“We found him. And he breached the contract.”

The woman frowned at the piece of information and stared at the man standing in front of her desk.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“He's still close by, in his hometown.” the man replied. “He's gotten in contact with Jade Dragon.”

The smashing of her clenched fists over the desk had her subordinate gulping slightly in nervousness.

“That little er...” she mumbled, her eyes gleaming with rage.

“What do we do ma’am?”

She puffed out air and leaned back against her chair, a small snide smirk on her lips.

“Nothing yet... our plans continue the same.” she said. “Just remind him of our deal.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

*

“Dear Minho,

When you read this, I'll already be gone for a while. There's nothing much to be said other than I'm truly sorry. You've done so much for me and I'll never cease to be thankful, I love you, but I can't stay anymore.

I'm not made for this life and though I tried to adapt myself to it, I just can't keep pretending any longer. Please, don't look for me, it'll be better for the both of us.

Taemin.”

His fingers held the paper tightly, little additional creases forming on the already crumbled surface from the many times he'd been unable to control the strength of his grasp on it.

He had no idea how many times he'd read these few words in hopes of finding something, some kind of hidden explanation behind his husband's sudden decision of leaving.

Yet, even as he struggled to understand it all, somehow it all seemed to make sense. Taemin had indeed appeared to be more distant for weeks before his departure, he had been moody and seemed to be trying to avoid talking much to him; yet Minho had comforted himself in the idea the younger male just needed some space like usual and that he'd eventually come to him and talk, so he'd let it go without trying to pry explanations from the younger.

But it all changed when he came back from a business trip to find his husband gone and the small letter on their bed. For minutes following that, he'd stayed glued to his spot, unable to wrap his mind around the evidence and when he finally did, he'd gone to his mother and sister and the other members of the clan that lived in the mansion, asking if they knew anything, but everyone seemed just as clueless as he was.

Taemin had obviously put to use all the things he'd been taught and taken his dispositions not to leave traces.

Almost three months later and Minho still had no idea where the younger could be. Not that he'd actually tried to find him. Shock wouldn't be enough to describe his state and, while he was deeply hurt and lost, a part of him wanted to respect the younger's request of not looking for him. Because, truth to be told, Minho was conscious Taemin had never really meant to enter this life, he'd been dragged into it and as he stated in his letter, had tried to adapt but had failed.

Minho knew this better than anyone, he knew how challenging it was to live like that and while his husband had barely even shown signs of discomfort there, he knew the raven head had only been trying to keep up the facade his position required of him.

The sleepless nights they'd spent, with Taemin sobbing into his arms after his first kill were the best evidence proving that fact. Even as he'd desired vengeance for his sister, Taemin had never considered the pain that would come with it and Minho regretted so much for having let him go on with his plans. When his mother had announced what initiation trial she wanted him to do, Minho should've known better than to let things proceed as the woman desired.

His husband's revenge had suddenly ceased to be just that, it'd become the younger's quest for his mother-in-law's approval and that was probably what had stopped Minho from going against it. After all, he too wanted his mother to approve of his marriage and if these two criminals' deaths could help obtaining it, then there was no hesitating.

But what was his mother's approval worth now? Instead of helping to heal his husband, he'd let Taemin's already wounded heart be bled dry and had ended up scaring him away.

Yet, there was that other part of him, that felt anger towards his husband.

Why did he leave without notice? Were his feelings so shallow, he couldn't just try a little longer or tell him what he truly felt? Was running away really the only solution he could think of? Hadn't he proven to the younger his love and that he was able to do anything for him?

Minho was sincerely lost and, the happenings following his rise to the head of Jade Dragon were obviously the biggest obstacles between him and the answers he was seeking. But time was running short and unfortunately, he'd been forced to shift priorities, the immediate threats to the family occupying most of his days and finding Taemin becoming just one more of his to-do things.

“You look so much like your father when you're frowning like that.”

Surprised, he threw the letter on the drawer of his desk before shutting it with a dry push.

