JANUARY 19, 2018 | SATURDAY

It had been almost two weeks since the Family Formal had taken place.

Everyone had gone back to their businesses as normal, all of them content about The Commission's actions to establish a good-standing relationship with one another. 

Joohyun spent her whole day in her office, arranging final preparations for an event tonight regarding her soldiers.

Each Capo in a Family is in charge of running a specific type of business. Sunggyu was in charge of running the Family's illegal weapons trade, and Joohyun was in charge of managing the Family's high-end  business. Smaller Families had only about two or three Capos, but larger Families like the Alpha Family had around fifteen Capos.

There was a bulk booking of ten of Joohyun's escorts for a major and well-known fundraising event called the Seoul Gala to be held tonight. Joohyun planned to accompany her escorts with the company of her brothers, whoever was available, to the event. Normally, she didn't accompany her escorts, as they were always treated with respect and never had a problem once, but she would always accompany them when a large number of them were booked for the same event just for precautionary purposes.

It was an hour before the event was to take place, and Joohyun, as usual, was having trouble with her wardrobe.

"Joohyun we need to hurry, the escorts are already on their way to the event!" Sungjong called from downstairs, just hearing an "Okay!" come from upstairs.

Sungjong and Woohyun looked at each other and sighed. The brothers hated getting stuck with "babysitting duties" they called it, which meant following Joohyun around whenever she left the estate. Unfortunately for them, all the other brothers except for them had family business to tend to tonight, so they were slapped on the chest with big brother responsibilities for the night.

"Okay I'm ready, let's go," Joohyun chimed as she walked downstairs, turning towards the hallway mirror to fix her hair.

"Yah, you're not going out in that," Woohyun looked at Joohyun disapprovingly, "is there any way you can cover your chest more?"

Joohyun had went with a pink dress that flowed down her body elegantly and had stopped to cover the top of her toes, however most of her back was bare for the world to see. She rolled her eyes and pouted at her brother's disapproval, shaking her head. 

"No, Sungjong said we're running late, remember?" She replied mockingly, "And besides, I don't own anything too scandalous anyway; who do you take me for?" 

Woohyun just sighed in response as he and Sungjong stood up and were led to their transporting car with Joohyun in the lead.

"Whoa, Hyung ... there's so many beautiful women here ..." Jungkook was star-struck, staring at the numerous amounts of attractive women in the large, spacious room.

Taehyung had the option of bringing a plus one with him when he received an invitation to attend the Seoul Gala, and decided to take the youngest of his friends with him since he had never been to an extravagant event such as the Seoul Gala.

"When are you not thinking of women ..." Taehyung sighed, closing his eyes for a bit as he walked around. 

The event had started off with a cocktail hour, which would then proceed to a formal dinner accompanied with live entertainment. They were only thirty minutes into cocktail hour, and Taehyung was already worrying over Jungkook.

"Can you please not make a fool of yourself tonight? This is a very classy event, Jungkook, please act it as well," Taehyung advised as Jungkook just waved him off. 

"I know, I know, don't worry about me, Hyung," Jungkook knew when to control himself, and he knew that this event was definitely the event to put on a poker face to shield his inner child.

Sungjong and Woohyun tried not to look bored as Joohyun clinked her glasses with celebrities and screen directors while talking ecstatically. Any mention of alcohol would always pique Joohyun's interest, which meant that her brothers needed to pay attention to her more closely.

Taehyung caught a quick glimpse of Joohyun, which made him turn his head. He turned back to Jungkook, who was busy sipping from a glass and looking around the room. "I'll be right back. Stay here," he said before leaving his side, Jungkook just waving his hand nonchalantly. 

"Ms. Bae," Joohyun heard someone speak from her right side, and she smiled when she saw who the voice belonged to, "not a surprise to see an elegant woman such as yourself at an elegant event such as the Gala."

Joohyun chuckled, waving her hand, "Please, just Joohyun would be fine. I feel too honored to be called my surname by someone in a higher position than mine."

"Joohyun it is," he smiled and nodded, "in that case, Taehyung for me if we're already going with informalities." 

Joohyun raised a brow. This man had her so curious about him. She had the strong urge to figure him out, as he seemed to mask himself with smooth words and polite gestures. She wondered if he spoke the same way towards other females like herself, but she would never know for sure if she didn't at least try to get to know him.

