When he heard the front door close behind his brother, Taemin's defensive wall suddenly crumbled and the tears he had been holding back rolled down his cheeks as he let himself lean back against the wall and slide down to the floor, a painful and loud sob escaping his lips as he folded his knees and hugged them to his torso, burying his face in the fabric of his jeans.

If only he wasn't so afraid, if he'd said something... a part of the truth, then maybe he could still have his brother. Maybe he wouldn't have pushed away the only person that still believed in him.

But it was too late now.

“What do you say?”

The taller male stared at him expectantly and he huffed out a small laugh before answering.

“Hyung, this is crazy... we can't just go like that.”

“Why not? Nothing is holding us back... come on Tae, we can start anew.”

Shaking his head in defeat, Taemin reached out and wrapped his arms around the older male's waist before resting his head against the elder's broad chest.

“We're not teenagers anymore, you know that right?”

The elder chuckled.

“Doesn't that make going away easier?”

To start anew... it seemed like such a fancy idea, but it was a promise impossible to keep and even knowing that, Taemin had let himself be deluded into believing it. Because that was all he could wish for... to get a new start, a new life... A happy ending.

The plaguing thoughts only seemed to trigger more of his tears and he found himself sobbing uncontrollably on the floor of the kitchen. Why was this happening to him? What had he done that was so wrong his life just couldn't be like anyone's his age?

First his sister, then his parents, then his husband and now his brother... he was losing everyone he loved, one by one and he had no clue how to prevent that.

*

Choi Goeun was an elegant and powerful woman. She'd never been one to comply to orders, or to abide to rules she didn't deem right and that was what had caught her husband's attention when they first met.

Quickly, things between them went from a simple business partnership to a wedding that marked their peers' memories. After all, it wasn't everyday that the two most powerful criminal organizations of the country came together as one.

When she gave birth to her first child, she had sworn he'd grow up to become just like his father, ruthless, powerful and most of all, respected. That will only got enhanced when, a few years later, during a transaction gone wrong, her husband was killed like a mere pawn.

After that, she had taken it upon herself to keep the family's business on track and make it known that her beloved's death wouldn't go unavenged.

She rose her son and her daughter, born just a few months after her husband's death, to become the rightful and merciless heirs to their empire. Only so she could plot her vengeance in the shadows. Always getting rid of anything and anyone getting in her way.

“Mother?”

Goeun looked up from the files on her desk to the woman standing in the doorway to the office, her long brown hair falling over her shoulders and her slim figure cutting in the light coming from the hallway.

“Yes?” she inquired.

“Everything is ready.”

“And your brother?”

“He's here.”

Nodding curtly, she watched as her daughter bowed her head before excusing herself and leaving, closing the door behind her.

Once alone, Goeun rose from her chair and walked to the left wall of the office, where was hanging a portrait of her deceased husband, her eyes lingering on his features for a moment. She had never found it in herself to remarry; if there was one principle she put above all the other, it was loyalty. She'd be faithful to her husband even after death.

Her son's striking and unsettling resemblance to his father didn't help changing her mindset, because everyday she'd be confronted with the living proof of her loved one's existence.

Pressing her lips in a tight line, she reached for the framework and pulled the portrait from the wall, revealing a small safe embedded in the wall. Entering the code, she waited until a beep announced the box unlocking and pulled the small door open. Reaching inside, she took a small black velvet box and opened it to reveal a silver band, with a ruby incrusted in it, a more rustic version of the one she bore on the index finger of her right hand.

With a deep breath, she shut the velvet box shut before doing the same to the safe and hanging her husband's portrait over it.

It was time for her to pass her husband's legacy to her children.

*

Before Kibum knew it, over a month had gone by since his last visit to his brother and he had to sadly admit that his daily life hadn't changed at all since his decision not to look for the younger anymore.

When such realization hit him, he understood just how much the younger male's absence wasn't felt, simply because he hadn't been a part of his life for so long, his presence, was what could be considered as unusual.

Of course, he still wondered from time to time how Taemin was doing, but had found no difficulty in repressing the will to look for the raven head. It was like all the hurt he had experienced had become some kind of anchor holding him back from going back on his word.

He had also chosen not to tell their parents about their youngest son's presence in town, just because he knew that if Taemin had so easily cast him away, he'd experience no difficulty in doing just the same to their parents if they went looking for him.

Now, he discovered he felt more anger towards his brother than he desired having him back in his life and he figured the distance the younger had successfully managed to put between them was for the best.