“Don't you knock?” he asked, glaring at his mother who stood at the office door.

The woman rose an eyebrow at his stern tone, but didn't comment on it.

“Shin is here.” she announced.

Minho pressed his lips in a tight line.

“I'll be there in a second.”

The woman nodded before leaving the room.

Minho took in a deep breath, preparing mentally to face his guest. Shin Myungsik was his biggest business partner and, while Minho's regards for the man were far from the best, he knew having the elder's collaboration was for his best interests. And if he were to trust the information from his men, Shin could have precious information for him.

As he entered the living-room, he made sure to greet the people there with a small bow.

“Minho-sshi,” Shin greeted with a smile. “it's been a while... I heard you're fully in charge now?”

The taller male served back a fake smile, knowing it was best to keep up with the platitudes.

“Yes.” he replied, his eyes trailing to the woman standing by Shin's side. “Hello, Hyejeong-sshi.”

Said female dipped her head in a small bow, with a close-mouthed smile on her lips.

“I hope you don't mind, me bringing my daughter.” Shin spoke, resting a hand on Hyejeong's back.

“Of course not.” Minho replied.

Hyejeong was actually a good friend of Taemin's and somehow, he hoped he could ask her a few questions, maybe she knew where the younger male was, all he had to do was pry the information from her.

“I didn't see Taemin... is he not home?”

Minho's heart sank. Maybe she didn't know anything at all.

“I–”

“Unnie!” Jinri suddenly appeared in the door-way behind him. “You came!”

“Jinri...” Minho warned, his sister's eyes looking at him in confusion before widening in realization.

“Oh...” She bowed. “Hello Mr. Shin.”

The man bowed his head. “Miss Choi.”

“May I borrow your daughter?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.

“Of course.” Shin replied.

Minho observed as Jinri beckoned Hyejeong to follow her, the older woman complying and the two of them quickly leaving the room. He looked back at the older male in the room.

“If you'd follow me? We can discuss business in my office.”

Shin nodded before following Minho's steps.

*

“Chan, it's just a check up. You don't need to come with me.”

The taller male just snorted slightly at the statement as he shrugged in his jacket.

“If you think I'm going to take chances...” as he said that, he carefully hid his gun on its holster inside his jacket.

“You aren't bringing that thing with you.” Taemin said, more like a statement than a question.

“No one will see it.” Chanyeol replied, walking towards him. “And as I said, I'm not taking chances.”

Defeated, the younger male could only sigh before following the elder outside. Two weeks ago when he'd been discharged from the hospital, Chanyeol had directly brought him to his new location and he'd found out with mild-surprise, that his things had already all be taken to the new apartment.

Getting used to the new place had revealed itself to be easier than before and Taemin could only assume that, after having changed homes so many times, he'd become less picky about where he found shelter.

Yet, even with that, he couldn't find complete peace. While not being alone anymore and knowing that Chanyeol was there, watching out for him, was comforting, he didn't like the idea of having the older male constantly observing him.

He knew that by accepting the elder's protection, he was breaching the most important condition he'd been imposed in his deal with her and if she ever got word of this, he knew her threats would become a reality and he couldn't risk that.

He needed to find a way to get away from Chanyeol and disappear once and for all.

As they got to the hospital, they checked in the reception desk, and were directed to the waiting room.

"Hopefully," Chanyeol said as he sat on one of the plastic chairs against the wall. "the doctor will give good news..."

Taemin smiled mimicking the elder's actions. "With you being the mother hen you were these past weeks, I'd be surprised if we got any bad news."

Chanyeol pouted. "I was just doing my work... if anything happened to you, the boss would rip me apart."

"Does that mean you're doing only helping me for your sole surviving?"

Chanyeol's eyes widened. "What? No! I mean, kind of? I'm already doomed anyway, for hiding you... I'm trying to make things less painful for all of us..."

Taemin chuckled at the elder's statement, and kept teasing him, finding amusement in the taller male's reactions. A while passed before they were approached by a nurse.

"Lee...” the woman seemed to hesitate as she double checked the board in her hands. “Taemin?"

Taemin felt his heart sink to his stomach as he heard the woman's familiar voice. Mouth getting dry, he looked up at the nurse standing in front of him.

It had been years since he'd last seen her and while her features looked older now, they were still engraved in his mind and linked to painful memories he had done everything to forget.

"Taemin... it's really you..."

She looked as surprised as he was, yet the hint of joy in her eyes were far from what he felt. His mother wasn't exactly the person he wanted to see the most and having her there in front of him had his heart pacing in his chest, in a mix of anger and sadness he didn't know how to sort.

His unresponsiveness had Chanyeol watching with concern as the younger male sat there, unmoving.

"Taemin, is something wrong?"

He rested a hand on the younger's shoulder.

"Son... you're back..." the nurse spoke, making a step towards him.

As if snapping out of his daze at her remark, the raven head pushed himself up from his seat with slight difficulty, under his mother's stunned eyes as she observed how much he had changed and the pregnant belly he bore.

"Take me out of here, Chanyeol."

The elder frowned and rose from his seat as well.

"But the appointment–"

"Please."

And he didn't need to be asked again, taking Taemin's bag from him, he bowed to the nurse and started guiding the younger away.

"Wait! Taemin, honey... please don't go. Talk to me..."

But her attempts were vain and even as she tried to follow them, she knew there was no use. She watched with saddened eyes as her youngest entered a car without as much as a glance in her direction.

His reaction to meeting her, though far from unexpected, was very much painful.

She knew she had screwed up, all these years ago when in her grief she had accused her traumatized fourteen year-old of letting his sister die. She had never imagined things would come to such a point. Before she knew it, Taemin had become an unrecognizable person; he'd fallen into delinquency and taken the first opportunity to flee their home. He'd been MIA for years and she'd only heard of him through Kibum.

But now that she'd seen him with her own eyes, grown up and well, she felt her regrets only getting enhanced. The way he'd looked at her, with so much anger was like a slap to her face. He'd acted as if she wasn't even there, just a stranger trying to start an undesired conversation.

With a lump in she walked back inside the hospital and to the doctor that was supposed to consult her son to announce his departure. As she made her way back to get the next patient, a thought crossed her mind and she made a mental note to verify it.

If Taemin was back in town, there was no way Kibum didn't know about it. The question was, why didn't he say anything?

*

Kibum snatched his failed sketch from the table and crumbled the paper before throwing it at the already full trash can by his desk, before burying his face in his hands. It was impossible for him to focus, horrendous images always flooding his mind every time he tried to.

Ever since his last talk with his brother two weeks ago, he'd found himself unable to shake off the uneasiness and anger the younger male's confessions had caused him.

The first night had been the worst, as his sleep had been flooded with nightmares, with very graphic images of his fourteen year-old sister being killed and a bloodied Taemin murdering her assaulters.

He'd cried really hard after that and the following days, he'd found himself moping around, and cursing whatever had brought such horrors to their lives.

He knew Jonghyun was extremely worried for him and, while he wanted to show his husband he was okay, he was just unable to do so as he was still too troubled by his discoveries to be able to put on a mask.

“Umma!”

Jolting slightly, Kibum looked up from his hands and to his daughter, who had just barged in his office. She held the biggest grin on her face as she ran towards him and he smiled slightly as he rose from his seat and picked the bundle of energy into his arms.

“What is it honey?”

The three year-old then put on a serious expression, cupping his face with her two small hands.

“Appa says if you don't go out with us, he's burning all your drawings.”

To emphasize her words, Chanmi opened her arms wide, staring right into Kibum's eyes.

“Did he?” the blond male asked, squinting his eyes at the child.

She nodded exaggeratedly and a small smile played on Kibum's lips.

“I better go with you then, right?”

“You better.” Chanmi replied, nodding still, this time wrapping her arms around his neck.