"Well Taehyung," she smirked slightly, holding out her glass, "here's to more encounters with you."

Taehyung chuckled, quirking a brow as he clinked his glass with hers. He took a sip from his glass before speaking.

"Hopefully. Would it be weird for me to say that I wanted to see you again after our past encounter?"

Joohyun fixated her eyes into his, trying to decipher him. She let out a slight chuckle, looking down at her glass before she looked back up at him. 

"No ... no it wouldn't. Would it be weird for me to say that I agree?" She looked up at him curiously, masking her rapidly beating heart.

"Definitely not," he smiled innocently, "in fact ... it's quite convenient that we're on the same page."

Convenient? Joohyun furrowed her eyebrows for a brief second to try and figure out what he meant by that before flashing him another pretty smile.

JANUARY 20, 2018 | SUNDAY

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon at the Alpha Corporation building. 

Joohyun was the only Capo at the building, since she had quite a bit of work to do in comparison to the other Capos. There were a few office workers working the weekend shift, but other than that, there wasn't very many people at the Family's building.

The mafia boss's daughter was sitting in her office by her large oak desk, typing away on her rose gold Macbook.  Sighing with relief as she finished the week's schedule for her soldiers, she rested her back against the plush chair she was sitting on and closed her eyes briefly. She began thinking about the Seoul Gala event the night before, and felt a slgiht smile creep up on her lips. She had spoken to Taehyung for what seemed like hours about their work and the mafia, but the conversation ended up being diverted to themselves. Joohyun figured that Taehyung was only feigning interest in her because he wanted to know more about her father and the mafia's business, just like pretty much everyone else that wanted to talk to her,  but when he was the one that was diverting the conversation and not her, she concluded that he wasn't like everyone else that started a conversation with her. Someone was actually interested in getting to know her, and not her father.

The female's closed eyes blinked open suddenly when she had heard a polite knock from the other side of the door to her office. 

"Come in," Joohyun cleared as she closed her laptop and sat up, resting her hands on her desk. 

Her secretary had walked in, but she couldn't even see her own head, as it was shielded by a massive vase of pink roses.  Joohyun's eyebrows raised, slightly concerned that the vase might have been too heavy for her five foot, three inched secretary.

"Ms. Park, are you --"

"Not to worry, Ms. Irene, I can carry it!" 

Joohyun chuckled and shook her head as her secretary managed to make her way to her desk and gently set down the vase of flowers. Joohyun stood up and walked over to the vase, examining the flowers. 

"Who are these from?" Joohyun knew that not anyone could just send whatever they wanted to anyone in the Alpha building. Her father had made sure to place a restriction on anything like that just out of safety precaution. 

"They're from someone over at Delta Industries, I believe. The person even asked your father himself if he would make an exception of the rules for them, and he agreed. Seems like this "secret admirer" of yours is someone pretty special."

"Someone from Delta Family?" Joohyun mumbled to herself, looking back down at the flowers. 

Her eyes caught a glimpse of a small white card that seemed to have a message sribbled onto it as if the person writing it was in a rush. She carefully picked the card off and read it, flexing her jaw to try and stop a cheeky smile. 

"Hope you're doing well. By the way, this isn't a romantic gesture ... unless you want it to be," the card read, sending electricity straight to Joohyun's heart. 

She couldn't help but let out a scoff. How dare he start games with her, she thought. 

"Ms. Park?" 

"Yes?" 

"Is there anything else?'

"O-Oh yes, I have some updates for you regarding the company's changes in policies concerning confidentiality."

"Go ahead."

As her secretary was reading off the information she had gathered for her, Joohyun couldn't help but tune her out as she found herself re-reading the bouquet card. She knew who the bouquet was from; after all, it couldn't be a coincidence that she would receive her favorite flowers the day after telling Taehyung the night before what her favorite flower was.

"Ms. Irene?"

"Hmm?" Joohyun hummed, looking up at her secretary to give her her undivided attention that she didn't receive from the beginning. 

"May I, um, ask if you heard what I had said just now?"

"I apologize, Ms. Park, I didn't."

"The check that was given to us as payment for the escorts last night bounced when I went to the bank to deposit it."

