ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

Wonwoo opened the door to his office, Mingyu nowhere to be found. He groaned, rubbing his temple, "Where did he go to?"

He walked out of his office, checking around the floor for the man who had mysteriously disappeared. "What the hell?" He muttered to himself as he checked the next floor, Mingyu still nowhere.

He checked his pockets, seeing Mingyu's phone still inside the pocket of his suit. Had he seriously left his phone here? And gone to where exactly? And why?

Wonwoo turned on the phone, opening it but being barricaded by a password. There was no way he was going to guess it now but he had to find Mingyu.

Who knew what information he had that made him take off without saying a word. "I was barley gone for an hour." Wonwoo complained, tapping the button outside the elevator as he waited for it to descend to his floor.

He was going to have to track Mingyu one way or the other. He already didn't trust the man and him suspiciously vanishing without a trace did not help soothe Wonwoo's nerves.

Oh gosh, he was supposed to keep Mingyu in check for Soonyoung, get the information his best friend and boss needed and he couldn't even do that.

The elevator doors opened and Wonwoo walked inside, tapping on the 16th floor button. It was the floor dedicated to cybersecurity and the 3rd most secured floor after Soonyoung's floor and then Wonwoo's floor which also hosted other secretaries, teams and important documents and files.

The elevator stopped and opened, allowing Wonwoo to exit. He looked at the time. It was already 10pm. Luckily, Soonyoung was certainly still on his date so he had enough time to track Mingyu down and get the information he needed out of the man.

The more they let Yoon Jeonghan roam free, the higher at risk the company was and if there was anything Wonwoo was serious about, it was the company.

Kwon Incorporations had given him the life he never had, Soonyoung had given him the home he never had and he would forever cherish that.

Wonwoo unlocked the door to the main floor with his keycard and then the door to the office with his master keycard. "Code 111, Kim Mingyu. Need his location in the next 5 to 10 minutes." He announced as he stepped into the room, the staff's response time quick amd sharp.

His feet clapped against the floor, his own way of managing the panic that slowly crept into his heart. What if Mingyu had gone somewhere with some important documents and now they were all doomed?

Soonyoung had entrusted that snake into Wonwoo's care. He couldn't lose him pn his first day of the freaking job. He refused to do that.

In the next 30 seconds, one of the staff yelled, "He's in Pyeongchang, at the Alpensia Ski Resort right now!" Wonwoo's face creased once he fully received the information.

What was Mingyu doing in Pyeongchang and how the hell had he gotten there so fast? "He's with Jeon Kihyun's son, Jeon Jungkook and the boss's husband's brother, Lee Seokmin plus some other children of successful businessmen."

One of the other staff gave Wonwoo more information, turning the screen to face him. Wonwoo squinted his eyes, the picture forming in his eyes. It was a post from Jungkook's instagram of the three men.

Wonwoo rolled his eyes, adjusting his collar before walking towards the door, "Thank you guys! I'll treat you to coffee soon!" He informed the workers who cheered in excitement.

He had to get to Pyeongchang this night and find Mingyu, bring him back and access the needed information the man had and he had to do all this before Soonyoung came to work tomorrow or called him to ask about the progress.

Wonwoo covered his forehead with his hand, shaking his head back and forth. "I hate you Kim Mingyu." He said to himself, the tiredness of the journey hitting him already.

Regardless, he knew he had to do this. He didn't really have any other option.

•••••••••••••

"Why is this asshole not picking up?" Jeonghan questioned, piqued by Mingyu refusing to answer his calls. His phone was apparently switched off and Jeonghan had no idea where he was or if he had gotten the job.

He knew it was a dumb idea to use Mingyu as his secret spy. He was too carefree, too lovesick to focus on the main mission.

Jeonghan groaned, scrolling through his contact list when his eyes stopped ams his fingers held down on the screen as Seungcheol's name popped up.

"Would he answer?" Jeonghan asked himself, deciding to just go for it. The worst he could do was to just not pick up however Jeonghan had a feeling he would.

He knew just how obsessed Seungcheol was with him and he couldn't lie, having Kwon Soonyoung's bodyguard wrapped around his finger inflated his ego by a lot.

He tapped on the call button, watching as the phone rang. It rang out for a few seconds and Jeonghan remained patient, hoping he would answer.

A minute passed and just as he was about to stop the call, Seungcheol picked up the phone. Jeonghan, now excited, raised the device to his ear. "Choi Seungcheol?"

He called out with an eager voice only to receive a whisper from Seungcheol, "Yoon Jeonghan, please just leave me the fuck alone."

"Wait-" Jeonghan tried to interject but it was of no use as Seungcheol had already cut the call. He knew what to do to get Seungcheol back on his side but it didn't really matter right now.

What mattered right now was figuring out where Mingyu was, what information he had and how to take down Kwon Soonyoung.

If there was anyone Jeonghan hated the most in this world, it was Kwon Soonyoung. For one reason and one reason only,

He was a reincarnation of his father.

And Jeonghan hated that. He had done so much to hurt that man, take away his happiness, completely destroy his empire and Soonyoung had made all his efforts go to waste.

He had totally rebuilt Kwon Incorporations with his own ideas and input even when the company began to lose customers because of his father's diagnosis.

Jeonghan loathed that. The fact that Soonyoung was smart, swift, sharp and skillful. Just like his father.

The thought itself made Jeonghan's body feel like it had started to boil. His hatred for the man only increasing everyday and the insatiable need to strip him of every good thing he had in life was killing him slowly.

He would not rest. Not until he had Soonyoung in front of him, on his knees, begging for mercy.

