Sojung and Johnny remained like this for the next few days. They would bump into each other at home, in the office but no acknowledgement whatsoever.

She would walk in on him chatting with other employees but before they could react to her presence, she would just turn on her heels and go in her intended direction.

He would sit next to her during meetings, stealing glances at her but never spoke up.

Their marriage barely started and it looked like it was already crumbling.

Jongin, on the other hand, knew how much pressure Sojung was under. 

She had been working her hardest to gather evidence about Jinu’s involvement in the shooting and drug deals. She was suspecting her long-term friend for something like this.

It's not easy accusing a second-gen clansman.

It didn’t help that the Elders had been asking her for updates.

Balancing all that while having trouble in her marriage?

It was tolling.

She ended up having such a huge migraine she had to be hospitalized for a night.

No one else knew about it, not even Wonho. She told her men that she was going to spend the night with Jongin and everyone was to leave her alone.

*

“Are you sure you are okay enough to leave the hospital?” Jongin walked alongside Sojung out of his office. “I’ve seen your headaches but this was the worst. You fainted, little lion.”

Sojung chuckled, “I’m alright. I think it’s just the stress of life.”

They walked in a comfortable silence until they reached the pharmacy. He gently held her arm.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine,” she smiled at him and looked at her feet. “I slept pretty well last night.”

Jongin reached for her hand.

“No, I mean, how are you?”

“Oh, you mean things between me and Youngho," she stated. "No, we’re still not talking.”

"Is this about Minah? Or… me?"

Sojung gave him an incredulous look, "It's not you, Kai. Johnny doesn't believe what I say about Minah."

"What did you tell him exactly?"

"I just said she was bad news and she wasn't who he thought she was."

Jongin paused, "So he doesn't know you're injured because of her? That she was one of the people behind the drugs in the Clan?"

"Yeah," she kicked her foot sheepishly.

"Little lion, come on. How do you expect the man to know if you don't say anything?"

"I can take who's next."

Jongin raised his hand to catch his colleague's attention and took Sojung's prescription.

"Doctor Kim, what can I do for you today?"

Sojung had a teasing grin on her face when she noticed the red tint on the nurse's cheeks when she saw Jongin approach her counter.

"Migraine. Give her some Voltaren."

The nurse glanced at Sojung, wondering who she was as her hands worked on the medication. Sojung chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm just a friend," she patted Jongin's chest. "He's still single."

"Oh, I--"

The nurse started blushing hard while Jongin nudged his friend, adorably embarrassed. She handed Sojung the medication and Jonging trudged forward, leaving his friend chuckling behind him.

"Wait for me," she was breathless from the laughter.

Jongin rolled his eyes at her and reached to grasp her elbow. Her hair was messy, his hand subconsciously reaching up to brush her fringe from her face.

"Go home, rest and do what you want tomorrow. I don't want to hear about you going to the office today. Yes? I'll call WMW and let them know."

She folded her arms, "How are you so sure they would listen to you?"

"Would you rather I tell them about your hospitalisation? That you fainted because you overworked?"

Sojung scrunched her face, grumbling, "Fine. I can do work at home too."

"Whatever you want, just stay home."

He patted her head, "I've got to go now. Wait for Wonho to come get you?"

"Hmm."

Jongin leaned forward and kissed her forehead. Sojung pulled her tongue out at him, making him laugh.

"See you, little lion."

Somewhere in the crowded waiting room, a camera was going off, snapping photos of Sojung and Jongin, capturing every single moment.

"Now, this is interesting."

***

Chaos broke loose the next morning.

Sojung's face was plastered all over the tabloid news, her identity as Samsung's Director and as Kia's acting-Director was revealed. Her marriage with Johnny was also listed in the main article.

That's not the worst part.

Together with photos of her with Jongin at the hospital headlined the article.

Sojung seethed with anger, slamming the tablet down on the table while WMW stood in front of her. They were in her office when her mobile started going off. 

Whoever leaked the news made sure Sojung was in the office at the time of release.

"I want to know who did this." She growled.

Mingyu handed her a file.

"Park Minho, a smaller tabloid reporter," he tapped his chin. "Your identity and marriage are high-profile news, carefully monitored so they don't leak. How did a small fry know about them?"

"Where's he from?"

She glanced at her vibrating phone. Elder Kim was calling her, she flipped the screen over.

"Whoever hired him was smart, he was some rando plucked from the streets, but Wonwoo did some digging. Someone by the name of Suho recently cashed a huge amount of money into Minho's account."

Sojung grabbed her mug on the table and flung it across the room. WMW barely flinched at the action.

"Kim Junmyeon," she balled her hands into tight fists. "Did he really think I wouldn't know his pseudonym?"

Her other phone started going off too.

"Gyu, Woo," she got to her feet. "We have some visiting to do. Hoseok, grab me that file I got you to check a while back. We have use for it today. I'll meet you up front."

Wonho nodded and jogged off. Mingyu and Wonwoo flanked Sojung as she stormed towards the lift. The doors opened just as she pressed the button, Johnny was standing before her.

He jumped when he saw the murderous look in her eyes. Without another word, the two guards escorted him out of the machine and stepped in with Sojung.

The doors closed on him, just as his mobile rang. It was Mark.

"Hello?"

"Yo, it's me. Is Jungie okay?"

"What's happened? I just bumped into her, she looked pissed off."

"Have you seen the tabloids? Check them and you'll know why."

Johnny quickly ended the call and searched Sojung's name. His jaw slacked at the entirety of the article. Everything - except for her mafia side - was revealed to the world to see.

His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of the photos at the hospital. He took a deep breath, a strange feeling enveloped his insides.

"Kim Jongin."

He jammed his finger on the lift buttons.

*

Sojung stormed into SM Entertainment, the people in the lobby were watching and pointing at her in curiosity. She marched to the concierge and tapped the countertop.

"Is Kim Junmyeon in?"

The clerk looked at her, eyes widening when she recognized the lady. She shot to her feet, bowing at the intimidating-looking woman.

"Do you have an appointment with Director Kim?"

"No, but he'll see me."

She bowed apologetically, "I'm sorry, Director Kim is not in the office yet and he only accepts visits through appointments only."

She smirked, leaning in closer.

"I saw his car drive in earlier. Call his mobile, tell him Oh Sojung has something to discuss with him. Mercury Holdings, if you will."

"Let her up."

Everyone turned to the voice, Sojung had a mocking grin on her face. Junmyeon was standing behind her team, hands tucked into his pocket. There was an unreadable expression on his face.

If Sojung didn't know better, she would have assumed it was fear.

"Thank you for seeing me, Director Kim. Shall we move towards your office?"

He nodded wordlessly.

"I'm assuming you're here to see me because of the tabloids?"

Junmyeon sat comfortably on his chair while Sojung settled on the seat opposite his desk, her legs crossed and her team standing behind her, near the door.

"You just had to stoop so low, gathering dirt, assuming my reputation would take a hit?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Junmyeon shrugged nonchalantly. "I have better things to do than keep tabs on you, Sojung-ah."

"Cut the formalities, Junmyeon-ssi. I'm not here as your cousin-in-law. Your actions have caused great problems to my work and reputation. As Samsung and Hyundai's Director, Kia's acting Director, I formally request for you and your team to remove any media content that includes me."

Junmyeon’s brows went up.

“And what makes you think this tabloid reporter came from my establishment?”

Mingyu handed her a tablet, she clicked into a video and showed Junmyeon a man bound to a chair with ropes, his eyes were blindfolded and his hair was plastered to his face from sweat and… was that blood? 

Junmyeon immediately straightened his back.

“What--”

Sojung tapped the screen and the video played.

“I-I’m sorry! Please… please let me go! I--”

“Who hired you? Where did you get those pictures?”

Junmyeon stole a quick glance at Sojung, who was patiently waiting for his response. He could still hear the video playing while his head tried to formulate the next best comeback.

“It’s the guy at SM Entertainment! The guy! He’s the guy you’re looking for. He gave me 20 grand to release those photos.”

“Why did you take those photos?”

“I was at the hospital for my mother’s dialysis and I was really low on savings. I saw Miss