you could just go the open terrace next to the pool, it's just meters away, outside you go straight and take a right or left turn either ways will lead to the open space. There's persona lounge and barbeque spaces." she continued

"Can't you stay quiet a bit. You talk a lot." Eric bellowed.

"Sir I was just-"

"And don't go around giving me orders" he interrupted.

He wasn't sure of anything he just kept bawling out his true self again, forcing the annoyance of his personal life on any person he sees. Apparently Lia happened to be his favorite target to use as a punch bag to his mood swings.

"Sir, let me show you around please, this is my job I can't really help, if you'll continue to be rude I have to call for security." she continued in an annoyed tone.

"Huh? Who even are you to call security upon me. I can ruin your entire life by just one call. You think you are in the position to talk to me like that." Eric blurted out in anger.

"You are purposely doing this right? To get my attention maybe?" raising his voice he said.

"You must have some ulterior motives right?" he said confidently.

As if being a complete asshole wasn't enough he had to be someone who would naturally be hated by the people around him. And these were just a few of a sea of reasons why they would.

"I mean every woman does show up her colors by now. You must be a very patient one seeing you haven't made any moves." he gradually grinned and laughed totally snapping out of it.

"Tell me aren't you dying to crawl up on my bed?" he shamelessly blurted raising his voice higher. As if going completely insane

"Ya ERIC JISEOK" Lia stepped closer to him and said in a low voice completely unbothered and unaffected by his words as she stood in front of him.

She came more closer, only a few inches away from his face. Calmly placing her right palm on his chest.

Eric smirked on this sight he had expected. And suddenly a force came striking from that palm near his chest as if being taken behind.

Lia forced her hand and pushed Eric.

"GO TO HELL!!!" she devilishly sneered.

A loud splash was heard as Eric fell in the pool.

The next second I knew, I was gasping for breath. The world around me froze for that instance.

"AHHHHH"

'Not here, Not like this. I am afraid. Really afraid of this. Of the water that is touching my skin. It is going inside my nostrils, as if choking me out of breath.

I can't swim. I hate water. And this is the worst possible way to die.

'Why did she push me. That was so inhumane!'

I felt my body go deeper inside, and its hard to breathe.

How deep is this pool? When does this end?

I tried reaching out my numb arms towards the little light I could see before my eyes shut completely. The chemicals are burning my nostrils through my lungs.

'I might be-.....'

Eric's weight was slowly drowning him inside to the end. His hydrophobia was acting up all over his body in and out.

He was gasping for breath deliberately trying to pull himself up and suffering to stay put. The water was very deep and cold with a strong smell of chlorine to it.

Until a tight grip held his hand and his back, a strong force tried pulling out a heavy body out of the pool, Eric's arm wrapped around that persons shoulder.

It was a touching sight to see. How this frail looking girl who saved him really wanted him to live.

She bought him above and laid him down the floor, she slightly pushed his stomach and water escaped from his mouth. She bought her face closer to his and taking a deep breath she gave him a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation....

COUGH*CHOKE*

The man suddenly spit all the water that got into his body and gasped for breath still choking on and breathing heavily. His body was trembling as he sat up and cleared his vision to see the woman in front of him. She still looked beautiful to him as water was dripping through her long black hair and water drops falling off her chin, her white-shirt that went translucent enough for him to see the black bra she wore.

But his mind was a mess

"Lia!!" he softly called out, his body shivering more than before. Little tears that were hidden perfectly behind his so drowned face. His lips were cracked dry and light purple.

Still being in Lia's embrace. Purely knowing how pitiful he looks right now. As if he would burst into tears like a kid any moment soon.

She wasn't angry at him. He did not complain. His hate and arrogance did not overshadow his fear this time.

'Why is she still being good to me after all the things I said to her? Should've just let me die.'

Lia got up and bought a dry towel and wrapped around him. As his body still trembling. While he was clenching his teeth and shivering from cold. As if in a trauma.

Eric had these sides to him too. Something he'd never show the world.

His trembling hands held Lia's wrist tightly, as she sat on her knees and bought Eric's head closer to her, embracing him completely, she slowly pat his wet hair.

While a side of his head was tucked between her chest, while her clothes still dripping water and her bare handed touch and the body that came into contact with Eric's felt cold.

"It's okay now..!"

Without knowing Eric's body calmed down and breathed normally. He felt her cold fingers touching his skin through his shirt. He felt the heat around her chest, the beats of her heart, the cold embrace of her arms wrapped around his head. Everything was cold. And yet his body was tingling, and his heart racing, even in that unconscious situation, he felt a warmth, he never felt before, in this world. Ever. A warmth that ran in his cold blood and relieved him of all his worries that ever existed.

.

.

.

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'YOU ARE THE ONE WHO PUSHED ME AWAY AND THEN YOU ARE THE ONE WHO SAVED ME TOO,PERHAPS IS THIS YOUR WAY OF LOVING? I WONDER?'