As soon as he absorbed the sentence, Minseok shove the taller guy away from his personal space. His hands were shaking, his heart beating in an erratic pace, his visions blurring and his mind is screaming you still love him liar in his head. After four years of burying his love for Luhan, who would have thought that the heir could still make his heart go crazy, his body shaking in want and desire, his feelings scattered everywhere.

Liar. You're a liar, Minseok. You love him still.

"What are you doing, Luhan?" Minseok hissed, glaring at the calm man before him. "How many times do I have to tell you? I already have a family!"

"And, how many times do I have to tell you, Minseok? I'm not giving up on you just like that." Luhan bellowed back.

Silence ensued between them. The words he wanted to let go died down in his throat as he stared at his ex-lover's eyes, trying to search for a mock in those beautiful orbs. But, alas, he made the wrong decision. Staring at those brown eyes was like entrapping himself in his own cage. The delightful love they have shared started to sprung into life in Minseok's heart. Forcing himself to wake up from that beautiful story, Minseok closed his eyes, just like how he closed his heart for Luhan, as he compelled himself to say something.

"Stop this, Luhan. Please, I'm begging you." he pleaded. "I already have a husband and I lo--"

His speech was cut off in the middle when he heard the sound of papers being torn apart in protest. At once, Minseok opened his eyes in, only to be greeted by an expressionless Luhan, tearing his resignation letter into pieces. The thought of spending late nights for nothing irked him as he lunged himself to the unsuspecting Luhan to get those papers. Unfortunately, he has a small stature, earning him a failure of taking the paper back from Luhan's hands.

"What is wrong with you?" Minseok accused in irritation. "You just have to sign these damn papers. That's not a hard thing to do!"

At once, Luhan suddenly snapped, enough of Minseok's outbursts. He took a hold of Minseok's wrist, pulling him close to himself as he stared at his beloved's soft brown eyes.

"Yes, you're right. It is not hard to sign this useless paper." Luhan said. "But, it is so difficult to see you leave again. I'm tired of seeing you walking away from me. I'm tired, so tired." he mumbled.

Minseok was frozen on his spot. Luhan's stare is quietly his energy out of his body. Luhan's loving stare was pushing his thoughts of running away. And, it scared him. It scared him how Luhan still has the key to his heart and to his mind. The young president nuzzled his nose on Minseok's cheek, making the elder shudder. The scent of talc powder caressed his nose as he ghosted his lips on Minseok's cheeks, his eyes closed as he reminisced the moment they have shared together in the past.

Luhan opened his eyes after, revealing Minseok a pair of broken orbs staring right at him. "A chance, Minseok. Give me another chance." Luhan whispered, his breath tickling Minseok's nose. "I still love you."

They will kiss. He is sure about it.

And, he didn't dare to push Luhan away. Instead, he closed his eyes, waiting for Luhan's soft ones to caress his cold lips.

Give him a chance, Minseok. Let his lips warm your frozen heart. Indulge yourself to your romance. Forget everything.

A knock on the door broke the love spell in Minseok's mind. Opening his eyes in a startle, he turned his head from Luhan, letting the kiss land awkwardly on his eyelid. His eyes were wide open in alarm as his breathing turned uneven. You were so close, Minseok. You're a fool. You're letting the monster inside your cage.

Luhan released his tight grip on his waist and sighed in defeat. He knew that Minseok is still restraining himself from him. He just need a little push to help Minseok to fall freely in his arms. Stepping back from the other and casting him a longing look, Luhan closed his eyes before displaying an expressionless face.

"Come in," he shouted yet his eyes never left Minseok's shaking figure.

His secretary came in with a bright smile on her face and a newly brewed coffee in her hands when she stopped in the middle of the room, taking the view of torn pieces of paper on the floor and an employer staring at it with blank eyes. 

"Hyeri, is there anything you need?" Luhan asked, his voice etched with irritation.

The terrifying tone of her boss brought her to walk and placed the coffee cup on Luhan's table and the summary of reports that the directors send for Luhan. She was debating herself if she will pick up the papers or not when Minseok beats her to it. Feeling awkward of staring, Hyeri decided to help the man with the pieces of paper, completely oblivious of the cold stare Luhan was giving her when she got a hold of Minseok's hand.