Jeonghan sat down, remembering an important fact about Soonyoung. A wicked smile painting itself across his lips as he stared at the picture in front of him.

A picture of Soonyoung at his wedding. One that Jeonghan knew was fake media play right off the bat. However, he noticed something in Soonyoung's eyes as he looked at Jihoon in the picture and it made him burst into a manic laughter.

The wedding may have been fake, but Soonyoung's feelings for Jihoon surely were not. Jeonghan could tell in an instant.

Lee Jihoon, oldest son of Lee Hyunmin, next in line to take over Lee Holdings.

He rubbed his chin, his smirk deepening as he laid back. Maybe Jihoon was the way, the one that would make Soonyoung fall to his knees.

Perhaps Soonyoung didn't care about his mother or his father anymore and if he didn't, then Jeonghan had no other choice.

No other choice than to go after Jihoon.

•••••••••••••

The ride back home was quiet, with Soonyoung still having a lot to think about and trying to decipher the sender of the message and Jihoon also having a lot to think about regarding his feelings for Soonyoung and his unwanted emotions.

Soonyoung blinked, breaking away from his thoughts, his gaze narrowing to Jihoon who was beside him shortly after. "Hey." He called out with a composed demeanor, in stark contrast to his normally energetic self.

Jihoon managed to hear the gentle words, turning to look at Soonyoung, a barely audible "Hi" leaving his mouth.

Soonyoung smiled, hearts in his eyes as he observed Jihoon who couldn't even look him in the eye. "Thank you for comforting me back there, I really needed it."

Jihoon shook his hand, deflecting Soonyoung's statement. "You don't have to thank me for that, it's just being a decent human... I apologize for not trying to understand this whole situation from your point of view."

Now it was Soonyoung's time to reply by shaking his head. His hand went up, settling on Jihoon's shoulder while Jihoon touched his heart, it's rhythm starting to become unsteady.

"It's fine, you had your reasons which are completely okay. If I were you, I wouldn't be happy going into an arranged marriage either."

Jihoon breathed out, the deep sigh a show of his never-ending battle with his own heart. He glanced at Soonyoung for a second before looking away. Why did he always know exactly what to say and when to say it?

How was he supposed to ignore this growing pain in his heart for the man beside him? The pain that made his heart shrivel whenever they fought and beat rapidly whenever Soonyoung looked at him.

Jihoon turned to the window, resting his head against it as he uttered, "Yeah."

Soonyoung's smile vanished as the conversation ended replaced with his serious face that warned the people around him to not mess around with him.

The sender was most likely Yoon Jeonghan, but to make sure, he would give the cybersecurity team his phone and also visit his mother. His body shivered at the thought and his breathing became heavier.

He hadn't seen his mother since she was readmitted and he wasn't exactly ready to see her now but because of some asshole he didn't know, he had to.

The car stopped abruptly as it crossed over a bump and the driver turned around, apologising with a quickness. "I'm sorry Sir, I didn't see the bump." He said with his two hands placed together.

Soonyoung roller his eyes. He was already preoccupied with too many problems to get angry over this little inconvenience.

"Are you okay?" He turned to Jihoon who nodded, still avoiding eye contact which Soonyoung found to be really cute.

He might've been thinking hard about many things but Jihoon finally warming up to him was a thought that lingered in his brain, little memories of tonight scattered all over his brain.

Lee Jihoon was giving him a chance and he could not believe it.

After Jihoon came out of the car, Soonyoung opened his door but his phone buzzed again. He could feel his heart literally stop amd his breath catch, a suffocating silence surrounding me.

He took out the phone, his hands shaking slightly as he tapped on the notification. His eyes decreased in size as he stared at his screen, his grip on the phone tightening and his jaw locking as he did.

It was an album of pictures from tonight, from their date. Over 80 pictures of them at the cinema, at the mall and finally at their dinner. All the pictures were crisp and clear.

He moved down to the message under, his eyes glossing over the words.

You got married without telling me, Eomma is sad.

Soonyoung's eyes began to sting him, the tears being stored multiplying. He patted his eyes, trying to get rid of the tears. He couldn't let anyone see him crying. That sight was reserved for Jihoon and Jihoon only.

He got down from the car, closing the door as he looked around, studying each face of the people around him. All the staff he'd trusted.

It had to be one of them and Soonyoung was going to find out who. They had the audacity to bring Jihoon into this and that was the biggest issue.

"You're all dismissed." Soonyoung announced, no words following up as he walked to the front door where Jihoon stood with his hands crossed behind the threshold.

His head tilted as his eyes scanned Soonyoung from his head to his toes, "Soonyoung, are you okay?" He asked probably for the 100th time today but it wasn't his fault that his stupid heart was so eager to see him smile, that smile of his that held a true happiness.

Soonyoung smiled but it wasn't his real one, "Yeah, you should get some sleep. You're going to the company tomorrow right?"

Jihoon replied with a nod, stepping back to give Soonyoung space to come in. "Yeah, my father wants me to do something."

Soonyoung closed the door and Jihoon turned around, preparing to go upstairs to his room although his conscience didn't fail to remind him that Soonyoung was not okay and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Actually," Soonyoung mumbled making Jihoon stop walking, "I'm not okay, I'm not okay at all."

Jihoon sighed, turning back to face him. "Is there anything I can do for you?" He inquired, wanting to know how he could help. He could tell that Soonyoung never really expressed his feelings and he was grateful that the man felt he was trustworthy enough to confide in.

Soonyoung scratched his fingers as he uttered, "Could you stay with me tonight?... Just tonight?"

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

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