"Mr Choi, you called for me," said Yoona from the doorway of her father-in-law's office.

Sungha looked up from the papers on his desk, "Come on in Yoona. And please, don't use fomalities with me, we're family now."

Yoona sat down opposite Sungha, "Thank you."

"Oi Seung-gi," Sungha waved his hand towards a man at the far end of the room, "bring a pot of tea and some snacks for the two of us."

He then turned his attention back to Yoona, "I called you because although its been some months since the wedding, it has occured to me that we have not sat down together and just talked."

Sungha's butler, Seungi-gi, arrived back in the office with a tray attoped with a steaming pot of tea, biscuits and crumpets accompanied with jam and cream. Placing the tray on the desk he was surpirsed when a sweet voice addressed him just as he was about to pour tea into the cups.

"Please sir, don't pour any tea for me."

This was the first time Seung-gi ever saw Yoona. He'd heard whispers of her beauty, but here she was in front of him, her dark hair that ran past her shoulders and her eyes that seemed to hold the entire galaxy within them. She smiled faintly- that smile! Let her smile again.

Seungi-gi quickly averted his gaze before he could be scolded by his boss, "Is there anything else I can bring you ma'am?"

"No, thank you."

"Yoona, you're too kind," chuckled Sungha cruelly, "there's no need to be so polite and formal with hybrids."

The word 'hybrid' still stung Seung-gi after so many years.

"Did you know his mother was a well-respected fashion designer, but the stupid woman slept with some street rat lower-class man, and then Seung-gi was born," mocked Sungha, "what a funny little story."

Seung-gi remained stood behind his boss, with his head bowed respectfully, but as Yoona eyes flitted between the two-diamonds inked underneath Seung-gi's ear and her father in law, she didn't fail to notice the sweat breaking out on the young butler's forehead.

"Anyway," continued Sungha, "I called you to see how you were settling in, is Seunghyun being good to you?"

Yoona lied, she didn't tell him that her and Seunghyun had their first argument only this morning:

Last night, Yoona had fallen asleep waiting for Seunghyun. Even when she had woken up, he was not there.

He only stumbled into the bedroom after she'd dressed herself, the smell of alcohol entering before he did.

"Where have you been all night," she said sternly.

"Out."

"All night?"

"Mhm."

"This is the fifth time this week, can't you see how problematic this is becoming Seunghyun?"

"I'm sorry Yoona."

Yoona cheeks flushed in anger, "Sorry doesn't excuse the fact that you're acting like . You've never once spoken to me sober and you always smell like alcohol. I deserve better in this marriage. You better start acting like my husband or I swear Seunghyun..."

"You'll what Yoona," challenged Seunghyun, looking directly at her.

"No wonder Soojung left you," Yoona did not know the situation between Seunghyun and Soojung, and she'd never mentioned her name since their wedding night. But it was clear even beneath his drunken exterior, the name 'Soojung' had struck a nerve by the way his jaw clenched.

"Don't go there...ever," he threatened.

"Were you ty to her as well, did she leave you because you acted like an to her too!?" now Yoona was yelling.

Seunghyun seethed, "You want me to act like a husband, you want us to be like a married couple, fine."

Suddenly, he crushed his lips to hers, subjugating her cavern with his tongue. Yoona's spine stiffened like a washboard, but her hands worked to push against his chest. But he was like a mountain against her, bigger and unmovable. Even when he paused in between his persuit of her lips, their lips still touched as though he was trying to maintain a connection between the two.

Seunghyun staggered when Yoona slapped him, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Stupid son of a mother-ing , stupid bastard," Seunghyun muttered with his back to Yoona, reaching to his desk to pour himself a drink.

"Put it down," begged Yoona.

Seunghyun downed his drink in one go, about to pour himself another until Yoona grabbed his arm, shaking her head.

"Get off me Yoona."

"No until you drain that bottle down the sink."

"Yoona, please get off."

"Seunghyun, can't you see this is hurting me as well as you."

"Yoona, get off!" He jerked her off. But he didn't realise with how much force until Yoona was on the floor, nursing her wrist.

She looked at him with teary eyes, "Fine, do what you want."

The last thing she heard as she stormed out of their bedroom was the sound of glass smashing against the wall.