"You can go, Hyeri." Luhan ordered in a rude tone. He then turned to the other man who was silently picking the pieces of paper. "And, I'm hoping to see you tomorrow, Minseok. I want you to present me the--"

"Sorry, Mr. Lu. But, I'm not going back in here." Minseok said, his eyes burning in hatred. 

Hyeri flinched when Minseok just strode away from the Lu president, not giving a damn about protocol or courtesy. She then stiffly turned to her boss who has a smirk plastered on his face, watching in amusement when the other exited from his office.

"Let's see about that, my baozi," Luhan murmured before taking a sip of his coffee. He then turned towards his secretary who had witnessed everything, making him to roll his eyes at her. "I said you can go now, Hyeri. Now, go back to work." he said, making the poor girl walk briskly towards the exit.

Jongin was having his worst day in his lifetime. Taking care of an oversensitive and moody pregnant man was already a hard task for him. And, here he was, trying to appease a wailing toddler with a lollipop. Perhaps Sehun was not a fan of sweets since the toddler started to thrash on his lap, giving Jongin a hard time to keep the boy still. Fortunately, a pair of hands took the crying toddler from him before a round of laughter rang around the room.

"That's not how you carry a boy, Jongin." Kyungsoo said between his laughs as he rubbed Sehun's back soothingly. The soft caresses lullled Sehun's cries to whimpers.

"Let me carry him for you. It is bad for you to carry a little boy." Jongin persisted, ignoring Kyungsoo's judging stare. He successfully pried the little boy from his pregnant husband but he do receive a harsh kick from his stomach when Sehun started to thrash around his arms again, asking for his Uncle Soo who was smiling adoringly at him.

"Uncle Soo is pregnant, Sehun. You might wake up the baby if you keep crying." Jongin said, making Sehun stop thrashing and crying. His bored eyes turned into huge saucers as he stared at the round tummy of his Uncle Kyungsoo. Seeing the adorable expression of the little boy, Kyungsoo once again erupted in a fits of amused laughter. After calming down, he pinched Sehun's round cheeks.

"Now, tell me, Sehun, why are you not in the daycare today?" Kyungsoo asked. "Did you do something bad with your playmates?"

Sehun shook his head in agressive manner. "Sehunnie is a good boy. The old lady in the daycare tells Sehun that he is a nice boy." he recited with his adorable lisp.

Ohh, how Kyungsoo wished he give birth to a baby as adorable as Sehun. He nodded at the boy's eager response.

"Then, why is Sehun upset when your Daddy left you here?" Jongin asked. "Don't you miss us?"

"Sehunnie misses you this much," the little boy recited as he extended his short arms to its full length. Kyungsoo cooed at the adorable child while Jongin pressed a kiss on the boy's forehead.

"What is wrong then, my Sehun?" Jongin asked as he swayed the little boy in his lap.

"Daddy doesn't want me to bring to his work." Sehun pouted.

"Well, little kids like you, Sehun, are not allowed to go to Daddy's work." Kyungsoo explained earnestly. "Adults are only allowed there. Little boys like Sehun are only allowed to play and eat cookies. Now, who wants cookies?"

Cookies is one of Sehun's favorite food. The thought of dipping his Uncle Soo's homemade cookies to a glass of milk was tempting him to jump from his Uncle Jongin's lap and stormed to their kitchen. But, he suddenly remembered his favorite person in the world after his Daddy. And, that thought deflated his excitement as he sported another pout on his face.

"But, Uncle Luhan told me that I can play in his office," Sehun murmured. Though it went unheard to Kyungsoo, Jongin heard the words clearly and he froze in his spot, wondering if he just misheard words or not.

"What did you say, Sehun?" Jongin asked, his attention was on the boy.

"Uncle Luhan told me I can play with him in the office. I want to see Uncle Luhan!" Sehun bursted into tears as he shouted his words.

