Norma stood there stunned unable to think whether she should let the man in. She couldn’t be just rude to the man…maybe he will understand if they just talk a bit. He had been kind enough to ask rather than barge in and steal Jihoon.

“Come in…”     she unlocked the chain and let Jaejoong in. She gulped while letting him enter. He looked around the house while she stood there waiting for him to sit or to say anything.

“Jihoon is taking a bath. ..Why don’t you sit Mr. Kim while I tell him about you?”    she suggested.

“That it fine Miss Jin. I’ll wait till he is done.”    He smiled while taking a seat.

“Would you like to have anything?”    she asked quite nervous being in front of the man she tried to hide from also…one of the richest, also coldest man in Asia.

“Coffee would be fine.”    He said.

She went to the kitchen which was joined to the living room. She made coffee while slightly peeking at the man. He was just looking around the house and the pictures. She knew he was no good. In fact she reads newspapers and she sees him in business pages. He always gave harsh comments on everyone…but she never thought he would be the one to be Jihoon’s family.

Jihoon was rather taking long time in his bath which was good for her. She didn’t want him to see this man. She served the coffee with milk and sugar and took the tray in the living room.

Jaejoong noticed and smiled looking at the tray and took the coffee taking the opportunity to serve himself with sugar and milk. Norma was hesitating to talk…what if he demands the boy from her?

“I’ll call Jihoon. He’s taking way too long.”

“No let be. Let him have his time.”   He sipped into his coffee and looked around the pictures again.    “He has grown up well.”

“Yes, thank you.”    She felt as if she had done a good job in raising him healthy.    “…So…uh…you do know that…”

“I know you are his foster mother and I also know about Jung Jessica.”   He confirmed he had done his homework.

“So…you probably want to…take him with you…”   she assumed.

“Yes in fact. Thank you for understanding and I promise you I shall not leave you empty handed.”    He said sipping his coffee. She simply looked at him expressionless; he had a way with his words.

“For how long if I may ask?”   she asked.

“Excuse me?”

“How long will you keep him with you? He has school schedules so…”   she asked.

“…Perhaps you didn’t understand me Miss Jin…I intend to take him as in...take over the legal guardianship over him. You will no longer have to bear the burden of such a huge responsibility.”

“What?”

Jaejoong looked at her hearing her shocked response.

“You are saying that you are here not to see the boy or just take him with you for a few days but forever?”    she let her confusion known.

“Yes.”   He finished his coffee while looking oblivious to her.

“You do know Mr Kim that, Jessica, his mother has transferred the full guardianship over to me.”

“Yes I do. We can discuss that with my legal adviser.”

“That must have been for a reason.”    Norma’s face was firm trying to get her words right.

“And…what might you think?”   Jaejoong asked nonchalantly.

“That she didn’t want Jihoon to be with the Kims.”   She answered strongly.

“Then why would I be here?”    Jaejoong asked.

Norma sighed looking sidewise. This man was being a pain.

“Just to see him; to see whether he was alright with me; you have the full right to have concern for him as you are his family but, as you have seen; I have enough resources to satisfy him. You can also ask him if you want but you cannot just take him away from me…I am his mother…”    She said thinking how he even found her.

“As a matter of fact, we can reconsider that guardianship issue; as for Jihoon, he is still a child so he would not know which one is good for him rather than who he is more comfortable with. Yet I did say I will not leave you empty handed, you shall be rewarded handsomely.”

“Rewarded? You mean money?”   she asked feeling slightly humiliated.

“Yes also you will be hired as a chef at my hotel. You can also visit Jihoon if you want, you’ll be free to do that since you have taken care for him for 4 years.”    He casually said not understanding her feelings.

She looked around thinking…why did she even let this man in when she was trying to hide? She thought they would talk like gentlemen and resolve their issues. But he was plain stupid according to her.

“I’m sorry but I don’t need such reward. You cant take full guardianship over him. I dont need your money, I just want to be Jihoon’s mother.”    Norma bitterly said. She wanted to kick him out of the house.

Jaejoong’s face had gone being from smiling to firm and cold. He had spoken with patience but now…she was pissing him off. She shouldn’t even dare to refuse him after his offer.

“You do know the consequences of refusing.”   He pointed out.

“I don’t care Mi. Kim. Jessica gave Jihoon to me for a reason and that reason is his late father’s incompetence.”    She spat out angering Jaejoong.

“You have no right to talk about my younger brother like that.”   he clenched his teeth surprising her. He was Jihoon’s uncle. She was nervous for a while but she mustered up her courage.

