Kris looked at Charlotte's swollen cheek and had an idea of what must have happened - He had been slapped by his father many times before because of you – and felt bad for her but then he remembered she brought this upon herself.

The Kims couldn't even look at him in the eye.

"I know you must be angry because of that video" Mr. Kim started with an apologetic voice "but think about your child"

Kris stared at him with no emotions in his face and then scoffed

"Are you sure that the baby is mine? I'm sorry but I'm not willing to raise another man's child" he looked at his wife, knowing he had the upper hand now "let's run a DNA test...just to be sure"

Her green eyes grew bigger.

"We can't; it's too soon and it's dangerous for the baby. Let's wait until the baby is born"

"You are not in a position to refuse, Charlotte"

"I think we should wait, son. If it endangers the baby's life; then..." charlotte's mom spoke.

Kris took a deep breathe 

"Alright, let's wait. At least I am not a monster" he accentuated the last words "next subject: I want to divorce"

He dropped the bomb in the most casual and neutral tone, he managed to make. Everyone in the room held their gasps but the way they got paler, especially charlotte, gave them away. 

"Calm down, son... it was just a little misstep, every marriage has its ups and downs, let's not act recklessly" kris' father was almost pleading and it was then that kris finally confirmed that he had the upper hand.

"Yes, they do have their ups and down. But they overcome them because they love each other and... I don't love her... I never will"

The adults flinched.

"Don't act so surprised, you already knew that"

Mr. Wu tried to protest but his son stopped him.

"and no, it's nothing to do with 'her'. She is with someone else now" that felt like acid in his throat "I am doing this for myself; how do you think the world will look at me now that my wife has cheated on me, how do you think they'd look at our company, huh?" he gulped down, proud of himself "our stocks are already as low as they can..."

"but if we have a heir, they'll go up again" charlotte interrupted.

"nice move but I won't accept that kid as mine, never. So, let's talk about the prenuptial contract; you do remember there is a clause that says that I get to keep half of her shares if she cheated on me, right?"

Charlotte started to get dizzy, kris' voice was fading as a beep in her head got louder.

"I know, you will get your lawyers to start working on the divorce and to find a way you could win; but let's save them all the paper work..."

Kris stared right into Mr. Wu and Mr. Kim.

"Here is the deal, if I get the divorce right now, I'll cancel the clause, Charlotte gets to keep what's hers and I keep what is mine, and the bussiness alliance will continue. We don't make it public until the baby is born, which I'll never recognize as mine, unless the adn test says otherwise"

The dragon's mind was working way too fast.

"Unless you want me to recognize it, then I get 80% of her shares and still get a divorce of course. But I'll wait a year to announce it "

"You can't do this!!" Charlotte roared to her husband

"Yes, I can. And I will"

The room stayed in a chaotic silence for a few seconds until Charlotte's father sighed heavily and massaged his temples.

"Alright, son. Let's go with the first option" he said deafeated, surprising everyone.

The brown haired young man's face relaxed instantly.

"I knew you'd take a wise desition"

None of kris parents or charlotte objected.

Mr. Kim, after all, was a man who had trown away his biological son for the sake of appeareances. Or for the sake of Charlotte.

"My lawyers will contact you as soon as possible" the dragon stood up proudly fixing his jacket.

Not sparing a single glance at his wife nor to his parents. Hoping that it would let them know that he was not a puppet.

He walked to the door and turned back just before he was about to go out.

"And one more thing, mr. kim... I'm not your son."

....................................................................

kris walked out of the building like a brand new person, he wondered if that was how starting again felt like.

Goodbye arranged marriage, hello freedom.

He stomped trough the sidewalk, with an unfamiliar lightness and a strange kind of happiness. and it showed through the big grin on his face.

Yes, Charlotte and their parents must be suffering now but why should he care? All that mattered was that he had won, for once.

The speed walking turned into joggin and the joggin turned into running; he removed his jacket and threw it on the street (even though it was worth an entire month of your paycheck) and headed towards your house for the second time that day.

A call wouldnt be enough to share his happiness with you. Taking his car wouldn't give him enough time to release all the adrenaline that was rushing trough his body. Or maybe it would but he would have ended killing himself.

So he ran as fast as his long legs allowed him to.

It took him around twenty minutes to get to your house. And by the time he arrived it was already getting dark.

He saw you inside your house turning the light on, just before you spotted him outside the window, all wet in sweat, his dark shirt sticking to his skin; his chest was heaving wildly.

You hurried to open the door, fearing the worst but as soon as you did he pulled you into a tight crushing hug, until it almost hurt.

"What happened?" You raised your sight up to his face, dead worried about him because the unstylish person standing in front of you was an unknown guy.

Kris didnt say a word and kept you in his arms for what seemed like an eternity.

His forehead rested on your shoulder and you noticed how his breathing rythim was relaxing. He was defenseless.

"I'm free" he whispered "but it's too late now...i know it"

He swallowed the lump on his throat.

You instantly knew what he meant and pat his back.

"It's okay...it's okay...you did your best"

..........................................................................................................................................................

DONT FORGET TO COMMENT, VOTE AND SHARE!
NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE UPLOADED ON MY BIRTHDAY 🎉 (may 8)