“And where exactly are we going?” he inquired, walking out of his office.

“Appa says it's a secret.”

Kibum grimaced at the answer but didn't press on it. He figured whatever it was Jonghyun was planning, would be better than staying in his office for the rest of the afternoon, fighting with ghosts that weren't his.

“And are you allowed to tell me where appa is?” he asked his daughter.

“Kitchen!”

Kibum rose an eye-brow at that. “Really?”

“Really!”

Walking into the kitchen, Kibum indeed found Jonghyun wrapping something into foil and putting it inside a small picnic basket.

“We're picnicking?”

The elder looked at him and served him his most charming smile. “Yup.”

“But it's like...” Kibum looked at the clock on the wall. “three in the afternoon.”

“So? We're going for a snack at the park.”

*

“What was that at the hospital?” Chanyeol asked, worried by the thick silence that had installed itself in the car.

Still, the raven head didn't move, it was as if he hadn't even heard his question. Taemin had been staring into nothing since they'd left the hospital's ground and that was getting to Chanyeol.

“Taemin?” the elder tried again. “Boss?”

~ 8 years ago ~

“Let me go, you bastard!”

A beautiful woman, clad in a red body-tight dress with a plunging neckline that revealed her dreamy curves, found herself trapped between a man and the door to one of the VVIP rooms of the club.

The man, tall and imposing had his hands touching places they weren't supposed to and yet, his victim's protest for him to stop were met with deaf ears and drowned in the loud music that vibrated through the club and the people in it.

“Stop playing hard to get, will you? It's getting tiring.”

With that said, the man made motion to kiss the woman, but was suddenly pulled back, his face meeting with a fist instead, the blow sending him staggering backwards.

“She told you to stop, .”

The man held his bleeding nose, his eyes full of anger as he stared down at the raven haired male standing in front of him.

“You bartenders should learn your place.”

And he lunged forward only to receive another blow to the stomach and doubling up in pain.

“A problem here?”

The bartender stopped in his tracks and so did the abusive male still holding onto his stomach. From a small staircase a little farther into the corridor, came a man in his mild-fifties, dressed in an expensive suite and a severe expression on his face. He was followed by two body-guards.

“Father,” the woman spoke. “he attacked me.”

She pointed to the taller male, whose eyes grew in size as he heard the way his victim addressed the owner of the place.

“Sir I swear, I didn't know she was your daughter...” he tried to defend himself.

“Even if she wasn't, do you think it's right to attack a defenseless person?”

The man grit his teeth. “Your useless bartender attacked me too.”

“He was defending me, father.”

The bartender in question could only bow his head at his boss, unable to look the imposing man in the eyes.

The later just threw his employee a glance before looking at his daughter's assaulter.

“Take him out of here.” he ordered his body-guards. “And teach him a lesson.”

The man tried to protest and run away, but with the two giants, his attempts were soon revealed vain.

The bartender just watched with lifeless eyes as the man was dragged away, but his attention was soon brought back to his boss.

“Son, thank you for helping my daughter.”

He bowed at the older male. “I was just doing the right thing, sir.”

“What's your name?” the man asked.

The bartender gulped. “T- Taemin, sir.”

“Taemin, how old are you? You look a little young to be working in such a place.”

The raven head cast his eyes down, apprehending what would happen next.

“I'm... I'm eighteen sir...” he replied before looking up at his boss. “Please, don't fire me... I need this job, I–”

The man chuckled. “Don't worry, how could I fire the person that saved my precious daughter?”

With that said, the older male looked at the woman who was standing there, watching the scene with a small smile on her face.

“Jiyoon-ah,” he called. “why don't you accompany your savior back to his post? And show him your gratitude too.”

The woman didn't need to be told twice, she inched closer to the bartender and hooked an arm on his before beckoning him to walk with her.

Hesitant, Taemin followed her and as they descended the stairs that led to the first floor, the eighteen year-old could barely contain his nervousness.

When they stopped walking as they reached the bar, Taemin observed as Jiyoon stood in front of him, a gracious smile on her lips.

“Thank you...” she said. “and... don't worry, I'll make sure you get rightfully rewarded.”

Taemin frowned. “I didn't do it for the money...”

Jiyoon chuckled. “I know... it doesn't mean I won't reward you anyway.”

She inched forward and put a light peck on his cheek. “See you around Pretty Boy... I owe you one.”

~ Present ~

“Yah, Lee Taemin!”

Snapping out of his memories, the raven head looked at his body-guard. “W-what?”

“I've been calling you for a while now. What's wrong?”

The younger sighed. “Nothing.”

“Come on... you're being all distant since we left the hospital. Who was that woman? Did you know her?”

Taemin bit the inside of his cheek, unwilling to speak about his encounter with his mother. But he knew Chanyeol wouldn't stop until he got some kind of answer.

“She's my mother.” he replied. “And no, I don't want to talk about it.”

Chanyeol side-glanced at the younger male, hearing him mention one of his parents for the first time since he'd known him. It would be a lie to say he wasn't curious to know more about his boss' past and family, but he knew he wouldn't get the answers even if he asked.

“We missed the appointment.” he remarked, trying to change topics.

“We can book another one, in another hospital.” Taemin replied.

The body-guard could only consent, not wanting to contradict the younger male. He didn't want to put more stress onto Taemin, knowing how much this particular emotion could affect his condition.

The doctors had been adamant about how the pregnant male being exposed to any kind of strenuous situation could lead to picks in his already high blood-pressure, putting the younger and the baby in danger. And if changing hospitals was all it took to avoid this new source of stress, than there was no hesitating.

“Alright.”

When they got to the apartment, Taemin was quick to lock himself in his bedroom. He sat on his bed and face the wall opposed to him; his mind running a mile per minute.

Things were getting worse, too many people already knew of his whereabouts and that wasn't good. He needed to get away and his little time travel in the car had given him a very good idea of how to do it.

Rummaging through his bag, he grabbed his cell-phone and dialed a number, before putting the device against his ear. A few beeps later and a woman's voice answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Noona, it's me... Taemin.” he said, caressing his belly nervously. “I need your help.”

*

“How are you feeling?” Jonghyun asked Kibum, as they watched from afar as Chanmi played with the other kids on the playground.

Kibum let out a small sigh before leaning his head on his husband's shoulder.

“Better now...” he said. “I guess I can get over it. I just need to definitely cross a line over him.”

Jonghyun rose a questioning eye-brow and looked down at the younger male.

“What do you mean?”

Kibum straightened himself and looked at the older male. Honestly, he too didn't understand his own words, yet saying them had sounded and felt so right, he didn't feel like taking back what he said. Something in him was telling him he just had to let go.

“I mean I'm over it. He's no longer relevant and I'm finally doing what he's always wanted me to: giving up on him.”

Jonghyun didn't know what it was, but while a part of him felt glad to hear his husband say those words, the other, even if considerably smaller one, felt saddened and guilty. It was like he was finally getting what he wanted, but not feeling the satisfaction he'd expected from it.

“Appa! Umma!”

Both males looked over at their three year-old that was running towards them. The little girl stopped in front of them, panting slightly, her puffy cheeks flushed from the running and playing around.

“Here!” she outstretched an arm, revealing a small brown envelope in her hand.

“What's that, honey?” Kibum inquired, taking the object.

“I don't know.” the child replied. “The big man with glasses said I had to give it to you.”

Jonghyun frowned. “Who? Where is he?”

The child looked lost for a moment before shrugging. “He left.”

Exchanging worried gazes, the girl's parents hesitated for a few minutes before deciding to open the envelope. Kibum took out from the paper wrap a sheet of paper that he unfolded before reading out loud.

“If Taemin doesn't follow the rules, we are compelled to take action. Your brother should've never brought you into this.”