Alessa was nibbling on a mini sandwich as she sat down across Kai and Chanyeol.

“So, you finally decide to loosen the leash on Lucas?” Kai grinned at her, she rolled her eyes.

“I know my brother; he wont stir any trouble now.”

“Right, are we the same age?” Chanyeol spoke, Kai shook his head before speaking.

“She’s a year younger than I am, hyung. But she calls you Chanyeol, just Chanyeol.” Kai pointed out, the girl gave him a dry look.

“It’s fine, don’t start a fight you can’t win.” He chuckled, Kai snorted.

“Look, hyung, Alessa, I~”

“Can I join you guys?” Seolah approached their table, Alessa paused, her brows rose. She looked at Chanyeol who was staring at the girl, the look on his face unfathomable.

Kai tensed on his seat and closed his eyes, he turned to the girl. Seolah was smiling as she took the seat beside Chanyeol.

“Seolah,” Chanyeol spoke, she grinned at him.

“I wanted to talk to you, oppa. But you weren’t in your office.” She started, Alessa looked at the two.

“Oh? You two know each other.” She looked at Alessandra.

“Well, we’re working together for a project. Alessa this is~”

“We know each other, oppa, from SNU.” Seolah’s eyes narrowed at the girl briefly. Kai bit on his lip, Alessa leaned back on her seat and crossed her legs.

“Really?” Chanyeol was genuinely surprised.

“Yeah, ya, how could you not tell me you were working with my fiancé?” Seolah said lightly as she looped her arm around Chanyeol’s.

Alessa blinked, Chanyeol’s odd questions from earlier echoed in her head. She unconsciously touched the ring on her finger, Chanyeol noticed it and his forehead furrowed.

“Well, I didn’t know you were in town.” Alessa replied, her tone measured.
“I did think you were never stepping back in Seoul too.” Seolah mused back, Kai noticed how Alessa’s smirk appeared briefly.

“Sorry, I had an empire to run, now,” She said as she stood up, Kai tensed. Chanyeol was staring at her, she had this look in her eyes that he didn’t understand. She seemed angry, but she wasn’t.

“I have to go and socialize with the others, I had fun, Kim Jongin.” She bumped fists with Kai before stepping away from their group.

Chanyeol let out a breath as they reached his motorbike, Seolah was looking at him, waiting.

“Oppa, I’ve been calling you.”

“I know, I’m sorry, work was….hectic.”

“My parents have been asking, when are we going to set the date?”

Chanyeol paused, he picked up his helmet and faced the girl.

“I don’t know, Seol. Abeoji mentioned that our families have to meet again, why don’t you discuss it with your parents.” He said, his tone even.

Seolah nodded and smiled at him. Chanyeol patted her shoulder, then he paused when he heard a familiar voice.

Alessandra was on the phone as she padded towards her car. She was muttering in Mandarin and smiling as she took out her keys.

Seolah followed his gaze and she rolled her eyes.

“I know, I’m kinda worried if pa finds out. I mean, he’s never told anyone yet.” She chuckled as she reached her car, then she halted when she noticed the two across her.

“Leaving early?” Chanyeol asked her, Alessa nodded back.

“I still have to babysit.” She said as she opened the Bentley’s door.

“You already have children?” Seolah was shocked.

“Well, you could say that.” She shrugged before sliding in the vehicle and speeding away from them.

Chanyeol leaned back on his seat and shut his laptop close, and ran his fingers through his hair. He didn’t expect that Seolah would be in Seoul again nad he didn’t know what to do next.

He sighed and shook his head.

“Hyung?”

He looked up and found Kai standing by the door with Baekhyun.

“What is it?” He almost sighed seeing the two troublemakers by his office doors, Baekhyun chuckled and plopped down on one of the leather seats.

“Seolah’s back in town. And now we’re seeing you, unable to to work properly.” He hummed, Kai nodded and sat down across the older male.

Chanyeol loosened his tie before leaving his seat to join the two. Kai grew amused.

“Your engagement has been announced for quite a while now, and still no movement.”

Chanyeol didn’t speak, Baekhyun puffed his cheeks and faced him.