"Yes, Seunghyun is very kind to me...father."

Sungha smiled, "I know he can be a handful, but he is a good person at heart."

Yoona rubbed her wrist.

"There's a reason why I picked you as my son's bride. Apart from the valuable friendship between your father an I, I believe you are someone who will bring a lot of good luck to our family." Sungha stood from his seat to gaze outside the windows, "I have done everything to ensure that my lineage is not tainted so that my son's is also untainted and legitmate. I have removed every obstacle that may have deterred my son so he can grow to become a great figure in the future. This presidential election is for Seunghyun more than it is for me. He doesn't realise it, but I do love my son very much."

"I understand father," Yoona looked towards Seung-gi, who's face was still looking towards the floor.

"As his wife, you have a big responsibility," continued Sungha, "you have to be a source of support to Seunghyun. And the greatest support you can possibly give to my son is to provide him with a male heir who can continue the Choi family name."

"An heir?" Yoona thought back to her's and Seunghyun's argument this morning, "I understand."

"Seung-gi will you back to your room," said Sungha, "and Yoona, do tell me if you need anything."

Yoona and Seung-gi walked in silence before Yoona broke it, "Sir?"

Seung-gi was still not used to Yoona's politeness, "Yes ma'am," he stammered.

"Do you know what he meant, father I mean, about doing everthing to ensure his lineage is not tainted."

"I shouldn't say Ma'am" replied Seung-gi.

"Please, call me Yoona," she smiled and once again his heart seemed to swell as he avoided her eye, "if you tell me it will just stay between the two of us."

"Well," began Seung-gi unsurely, but Yoona's expression seemed to spur him on, "You know Mr. Choi has alot of mistresses don't you."

Yoona nodded.

"All of them are lower-class, so anytime any of them fall pregnant he forces them to have an abortion. The Choi lineage can only continue with a legitmate male heir."

That made sense to Yoona, "so he wants me to have a 'legitmate' heir."

"Exactly."

Seung-gi turned away as Yoona was about to make her way through her bedroom door, but paused when Yoona called out to him.

"Good night Seung-gi."

"Good night...Yoona."

*****

Soojung was tidying Jaejoong's enormous library, dusting each book and putting them back in their respective places.

However, one of the shelves were too high for her. The taller figure behind her came when she stepped on her tip-toes, struggling to retrieve the books from the higher shelf.

"Don't worry, I've got it," said Jongin, easily bringing the books down.

"Thanks," replied Soojung.

"Will you not reconsider the band, we could really do with a pianist?"

"I don't want to waste my abilites of Choi Sungha."

"The pay will be more than you're getting now, plus Jaejoong said you can leave housekeeping to solely concentrate on the band."

"I'm sorry Jongin," replied Soojung, "the answer is still no."

"This could really help Jaejoong's campaign."

"No."

Jongin stayed silent for a moment, "Choi Sungha believes that the lower-class are worthless, with no value or credit. Everyhthing we do in his eyes is zero to him. When we have an opportunity to prove him wrong, why shouldn't we take it."

Soojugn continued to dust the books, "Honestly Jongin, I don't have the best experiences with the Choi family."

"Neither does anyone else."

"I can't do it, honestly."

"Soojung?"

"Hm."

"The money that Jaejoong is offering is alot, and I have a family I need to feed. But this band can't happen if you're not a part of it," Jongin looked directly in Soojung's eyes, "you really do beautifully play the piano."

Soojung remained silent. Jongin interpreted her silence to mean a 'no', so he turned his back to her- dejected.

"Jongin, when do we begin rehearsing?"

*****

The first thing Sungha saw when he entered his office was a male outline sat on this large leather chair, swaying side to side while waiting for the older man's arrival.

"Taeyang!" exclaimed Sungha, immediately recognising the leader of the LFA.

"There's no need to call security, I'm not here to kill you," said Taeyang cooly, "at least not yet."

Taeyang scratched his temple with the point of his gun, "I just wanted to do some catching up, ask how the election race is going."

"I'm not scared of you Taeyang, you're a rat that tries to act intimidating but scurries away into the gutter once danger approaches," mocked Sungha.

"Ah, you're hurting my feelings."

