I had only known him for 5 minutes and already I knew that things weren't going to work out between us even if I had wanted it to. There was something angry about his cold gaze and the way his jaw was set in a stubborn and antagonistic manner. He sat between his parents, a heavyset woman with kind eyes and an older man with a sort of gentle sophisticated charm. They were nothing like him. Where he was as cold as a bare winter night, his parents on the other hand were warm and inviting. I sat besides my mother, my hands folded in my lap and my eyes downcast, trying to imagine myself anywhere, but here.

"I'm so glad you agreed to this meeting. My daughter has been so eager to meet the rest of your family, especially your son" She gushed, her eyes sparkling as she spewed forth lies that obviously pleased his parents.

My mother would have pretended to be meek except no one would buy it for a second. She had a reputation in the business world and there was no way to hide the shark she was. But she could dampen the feel, lulling her victims into a false sense of security until she striked, it was eery to be a part of it I decided. Then again, it was nothing new for me, the daughter who for all intents and purposes didn't know what it was like to even have a mother. I held in a sigh as I mused silently about my mother's many faces as his parents offered needless compliments to us.

"Isn't that right Hyerim? Hyerim" She repeated, catching me off guard, I should have been paying attention I scolded myself as I caught the angry undertone in her voice.

"I'm terribly sorry, I'm just a bit tired from volunteering all day. My mother told me to reschedule that I would be too tired. But..." I trailed off, looking down and off to the side, "I guess I was just so excited about meeting you guys. I apologize" I said tactfully bowing my head.

Why was I even bothering to lie? Ah... because I was terrified if this went wrong that Daehyun would suffer the consequences.

"Oh that is no problem honey! Mi Ran you have such a darling daughter" His mother gushed bringing her palms together and looked at me in admiration.

"Yes, I'm very lucky. As are you, for having such a son" MY mother complimented back, I noticed she didn't like him and I didn't have to wonder why.

His own parents blushed at the compliment because we all knew that compliment at the least was merely a formality. Their son just sat rigidly on the couch, not acknowledging anyone unless directly spoken to.

Instantly, I felt guilty. A darling daughter... me? Would she say the same if she knew that the only reason I was even here was for another man or that I was helping my mother in whatever take over plan she had in mind? They were naive I realized and hoped their son would put up more of a fight not for himself, but more for the sake of his parents. Whatever my mother had in plan, it wouldn't be good for them.

My mind flittered back to him and the look on his face when he told me what had happened to his house and I could just imagine the disappointed when I basically ran away from him. My eyes went to my mother's face and I briefly wondered where we would have been had she not gotten involved. I wouldn't have ever even though about braking things off I knew, because I really loved him, but I knew better than anyone, no one defied Park Mi Ran.

They kept talking and I allowed myself to tune them out as they hinted not so subtly as to how good it would be for them to be one big family and by family I knew they meant business. A normal person would be worried, angry even, that their mother was selling them off as part of a business deal, but I didn't care if it meant that at least I wouldn't cause Daehyun harm. There was nothing I ever really fought my mother on and this was simply another thing. I always knew this day would come I reminded myself when part of me wanted to stand up and run away. Around her, my headstrong personality disappeared in a puff of smoke.

I felt a heavy and angry gaze on me for the first time and it drawled my gaze up into his. I was startled by the resentment in his eyes and bristled, was it my fault his parents were aiming too high to notice what they were doing? An air of arrogance came over me as I raised my chin a fraction higher and stared him down. He didn't back down and instead an angry fire burned in his eyes.

"Hyerim sweetie," My mother began, surprising me by the weird sense I got as she called me that, "Why don't you show Kai around the gardens, you two look bored here and his parents and I have to discuss very important things"

"... Of course" I said after a moment of hesitation that I knew I would be chastened for later and stood up. Giving a small courteous bow and a smile that reflected the opposite of what I felt I stood up and looked over at him. Who only looked at me with deep contempt.

"Kai please" His mother pleaded while everyone in the room politely pretended not to hear a word. If only for the sake of saving face for his mother he stood up, standing stiffly as if being called for the army and our eyes clashed again. I could tell he felt like he had lost a battle to my side and now I felt like I won one and I made sure he knew it from the glint in my eyes. Maybe If I pissed him off enough he would call off the marriage on his own.

"Let's go, the garden is really very beautiful at this time of year" I said politely and at the stare of my mother, I reached out to touch his elbow.

He snapped his arm away from my touch and without meeting my gaze stalked forth, leaving my hand in the air. A flick of outrage bubbled up inside, ready to burst out but I held it down. I cooly brought my arm back to my side and took in his parent's red and bowed down faced. Giving them what I hoped looked like a carefree smile, I turned and followed the way he had gone. No doubt, the idiot didn't even know where to go.

As I walked out, my proud and confident steps echoing in the suddenly awkward and silent room I scolded myself for suddenly feeling the urge to chastise his parents. It was just the way I had been raised. I had a terrible personality sometimes, I knew, but when I met Daehyun... everything changed. All the resentment I had bottled away in me melted away and he made me a better person. Was it their fault their son was like this? Yes, answered a small voice in my head, just like it's you mother's fault your such an insufferable person. I laughed at myself and kept walking, already could feel myself reverting back to the person I had been simply because I knew I would lose Daehyun and it was killing me.

"Was it your intention to make your parents seem like uneducated fools?" I called out in a cold tone as I finally caught up with him and found him in a corridor.

Lost just like I suspected.

"If I had behaved any differently would it have changed anything?" He spoke and for the first time I actually heard him speak. He sounded angry and bitter and I wondered idly why.

"Let's walk. We're supposed to be in the garden" I said calmly stepping past him, confident he would follow me along. A small feeling of triumph when I heard his steps echo alongside mine.

"Do you always do anything your mother tells you?" He mocked cruelly.

"Yes" I answered immediately. It was the truth after all and I could tell my quick and definite answer threw him for a loop.

"...That's pathetic" He finally responded, in a quieter tone.

And it was my turned to be momentarily speechless. I've been called a lot of things, but pathetic wasn't one of them. Pathetic... the word spread in my mind and I realized it was true. What was worse, I didn't care as much as I should because it made me realize how weak I was.

"Yes" I finally answered, annoyed that he said it in such a tone where it might almost seem as if he feels sorry for me.

The garden brought a breath of aromatic fresh air and moonlight to the dark cloud hanging above us both. I walked around, ignoring whether he was following or not, I simply did not care all I could think about was Daehyun. I could almost hear the hesitation in his body, he was getting ready for something and I wondered what. Just like that he sprang forward and grabbed my wrist painfully turning me around, but keeping me as far away as his reach allowed.

My eyes narrowed into slits as outrage and simple horror at the lack of manners he had waged war in me.

"Let go of me right. now." I said through gritted teeth.

"We can't get married" He stated, his brow furrowed in determination. He was taking a stance I realized and he had no idea how much his words made me happy.

"You're saying that to the wrong person. Go tell that to your own parents, or... even my mother if you dare" I added  calmly, staring pointedly at the grip he had my wrist in, "That hurts more than it seems"

He let go almost instantly and I hid my amusement at the brief sense of guilt that he quickly hid. He was a strange man I noted. Very different from myself I took note. While he tried to act cold on the outside, I faked my kindness on the outside and was actually colder on the inside. What a pair we made.

"My parents won't hear of it. They'll push for this marriage until the end and your mother, if even with the way I acted after today she doesn't break it off then I have no choice. But if both of us protested then surely..." He trailed off a small glitter of hope in his eyes.

"Bankruptcy maybe?" I asked as I looked at a particularly beautiful bed of roses.

"What are you talking about?" He asked playing dumb.

"Their business must be in a really bad position if after all your protests, they would rather take me than whatever girl you brought home" I said casually almost trying to bother him. I didn't know why. Maybe it was the way he had started this conversation. Or maybe because I was betting on him hating me enough to run away.

"How did you..." He said, shaking his head and gazing at me with a look of suspicion.

"I'm well aware of how terrifying my mother can be to the business world, no one that isn't already on the verge of losing everything would seriously go to her and purposefully try to get her involved" I said matter of factly, "plus to be honest I'm not a bad catch if we only consider my monetary value of course. So I figure there must be a girl "

"There is. I really love her. She and I... we have plans for our future" He confessed innocently and I felt a stab of pity for him, he clearly didn't know how the world worked. Didn't I have plans too? So it wasn't just my life being ruined here.

"I can't help you"  I said firmly. If I got too involved my mother might let this marriage go, but Daehyun.... she'd crush him.

"Can't or won't?" He asked with an edge to his voice.

"I guess it's won't. I'm sorry, but that's your own personal problem not mine. Whether the engagement  goes through or gets called off, I don't care. If you're serious about this talk to my mother, although if she really wants to she'll ignore you" I said leisurely as I looked back at my large house, wondering if it wouldn't be a good idea to go back .Maybe I could say a couple of words to my mother, complain just a little more for both of our sakes. I just wanted to make sure she didn't think this was all my fault and take it out on Daehyun.

"So you're fine marrying someone you have no feelings for?!" He asked with indignation taking an aggressive step forward.

"I've always known it's something I would have to do. I'm surprised you never thought about how selfish you're being right now" I pointed out staying in my place, his forwardness instantly bothering me. It wasn't my fault, I didn't want this any more than he does, "You're parents need this marriage and you won't go through with it because of some girl you're seeing? Then again, I don't really care" I added with a small laugh just to bother him. Please hate me... hate me so much you'll run off with your girlfriend.

"You don't know anything about her. She is ten times the woman you'll ever be" He growled as he looked down at me angrily with fists clenched tight.

"Is she really? Then she must be one hell of a woman then!" I mocked, encouraged by the way his eyes tightened with suppressed anger. Well, he certainly had a temper.

"You think you're so special don't you? Listen to me, if by some crazy chance this we get married you won't be able to push me around. I promise you if someone like you separates me from the woman I love I will make your life miserable" He hissed out stepping so close his breath blew in face and his dark hair fell in front of his eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at his threat and hid the tinge of fear that leapt into me. There was something in his eyes that was one hundred percent serious and suddenly I wanted nothing more than to be away from him. The looks of pure anger in his eyes was overwhelming and though I knew it seemed like I couldn't care less about it, it was beginning to get a bit disconcerting. He must really love her...

The crunch of leaves and murmur of voices snapped us out of our little stare down and we both looked away and took a step back.

"Kai! Come on we're leaving!" His mother called happily, her grin wide and instantly we both knew the deal had been finalized.

He shot me a look of warning, which I swiftly ignored to look at my mother. Her face showed a pleased smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and I wondered why. She turned her gaze to me and the look of displeased deepened when her gaze momentarily flickered to Kai. She waved me over and I wondered what I had done wrong. She grabbed my hand gently, shocking me more than any of the crazy events that had happened today and she looked at the Kim family once again.

"It was wonderful having you over today. We'll have to talk more about dates soon. Ji Min will you out. Excuse us" she said sweetly as she motioned to our maid and pulled me along in the opposite direction, "We need to talk" She whispered as she pulled me away and I followed wondered if there was any way things could get worse.

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A/N; Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading ^^