“You’ve been postponing it, Chanyeol-ah. You’ve been avoiding this girl for a year now.”

Kai crossed his arms and leaned back on his seat.

“If it were you, would you have forgotten what happened?” Chanyeol asked, Baekhyun paused and scrunched his nose.

“I…I don’t know if I can do it, I can’t overlook what happened. You two know that.” Chanyeol stated.

“So, what happens now, hyung? Are you going to cancel the engagement?” Kai asked him, Chanyeol didn’t reply.

“Abeoji called earlier, they do want us to set the date. Seolah mentioned it last night at the party.”

“Hyung, if..you ever decide on cancelling this..it will affect not just your companies…but Seolah’s family as well, and herself.” Jongin continued, Baekhyun nodded and looked at his friend, concerned.

“Do you want to know what I think?” Baekhyun spoke.

“It’s not like we can’t stop you.” Chanyeol shrugged at him, Kai chuckled.

“Look, I know it’s a political marriage since day one. And you two actually did get along, she was great and friendly. But, you weren’t even married yet and she was already in a way, kind of cheating on you.”

Kai bit his lip, remembering what happened before. He was there, it was just four months into their engagement and Seolah was seen having a little too much fun at a casino with another man. It caused quite a stir in their circle, but the rumors were quickly shot down by Lotte.

“It’s not that easy. I don’t want to think about this for now.” Chanyeol said as he leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes.

“It may be a business deal, but if it bothers you this much, then do it.” Baekhyun said, Kai sent him a dry look. He was speaking the truth too, Chanyeol was a little naïve despite his position in society, he had already envisioned how his life would be after being engaged to Seolah, he genuinely thought they’d be happy. But no, he had to see the footage of Seolah getting intimate with a stranger.

“Hyung, what we’re really trying to say is that, be careful.”

Alesssa exhaled and set both of her palms on the desk, the other people in the meeting room tensed up.

From the way the young vice president was chewing on her lower lip, it was pretty obvious that she was stopping herself from getting angry.

“I asked last week if things were going smoothly, now what it this?” She asked, her tone soft and eerie.

Her secretary looked away, fully aware of what was going to happen next.

No one in the room dared to talk, Alessa exhaled and pushed the folder away from her, it helplessly slid across the table.

“I don’t know how manager Jang trained you, but this isn’t how things are supposed to be done. I can’t afford to waste time just because you couldn’t do you jobs properly.” She spoke flatly.

“We’ll revise it right away, vice president.” One of the section directors stood and bowed, Alessandra didn’t reply and she just walked out of the room. Her secretary gathered the remaining feels that needed her signature. The rest of the employees all exhaled in relief as the doors shut behind her.

The secretary grinned at them before following his boss out of the room.

“Vice president, young master Wong called earlier, he asked if you could drop by at his school.”

“Why? Did he get in a fight again?” She asked as she crossed her arms, other WongShen employees bowed politely as she passed by.

“No, it’s a campus festival, he’s asking if you could come for a bit.”

Alessa didn’t reply, she waited for the elevator doors to open.

“Should I ask the driver to prepare the car, ma’am?”

“Yes.” She replied, she was about to continue speaking when her phone buzzed. She took it out and opened the message.

She balked as she read the sender’s name.

I just got the coat back. Thanks.

I hope you’ll like the fruit tarts. –Chanyeol.

“Fruit tarts? What fruit tarts?” She blurted out, the dragon lady immediately disappearing. She turned her head to her secretary.

“Ah, those arrived earlier before the meeting started. It came from vice chairman Park’s office.” He said while checking on his phone.

“And, you’re only telling me now?” She balked at him, the elevator doors closed behind her and she pressed on the button again.

“W—Well, it was just fruit tarts, I was~”

“Ugh.” Alessandra groaned as she got in the elevator and closed the doors, not waiting for her secretary to get inside.

Alessandra stared at the phone’s screen before typing in a reply.

“What should I say? Thanks for the tarts, you can stop now.” She murmured to herself, the doors pinged open and she closed them again, not seeing the employees who were waiting on the other side of the doors.

“Whatever.” She muttered before hitting send.

She read the message again and screamed.

Sure. Thanks, bro.

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