Kyungsoo turned to Jongin with his eyes filled with shock before he stared at Sehun's crying form. There were many questions popping in their mind, plaguing them with worry and fear. And, it was scary for the both of them to hear Sehun, crying and asking for his Uncle Luhan.

Yoona had a beautiful vacation in Busan. The calm breeze, the beautiful symphony of the trees and the lulling sound of the waves brought her relaxation and peace. But, of all the things that Busan had offered to her, seeing her daughter is the best gift that fate had given to her. After getting the trust of the girl, Yoona managed to make Lauren agree with seeing her everytime the little girl has a problem. Although, at first, Lauren was shy and stiff to open up to the beautiful lady, she soon find comfort and admiration from the lady. 

Handling the household was not an easy task for a six-year old girl. Instead of playing around and dressing up dolls, Yoona learned that Lauren spare her time by reading books, washing the dishes, cleaning their house and taking care of her Appa. Regret slowly filled her body as she bit her lips. Her daughter didn't have enough time to enjoy her childhood because of having one parent. Wanting Lauren to stop her innocent stories, Yoona gave Lauren a hug for the first time, kissing the top of her head.

"It's okay. It's okay," she chanted on the girl's hair. "Your daddy will be fine. You will be fine."

Lauren was shocked by the woman's sudden actions but hearing those words cracked her mask. And, before she knew it, she was crying, hugging the beautiful lady before her. At such a young age, poor Lauren has to learn to grow up, has to understand why she only has one parent, has to build walls around her innocent heart, has to stop tormenting herself wondering about her own mother. She was so young and naive.

"Why does my mommy left me?" Lauren cried against her chest, making Yoona closed her eyes, hugging her daughter tightly. "Am I not a good daughter? Why does she have to left me?

Crack. Crack.. Crack...

Those innocent questions pierced to her heart, making her cry as well.

"Ohh, my sweet Lauren. My Lauren." Yoona muttered as tears flowed down her cheeks. "I'm sure your mother loves you. Any mother will love her own children. She has a reason for leaving you."

"Why, unnie?" the little girl asked, her body trembling as she clutched Yoona's shirt for an answer. "What is her reason? If she loves me, she will stay with us."

"Maybe, she wanted to protect you, Lauren. Believe me, your mother really loves you." Yoona said. "She just wants the best for you by leaving you to safety."

Lauren didn't answer or question her back. Instead, she pressed her face on the heiress' shirt, letting the warmth comfort her. Is this the feeling of having a mother?

"Trust me, Lauren, when I say your mother loves you more than everything in this world," she heard Yoona whispered to her ears as she let drowsiness took over her.

Yes, mother.

The sun is torturing him with its painful heat yet his intention of finding a new job never wavers. Wiping the sweat trickling down his temple, Minseok forced himself to go inside the airconditioned building. There is a paper plastered on the glass doors, seeking for a new employer, and Minseok brightened up at the sight of that. He was walking under the heat of the sun after being rejected for the fifteenth time in every office, restaurants, cafes and buildings since this morning. And, he is wondering why no one accepted him though he has good grades and excellent skills required for the job that was being searched. He even checked out single in his civil status to make it more appealing to his resume.

Pushing the thought away, Minseok planted a smile on his face as a middle-aged woman led him to the office of the owner. The woman knocked on the door with a distinct sound before opening the door, revealing a balding man currently busy signing the papers on his table.

"Mr. Song, there is a new applicant." she said. "Should I send him in?"

The owner lifted his head for a moment before nodding at his secretary. He then arranged his disheveled table, waving for the unoccupied seat before him. Minseok bowed at him for gratitude and respect before giving his resume to the owner.

He makes himself comfortable on his seat, studying Mr. Song's face as he opened the folder. With confidence and determination to get the job, Minseok shot his best smile at the older man before talking about himself.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Song. I'm Oh Xiumin, a software engineer graduate from Tsinghua University. My transcript record is at the back of my application form. As you can see on the paper, I'm good at three languages, Chinese, Korean and English." Minseok paused when Mr. Song turned to him.

"You are good in Chinese?" Mr. Song asked out of blue.

"Yes. I live in China for about five years if I remember."

"Where exactly in China?"

"Beijing, Sir. So, I can guarantee you my Chinese accent is excellent."

Mr. Song just nodded at his words. Feeling that the older man is getting bored, Minseok tried to tell his skills about everything. Yes, he is this desperate to get a job. He is this desperate to get away from Luhan.

"I also have--"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Oh." Mr. Song finally said at last, putting the folder on the table with a grim expression. "You do have the skills, the excellence and the intelligence fit for the job. But, we already chose an applicant for the job."

Minseok wanted to scream at him. He wanted to questioned why there is a damn paper plastered on the door, asking for a new employer. He wanted to know why Mr. Song even let him in when they have chosen someone for the job. But, he hold it down his throat.

Giving the older man a smile, Minseok thanked Mr. Song for his time before exiting the room. His crestfallen face didn't went unnotice to the secretary.

"Everything alright, Mr. Oh?" she asked.

Minseok gave her a lopsided smile before saying, "Not everything is alright. I can't find a job to tend my family's needs."

The lady just gave her an encouraging smiled. "Don't worry. I know you will get accepted to another job." she said.

Minseok thanked her for her kindness before he sets to go out. But before he can even set off, he forgot that he placed his pen on Mr. Song's table and left it there. Palming his face for being forgetful, he turned to the secretary to ask for permission to go back to the office.

"Of course, you can, Mr. Oh. Just knock and ask Mr. Song if you can enter." the secretary said.

Minseok bowed at her before walking back to the office. He was about to knock on the door when he heard his name being mentioned by Mr. Song. Pulled by curiosity, Minseok pressed his ear against the cold wood of the door, listening to the conversation being held inside.

"Yes, yes, yes, Sir." Mr. Song chanted. "I didn't accept him like what you had just told me." There was a pause. "Yes, Mr. Luhan. He doesn't know."

It seems like cold water rushed down his back. Hearing Luhan's name brought him disappointment, anger and irk. Without thinking, he opened the door harshly, shocking Mr. Song. In anger, Minseok threw his papers on the floor before striding to the older man who was shaking in fear.

"Give me that phone." Minseok uttered in anger. Mr. Song handed the phone without second thoughts, afraid that Minseok will lash out at him.

With phone in his hand, Minseok was shaking in anger before he talked to the person in the other line.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Luhan? Leave me alone! You are ruining my life," he spat. "Let me get a job. I don't want to see my son starving because of your selfishness."

There was a dead silence from the other phone before Minseok heard a sigh.

"You already have a job, Minseok. Why do you have to search for one?" Luhan calmly stated.

"Damn you, Luhan! I'm not going back to that job!" he bellowed. "Stop ordering these people to reject me!"

"Don't you like your job here, Minseok? Other companies can't provide you the same treatment my company is offering you."

"I don't want to work there because you are there." Minseok cruelly said before he hanged up. He then placed the phone on the table before glaring at Mr. Song.

"You should not taking orders by someone younger than you," he stated.

Mr. Song snapped out of his shock before shaking his head at Minseok's statement. "You should not talk to a Lu like that. Mr. Oh."

He didn't respond at that. He just stared at the older man for a few seconds, contemplating whether he will reply or not. After deciding not to, Minseok turned to exit. He is exhausted after a day of walking and the heat of the sun is making him dizzy. He doesn't have the heart to explain his side to Mr. Song. It was useless. Powerful people are deaf to the voices of the people below them.

"Thank you, Jongdae, for taking care of Sehun." Minseok breathed out on a cup of coffee. Jongdae nodded absentmindedly. "Yet, it surprises me that you took the initiative to take him on your own. Did something happen?"

"Please don't ask." Jongdae moaned as he slumped his head on the table. "I've been trying to avoid a confrontation with Erika."

Minseok raised a brow at the sudden mention of the woman's name. "I see that you're finally saying her name. That's a good improvement. Soon, you will manage to confess your love for her."

His bestfriend shot him a glare. "So, did you get any job?" he asked, diverting the topic.

