Following the slow steps of their parents, Taehyung’s eyes never leave Joohyun’s lowered head, it was visible that her mind was filled with thoughts just by looking at her back view. Joohyun halted her footsteps when Kim So Yeon whirled to meet her.

She held on her small shoulders and smiled “hope you enjoy the dinner and we didn’t pressure you too much with all those overwhelming questions.”

Joohyun looked everywhere but not Kim So Yeon’s expectant eyes, “thanks for the dinner, I enjoyed it. It’d been quite some time since I last have a meal with my family. Thanks for tonight.”

Gently patting on Joohyun’s ebony hair, Kim So Yeon said “you’re really a good girl.”

Kim So Yeon definitely wasn’t an insensitive person. Right from the start, she could sense Joohyun’s awkwardness and reluctance after knowing what the dinner implicit. But because of her courtesy and as a diligent daughter, she shows no signs of rejection and instead, saying things in the most ambiguity way possible.

She held on Joohyun’s hand and patted on her back palm, “I hope to see you again and I would be delighted to spend more time with you, Joohyun.”

Joohyun bowed her head, “of course I don’t mind, have a good night, Aunt So Yeon.”

Kim So Yeon nodded her head before turning to Taehyung who was talking to Jimin at the back. “Taehyung-ah, make sure to send Joohyun home.”

“It’s okay Aunt So Yeon my driver will send me back,” Joohyun was surprised by Kim So Yeon’s sudden instruction to her son.

“Let him send you home,” Kim So Yeon said “spend a little more time with him, will you?” she smiled before bidding goodbye to them and got into the car.

Both Taehyung and Joohyun bowed after sending their parents off. Turning to the tall man beside her, she uttered without sparing a glance to him “you don’t have to send me back.”

Taehyung certainly wasn’t pleased with Joohyun’s brief answer. He grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back “you’re coming with me; I have things to settle with you.”

Joohyun swung off his hand and said in a monotone before walking away, “there’s nothing I want to talk to you.”

At that very moment, he swore that the petite woman is giving him the utmost annoyance he’d ever have from any women in his life. Grasping on her small wrist again, he pulled her back harshly and said in stern “it’s not a choice for you, Park Joohyun. It’s mandatory from your brother, that’s to follow me.”

Seeing the constant push and pull by the two, Chanyeol who was waiting in the car begin to be worried. As he was about to drive closer to Joohyun, he received a sign from her, stopping him from closing in them.

“I hope I’ve made myself clear,” Taehyung’s voice was laced with irritation, he hated to not be in control and to be defied. Not releasing her hand, he pulled her into his car with force before closing the door hardly.

Chanyeol noticed the hard glare from the young heir of the conglomerate world before he entered the car after ensuring his captive obeyed him in the car.

“Do you really not know the reason we are having this dinner or you’re just deliberately playing stupid with the elders?” Taehyung asked, impatiently while having his eyes on the road.

“What is it that I should know?” Joohyun asked, uninterested.

His patience was wearing thin, clenching on the steering wheel, he warned “stop pretending like you know nothing.”

“If you are so sure that I know about it, why do you still have to ask?” Joohyun sneered while looking out at the night view of the busy city.

Taehyung was on the verge of flaring up but before he could release his exasperation, the sight of the familiar car which he saw at the hotel earlier caught his sight. From the rear-view mirror, he noticed that they were tailing his car. It wasn’t the first time for him to see two men and a young girl around Joohyun’s age following her wherever she goes and he finds it strange. Stepping on the accelerator, he sped up in attempt to get rid of the car, frightening Joohyun who was sitting silently with messy thoughts in mind.

She turned to him in fear, “what’s wrong with you, slow down.”

“Why are they tailing us?”

A simple five words and the cantankerous crease on his forehead, Joohyun knew who he meant. Checking on the side mirror, she noticed Chanyeol was tailing them closely especially when he was speeding dangerously all of a sudden.

“They are guarding me, they’ve been with me since back in 2014 and they post no harm,” she hit on his arm, “slow down!”

Taehyung stepped on the pedal harder when he noticed Chanyeol was catching up.

“Yah Kim Taehyung, you won’t win him. Chanyeol used to be a professional racer, he could easily catch up with you,” she held on his wrist in hope to knock some senses into the morose moron.

Offended by what Joohyun said, he got distracted and Chanyeol got in front of them and he has no choice but to slowed down his speed.

“Get rid of them,” he seethed. Joohyun noticed his dark eyes were glaring her, ferociously.

