'Jeon Wonwoo, what do you think you are doing?!'

Essence of belonging does not have to be in any materialistic form. As idyllic good times go by, you might experience home in that particular feeling. My breath was strictly halted in the middle of the robust hold around the throat, thus reaching my panic button was sadly the last place I could dream of in the spur of moment.

The ominous sentence that sounded through the dimmed area made me lie on a bed of red roses, a hue of modest relieve taking over my uncomfortable position at once. Hearing the manager's irregular panting coming into the perimeter, jaunts of big footsteps neared the two of us from various angles.

I could see miscellaneous dark silhouettes filling the empty spaces in my outer eye corners, presumable the bodyguards that were too late on call because of the obvious negligence. Now that I think about it, why did they intrude even though my stupid self did not use my only saving mainstay?

My central eyesight was being blocked out by Wonwoo's utterly striking face, no scheme to ever let me out of his thorny cage. I was barely breathing like I forgot how, too hard to be lenient with myself in this moment. 

Shifting my head away from the enigmatic man in a slight movement, I admitted immediately that I pined the owner of that very intimate voice.

His ash gray hair was styled up, forming an unclosed circle in the middle. The long back woolen coat suited his dynamic charisma while his powerful aura made a succinct statement in the modern room.

DIAMOND's exclusive owner, the one who got me out of my previously miserable life stood after a long month of a business trip to Busan luckily in the same room as me. The guards had their dominant hands placed right on the lethal weapons in the opened-up holsters, waiting for their boss's sign to execute and attack.

The foxlike eyes were still inside my comfort zone, Wonwoo gritting his teeth soundly while daringly taking one last sniff of my neck for God knows what. His warm breath gave me instant goosebumps as he slightly loosened the grip on my throat with an annoyingly smug grin plastered onto his soft lips.

I took my one and only inured opportunity, pushing him harshly backwards by his chest as I almost jogged towards my superiors in cold shivers. Halting my hurried steps, I peeked right up in those samgaeban (sclera/white area visible on the left, right and bottom) eyes.

There was a silent questionnaire going on, Baekhyun swiftly scissoring the connection up by his usual impatience. 'Dohee-yah, neo gwaenchana (are you okay)?'

Nodding slowly was the mere I could give based on my fortitude at what had happened fifteen minutes before. As I engulfed myself in my own two oscillating arms, I turned around to face a glare in the desired yardbird. 

Wonwoo could not help himself but to let out a mocking laugh after seeing my carried-out actions, raising his deep voice in a slightly annoying pitch. 'Hyungnim, long time no see! I wondered whether you were finally annihilated or not.'

I have heard people talk to Seo Inguk like that multiple times, just from a far distance as I did not want myself involved in his matters. Normally I would not spot those men or women near the prestigious nightclub ever again which made the pessimistic self come right out of me.

Inguk paraded from behind my back, taking one last glance at my somewhat frowzy frame as he clearly derided at what the enigmatic man had just spewed. 'Gesoriya (What bullshit are you talking about)?'

The kind of muffy air around us tried to get even more alike to the definition, painful muteness did not bother Wonwoo to walk towards the bar to get himself another raw intoxicant.

Pouring the orangish liquid into the whiskey glass, Wonwoo's deep voice send trembles over the back of my spine. 'Well, you are famous for having enemies on every corner of the streets. And take this as a payback for not holding the end of the bargain.'

His foxlike eyes found mine again, drinking the strong alcoholic beverage while he began to scour every quivering inch of my body. 

The boss had probably noticed, trying to break Wonwoo's eye contact with blunt words and his broad frame that stepped deliberately in attempt to hide me. 'Say something understandable.'

Emulation arose from the intense connection, the troublesome smirk that I wanted to kill appeared again. 'Okay, let's take this a step further in intermediate Korean, shall we? I was talking about the deal that you will tell me about every new threat, seal and meal.'

Did I just dream it or was the enigmatic man really contradicting himself in one small monologue? 

Although, I reckoned the fact that Inguk had understood him completely as he scoffed with a little breathy laugh at the end. 'You ungrateful douchebag. Just remember that you are the one who came crawling to me for help. Shall we call it a night unless you want to do this in front of...'

Inguk raised his left arm, a horizontal thumbs up nudged in my direction which made me knit my eyebrows together. 

Something unexpected happened, is there a possibility that I might have experienced serendipity without realizing it? Illusions of anxiousness filtered through Wonwoo's dark orbs, taking the remaining amount of alcohol into his system before he ambled towards the exit.

The foxlike eyes stepped over the diagonal line to meet mine for one last time this eventful night, mumbling his goodbye in an intriguing yet undecipherable way. 'See you later, peach.'

Everything in this place was according to the boss his wishes. The trypan blue lights gave the office a mystic yet calm vibe while shamelessly expensive furniture described his piquant style nevertheless. 

Seo Inguk's pristine office was always impeccable clean, as if he had never left the unblemished floor alone. Several achievements and recognitions were lined up on glass transparent shelves, rare vinyl records from the 70s got their own place on those said borders.

Whiffs of cloyingly nicotine and strong perfume engulfed me from every slant, the familiar black woolen coat was draped over both my shoulders to keep me from shivering in cold. 

Only if the truth was told that those irresistible quivers were not from any frosty temperature. 'Dohee-yah, you should have pushed the emergency button earlier. I warned you that this man is seriously a ttongmule twigyeo jugil nom (guy who should be fried in poop water and get killed).'

The manager drifted in his usual amount of rage which brought fantastic, angered poetry out of the beautiful language Hangul (Korean). 

I composed myself to answer back in my own steadfast defense. 'Oppa, I am quite aware of my actions. Look, I was just going to see how far he would go, and that crazy bastard met my damn expectations. Yet this is not what we are supposed to be talking about right now. Were you watching me from outside?'

Light-hearted chuckles followed my sneering sentences, making me divert my head to the single seat where Inguk sat ingrained. 'That's my girl. Always on point with her sharp deductions.'

Baekhyun and I were sometimes thus harmonious that we synchronize our eye-rolling, setting one leg over the other as I leaned back on the other navy blue padded couch. 'Speaking of which, your death sentence has been pushed forward Seo Inguk.'

The samgaeban eyes flickered open in one go, switching them precisely in my direction. 

Persistently, no distinct emotions were shown through black orbs as I continued my bundled-up frustration in gritted sentences. 'What did you tell those strange men about me? Last week it was clear that they somehow knew about me. Did I ever ask you to advertise my existence?'

Reaching in his right pocket, Inguk took his pack of cigarettes out to blacken his lungs. He had this bad habit for as long as I knew him and presumably longer. 'As if I did not know the consequences, Daisy. I had my reasons.'

My pounding heart unknowingly skipped a beat when I heard the designated name that he had chosen for me. 

Purity, innocence and simplicity is what the white with a yellow dot in the middle flower stands for, yet the name was often being used to describe a new beginning. DIAMOND's owner gave it willfully to me, not just as a tortuous reminder but also as a respectful ode to my past and present happenings...

The click of his golden cased lighter opening resonated as I hastily vocalized my outrage at once. 'What could that possibly be? You are such an unpredictable piece of shit sometimes.'

A well-lighted flame illuminated the small roll of tobacco, make the whitish fume come at once through both of his nostrils while he smirked endlessly. 'Oh my god, the almighty got her own buttons pushed instead of the one she should have used earlier. Should I bring a cake now?'

I tormented him for an eternity to stop smoking, knowing that his stubborn mind would not ever listen. Gawking at the itchy smell of toxic vapor, I threw my peculiar words at Inguk which came unintentionally more in the form of little whines. 'Ugh, I hate you. And cake.'

Managing the cigarette over the ashtray to tap the remaining particles away, Inguk raised his head towards me again with his tongue poking the inside of his cheek. 'You love me, Daisy. Cake is your favorite dessert. Stop fighting like you are still a high school brat.'

Occasionally, the resentment that I held for the way the dynamic boss would talk in short clear-cut sentences would arise. I could not refute anything or make myself look smarter by rebutting and that made me carry a chip on my shoulder.

Peace and quietness entered our wholehearted conversation, Inguk's clearing his throat made me glance over to where he was sitting down. 'Daisy, be honest with me.'

The seriousness in the tone of his voice made me kiss my teeth, holding my head down to my clenching hands. 'I have been honest with you for the past seven years.'

My ears were probably playing games, the odious question that Inguk directed towards me giddied my stomach for no reason. 'What is your relationship with Jeon Wonwoo?'

Why was it so hard to confess? 

Characterizing myself as a person that became someone who could wag her tongue if necessary, this was the first moment after a long time where I did not find a certain way to answer. After everything that happened, I still found myself in a fuzzy daze created by that enigmatic man's aura. 

Inguk pushed the unfinished fag flat into the upper surface of the ashtray, shaking his head in clear disapproval. 'Never mind, I can see it on your face. Hearts are flowing out of your eyes.'