"Would you care for a drink Taeyang?"

"A spot of brandy would be nice actually."

"Mm, I don't think so," snided Sungha, "perhaps a cheap whisky would be more suitable for you."

Taeyang smirked, "You're so considerate."

"So why are you here?"

"Let me finish my drink Mr President."

"I'm a busy man, if you're going to kill me do it now, I don't have time like you to waste."

"You're right. You don't have time to waste, because the date of your death has been set."

Taeyang put his gun on the desk and put a single bullet into its barrel before pointing it towards Sungha's forehead.

"Is that what you're going to use to kill me, a bit amateur, don't you think Taeyang?"

"Not me Mr President, but your son will."

*****

A year ago, after escaping prison Jiyong never imagined that life could be so wam again. But as Taeyeon's soft head lay on his bare chest after they had made sweet love to each other, he played with her soft, brunette hair, wondering whether all the pain he had gone through could be forgotton with Taeyeon.

Everytime he lay beside her, the nightmares that had once plagued his mind and robbed him from sleep, seemed to dissapear like smoke.

She had cared for him, nursed him back to health. When they'd first met, he had been skin and bones, but now he had devoloped meat and weight. Lifting heavy crates in Taeyeon's back garden everyday meant he had also built up muscle and energy over the past year. She had rescued him, pulled him from the front-doors of hell and into her own home.

He had fallen in love with her like a puppy- hopelessly, devotedly, trustingly.

"Kim Taeyeon," he whispered in her ear.

Taeyeon looked up at him with her youthful chestnut eyes, innocent like a child's but wise like someone who had lived hundreds of years.

"I'm going to marry you one day, I promise."

Taeyeon pulled herself away from his chest, tears building up in her eyes, "Trust me Jiyong, you don't want to marry someone like me."

"I do, Taeyeon."

"No you don't," replied Taeyeon, pulling her shirt back on.

"Why?"

Taeyeon suddenly burst into tears, dropping her head into her hands.

"If you knew the things I've done, you'd leave me," cried Taeyeon.

"No I wouldn't, we've both done things we regret, things we wish had never happened. That doesn't mean we're bad people."

"Remember when I told you that Youngbae found me," Taeyeon said slowly, "after my husband recieved capital punishment."

Jiyong nodded.

"Me and my husband married straight out of highschool, and he was close friends with Youngbae during school. They both joined the LFA when they were young, at first I didn't understand why they'd want to join them. It felt like terrorism to me, hurting upper-class people, but my husband always that they were simply trying to create a better world. The upper-class authorities found my husband and tortured him for information on Youngbae and the LFA, but my husband was loyal. They tortured him so much that his spine broke," Taeyeon broke into sobs before continuing her story.

"Choi Sungha was very close to the President at the time, and was still Minister of Defence. He decreed that my husband be punished by association despite his death, and I...was passed around to different upper-class officials, and that was my life for two years."

"One day Youngbae recognised me at an upper-class bar party, I was the 'entertainment', and he helped me escape. After that I joined the LFA as a nurse, not because I was forced to, but because I realised my husband had been right. These people need to die, there is not a single one amongst these higher archies that is innocent, and they all deserve to be punished."

Jiyong stayed silent, "Taeyeon, did you think by telling me this it would change how I feel about you?"

She looked away, "If you knew what those men used to do to me, you'd recoil away from me in horror."

"No I wouldn't, because in prison I had that same thing happen to me."

Taeyeon stared at him in disbelief.

"Do you remember those early days when I used to have nightmares, it was actually because I thought I was back in Hitman's office. Sometimes I still see his angry eyes, his smile that looked as though he had me right where he wanted me. But it's his smell I remember the most," confessed Jiyong, "he was sweaty from beating me, and he always wore his expensive too strongly as though he was trying to rub it in my face how much more powerful he was compared to little me."

Taeyeon had turned pale white at this point, tears continually streaming own her wet-stained cheeks.

"So when I tell you that I'm going to marry you, what I mean is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I want us to be equals and share our pain and happiness with each other. Kim Taeyeon, do you promise me when the time is right, and all this bull is behind us, and the place becomes a place where we can raise our children together, that you'll marry me?"

"I do."