She wasn’t able to decipher his fierce face of expression and immediately called Jennie “don’t have to tail us.”

Taehyung cut into another lane and within seconds, the car that got into his way was nowhere to be seen. The remaining drive to the destination was silent. None of them utter a word until Joohyun noticed he was driving towards the Park Mansion.

“Stop the car, I’m not going back to my father’s mansion.” Joohyun said, firmly.

Taehyung thought he could finally have some peace and talk things out when they arrive but this woman has to ruined his already bad frame of mind. He tried his best to not lash out on her.

“Jimin hyung needed you be home.”

“You said you have things to settle with me, so it’s only me. It has nothing to do with Park Jimin. Let’s talk here, we don’t have to go back to Park Mansion.” Her voice trembled at the mention of the place she came to fear.

Taehyung ignored her continuous demand on going back to her hotel and drove as fast as he could towards the mansion. He never thought a calm and tranquil person like Park Joohyun could speak in such altissimo voice. Pulling over to the familiar mansion he used to spend his time there after returning from US, he turned to Joohyun with his deadliest stare.

“I’ve had enough with you tonight,” Taehyung said, “I’ll call you out again.”

Unbuckling the safety belt hardly, she’s no intention to say another word to the man beside her. Before she could exit the car, she was pulled back by Taehyung, his hand encircled the nape of her neck firmly. Joohyun gasped in stun at their proximity, looking at him with her dilated pupils.

With their nose grazing each other’s, Taehyung warned “don’t test my limit, you won’t want to see me losing my last bit of patience.”

“I have my limit too,” Joohyun pushed on his chest hardly and exited the car. Her face flushed in red, effect from Taehyung’s hot breath on her face.

“Impressive, that was fast.”

Jimin’s mocking voice filled the grim night. Checking on the leaving car behind over her shoulder, she could finally perceive why would Kim Taehyung pulled the earlier stunt, it was a show for her brother.

“The life in US have trained you pretty well. To have a kiss on your first meeting, I assumed things went on well and I don’t need to do more.” Jimin said whilst playing with his finger tips and another free hand stuffed into his sweatpants pocket, not wanting to give a glance to the younger girl.

“We didn’t kiss, it was just…”

“None of my business,” Jimin cut her off and looked up to her with his usual menacing eyes, “Be sure to behave before the Kims until the wedding announcement.”

Joohyun’s heart was pacing in fearful beats, her lips quivered as she voiced out “what exactly do you all want from me when I’ve been staying quietly far at the place you’ve set for me, what more do you want?”

“I want you to be back now,” Jimin said, nonchalantly.

Seeing the unconcerned and unemotional look of her own brother, she clenched her fist and for the first time her inner voice won her own self-made rationale and spoke out, not afraid of the consequences.

“Be fair to me, it’s my life you’re arranging and commanding,” her eyes reddened as it contained her tears, forcing it not to flow out easily, “can’t I even have a say?”

“The moment your mother got herself near Park Min Hyuk, your life belongs to the Parks and you have no say in anything.” Jimin stated. “Do you think this is unfair to you? Being mistreated?” he walked up to her, slowly.

With every advancing step, Joohyun retreated in fear.

“Whatever you’re asked to do now including crawling on his bed to fulfill his desire, to please his family. You’re just repaying your sin,” Jimin said in gritted teeth. The venomous words were stabbing into her heart in vehemence, “for killing eomma.”

Jimin walked away leaving Joohyun fell on the pavement. Jennie ran up to the frail skater, “Are you alright?” she gently wiped off the tears that she’d been holding on.

Joohyun shook her head, “I was wrong…”

-

From the moment she got into the car to entering the hotel, Joohyun was silent and it was only the raging Chanyeol who had been grumbling about the arrogant almighty Kim Taehyung for driving dangerously on the road. Sehun who came to replace Chanyeol for the night shift learned about the earlier incident. He hushed his partner from continuing.

“You serious in accepting the marriage?” Sehun asked, composedly.

Joohyun shot a deadly glare at Jennie knowing she must have told the guys about the dinner. Gulping nervously, Jennie sent the men out for their usual rounds.

“How was the dinner?” Jennie seated opposite of Joohyun.

“They didn’t talk about the marriage since I pretended to not know what’s their intention,” she ran her hands over her face, frustrated. “For now, I’ll just play along and pretend nothing happen till they make it official. Perhaps I would’ve gone back to US by then.”

Jennie snorted, “for that to happen, you better settle your problems with the council first.” Squeezing on her shoulder, Jennie joked “so do I call you Joohyun now, back to normal?”

