Taec quickly the bedside lights in the room after hearing Jessica's surprise guess. Were he and Yubin so freakin obvious that everyone seemed to know??? He gave Jess a curious stare and before he could ask, she shrugged.

"I kinda guess so. I mean, you guys aren't biologically related too so there's a possibility. She ran straight to you first when both you and her fiance fell in that snow accident. And then there was that hug in the hospital." Jessica gave her observation.

"She would do the same too if it was any of my brothers." Taec added.

"Oh c'mon, Taec! That aside, I know there's something going on between you two. I just can sense it."

Taec gave up. Jess sometimes could read him that well. He sat up on his bed now and buried his head in his hands. "Jess,just promise me you will keep this a secret. My brothers are not to know anything about my relationship with Yubin."

"Why is that such a big crime? It's not uous! They could soon accept the truth, right?" Jessica asked.

Taec shook his head. "It's a BIG family rule I broke and it's enough for them to disown me."

"Disown? You mean your Godfather is disowning you?"

"Yeah. We had a video conference with him at Uncle Yee's suite earlier.  Tomorrow onwards, I am no longer part of the family. Banished. I'm to head back to London and pack everything and leave the household." Taec nodded solemnly.

"I don't understand.. This sounds like some royal family rule or something."

"The House of Jin is very much like a royal family and my godfather, JY follows this tradition religiously. Yubin is like the only "royal" blood of our generation in this House. A scandal outbreak of her with a brother, adopted or not, is not going to be tolerated. I owe my life to JY so I'm doing as he ordered."

"And what are they going to tell your brothers or the rest of the world since they do not want this so-called uous scandal to break out?"

"That greed had taken over me and I had been feeding information to opposing parties of our clients in our law firm. That I betrayed Uncle Yee and JY's trust for money. This greed scandal will be the cover that they will tell my brothers."

"What is this nonsense? And you agreed? Does Yubin have any say in this at all?" Jess exclaimed.

"I agreed because it's a scandal that will not involve Yubin! I know Yubin will still go against her uncles and cancel her wedding but she will never give up her family empire. It's her sole responsibility and something she has committed her whole life to. And which I will also never let her give that up just for me."

"So you are really going to give up everything and just leave?"

Taec took Jessica's hands and told her sincerely. "Jess, I am not giving up everything. I can live independently well with my own earnings. " he reached into the pocket of a pair of jeans he had worn earlier in the day and took out an envelope. "Can you do me a favor? Pass this to Yubin for me, will you?"

Jessica nodded and took the envelope.

-----

After finally checking out of the hospital, Yubin and Seungheon headed back to their hotel, only to be greeted by a dramatic display of angry exchange between her brothers and Uncle Yee at the hotel lobby.

"Taec hyung would never do such a thing! You don't know him well!" An angry Junho was telling Uncle Yee.

Chansung held Junho back from getting  anymore angry. "You heard Taec on the phone admitting that he did it, Junho. It's now an open secret!"

"And you believe all this ?!" Junho snapped back at Chansung.

"What happened?" Yubin asked. She was worried when Taec did not answer her texts and calls last night and now this scene was just more worrying.

Everyone paused to see that Yubin was finally back but no one knew how to break the news to her.

It was then that Uncle Yee quickly pulled Yubin aside. "I'm sorry Seungheon. I need to speak to my niece in private now." he explained to Yubin's fiance before leading Yubin to his suite.

"What did you do to Taec, Uncle Yee." Yubin demanded upon reaching the privacy of her Uncle's suite.

"You need to take a seat first, Yubin." Her uncle advised. "Then I will tell what happened."

----

Jessica heard about the commotion in the lobby from Wooyoung and guessed as much that would be the reaction of  Taec's brothers when the news of him being disowned because of the ridiculous greed scandal broke out. Wooyoung also informed her that Yubin had returned an hour ago and was now in Uncle Yee's room taking in the news. The news that Yubin's brothers only knew about Taec's betrayal to the firm. But Jess knew well that Uncle Yee would be telling Yubin that her affair with Taec was to end with her family's objection and that Taec had to take responsibility for his actions by cutting all ties with the family and bearing the image of the traitor who chose money over family.

Jessica found herself walking towards Uncle Yee's suite, clutching the envelope she promised to pass to Yubin from Taec. She did not take a peek at the letter. She respected their privacy. Taec told Jessica he would keep in contact with her but he made her promised she was not to inform Yubin and his family of his updates and whereabouts.

Pacing restlessly outside the suite Jessica suddenly heard the door clicked and she quickly went to hide in a corner. She watched a teary Yubin stepped out.

"I can make my own way to my room." Yubin told Uncle Yee who nodded with a comforting hand on her shoulder, before he closed the door.

Seeing Yubin alone, Jessica quickly walked out to the corridor and tapped Yubin's shoulder.

"Unnie, Taec asked me to pass you this." Jessica informed a red-eyed Yubin. Her heart went out to the older girl who must be suffering from the bad news.

Yubin took the envelope as she hugged Jessica. "Oh thank you, Jess. I was so devastated thinking he had left without a word."

"Even if he did so, I believe he had his reasons." Jessica patted Yubin's back.

------

When Yubin finally returned to her room, she saw a concerned Seungheon moving swiftly towards her. He hugged her upon seeing her teary look.

"I'm so sorry, Yubin. I just heard the bad news from your brothers about Taec. I understand how you must feel. How betrayed your whole family must feel. How can he bite the hand that fed him?" Seungheon shook his head.

Annoyed, Yubin pushed Seungheon away and made her way to the bathroom and locked the door. Ignoring the knocks on the door from her worrying fiance, Yubin opened the envelope and read the letter Taec had written to her.

After reading the letter, Yubin sobbed even harder. Her loud sobs alerted Seungheon and got him more worried he started banging on the bathroom door.

"Yubin, what is happening? Are you alright? If you don't open the door I will have to knock it down! You are making me worried!" Seungheon shouted through the door.

Yubin quickly wiped her tears away and hurriedly tore Taec's letter into shreds and flushed it in down the toilet bowl.

Seungheon stopped knocking when he saw the bathroom door knob turning and out came a calmer-looking Yubin. Her eyes were still red from tears but she was not crying anymore.

"I'm fine now, oppa." She lied as she sat at the edge of the bed. "Taec's betrayal and him being ousted from the family was too much for me to take."

Seungheon laid a comforting arm over her shoulder. "I'll help you get over it, ok? When we get married, I'm gonna make you the happiest woman in the world."

Yubin turned to her fiance and stated firmly.

"For that, I'm really sorry I can't do it. I can't marry you, oppa."

A/N: There were times I am tempted to just delete this fic. I have ideas and then after writing, I lose ideas again and it's like a roller-coaster ride.