The rock in my throat shallowed painfully down the sides, Baekhyun letting an apologetic sigh flow out his mouth. 'Hyung, I think that she deserves the truth.'

What is he talking about?

My frows shoved my genuine feelings in an unstable wave, Inguk standing up from his seat while walking towards the window that covered the wall from top to bottom. The radiant streets of Seoul gave prosperous yet hospitable awareness to millions of people, blessed that I could see this sight of the capital city almost every day.

Inguk grabbed my earnest attention by talking further in reminiscent phrases. 'Daisy, I let you study, educate yourself and free for the time being. I gave you the time to heal as well and look how that turned out for you.'

I was not fully recovered from everything, masking behind my usual bright personality but I rather held that depressing thought in my head instead of laying it out in the blue. 

My hands clenched tighter on my lap as the boss continued speaking candidly. 'You are important to me Daisy. Everyone should know this.'

A my dark brown eyes followed the back of his head, it was clear that he meant every single word spoken even though I could not fully see his expression. 'I cannot let you walk bare on the streets anymore. Your Ahjussi is slowly mellowing through his retirement days, relying on him is not something considered smart anymore.'

It was the harsh truth, still feeling a bit remorseful about reversing roles of the caretaker and -giver in a short span of time. 'Even though you changed your mind on getting into my business, I still want you to know the in and outs of my organization in case of emergency. As of now, you are still my sole heir.'

My horrible past decided a lot for me. In spite of that, inside that dog-eat-dog world, Seo Inguk was the first one to believe in my capabilities...

Baekhyun grabbed his chance to interfere, making his hands with the mobile phone thud on the transparent tabletop. 'So, we should just let our dear Do Dohee die?'

The always concerned Byun Baekhyun. I snapped my head to him, mentioning the obvious in a bickering voice. 'Bluntly speaking, I am here oppa.'

I waved in his direction while the manager mutely mirrored the way I said that sentence in an irritating way. Inguk interrupted our childish fight, nearing us in slow steps while he took my side for a second. 'It is her choice Baekhyun-ah.'

Inguk reached the couch where I was seated, sitting next to me while he drew another white killing stick from the packet. 'I have never forced you into anything, have I? As the matter-of-fact Daisy, do you want to taste a bit of the business? Tomorrow is an important event for all the organizations working in our field. Baekhyun and I are both going, and we are allowed to bring a plus one.'

My dark brown eyes sparked in curiosity, the angel and devil debating in my brains whether I wanted to elaborate. 'What is it?'

Inguk halted his move to light the cigarette abruptly. He might had taken a notice of my confused expression, taking the stick out from between his lips while he twirled it through his fingers.

The familiar chuckle showed sight again, meeting my dark brown eyes with his mysterious ones. 'A wedding.'

Everyone knows what it is like to make a wrong decision for the right reasons. Ever since that horrible happening, my furtive mind coursed in another dimension. You see, awry choices are the heart of drama. And with that I mean, if showing how low your self-esteem can sink be your first priority, sticking together is what can make you the strongest.

A tie-strap maxi dress which consisted of a full skirt, fitted boddice and a lace-up closure surrounded my fragile body. The little night blue and white roses printed all over the gown gave the ensemble a majestic fairytale vibe. 

I contemplated a lot about whether the gorgeous outfit would make me appear overdressed, Jennie shooting the negative thought right out of my brains with her sharp arrow of optimism. 'You should look extra pretty tonight, Dohee-yah. Do you even realize that this is the first time that Inguk oppa is bringing a woman next to him?'

The subtle glitter that was placed on my lower eyelids by the elegant woman sparked up in the lights, standing up from the makeup chair as I took one last glance in the mirror. 'Really? Unnie, I thought that you had been invited by him many times before.'

My black hair fell in blowout waves on my shoulders, Jennie grabbing a matching clutch to my outfit as she pushed it in both my hands. 'Yes, but my date was and will always be Byun Baekhyun. Our boss exclusively chooses his companions.'

This imminent revelation blew me away, making me ponder on how important this marriage ceremony must be for him.

And before I even realized it, the hand reaching out from the opened-up car door made me step out on the dark grey asphalt. Letting my pair of nude pointy heels click onto the ground, the samgaeban eyes reassured me without any words and a firm squeeze on my clammy right hand.

There was no way that I could use my precious anchor now, moving my palm almost immediately behind his left bicep to grab it tightly instead. 

