CHAPTER 20

"Hi....?" a beaming Minho stood in front of her doorsteps. He was wearing a plain white shirt and dark black pants. He was obviously dressed for dinner.

'Oh my God I'm too late!' she thought inside as she arranged her hair over her neck afraid that he might notice something.

He was smiling ever since he got out from his office. Excitement filled him because he could finally take Yuri to dinner. He was initially planning to buy a bouquet of flowers for her but he immediately dismissed the idea since he doesn't want Yuri to think he's courting her or something. He needs to take a step at a time. For tonight, he'll be contented with a simple dinner with her and her daughter.

He waited impatiently outside her door to greet her but was taken aback when he saw that she wasn't prepared yet. Yuri too was a bit startled with his presence as if she wasn't expecting him.

"O-oh Mi-minho." she faked a smile as she greeted him. Minho eyed her from head to toe as if examining if she really was prepared for dinner after all.

"Are you ready to go? Do you need to get changed? I can wait for you." he exclaimed excitedly showing her how he was really looking forward to dinner.

Yuri tried to compose herself so that she could think of a better excuse but seeing his eagerness to take her for dinner, she felt bad.

'How can I tell him I can't go?' this was the question that kept lingering her mind. She even forgot to invite him inside her apartment. They just stood there on her doorsteps trying to figure out each other.

"Uhm Yuri? Are you okay?" he asked her curiously. "You look pale. Are you sick?" he stated as he raised one arm over her forehead to check on her condition.

Yuri flinched at the sudden contact. She has no idea that she was already looking pale because of nervousness. She was totally fine but instead of denying, she took advantage of it.

"Well, actually I was going to call you now to tell you that I can't make it to dinner. I feel like I'm having a fever. I'm really sorry Minho." she said weakly. She wasn't acting weak but she felt the remains of her energy drained as she said those to him.

"What's the matter? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" he said worriedly. He felt disappointed that she can't go out to dinner with him but it was immediately replaced with concern when he heard her say that she was sick.

"No! That won't be necessary." she answered while waving her hand.  Then she added, "I just need to take a rest then I'll be fine."  She tried to put on a smile.

"Are you sure? Where's Ara? Do you want me to take care of you?" he insisted still sounding worried. He was panicking. Knowing that Yuri is living alone with Ara, he can't just leave her when she’s sick.

"No!" she said quickly. Too quickly that he fell silent and for a minute his panicking stopped and he just stared at her.

"I mean, there's no need Minho." she tried to use her soft voice to compensate with her outburst.

 She proceeded to say, "I'll just take a rest. I'm really sorry about our dinner. I promise to make it up with you when these hic-" she cut her own words when she realized what was about to come out of .

Minho looked at her curiously as if he knows that she was hiding something. One eyebrow was raised signaling that he wasn't really convinced.

"--I mean this fever goes away." she arranged her words.

"You sure you don't want company?" he was being stubborn but he was hoping that she would at least let him take care of her now that she's sick.

Before Yuri could reject his offer for the nth time, they were interrupted by a husky voice very familiar to her.

"Are you deaf? She said she doesn't need you!" the voice said causing both Minho and Yuri to stop their conversation.

"Yunho.."  she muttered in horror when she recognized the owner of the voice. She wasn't prepared for this scenario. How can she handle this?

Yunho was there standing a few feet away from them wearing a serious face. Although Ara was giggling softly at his arms, happy to see her mother, it didn't help to lighten up the mood. Yuri took her daughter from his embrace and steadied her in hers.

He looked at Yuri then to Minho and fixed his gaze there at the young man that he was slowly starting to loathe.

'So this is Jung Yunho.' Minho thought when he recognized the man holding Ara. He was sure now that Yunho was definitely the father of Ara judging by the huge resemblance.

Yuri stood there motionless and was trying to calculate what Yunho would do next. He didn't sound calm and he sure as hell didn't look happy.

"You can go now. You're not needed here." he said sternly as he made his way beside Yuri and into her apartment not caring if he was welcomed inside or not. Anyone would know who he was addressing his words to.

Minho narrowed his eyes on him. Now they're just both staring at each other preparing for the worst to come.

She could sense the thick atmosphere so she made an attempt to remove the tension. She can’t let these men fight in front of her. That was the last thing she wanted to see.