Joohyun dropped the card she was holding back onto the flowers and turned to her secretary. To say she was angry would be an understatement. She had the temper of a bull, and anything that set her off would eventually have to face her wrath. 

"The escorts that were booked by Mr. Jung?" Joohyun questioned, receiving an immediate nod from her secretary.

Joohyun, to say the least, was fuming. Mr. Jung and his group of obnoxious colleagues proved to be difficult to tolerate, from what her soldiers had told her. She had planned on banning him from returning to her business after the check had been cashed in, but Mr. Jung had other plans, apparently. 

The secretary grew stiff as she watched her boss fussily put on her coat. She quietly stared onwards as Joohyun grabbed her high-end brand purse with a little too much force and turned to her. 

"Clean up my office. I'll be back in an hour." 

"O-Of course, Ms. Irene," the secretary replied, "but what about the check?"

"Where do you think I'm going, Ms. Park?" Joohyun snapped, "I'm going to get our money and give that jackass a piece of my ing mind."

Joohyun walked up the steps to the Delta Family's company building with Myungsoo and Sunggyu right by her side. Her brothers didn't speak a word to Joohyun since they had been picked up by Joohyun's chauffeur, who briefed the two about where she needed them to accompany her to. The one thing her brothers were well aware of the most about their sister was that she was to not be angered even more once her temper was lost. They knew better.

As soon as Joohyun entered the building with her heels' clicking echoing throughout the lobby area, she could feel eyes on her. She made her way towards the receptioninst, her stride swift. 

"I need to speak with Mr. Jung at once."

"Do you have an appointment with him?"

Joohyun shared a brief, intense stare with the woman before she replied. 

"No. I'm Bae Jungwoo's daughter, I don't need an appointment, hun."

Embarrassed and slightly stricken with fear, the woman proceeded to phone Mr. Jung. 

Joohyun tapped her foot impatiently, her brothers looking at one another and gulping. They were scared for Mr. Jung.

"Hello Mr. Jung, I have someone that needs to speak with you ... um, yes sir I am aware that you specifically asked to free your schedule today, but --" The receptionist sighed as she hung up the phone and looked back up at Joohyun. "He's refusing to let anyone up to his office."

"What floor is his office on?" 

"E-Excuse me?"

Joohyun slammed her hands onto the counter and leaned forward so that her face was levelled with the receptionist's.

"Tell me where his office is and I'll be on my merry way."

As soon as the female blurted out a floor and room number, Joohyun her heel and headed to the elevator, her brothers just barely keeping up with her.

The boys could practically feel the steam that Joohyun was building up, but decided to not comment on said topic, although it was slightly funny. They reacted late to following Joohyun , since she had resumed stomping off as soon as the elevator doors parted enough room for her to exit. 

As soon as Joohyun had found Mr. Jung's office, she turned the doorknob to it and opened the door angrily, walking right to his desk where he was sitting. 

"Oh, Ms. Bae, what a pleasure to see --"

"Give me my ing money." 

Mr. Jung scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Pardon?" 

"Don't. Act. Stupid," Joohyun's words barely made it out of her clenched teeth. She was trying to control her anger, but seeing the perpetrator in person proved to anger her even more.

"I am being completely honest with you when I say this, but I don't know what you mean. I really wish I did."

Joohyun took a huge breath of air and exhaled deeply in an attempt to calm herself enough to speak in a civil manner.

"The check you used to pay for my soldiers' escorting services bounced. I'm here to collect the dues from you. Now."

Mr. Jung just laughed heartily, not phased at all by Joohyun's intimidating stature.

"I apologize ... I realized that paying for some hookers to accompany us to some party was ridiculous, so I just decided to close that account and have you suffer the consequences. I really didn't think you'd come to my office in person and have the audacity to ask for me to actually pay for your hookers. Is this a serious job of yours? A pimp for these girls?" 

Myungsoo and Sunggyu frowned from the minute Mr. Jung began to speak, but looked over at Joohyun to see what she was going to do. After all, at this state, it was a matter of time before she really lost her .

"My soldiers aren't hookers, you pathetic excuse of a human being," Joohyun began in a low, but piercing tone, "I gave you and your disgusting colleagues my soldiers, and you need to give me the money."

"If you weren't already aware, we work for Alpha Family. Pay what you owe now or you'll have to meet with Bae Jungwoo himself," Sunggyu spoke, butting into the confrontation.