Shaking his head to brush the thoughts away, he reached for the picture on his desk he had been staring at for the past ten minutes. The image of a smiling Taemin holding a two year-old Chanmi in arms brought him to many mixed feelings he had no idea how to deal with. So, with a sigh, he grabbed the portrait and threw it inside a drawer before shutting it closed with a dry push. That picture had been preventing him from concentrating in his work and he had no time for musings.

Yet, before he could try and focus again, the door-bell rang and a disgruntled groan left his lips. The cons of working home...

Pushing his chair back, he got up and walked out of his office and towards the front door. As he pulled it open, his eyes fell on a man clad in all black, expensive sunglasses covering his eyes and his light-brown hair falling stylishly over his forehead.

“uh... Hello, how may I help you?” the blond inquired.

The man smiled charmingly and took off his glasses.

“Hello, Mr. Kim Kibum?”

“Yes?”

The man stretched out a hand for him to shake.

“My name is Onew, I'm looking for you brother, Lee Taemin, is he home?”

Frowning slightly, Kibum ignored the offered hand, his mind trying to connect the stranger before him to his brother.

“He doesn't live here.” he replied curtly.

“Oh...”

Onew only seemed mild surprised however.

“Do you happen to know where I can find him?”

Kibum's frown deepened. “What do you want with him?”

Right then, he felt his defensive side coming out again and mentally cursed himself for being unable to control it. His brother's problems weren't his own and he had to respect that. Still, something in his heart just wouldn't accept that fact.

The man's smile suddenly turned enigmatic.

“I believe it only concerns him.” he replied. “Could you tell me where he is or...?”

“No.”

The man didn't look convinced with the answer, but chose not to press on the matter as he gave the blond a single nod.

“Thank you for you time, I apologize for disturbing.”

With that said, he put back his sunglasses and made his way back on the driveway to a black car awaiting for him. As he approached the vehicle, a man, Kibum assumed was the driver, opened the back-door for him with a small bow of his head.

The blond observed the scene, intrigued by his visitor, who he could tell, had more then a few million wons at his disposition.

As the car advanced and soon disappeared from sight, Kibum stood there, trying to figure out how his brother could know such person and most of all, what was their relationship.

*

“A weird thing happened today...” Kibum mumbled as he snuggled closer to Jonghyun on their bed, the man drawing random patterns on his upper-arm with the tips of his fingers, the motions soothing him as he felt sleep weight on his eye-lids.

“What?” the elder inquired.

“A man came here, asking for Taemin.”

Jonghyun's eyebrows knit together and he pulled away from his husband. “Bum, I thought you'd stop look–”

“I didn't.” the younger retorted right away before pulling Jonghyun back to him. “That man just... intrigued me.”

“What did he say he wanted with Tae?”

The blond sighed, resting his head on the elder's chest. “He didn't. He said it only concerned Taemin... I don't know... he looked crazy rich to be honest, I mean why is someone like that looking for my brother?”

“Maybe it's the father of the baby?”

Kibum's eyes grew large as he sat up. “You think so?!”

Jonghyun shrugged. “I can't think of anything else...”

“But why would Tae leave him then? I mean, he could provide him and the baby everything...” he trailed off.

The truth was, he knew nothing about his brother's life. All he knew was that the younger had somehow managed to enter a university a few years ago and worked as a piano instructor for children at an academy. But besides that, there was nothing.

That's why he had been so surprised when he had heard of his brother's pregnancy, he had had no idea the younger was in a relationship, if that was the case whatsoever. For all he knew, maybe that man could be the one Taemin was running from.

“He might have his reasons.” Jonghyun reasoned as if reading his thoughts.

He pulled the younger back down and wrapped his arms around his waist. “Now, let's sleep alright? I'm meeting a new client early tomorrow.”

Kibum sighed, feeling restless all of a sudden. Just when he thought things were getting better, he found himself once more inclined to meddle in his brother's business.

“Jjong?”

“Hm?”

“What if he needs help?”

Jonghyun left out an aggravated sigh before running a hand through his hair in a sign of exasperation.

“He'd ask for it.”

“No, he wouldn't...”

Just as Jonghyun was about to give a biting retort, Kibum spoke up again.

“I have a bad feeling... you know a lot of people... you have connections... maybe you've heard of that man before...”

“I'm private detective Bum, not a psychic.”

But the younger ignored his comment. “Have you ever heard the name Onew?”

Jonghyun felt his body stiffen at the words and he pushed himself up in a sitting position.

“What did you say?!”

“Onew?”

“How do you know that name?” Jonghyun frowned at him.

“The man from today... he said it was his name...”

Jonghyun's expression turned worried. “We need to talk to Taemin.”