A/N: I am so sorry for the long wait. I hope you will still continue to read and leave comments despite the slow updates.

Luhan woke up to his daughter’s loud wailing. It only added to the throbbing pain in his head. Clearly, it was not a good idea to finish a bottle of whiskey alone.

“Ommaaaaahh! Ommaaaaah!” Minkyung continued to cry. He stood up from where he was buried under the throws in the media room and padded to the door where he found his daughter with the nanny.

“Why is she crying?” He asked but took his daughter from the woman whose eyes were also glassy in tears. Minkyung continued bawling even when she was in her father’s arms and he was worried she’s going to get sick. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Ahgassi left this morning and she woke up asking for her. She hadn’t stopped crying since then.”

“Where is she?” He caught sight of the grandfather’s clock downstairs and it was only six in the morning. What was it that’s so important that Minseok left so early? The door to his parents’ room opened and Hankyung came out still in her nightgown.

“Please fix her some milk and take her to her room.” She instructed the nanny who immediately obeyed. “Can I have a word with you?” It was the tone he didn’t want to hear growing up. It was the tone his mother used whenever she meant serious business. He opened the door to the media room to let her in first before closing the door behind him.

He sat beside his mother on the couch. Hankyung was eyeing the disarray around her with distaste. It had been his room for the last few days after that penthouse debacle with Minseok. He raided their cellar and holed himself inside the room. He hadn’t left since then. Minseok attempted to talk to him twice but he refused to face her.

“Your father and I didn’t want to interfere. I’m sure he’ll hate it that I’m talking to you like this. We wanted to leave you alone so you can fix your own problems but my granddaughter is suffering and I can’t let this go on forever. Minseok talked to me last night.”

“Did she tell you that I’m a bastard who denied my own daughter? Fine! You all think the worst of me! You don’t even want to hear what I have to say!”

Hankyung remained calm despite his outburst. “She asked for my help. She wanted to leave while Minkyung’s still asleep.”

“W-What?” Luhan recoiled.

“You refuse to talk to her so what do you want her to do? I want you to fix this right away, Choi Luhan. Or God forbid we’re not going to see Minkyung again!” With that, she left him in his own devices.

**********************************************

He had been knocking for almost twenty minutes. An old man came out of the next unit to yell at him for the second time.
 

“Hey! Can’t you see, nobody’s in there, moron!”

“In my mood right now, I can probably kill you so piss off!” The old man looked terrified so he banged his door closed. He looked for Baekhyun after Hankyung kicked his arse in gear. Baekhyun didn’t want to give away her sister’s whereabouts at first but Luhan groveled. He was afraid Minseok might do something to hurt herself. He was glad she didn’t return to Busan like what he was expecting. Rather, she was in one of aparthotels built by the Kim Enterprise in Incheon. It was an old but highly maintained building near the airport—one of the first few developments of Kim Enterprise.

Luhan thought Minseok didn’t have any plans of opening the door. He can hear faint music coming from the flat. He continued banging on the door but to no avail. He went back downstairs to the reception area and came back with two maintenance people in tow. They’re going to tear the door down.

Few minutes later, Luhan rushed inside, frantically opening doors to look for Minseok. When he opened the last door, deafening rock music assaulted him and found Minseok lying on her back on the bed, looking at the ceiling blankly. His heart hammered against his chest painfully.

“Oh god!” He rushed to her and shook her frantically. “Min-ah! Min-ah!” It was no use against the loud music and he can’t find the power button of the speaker so he snatched the phone from the dock and smashed it against the wall.

“Lu—han?” She looked at him like he was the last person on earth she was expecting to see. He sighed in relief.

“Thank heavens you’re okay!” He hugged her tightly and that’s all it took to open Minseok’s floodgates. Like Minkyung earlier this morning, she cried her heart out and Luhan let her.

After what felt like forever, Minseok was calm enough to ask, “What are you doing here?”

“I should be the one asking that question. Minkyung won’t stop crying because she can’t find you this morning.” Upon hearing her daughter’s name, she started sobbing again.

“I—can’t do this—anymore! I am losing Minkyung and I am losing you—again!” Luhan took her face between her palms and kissed the tears away.

“I am so sorry, my love. We are like this all because of my pride. Please forgive me, let’s start over.” He begged. “I’ll tell you everything. No more hiding, no more pretending!”

Minseok sniffled. “The day before I left, someone called your home number. It was your mother. She thought I was the housekeeper. I gave myself an ultimatum, if I can’t make you fall in love with me, I will leave you alone. And my time was up. When we were together, I was happy, I really was. But then at the end of the day, I am just your model, your kept woman and I can’t forever live my life like that. It was my fault that I can’t get the man that I love without using money or power or connections.”