"Start writing, bastard. There's no running like a coward anymore," Myungsoo added, his eyes never leaving Mr. Jung's.

"Alpha Family isn't , it's hilarious that you act like you guys are," Mr. Jung chuckled, kicking his feet up onto his desk, "and frankly, I don't care for your family. You guys don't even need my money."

Myungsoo and Sunggyu knew that Mr. Jung had pushed Joohyun to the edge when she lunged for him. The two held her back as she began screaming obscenities while trying to break free from her brothers' grips.

"Yungho here are the files that I need you to look at --" a voice said as someone walked into the room, interrupting the current situation.

Mr. Jung immediately stood up and bowed, his arrogant demeanor wiped clean as if it never existed. Taehyung stood at the door, trying to process why Joohyun was in the office of the person that was in charge of overlooking his office workers. 

"Joohyun?" Taehyung asked, "What are you doing here?" 

Joohyun had stopped struggling as soon as she heard someone else's voice in the room, only to discover that it belonged to Taehyung. Only then did her brothers let go of her, and she shared brief eye contact with him as he spoke to her. Seeing his face calmed her, although she didn't know why, of all things.

"Your piece of worker refused to pay for my soldiers' services. I'm here to collect the payment, but he's still refusing," Joohyun said quite calmly, despite still furious. She looked over at Mr. Jung, who seemed to be terrified. A small grin replaced her former frown when she pieced two and two together. He was scared of Taehyung because he was his boss.

Seeing as Taehyung was still a bit confused, Joohyun had elaborated on what exactly happened. She saw Taehyung's confused face turn into a serious and apologetic look, and even saw him shoot multiple glares towards Mr. Jung.

"There are no words I can say to apologize, Mr. Kim --" Mr. Jung began to beg for mercy, but Taehyung didn't want to listen to any of it.

"You're right. Pack up your belongings and leave," Taehyung ordered, seeing a face of confusion from his underling, "you're not to come back to the building. Ever. Goodbye. Your last paycheck will be mailed to you." 

As the worker was left with his jaw hanging, Joohyun and her brothers tried their hardest to not let out a grin. 

"Joohyun, we can continue this conversation up at my office instead," Taehyung gave a small smile to Joohyun, who smiled back sweetly.

"Gladly."

"Once again I ... I apologize for my employee's behavior. I'm really disappointed in him and it's really embarrassing on my behalf." Irene was sitting in front of Taehyung's desk, where he was sitting on the opposite side of her. 

"It's ..." Joohyun sighed, "It's quite alright, especially after the way that you fired him." She chuckled, and Taehyung quirked an eyebrow at why she would be laughing in a situation like this.

Taehyung couldn't help but crack a smile as he wrote out a real check for her. 

"Thank you so much, Taehyung," Joohyun nodded once as she accepted the check he handed out to her, "I really don't know what I would have done if you didn't walk in."

"I agree. It looked like you were going to chuck him out of the window."

"I was going to."

The two laughed together as they spoke, almost ridding Joohyun's memory of the incident she had just experienced with Mr. Jung.

"Well, I must be on my way. I need to give this to my secretary to have this be deposited," Joohyun stood up, and Taehyung stood up as well to see her on her way.

They talked briefly on the way downstairs to the lobby where Joohyun's brothers were waiting. Joohyun turned to Taehyung and smiled, thanking him once again. Taehyung nodded, giving her a genuine smile before waving and seeing her off. 

"Joohyun?"

Joohyun turned as Taehyung called out to her.

"Did you like the flowers?"

The girl chuckled, looking down at the floor to try and hide her blush. "Yeah, I did."

"Did you take them as a romantic gesture?"

"Yeah ... he's definitely playing some games," Joohyun thought to herself, although she would be lying if she said she wasn't excited by it, "player one, meet player two."

She didn't answer him though, as she just shrugged, gave him a cute wink, and turned back around to leave the building.

phew, sorry for this long-awaited update even tho this kinda lol sorry guys. I just won't update if I'm super tired (it's 4 am here at the moment I'm typing this) or not feeling motivated (which is a lot, tbh so I'm sorry if there's no updates for a while) but thank you to everyone that's subbed!! I really appreciate you guys sticking around even though I don't update often c: