ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

Jihoon bit down on his teeth as he tried to remain as calm as he possibly could, although the baffled expressions on his brothers' faces were not aiding his attempt.

His fingers pinned up against each other as he kept his hands on the dining table, his eyes, stuck to his father who sat at the head of the table, saying the words he deliberately held back.

"I know that you don't want to marry him Jihoon-ah, but it's final. I've made my decision." His father's tone was firm with a hidden concern in it as he picked at his meal.

"So you just made your decision without caring about his opinion? When he's the one getting married?" Chan scoffed, pushing his plate of steak away as he stood up and threw his napkin on the table, turning to leave.

"Sit back down Chan-ah." Mr. Lee ordered, his apathetic resolve wavering as he looked up at his youngest son whose eyes glistened with a fiery wrath.

"No! This is so fucking unfair!"

"Do not use that language in my house!" Mr. Lee's fist pounded on the table, the loudness of the hit rendering everyone and everything silent. His eyes narrowed to his family before he took a deep breath, turning back to his food.

"Sit down." He repeated and Chan adhered against his will as Jihoon pulled him back down to his seat. "I'm okay, I'll be okay, it's just one year." Jihoon reassured his brothers but the slight tremble in his voice unmasked his strong facade.

"Isn't there any other way to get the sales up dad?" Seokmin questioned, his eyes sending a signal to his father, begging him to find another way and leave his older brother alone. Hyunmin sighed, shaking his head.

"I wish there was but there isn't. This is the only way. It's for the best, it's for our own good." Hyunmin patted Jihoon's shoulder but no reaction came from him as he absently stared at the bowl of soup before him.

Chan shook his head, disappointed in his father for agreeing to Kwon Soonyoung's proposal and to Jihoon, for not standing up for himself.

For continuing to be his father's test dummy.

"Hey, look on the bright side, this will all be over in a year and we'll return to the happy family we've always been." Mrs. Lee glanced at her husband and her sons, trying to lighten up the gloomy mood but to no avail.

Chan shot up again, this time a lot calmer than before. "I'm full, thank you for the meal." He bowed slightly before walking away from the table ensuing sighs from his parents.

"I'm kind of full too... I think I just want to play my cello." Seokmin exited the dinner table next, the discomfort and devastation in the air made him uncomfortable and the situation in itself saddened him.

Jihoon blinked, still looking into the soup bowl in front of him, mapping out the tiny pieces of carrots in his meal.

He was purposely blurring everyone out, the thoughts running through his head in everlasting circles, clinging unto his last pieces of sanity.

He was going to be married?

To Kwon Soonyoung? Seoul's walking pariah? The man who killed viciously and took everything that he thought belonged to him whether they truly did or didn't?

Jihoon didn't want to marry someone like that. Someone so power hungry, so wicked with no sense of remorse in him.

Soonyoung was the best example of the type of people Jihoon could never stand.

Yet here he was, about to enter a marriage contract with him.

Jihoon attempted to convince himself that it was going to be fine. He told himself over and over that it was a fake marriage, something he was only agreeing to because it would raise his family and his future business back to its feet.

But the thought of Soonyoung acquiring him just like all his other possessions sent a cold shiver down his spine, the weight of his future crashing on him even though he hadn't even lived it yet.

•••••••••••••

"Just stay calm Jihoon, sign the contract and we can go. Don't let him get on your nerves, okay?" Hyunmin instructed Jihoon who nodded, placing his hands in front of him as they waited for the elevator to stop.

He knew better than to let Soonyoung get to him. He was tougher and smarter than that. All he cared about was going through the contract, signing it and getting everything over with.

He had no interest in making small talk with that mad man. Although part of him wondered, why him? Why did Soonyoung choose him?

The elevator doors opened, allowing them unto the 11th floor where they were directed to a meeting room by one of Soonyoung's staff.

As Jihoon walked in, he saw Kwon Soonyoung in person for the first time. His blonde hair swayed majestically under the breeze flowing from the fan hung to the ceiling, the silver piercing on his left brow sparkled, emitting a bright light that distracted Jihoon.

His sharp, angled eyes were captivating and glowed with an insatiable thirst for power and domination and his lips that maintained a constant pout were nothing but desirable, complementing his soft but lethal jawline.

He embodied greed and his face only amplified the unmistakable hunger and commanding aura that surrounded him.

Jihoon gulped, feeling the impact of Soonyoung's presence alone as he took a seat, avoiding the direct eye contact from him.

"Let's not waste any more time." Soonyoung crossed his leg, facing the man beside him. "Wonwoo, the contracts please."

As they waited for the contracts to arrive, Soonyoung took in the ineffable, ethereal, angelic presence of the man seated just a few feet away from him.

Jihoon attractiveness was out of this world, his beauty in real life surpassed the rumours of his wondrous charm, astounding in every way.

His long, black hair that stopped just before his shoulders and the wavy strands that fell to his cheeks, covering his eyes a little only improved his appeal and his pale, vampiric skin made him all the more charming to Soonyoung.

He was purity and innocence impersonified, two attributes Soonyoung lacked and as Jihoon sat there prettily looking down at his polished and trimmed nails, Soonyoung claimed him with his eyes and his heart.

For as long as Jihoon was his, he would enjoy every single moment.

"Here Sir." Wonwoo handed the files over to Soonyoung before sending the copies to Jihoon and Mr. Lee.

Their eyes scrolled through the pages, reading every word making sure there were no issues at all. Nothing that would bind Jihoon to this contract forever.

As they flipped to the last page with the space for their signatures, Jihoon glanced at his father who gave him a supportive nod. With a deep breath, he signed the page, sealing the deal.

Jihoon's eyes lifted upwards as he took a peek at Soonyoung who had a menacing smirk on his face which only lifted as his eyes met with Jihoon's.

"Can we leave now?" Jihoon whispered to his father who nodded, returning the now signed contract to Soonyoung's secretary, Wonwoo.

"See you at the wedding!" Soonyoung's grin was mischievous and secretive as he waved to the father and son just before they stepped out.

Jihoon gulped as he exited the room, trying to process that he would actually be having a wedding, he would be saying vows to someone he didn't love. Someone who didn't have his heart.

The feeling of his father's arms going around his shoulder dragged him out of his thoughts and he gave his father a subtle smile before they got into the elevator.

He was smiling but inside, he was breaking down. The suddenness of everything was slowly tearing him apart and leaving him more than disoriented.

The fact that he would be referred to as Kwon Soonyoung's husband in two days was sickening and made his stomach churn in disgust and discomfort.

•••••••••••••

"Wonwoo-ya, get the car ready, I need to buy a suit." Soonyoung instructed Wonwoo who nodded before going out of the room. He turned to the rest of his staff before looking at the time.

"Publish the tabloids at 11pm today and don't forget to make it seem like we wanted the wedding to be private, but the media caught wind of it and also, make sure we have all the paparazzi there on Saturday."

The staff followed Soonyoung's orders, rushing in and out of the room to fulfill their assigned duties.

Soonyoung grinned in satisfaction. In a little over 24 hours, Jihoon would officially be his to own, an addition to his assortment of things he wanted and always got. Proof of his power and importance in the business industry and in Korea alone.

It didn't matter to Soonyoung that people hated him because they were the same people who would bow down to him if they saw him in person.

He was Seoul's official pariah, an outcast, a wicked boss, a mad man and now, he would also be Lee Jihoon's husband.

He chuckled, keeping his hand on his mouth in the form of a fist.

The title had a nice ring to it.

Lee Jihoon's husband.

Who knew?

Maybe he would end up liking it enough to keep it for longer.

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

Ⓒ︎𝙾𝙷𝚆𝙰𝚈𝙾𝙷𝚆𝙰𝚈𝙾𝙷
𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝙳 - 11•01•2025
𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙴𝙳 - 𝙽•𝙰