“I’m so sorry you felt that way. I didn’t introduce you to my family because I didn’t want to hurt you. They will ask about your family, your work and I don’t want you put you through all that. At least until we’re married and they won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“M-Married?”

“Yes. But I wanted to tell you something before I propose to you. Because it will change everything between us. I was a young executive when I complied with one of the company’s protocols. We have this annual medical and physical examination and the results were usually just for filing unless you have some life-threatening disease. But one of the doctors is a friend and he told me it was good there’s so many of us in the family that an heir won’t be an issue. I got curious so I had the results pulled out. It says I am sterile.” Minseok gasped but didn’t say anything so Luhan continued. “At that time, it didn’t bother me at all. I didn’t even think I was capable of raising a child. Hell, I didn’t even think I wanted to settle down until I met you.”

“Then how did you find out about Minkyung?”

“I found the pregnancy test stick in our safe.” Luhan bit his lip. “Then when I looked at the medical exam results again, I saw that even my birthday was incorrect.” He laughed bitterly. “It got switched it someone else’s results. For the past three years, we were under each other’s noses. Do you know that I saw you in Malaysia?” Minseok frowned. “I was surveying the casino for the security system when I saw you getting out of the car. Your bodyguards had to throw me out.”

“I thought that if I approached you, you won’t even look at me. So I did the unthinkable. All along I was living in the flat across yours.”

“And I was so stupid not to notice that you’re not who you’re pretending to be. I was attracted to you and I don’t want you out of my sight and that was all that mattered. I wasn’t ashamed of you, Min-ah. I love you so much. I am so sorry you felt that way. I was so stupid.”

“Luhan, what should we do?” She said after sharing long comfortable silence. They were lying side by side, basking in the mid-afternoon sun permeating the wide picture windows.

“I’d say we should get married and live happily ever after but it doesn’t work that way, does it?” He squeezed her playfully against his side.

“No, I don’t suppose so.” Minseok smiled, the first real one in many months. “But I’d like to give Minkyung the complete family she deserves. We can take it slow; we are not in a contest or anything anyway.” Luhan remembered that Baekhyun and Chanyeol were getting married soon. He felt anger taking over him once more. But he stopped himself from telling Minseok. He didn’t want to ruin the moment. He knew how protective she was of her sister. Besides, nobody can stop Chanyeol from marrying Baekhyun.

******************************************

“I’ll marry you.” The tone was flat and so was her face. Tao thought he was imagining things again.

“W-What did you—say?” He sputtered.

“I’ll marry you but you have to go out there and tell the people the abdication was a sham.” Tao went rigid. “You’re doing this to get my attention, aren’t you? Okay, you won. You have my attention. Now, stop this bull and unite your people.”

He didn’t think Sehun thought so lowly of him. Of his family. He didn’t even know how to feel at this moment.

“You really think the world revolves around you, don’t you.” It wasn’t even a question. “When I got to know you, I told myself: There’s more to this woman than what she showed to other people. Boy, was I wrong. If you think I’m going to sell my people for the sake of love then congratulations for thinking so lowly of yourself.” And for once, he was back to being the Chinese Emperor, “See yourself out. My people will coordinate with you about my child.” And she was left with no chance to rebut.

*******************************************

The guests were starting to feel antsy. The priest was getting impatient. They’d been waiting for the bride for almost three hours now. Minseok had been dialing her sister’s number relentlessly but it will ring and ring until it goes to voicemail. Yesung wasn’t even talking anymore. They called the driver earlier and they said Baekhyun refused to use the designated bridal car and told them that at the last minute, she decided she wanted to drive herself to church.

Her eyes looked for Chanyeol and she saw him talking to Luhan. The groom was calm but she can only guess the stress and embarrassment this could bring to anyone. Luhan’s face was so red and even if she can’t hear him, she knew he was angry. Minseok didn’t know what to do. They were just starting to rebuild their relationship and she can’t imagine what strain this could bring to their rather shaky start.

A few minutes later, Chanyeol stood up and approached the lectern. All eyes were on him. Dread assaulted her from the pit of her stomach to the tips of her toes. She heard him clear his throat. He flashed everyone his usual smile. “I am afraid no wedding will take place today.” He chuckled and almost everyone was looking at him with unvoiced pity. “All gifts will be returned accordingly. We apologize for any convenience.” He left the church after a ninety-degree bow.