The mischief in Minseok's eyes died down as soon as he heard the one thing he was trying to forget. Heaving a sigh, Minseok placed his cup on the table before turning to his bestfriend.

"No. Luhan informed the every company that I should not be accepted." he informed, making Jongdae whistled at Luhan's gret power. "That bastard." Minseok gritted.

Jongdae poured himself a glass of vodka. He tried to pour Minseok a glass, too, but the other rejected the offer saying sehun is a smart child he knows what is the smell of coffee and alcohol. Shaking the glass out of boredom, Jongdae started the conversation again.

"And, you're jobless for how many weeks so far?" he asked.

"Two weeks." Minseok begrudgingly answered.

"Wow. You really took the job of housewife seriously." Jongdae said.

Minseok just shot his friend a look before putting his palm on his face, rubbing the misery out of his body. "My goodness, I need to pay for rent by the end of the month."

"I would glad to help you with your problem." Jongdae proclaimed. The strings of thank you were about to leave Minseok's mouth when his friend suddenly said, "I'll charm your landlady with my skills so that you can have an extend." Minseok kicked his shin under the table, making him groan in pain. "What did you expect of me? I ran away from work just to avoid my boss."

Minseok had enough of this conversation. He emptied his cup before slamming it on Jongdae's table. "I'll be taking my leave now. It's already late. I need to cook Sehun dinner by now." he said.

Standing up from his seat, Minseok left Jongdae on his own as he walked towards his friend's room to take Sehun. His little boy is still sleeping, his little thumb caught between his lips. The scene made Minseok awed by his son's cuteness. Slowly approaching the bed, he felt an uneasy feeling settling down his stomach when he noticed his little boy's breathing.

Touching Sehun's forehead, he dropped his hand in shock. Sehun is burning up. In panic, Minseok shouted Jongdae's name as he encircled his arms around the petite body. Jongdae rushed to the room, only to find Minseok hyperventilating as he carried his son's body.

"Quick, Jongdae. We need to go to the hospital right now."

It is just a flu but letting Sehun stay in the hospital for days pushed Minseok's already stacked up bills go up. Jongin tried to help him to search for a new job but they were not successful since Luhan's orders are still heavy that Minseok can't get out. At the end, Junmyeon and Kyungsoo talked to him, begging him to go back to work. They didn't even mention Luhan's name instead, they used Sehun's name and condition, making the father to agree with them.

So, here he is, standing before his cubicle, with a crying Baekhyun clutching his arm as he stared at the new employer seating on his place.

"I'm so sorry, hyung. I was kicking him out of the cubicle but our of a boss threaten me that I will be the one to be kicked out." Baekhyun complained, sending glares to his boss who is busy flirting with his lover.

"I apologized for intruding your place, Mr. Oh," the man said in bow. "But, Mr. Lu told me that I could take your place."

Minseok didn't say anything for a moment but after digesting the fact that he was indeed fired by his ex-lover, he forced a smile on his face and bowed at the man while entangling Baekhyun's fingers on his arm. After calming down the eccentric Baekhyun, Minseok bid his goodbye to his friend before exiting the room.

He was thinking of a way how to pay the hospital bills when he bumped to someone. Papers were scattered everywhere and Minseok was so sorry to the person who was carrying this. Plucking the papers from the floor, Minseok tried to help the person.

"Xiumin?" someone called.

Minseok turned to the person and found a pretty lady looking at her with joy. After rummaging his brain, trying to remember who this girl was, he suddenly remembered that she was Luhan's secretary, Hyeri.

"Hyeri, how are you?" Minseok asked kindly as he handed back the papers to her.

"I'm doing good." Hyeri answered as she hugged the papers to her chest. "I got promoted." she informed excitedly.

Minseok smiled at this girl's luck, patting her arm in happiness. "That's nice. What is your job now?"

"I'm a liaison officer now." Hyeri grinned.

He doesn't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing to become a liaison officer but Minseok just smiled at her. A thought suddenly crossed his mind when he remembered something.

"If you become a liaison officer, who took your place then?" Minseok asked.