If I was not aware of the fact that Seo Inguk's favorite color was midnight black, then I would have been called the most ignorant person in the entire universe. He still looked quite charming in his suit with a thin turtleneck underneath it.

Baekhyun's presence filled the other side of me, viewing nothing else but exquisiteness in his doubtless expensive attire. 

We were climbing up the flight of marble and granite stairs, the mansion in front of us might be the largest building I had ever stepped foot in. I came to know that this was not the actual ceremony which had taken place by noon seemingly successful, but the wedding reception hosted by the one and only Jackson Wang who is a regular at DIAMOND. 

Baekhyun and eventually Inguk had paid him tons of bills to shut his mouth about me when he discovered my rag-clothed self in my working space where he drunkenly searched for the bathroom.

We will leave it at there.

After going through security which is common for events with tons of influential people in the underground world and the upper side realm, we walked further into the pulchritudinous venue. 

Something that I have learned over the course of seven years is that the two mentioned aspects walk parallel for over centuries, one should fear if this important conjunction got ceased.

My glossy lips parted in an awe, moving my head around the grandiose ballroom. It looked massive and opulent, crystal chandeliers and gilded mirror were placed perfectly onto the ceiling and walls. 

Suddenly, a rush of jittery clouded my breathing as I felt several lines of perceptions all over me. I did not have to look twice to confirm my suspicions, the whispers and hushes around us were definitely aimed to my side. 

I naively pinched the upper arm of Inguk, him searching for my dark brown eyes with no specific emotion. 'Daisy, you are nervous.'

An uneven smile plastered my facial expression, rattling a somewhat understandable sentence out in one breath. 'Tell me something I do not know.'

Ever so slightly, the dynamic boss moved his body in front of me while grabbing both of my shoulders firmly in his hold. 'Everyone should know whose caliber you belong to Daisy. We are a celestial harmony, remember?'

Rather called a healthy platonic relationship. 

Giving me a reassuring pat on my head that made the crickets around us chirping even louder, we walked into the crowd of sophisticated people. And with a beam on my lips, Inguk introduced me to several influential men and women who had somehow contributed to world affairs without making their faces knowledgeable. 

After a couple of short conversations, Inguk had to excuse himself which left me with the manager who was clearly in the need of something. 'Dohee-yah?'

Seeing his fluffy eyes getting ready for a bunch of pursuing actions or what we would like to call aegyo, I jeered my decline right in his face. 'No.'

The bottom of his champagne glass hit the clothed standing table, Baekhyun squinting his look on me with shrugging shoulders. 'You do not even know what I was going to say.'

I blankly blinked in a cadence, transferring my answer over without words. Baekhyun cleared his throat thoroughly as he attempted to run away by taking slow steps. 'I am going to pay myself a visit to the bathroom.'

Not a chance mister manager. I grabbed the back of his blazer, making him stumble backwards in a swift. 'No, you are not. Your cigars can wait today, Byun Baekhyun.'

His voice wanted to raise to the usual boisterous volume, but he kept his decency in sake for people around him. 'Yah, is this how you talk to your elder?'

I laughed sarcastically, grabbing the snack from the table while I still held him back by his collar. 'To you always oppa.'

Taking my hand, Baekhyun turned around to sight my undeniable awkward look. 'Dohee-yah, moments like these are not going to come back quickly. Go to the bar, get a drink and let yourself a bit loose.'

He left me no choice with that serious tone, striding alone to the bar where I ordered in a pitched voice to make myself clear above the crowdy noise. 'Hi, can I get a Whiskey Smash please? Thank you.'

The sun rose from the west until I heard a husky voice speaking in a surprising matter. 'Do Dohee?'

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SORRY

I had to cut it short even though I had written more for this chapter ;-)

Yes, what is a Wattpad party without our Jackson (he only got a minor role tho), right? I have never read a book where there is a wedding in the beginning/middle (sorry if I'm assuming it wrongly lol) of the story so I am going to be the self-proclaimed first haha.

Seo Inguk is finally here! I love him guys hihi <3 

Any guesses who might be the one with that husky voice? I mean, you probably already know haha

So much has happened in Caratland (FASHIONWEEK(S) WERE AMAZING, THEY ALL LOOKED SO GOOD OMG)

SCOUPS NEEDS MORE LOVE <333333333333333333333333333333333333

THANK YOU (AGAIN 100000000000000000000x) FOR THE VOTES AND LOVE (it honestly keeps me motivated)

Love,

dahliainjeolmi01