“It’s the fact Mr. Kim. He wanted Jihoon to be aborted therefore his family has no right to claim him like he is some prize to be thrown away and claimed back. I only let you in just so we could resolve our issues since Jihoon has the right to know about his paternal side and I will leave the decision upto him to choose but I wont force unlike you plan. I wont let him go unless he wants to.”

“We’ll see about that Miss Jin.”   He stood up   “I’ll be going.”

“You wanted to see Jihoon.”    She said.

“I wont need to see him neither needing to talk you. I’ll see him when he chooses his uncle over some woman who isn’t even blood related and you are Not his Mother…”

“Yes, however the blood related one himself rejected him. I may not be his blood mother but I legally am.”     she pointed out infuriating Jaejoong.

“I have no reason to stay here. I will take my leave.”    He walked to the door.

“Of course, thank you for your time.”   She bowed and opened the door for him. He stepped out and she remained standing until he got into the car and drove off getting out of sight. She shut the door and fell on her knees shaking.

She was scared of the man…scared of his dark and manipulating aura. She wiped the cold sweat off her forehead.

‘How did he find us?...Jihoon…’    she stood up and run upstairs. She opened Jihoon’s door only to see the reason why he hadn’t come down. He fell asleep with his bathrobe on. He must have been so tired. She went to his bed and sat beside. She his hair and left a kiss on his forehead.

Jihoon knew everything about his father and mother, also about the fact that they were looking for him. Now they have found him, and she knew Jihoon’s answer but she didn’t know what his uncle would do with ‘no’ for an answer.

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Jaejoong drove off furiously on the road.

“How dare she? How dare she refuse me?”    he was mad, very mad. He was kind enough to offer reward but…   “How dare she talks of my brother?”

For a moment he thought that she had provided quite enough to Jihoon so she would have been happy to give him…but…  

His cell rang. He stopped his car on the sidewalk and received it.

“Hello.”    He sharply answered.

“Whoa what’s wrong? Did a dog bite you?”    Yoochun perkily asked on the other line.

“A did.”    He swore.

“Sound like Norma . Care to tell me?”    he asked

“Where are you?”   Jaejoong asked.

“Your bar.”

“I’ll be there.”

He hung up and drove off.

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Yoochun kept drinking from his wine glass and kept ordering for more. Yet he was sober. He could handle his liquor. Jaejoong on the other hand just sat there looking hazily at the lights of the bar.

“Hyung, how long are you going to sit and stare. Its time you tell me what happened at Jin’s house. Did you see Jihoon? Did she want more money or blackmailed you to sleep with her?”

“Shut up!”

“Sorry, most girls want that.”   Yoochun took another shot.

“That girl…that woman…how dare she refuse me? How dare she call me brother incompetent?!”

“So she didn’t want your money…and insulted our Hyungjoon. Cant say I don’t like her…did you bring her photo as I told you too?”

Jaejoong inserted his hand in his coat pocket and took two pictures out and handed it to Yoochun. Yoochun looked at both Jihoon’s and his mother’s picture.

“He sure is cute and this woman is ‘whoa! Damn hot’…but seems like not to be fooled by just mere money. She’s not the type...perhaps I was wrong when I said I knew people.”    He handed the picture to Jaejoong.

“What do you mean not ‘the type’?”   Jaejoong muttered.

“These types of women are like those in dramas. You can’t show them something as logical as money, or else she would have searched for you herself and demanded money. No, no my Hyung…this woman is the type to base her life on love and family. You have to persuade her through the theories of love.”    Yoochun finished a bottle of alcohol by now.

“How so?”    Jaejoong now seemed to show interest in his point.

“You have to show that you can provide better to Jihoon than she ever did. You can but the little tyke everything he ever wants but she can only provide of what is necessary. He has a whole of better life with you than her. That’s what you gotta show her.”

“And…how shall I do that?”    Jaejoong’s eyes sparkled with greed.

“Befriend the tyke at his school. Let him be your weapon to make his mother understand. When he says that ‘mom, I like my uncle better. He buys me everything I want.’, that’s when she’ll give him up thinking ‘Mr Handsome can bring him more happiness than I ever could, its better if I give my son up and never see again’…then voila she goes away. Got me?”

Jaejoong remained silent…his point did make sense. She did say she’ll give him up if he says so…this should be too easy.

He took up a glass of alcohol and clanged it with Yoochun’s glass cheering for each other.

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