"Uhm Minho this is--"

"Jung Yunho." Minho cut her sounding bitter when he said his name. His gaze still fixed on the tall man beside Yuri. Yunho s one arm possessively around Yuri. Minho took a glance at his arm around her waist and his temper started to boil. He knows he doesn't have any right on Yuri but an unwelcome hurt crept up in his chest when he saw Yunho being intimate towards her.

'I thought they're separated? Why is he being so touchy to her!' he asked mentally.

Yuri could feel Yunho's hand on her waist. She knows what he's trying to do so she shoved his hands away and looked up to him with annoyance but she couldn't meet his gaze since it was still fixated to Minho.

"Yunho this is Minho. He's my boss." She introduced although it seems like the introduction was useless.

“I didn’t know it was part of your job as President to visit your employees after working hours.” Yunho spat at Minho with a smirk. He was annoyed that Minho isn’t making any attempt to retreat.

Minho made a bitter chuckle at his remarks. ‘So he knows about me.’ He thought. Jung Yunho is, well, Jung Yunho after all.

“How could I forget? The President of Jung Enterprises knows how to be the better President than I do. Well I’m sorry Mr. President but I think minding other people’s business isn’t included in your job description too.” Minho replied back.

Yunho clenched his fists when he heard him say that. Yuri saw the changes in Yunho’s face and knowing him, he could burst out any minute. She tried to calm him down by holding his clenched fist but it was no use. She was helpless. She needed to stop these two from arguing before it gets worse.

“I know that. But if it involves my family, I have every right to intervene especially if you’re being too fond of my WIFE.” He declared sternly emphasizing the last four-letter word.

“Wife?” Minho and Yuri said in unison with both eyebrow raised in confusion.

Yuri took his arm to make him face her. He looked at Yuri curiously and obviously oblivious that Yuri wasn’t really too happy at his remarks.

“I am not your wife. We are not yet married” She whispered to him while giving him a meaningful glare but if she thought she was leaving Minho out of their conversation, then she was wrong. He could clearly hear what she’s saying.

A soft chuckle came out from Minho’s mouth causing Yunho to anger more.

Yunho turned to face her. He was annoyed that she wasn’t standing up for him.

“If I’m not your husband than what am I? Your boyfriend?” he asked her in a challenging tone.

“No. We already broke up and besides you’re still courting me and I haven’t said YES to you yet.” She answered challenging him back.

He let out a small laugh. “Wow! Then what am I? Your fling?’ he replied causing Yuri to stop the argument. He was just so stubborn.

“When I say I’m your husband then I am your husband! I don’t need your answer.” He said in an authoritative tone. She just glared at him annoyingly but didn’t bother to retaliate. Their relationship had just become too complicated for them that they can’t even label it.

She heaved a heavy sigh not fully wanting to argue more. If Guinness would hold a record for the most stubborn man, Yunho should be the title holder.

“And you!” he called on Minho. The other man looked at him intently.

“Stop bothering my wife! And don’t ever think that she’ll still be working as your secretary because she quits.” He declared firmly.

“What?” Yuri yelled at him. “I’m not quitting Yunho!”

“Yes you are!” he told her before he glared at her.  If it was someone else that he had given his glare to, he or she would’ve been mortified by now but Yuri wasn’t scared any bit hence, she responded his glares with her own.

Minho just stood there watching as the two give death glares at each other totally ignoring that he could see every bit of it and even their own child. He can’t seem to figure out what their relationship is but if there was one thing he was sure of now is that, these two acts childishly around each other.

“Uhm Minho. I think you better go.” Yuri suggested. She has had enough of Yunho’s stubbornness and she thinks it’s best if she handles him privately.

He sighed. “Okay I’ll go. But if you needed any—.”

“She won’t need anything.” Yunho cut him off before he could offer his services. He caught Yuri rolling her eyes at his stubbornness but he decided to shut his mouth and leave these two to settle everything. He was still disappointed about his dinner but he knows Yuri won’t break her promise about having dinner with him some other time.

Giving one last meaningful glance at Yunho, who shot an angry stare at him, and a smile at Yuri, he finally retreated.

When Minho was out of sight, Yuri slapped Yunho’s arm as hardly as she could though her efforts where futile considering Ara was still in her hold.

“Get inside now!” she commanded angrily at him.

Without a single word, he went inside fully aware of what’s about to come.

At least his plan to keep Yuri away from Minho worked just fine.

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I'm truthfully sorry for not updating for a while. School is really stressful. *sigh*

i got this chapter for you guys. hope you like it. :)))))

tell me your thoughts about it.