They faced each other on the bed, staying like that for hours, having no desire to move. 
 

Chanyeol looked at the wall clock by the door, which said half past seven in the evening.  He didn’t even realize that they had missed dinner.  He clasped his fingers with Kyungsoo’s and sighed.  “I have to go.”
 

The smaller one nodded, giving him a little smile.  “Are you going to be okay?”
 

“Playing poker?” Chanyeol clarified.  “Yeah, sure.”
 

Kyungsoo squeezed his hand.  “With my father there.  Whatever it was he did last night—”
 

He silenced his omega with a kiss.  “There’s nothing he could do to hurt us.”  Chanyeol grinned against his lips.  “Didn’t you tell me that?”
 

“Hmm…” Kyungsoo grinned back, pulling him close.  “Did I?  Remind me again.”
 

He chuckled low in his throat, kissing Kyungsoo deeply, and then rested his forehead on his.  “Sarang-hae, jagiya,” he whispered, reluctantly leaning back and getting up from the bed. 
 

Kyungsoo pulled the covers to his chest and watched him go to the bathroom to wash up.  He could easily tell him to stay, and no doubt he would succeed in changing Chanyeol’s mind.  His alpha had been ready to forfeit when he saw how upset he was at the sight of Yifan last night.
 

But Kyungsoo realized that having this power over him now wasn’t a license for testing how important he was to Chanyeol. 
 

He already knew.
 

Chanyeol had taken a quick shower and emerged all clean and fresh with a towel tightly wrapped around that trim waist.  He winked at him when he felt Kyungsoo’s eyes on him but proceeded to the closet to change into his formal wear as he only had fifteen minutes to reach the ballroom. 
 

Once he was ready, Kyungsoo crawled over to him, as he sat at the edge of the bed.
 

“You want me to ask Evrim to bring you some food?” Chanyeol asked huskily, nuzzling his nose in his omega’s hair.
 

“I don’t really feel that hungry.”  Kyungsoo arranged the black knot on his collar to create a flawless classic bowtie.  “I’ll probably just do some more sketches.”
 

Chanyeol kissed him on the forehead, grinning impishly.  “Still feeling inspired?”
 

“There’s been a huge boost in creativity since coming to Turkey,” Kyungsoo admitted, laughing.  He patted on his bowtie and reached up to kiss him.  “Good luck.”
 

That was all the well-wishing he needed.
 

Though unwilling to leave his omega’s side, Chanyeol had about five minutes to get to the venue.  When he arrived at the elevators, he pressed the button to go down.  One was coming from the upper floors, so he decided to wait.
 

His eyes widened when the elevator doors opened.
 

“Ah, sawi,” Yifan greeted, surrounded by five members of his security team. (son-in-law)
 

One of the bodyguards hurriedly pressed the button to hold the doors.
 

When Chanyeol just stood there frozen, Kyungsoo’s father looked genuinely surprised.  “Aren’t you coming?  You don’t want to be late, do you?”
 

AISH!!!
 

“Show him that we’re not afraid of him,” Kyungsoo voice haunted Chanyeol, as he rigidly stepped inside the confined contraption like a sheep entering the lion’s den.
 

The doors closed and Chanyeol could feel his chest constricting.
 

He opted to concentrate on the electronic indicator on top of the elevator buttons instead, internally calming himself down.
 

9 more floors to go.
 

8…
 

7…
 

“How is my child?”
 

6…
 

“Kyungsoo is well,” Chanyeol managed, gritting his teeth through the purgatory of his worst nightmare.
 

5…
 

No, being trapped anywhere with Yifan was the very epitome of damnation.
 

4…
 

“We should settle the yedan soon,” Yifan intoned, which to Chanyeol sounded torturous.  (dowry) 
 

3…
 

“Which means your family and I have to meet,” Yifan continued behind him, causing the hair at the back of Chanyeol’s neck to stand up.
 

2…
 

“They still live there, don’t they?”
 

1…
 

Chanyeol’s eyes flashed, turning sharply to his father-in-law.
 

Did Yifan say… still...?
 

The elevator doors mercifully opened, but Chanyeol didn’t notice.
 

Yifan looked at the younger alpha quizzically, and then he graciously extended his arm towards the doors.  “After you.”
 

Chanyeol exited the elevator in a daze. 
 

“Guess I can use the yedan as motivation to defeat you in the tournament this time,” Yifan quipped, he and his bodyguards walking past him.  “I’ll make certain the dowry our family will bestow on yours be worthy of the wedding of the year.”
 

What the hell…?
 

The take-over of Gwanak District was on purpose.
 

A cold shiver ran down Chanyeol’s spine as he reached for his phone, his thoughts suddenly going to his mother, uncle and dongseang—and their safety.
 

“Mr. Chanyeol?” One of the ushers called to him.
 

He clenched his fists as some logic tried to nudge its way into his brain.  His mother, or his uncle, would have contacted him if a threat had been apparent.
 

So far, when he called them last week before flying off to Turkey, nothing seemed to be amiss.