FL 1

If it weren’t for the client’s persistent encouragement and unwavering support, Hyewon wouldn’t have found herself in Las Vegas for this short holiday.

The client had gone as far as to book both the plane ticket and the hotel, practically shoving them into her hands—there was no way to say no after that. She never imagined her first trip abroad would be for a client’s wedding.

“Congratulations on your marriage.”

She smiled brightly at the bride, who wore a soft apricot-colored dress that flowed down to her ankles—perfect for an outdoor wedding.

“Oh my goodness!”

The client, now linking arms with the groom as they emerged for the second part of the ceremony, looked genuinely delighted.

“Thank you so much for coming, Counselor Yoon.”

“No, thank you for inviting me.”

“No, no. Considering all the help you gave me… That intellectual pro– what was it again?”

“Intellectual property rights.”

“Yes, that! That whole thing was such a headache, but thanks to you, I got it sorted and made it here in time for the wedding.”

“That’s just my job.”

“Still, all the other lawyers said it would be tough… Anyway, thanks to you, I was able to keep my business intact.”

If she had told them in advance she was offering a blank check as a success fee, any lawyer would’ve dropped everything to help, Hyewon thought, but instead of saying it out loud, she just smiled politely.

The foreign groom, who had been quietly grinning nearby, placed a light kiss on the bride’s cheek before heading off toward his friends. But the bride pulled him back by the hand, cupped his face, and began planting noisy kisses all over him.

Hyewon had front-row seats to a steamy display she hadn’t asked for and couldn’t look away from. Blinking, she eventually averted her gaze, wondering how long this was going to last.

This is America, after all.

“By the way, Counselor.”

“Yes?”

The bride’s lipstick was completely smudged, her cheeks flushed from all that kissing. Hyewon almost blushed in sympathy but forced her expression into something calm and composed.

The groom was finally dragged away by his friends—any longer and they might’ve skipped the second half of the wedding entirely and headed straight to the hotel room.

“Your dress is stunning, and those heels? Perfection. But you’re not planning to go back to your hotel room right after this, are you?”

Hyewon tilted her head and smiled as if to say, Is there something else? The bride looped her arm through hers and leaned in close to whisper.

“See over there?”

Underneath the floral wisteria arch, lush like bunches of grapes, a group of the groom’s friends were gathered.

“Yes.”

“Some of them are from Italy. Just… wow. So come up to the rooms with us.”

“…Me?”

Thrown by the sudden suggestion, Hyewon stupidly echoed the question.

“Oh, should the bride go instead? Is this one of those American jokes? Hilarious.”

The client burst into peals of laughter. Hyewon wasn’t naïve enough not to understand what the bride was implying—but she couldn’t for the life of her understand why she was being told this.

“Counselor, it’s been a while since you’ve had sex, right?”

“…”

Sure, Hyewon had gotten used to this client’s blunt way of speaking—but she still found herself smiling awkwardly, wondering if her face had I haven’t had sex lately written all over it.

“If you live too uptight all the time, you’ll burn out. You gotta blow off some steam, enjoy life—and yes, sex helps with that.”

“Thanks for the suggestion, really.”

“You are absolutely perfect today, Counselor Yoon. Seriously, don’t just go. After the reception, come up with us. Got it?”

If the host hadn’t announced the start of the second part of the wedding, it would’ve seemed like the client was picking out a man for her to sleep with.

Hyewon absentmindedly sipped on several glasses of sweet champagne while watching the bride and groom dance.

The good-looking couple looked well-matched and happy. The bride in her wedding dress, smiling without a care in the world. No matter how hard Hyewon tried, she couldn’t imagine herself like that. Her mouth tasted bitter for no reason, so she drank a bit more.

She figured she’d fulfilled the client’s wish to be accompanied by someone who “knew how to behave,” so it was probably fine to leave now.

In the hotel lobby adjoining the outdoor wedding venue, raindrop-shaped crystals of every color cascaded from the ceiling like a waterfall. They sparkled in the light like fish scales, dazzling to look at. She thought to herself, as expected of a renowned Las Vegas hotel— even the decor was something else.

Standing in front of the golden elevator that led up to the rooms, Hyewon looked at her reflection.

Just like the client had said, the dress and shoes she’d spent a small fortune on for the first time didn’t look bad, even objectively speaking. Of course, she was flying back to Korea tomorrow and would never have a reason to wear them again.

A little reluctant, she didn’t get into the elevator when the doors opened. This was Vegas, after all—of course there was a casino on the first floor. Hyewon drifted toward it, curious.

She just wanted to see what kind of place it was. Travelers in casual clothes were absorbed in their games. Some were shouting with excitement, others played around and laughed with their families.

After wandering a bit, Hyewon took a ten-dollar bill out of her clutch.

She fed it into a slot machine that didn’t require any special rules, just money, and pressed the button while staring at the flashing screen. Once, twice, and on the third press—sevens spun around and landed in a line: 7-7-7. Bingo.