The latter smiled lightly, obviously doesn’t have any strength left in her to entertain her joke.

Pulling the petite lady into her arms, Jennie sighed “I can’t imagine this is happening. I just don’t feel good with the way Young Master is pushing for the arrangement. He wouldn’t let you go easily.”

Joohyun leaned against Jennie’s chest and shut her weary eyes. It’s not like she doesn’t know or understand Jennie’s concerns. That was the exact same things that’d been bothering her but it’s too much for her to handle at this point and she do not wish to think further. She needed a break; her guilty heart needed a rest after the conversation she shared with Jimin.

-

It was almost midnight when Taehyung arrived home and to his surprise the main living room of the mansion was still filled with warm lights. He had an ominous feeling that someone was waiting for his return and he wasn’t in his best state of mind to be bothered. Making his way to the stairs with swift steps, he was indeed stopped by the person he least wanted to see that very minute.

“You’re really late home, Kim Taehyung,” Kim So Yeon walked up to her son. “As much as I wish to assume you were with Joohyun till this late but I guess that isn’t the case.”

Taehyung remained silent and bit his lower lip, feeling his mother had just caught him red handed.

“I was having some tea, mind to lend me a little bit of your time and have a quick chat?” Kim So Yeon held on his arm.

“Of course, I’m free, eomma…”

Kim So Yeon smiled and stopped his son’s nervous sentence as she linked her hand with his long arm “I was just kidding, silly…”

Taehyung unconsciously heaved a relief breath as he followed her to the modernized contemporary garden. Filling the up the celadon tea cup, Kim So Yeon knew her son was bothered with her intention for holding him back for a tea at this late hour.

“What do you think about Joohyun?” she finally started the topic.

Sipping his tea, he looked up to his mother “honestly, her strong character isn’t something you all would want in a daughter in law. Correct me if I’m wrong.”

“Your father likes her,” the graceful lady stated.

Taehyung’s brows furrowed upon hearing that statement.

Reading her son’s imperceptible expression, she continued “he thinks she’s mature and her gracious personality is something we rarely see in this generation’s children of conglomerate families. Most importantly, she could support you.”

“In what way?” he responded, apathetically.

Kim So Yeon grinned “why? You worried that you can’t handle her or you are still holding a grudge for not winning her in talks earlier?”

“Come on eomma, I just didn’t want to continue the petty talks with her earlier,” Taehyung retorted while downing the tea.

“The only concern your father have was only her status as the nation’s figure skater.”

“We can’t possibly ask her to sacrifice her career right.”

“I know is too much to ask from you, who would think we would still have such marriage at this century,” Kim So Yeon said before holding on Taehyung’s hand “I’ll give you time to let this relationship grow.”

Heaving a short sigh, Taehyung knew there’s nothing he could change. Even if it’s not Park Joohyun, there would be another woman from a different chaebol family. “If she’s the chosen one, I’ll work something out.”

“Taehyung-ah, you shouldn’t see this as some kind of subject in office you should work out.” Kim So Yeon frowned, worriedly. “Since Mr. Park hasn’t tell her anything, perhaps you should do it subtly. Impress her in some ways, don’t make her feel threatened or forced into this marriage. This way could convince the board members even more.”

“Eomma…aren’t you asking for too much?”

“I’m sure you know what to do,” Kim So Yeon looked at her all grown up son, feeling guilty for not being with him most of his growing time. “I know all these responsibilities are just too great for you…”

Bringing up her wrinkled hand to his lips, he pecked on it stopping her from continuing “I understand and I’m well prepped for this empire. I’m fine, eomma.”

“She’s a good girl, I can see that through her every move. This will not be a mistake.” She assured.

Taehyung could only agree to his mother. Afterall, that was his intention all along. Whoever she is, whichever family she’s from, for as long as his family thinks she’s the right one, he would accept it and carried out the plan. All he needed was for Park Joohyun to cooperate with him.

-

The following day, Taehyung had a full day meeting schedule. He didn’t even have time to check on his phone after finishing one after another meeting. Finally completing his final meeting for the first half of the day, Yeri passed him his phone. Noticing Joohyun hasn’t reply to his message and he wasn’t sure if she’d read it, he tried calling her but there was no response. Yeri observed and noticed the familiar agitation on his face. Whenever he’s in such state, whoever get in his way would be in trouble.

“Is everything alright?” Yeri’s voice laced with concerns,

Instead of answering her question, he asked “what do I have next?”

“The next meeting woul