Hey guys ! A little info before we begin. Chapter 13 won't be updated next week but the one after, simply because it's my Hobaby's birthday on  March 28th which is this Monday and I wrote a few one-shots and a short story to celebrate my INFINITE bias (the pairing is wooya, you guys know me ^^) I will publish them next week. So don't be worried if you don't see an update, I'm just busy writing for my Hobaby's Day. So, now that I said it, enjoy the new chapter !

P.S. A huge THANKS to my friend Hélène who came to my place and acted as a scribe under my dictation for the end of the chapter because I couldn't type it. 

On the other line, Leo chuckled. He didn’t seemed offended, more likely expecting it.

“I know.” He answered in his distinctive soft-spoken tone.

“Ravi came to me a few days ago. He said you told him to find me.” Sungyeol confronted him directly.

“I see you still don’t beat about the bush.  You never did. It’s one of the things I’ve always liked about you.” Leo smirked.

“Be serious for a moment would you ?” Sungyeol scoffed, regaining confidence. “Why ? After all these years, why could you possibly want from me ? When I paid my debt, you were the one throwing me away like some useless piece of furniture. You get rid of me as soon as I wasn’t valuable to you. Why do you seek for me now ? Haven’t you done enough to me already ?”

“Sungyeol…” he said, looking in his eyes, “there is no words to express how much I regret what I did to you. You were the first good thing that ever happened to me and… What I did… The hurt I caused to you… I know I would never be able to take it away.”

“At least you realise it.” Sungyeol said bitterly. “But you are three years late.”

“I know I made you suffer. I broke you in every single way. But I wanted you to know. What I’ve done to you is what I regret most in my life. And I will bear this regret for as long as I live. I’m so sorry.”

Sungyeol’s eyes widened in shock and he gasped. After a long silence, he looked up to him again.

“I think it’s the first time ever I heard you apologize to someone.” Sungyeol said, voice trembling. “I guess I should feel flattered.” He added, bitter.

“You have every right to be mad at me…”

“Of course I am mad at you !” Sungyeol exclaimed. “You made my life a living hell ! I lost everything and everyone I cared about because of you ! You abused my trust, my body… and even my heart.” His voice broke at the end, as he was unable to contain a sob. “And you throw me away once I fulfilled my use.”

“Sungyeol, you must know. Letting you go was in your interest. I thought you would be better without me in your life. It’s not because I… I stopped wanting you or… loving you.”

“Don’t talk to me about love ! You never knew what it meant ! I thought I could make you change…”

“You made me change !” Leo exclaimed, raising his voice for the first time.

“Not for the better.” Sungyeol said.

Leo sighed and ran a hand through his hair before making eye contact with him again.

“I understand everything you say. But when I say I want you back, it’s only because I know I could do so much better this time ! Being in jail opened my eyes on numerous things… I… I want you in my life. I never truly appreciated you being by my side until you were gone, and it felt so empty. I know it’s too much of a request but I hope… I hope you can find in your heart the strength to forgive me.”

Sungyeol exhaled loudly, feeling as if he was punched in the guts, all the air leaving his lungs. His throat felt tight and dry as he looked at the man behind the glass in complete disbelief.

“Forgive you ?” he said in a weak but venomous voice. “What you did to me is unforgivable. Do you know why ?”

Leo looked at him, jaw clenched, trying to look as stoic as he could.

“Because each time I try to unfold this pain, I feel like I’m going to die.” Sungyeol said, tears rolling down his cheeks, his voice trembling more than ever. He had to take a breath to speak coherently. “It’s a pain I buried deep inside, a pain that will never heal. You did this to me. So don’t ask me to come back. I rather die than doing so.” he said, hang up the phone before getting up and walking towards the exit.

He heard the sound of fists pounding the glass as well as his name being shouted out loud. He turned back only to see a prison guard bring him under control and handcuff him again, them dragging him forcefully out of the room. Sungyeol ran to the office indicated earlier and grabbed the nearest trash bin to puke his guts out under the worried eyes of the prison guard.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright ?” the guard asked when they reached the exit of the facility.

“Yes.” Sungyeol nodded, trying to convince himself as well as the man. “Thank you for your kindness. I better go now.”

“You’re so pale. You’re sure you don’t want to call a cab ?” the man asked.

“My car’s right here. I’ll be fine.” He assured, sniffling softly. “Thank you again.”

He bowed to the man before walking a few meters on the parking. His legs felt like jelly, but the only thing stronger than his actual weak state was his desire of getting the hell away from there. He unlocked the car and, after a manoeuvre to leave the parking lot, he engaged himself on the road, pushing hard on the accelerator.

To say Sungyeol was shaken was a euphemism. He had a plan, but he wasn’t able to go through with it. As soon as he laid eyes on him, it was like he had been transported all those years ago, when he was at his mercy. He had let his emotions overcome his brain, let his feelings take over the plan he had orchestrated. He had no idea what to do now.

Sunggyu was sipping on his coffee, reviewing the activity schedule of their upcoming guests Soojung passed to him. He approved the things he deemed correct, scratching what seemed bad to replace them with his own suggestions since he was also open to dialogue. He wasn’t a tyrant. He was in the middle of his paperwork when his phone desk rang.

“Yes Soojung-ah ?” he answered, knowing only his secretary had the power to call and transfer calls on this phone.

“Depyonim, Millennium’s samonim is on the other line. She said she needs to talk to you urgently.”

Sunggyu sighed deeply. Since he stopped answering her on his mobile, now she called at his work.

“Transfer the call.” He sighed, rubbing the space between his eyebrows to ease his frown.

“Yobuseyo ?” a unmistakable voice was heard. “Sunggyu-yah ?”

“Yes mother. What can I do for you ?” he said, trying to remain calm and composed.

“I’m glad you took my call. Listen, I have been thinking of our current situation about you getting married. I think I might have been too pushy and invasive with you. I’m your mother, of course I’m worried that you’re not married at your age ! But I admit, I had no right to interfere on your private life like this. I crossed the line. So, I wanted you to know that all I want is your happiness. You’re my son, and I love you more than you can ever know. I can only hope that, once you’re ready, you will introduce us to the person you chose to share your life with.”

“Oh…” Sunggyu said after a moment of silence, stunned by what he just heard. “I wasn’t expecting you to come to understand me. I’m glad, really. Hum, you know what ? I’ll drop by tonight to see you and father. Maybe we could have dinner together.”

“That’s a wonderful idea my darling. I will make sure your father come home early so that we could be all together. I will call your sister too, so I will have both of my beloved children and my grandson altogether.”

“That will be great. I shall be able to come around nine, is that alright ?” he asked.

“Of course darling. I’ll see you tonight.” she said sweetly.

“See you tonight mother.” Sunggyu answered before hanging up the phone.

Sunggyu remained thoughtful for a moment after his call. He would have never thought, not in a million years, that his mother will back off from her idea of marriage. Sunggyu started to wonder what could have caused such a reversal of the situation when he remembered the conversation he had a few days ago with Lee Haeri.

“Could it be…” he thought, picking up his cell phone.

He hesitated in front of his contact list before launching the call. He heard the t