“Wow… bingo.”

At that point, Hyewon only thought, Guess I won’t be losing the ten bucks I gave to the slot machine. That was all.

The machine started flashing wildly, and trumpet sounds blared. Numbers began to grow larger across the screen, blinking.

Then people around her began to cheer and clap. As they crowded around to see what happened, two large Black security guards approached her.

What the…?

“Follow me.”

She barely made out what the guard was saying over the noise. In a daze, she pulled out the ticket the machine had spit out. The winnings were… three million.

It was nice to have won unexpected money, but Hyewon only nodded calmly. Part of it was embarrassment from the attention and cheering. Is three million won really that big of a deal? she thought—until she stopped in her tracks.

Wait. This is America. It’s not three million won…

“Oh my god!”

Three million dollars. That was roughly 3.9 billion won.

Her hands trembled as she checked the white ticket again.

This was insane. It was basically like winning the lottery for the first time in her life. Her heart was pounding so hard it made her dizzy. Her hands shook so badly that she clutched the ticket to her chest in fear of dropping it.

Following standard protocol, the guards led her to the casino manager. The manager explained how the payout would be handled and, since she was a foreigner, what percentage would be taken as tax.

He also informed her that the hotel would be upgrading her to the Grand Suite as a congratulatory gift. They even gave her twenty $100 black chips to enjoy the casino the next day.

“We’ll be providing you with the finest service our hotel has to offer.”

“Thank you.”

When she tipped the hotel manager—who brought her suitcase to the Grand Suite—with one of the chips, his face lit up noticeably. He leaned in, though there was no one else around, and whispered:

“We’ll be sending up an additional service shortly. This one is exclusive to our hotel.”

Hyewon chuckled and handed him another chip. Everything still felt surreal. The man grinned, bowed politely, and backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Hyewon stared at the closed door and muttered:

“Two chips, and now I’m a princess.”

With no one around, her body finally relaxed, and her knees wobbled. She clutched her chest, trying to calm her still-pounding heart.

All this… from a game I played on a whim. And I hadn’t even planned to visit the casino. For someone as cautious as she was, this was an absurd stroke of luck.

“What the hell is happening right now… Oh my god…”

After tax and exchange fees, she’d probably be left with 700 or 800 million won, not the full 3.9 billion. But to Hyewon, 800 million wasn’t “just” anything.

She didn’t even have time to take in the room. She was still standing by the door, trying to process everything. She wanted to scream with joy but instead focused on how to use the money wisely.

After a quick mental tally of the money she owed her grandfather—living expenses, tuition, her mom’s hospital bills—it all added up to about a billion won when accounting for time value. Just thinking that she could finally repay her grandfather gave her a sense of relief.

“Just a little longer… and it’s over.”

Only then did she take in the room. It was so grand it took her breath away.

The massive living room had a chandelier that scattered light like stardust. Elegant, antique-style sofas and tables filled the space. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see the dazzling Las Vegas nightscape and the fountain show from the hotel across the street.

The master bedroom featured a four-poster bed with a canopy and luxurious furniture. There were three additional bedrooms.

“This place is insane.”

It was a subdued reaction, but Hyewon couldn’t think of any other words to express her awe. She opened the expensive welcome wine sitting on the coffee table. With no one to celebrate with, she figured she’d have a toast by herself.

She poured the wine until it sloshed near the rim, carefully held the glass, and perched on the window sill. She watched the glittering neon signs and the shape-shifting water fountains.

She drank the wine like juice, in big gulps. Then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stayed there until the fountains calmed down.

When the doorbell rang, she quickly set down her glass and practically dashed over, though her footsteps were muffled by the carpet. She opened the door wide to reveal several domed dishes on a service cart.

A different staff member from earlier was holding a bottle of champagne. The moment she saw him, she was more shocked than when the jackpot hit and blurted out without thinking:

“Holy shit…”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not pleased, and Hyewon quickly clamped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment. The man holding what looked like a very expensive champagne bottle didn’t seem quite… human.

Was he God’s perfect creation after many failed prototypes? Or maybe someone beloved by the divine? Whatever he was, he surpassed all of it.

His sleek black hair was perfectly styled, his forehead neat and high, eyes long and sharp, pupils jet black, nose straight and flawless, lips soft and kissable. He had both an intellectual and decadent aura at once.

With his eyes slightly downturned, he came off a bit arrogant, but the faint curve of his lips gave off a strangely gentle impression. On top of that, he wore a perfectly tailored tuxedo that matched his overwhelming physique—making it hard to look away.

Hyewon worked at one of the top law firms and had seen her fair share of celebrities, but this man couldn’t even be compared to them. He was in a league of his own.

“A gift,” he said coolly, lifting the champagne bottle slightly.

Her eyes went wide, as if asking, For me? He smirked and murmured with a chill in his voice:

“Why not? Didn’t you call for me?”

Me? Call for you?

“This service is exclusive to our hotel.”

This man… was the service?