Hyeri was about to answer the question when she spotted the time, mocking her idleness. "Ohh my gosh! I need to go now, Minseok. Mr. Kim will kill me if I delivered these papers late." she said as she arranged the papers on her arms.

She was a meter away from Minseok when she remembered something that his previous boss told her.

"And, by the way, Xiumin, your desk is inside Mr. Lu's office, just beside the door. You need to make him coffee every morning. He preferred latte or something like that. Your table is waiting for you there. Mr. Lu will discuss everything to you there."

Minseok wanted to chase her for questions. He doesn't understand anything. Why does he have a desk in Luhan's office? Tempted by curiosity, he turned towards the elevator to talk to Luhan. Asking a question will not kill him, right?

Not right..

He was shaking as he pressed the button in the elevator. Sweat trickled down his temple as he walked to Luhan's office. The thought of seeing Luhan once again in the office brought shame to him as he realized that he was defeated. And, it kills him as every step he takes remind him of the danger dangling over him.

With a knock on the door, Minseok let himself in, only to see Luhan, sitting comfortably on his chair, smiling at him as if he won a soccer match. It was infuriating to see him grinning at him like that as if mocking him.

"Good to see you again, Mr. Oh." Luhan greeted as he stood from his seat. Minseok didn't say anything. He just stared at the desk displayed near the door as if welcoming him in a mock.

"That desk is for you, Minnie." Luhan sweetly muttered on Minseok's ear. At that moment, Minseok pushed himself away from Luhan and raised a brow at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Luhan straightened his back, enjoying the myriad of expressions crossing Minseok's face. It makes him adorable and makes Luhan want to kiss him. He shook his head with a smile on his face. He has a lot of time to do that in the future. Right now, he needs to explain Minseok everything.

"You will be my new secretary, Minseok. That is your desk. You can choose when you will start. I don't mind it." Luhan said, caressing the smooth surface of the desk.

"I don't remember applying to be your secretary," Minseok spat.

Rubbing his neck sheepishly, Luhan grinned at him like a boy, making Minseok's heart thumped a little bit. Biting his lips nervously, the president tried to persuade Minseok to agree with him.

"I know that you're in a financial problem right now, Minseok. I'm trying to help you here by giving you a job." Luhan raised his finger at him. "As I said before, my company offers you the best condition out there. I don't want you see work for twelve hours without Sehun." Luhan raised his finger again when Minseok tried to throw another sentence. "You resigned, remember? So, I have the right to replace your position in the technical department. I made Hyeri become the liaison officer since she likes interacting with people. And, her coffee tastes bitter all the time."

Perhaps, it was Luhan's infamous scrunched face that made him chuckle Upon realising the sound he emitted, Minseok covered his mouth with his hands as he stared at Luhan's surprised eyes. The young Lu president's face turned into a smile as he stared at Minseok.

"I miss your laugh, Minseok." Luhan confessed.

His heart is beating crazy against his chest. He is sure that if this lasts long, his resolution to avoid Luhan will crumble to pieces. Pushing their past behnd his back, Minseok remembered his poor son lying on the hospital bed. He needs enough money to pay for the hospital bills and the medicine that Sehun will be needing. Sighing in defeat, he closed his eyes for a moment, convincing himself that he can discreet from Luhan's family for the mean time. He is desperate to get money for Sehun.

"Should I make you coffee, Sir?" Minseok asked as he looked at Luhan.

Luhan smiled at his offer before backing away from him. "Yes, your infamous latte please."

Minseok dare not admit to himself that his body felt lighter than before as he turned to his desk to set his things up.

Later that night, Junmyeon called him with a frantic voice, telling him that Sehun's hospital bills was paid by a mysterious person. The rest of Junmyeon's outburst went unheard to Minseok as he stared at Luhan who was sleeping stiffly on his seat.

Crack. Crack.. Crack... Your wall is slowly crumbling down.

author's note:

an odd update for you guys.. gahh, the update didn't pass my satisfaction but i hope
it pass on yours. is the story going fast guys? i'm too tired of minseok pushing away
luhan in this story. lol. so, a new course. tadah! i hope i made you happy.
thank you. see you in the next chapter. toodles~