The moment Lee Min Ho stepped out of his car, the reporters were already flooded at the lobby of Lotte Hotel. The camera light keep flashing at him as the reporters were running after him, hoping he will give them an answer for their questions. Secretary Kim and three bodyguards were walking closely beside their boss, escorting him towards the press conference venue.

When Min Ho entered the waiting room behind the main conference room that the press conference will be held later, Lee Dong Hwan, Kim Mi Kyung and Lee Jong Suk were already sitting there, waiting for him. Kim Mi Kyung was the first one who stood up and approached her son.

“Are you okay with the press conference later? Have you memorized everything your father want you to say later?” Kim Mi Kyung asked her son in a worried tone.

Min Ho laughed silently before looking at his mother. As expected, this was what his mother worried the most; for not obeying his father and got kick out from the board members.

Kim Mi Kyung sighed when she saw her son’s expression. “You have to listen to your father. Nothing is more important than your career, your future. That woman just love you for your money. Once you lose everything, she will go away too.”

Min Ho inhaled sharply before he forced a smile on his face. “I’m okay. I know what I should do later. No worries.” He said as his eyes averted to his father.

Lee Dong Hwan smirked as he slowly walked to his son too. “I hope you really know what you should do later because acting recklessly like a kid will not help anything.” He looked at Min Ho and smiled again. “You are my son. I know you well. You are ambitious and greedy like me too. You might want to fight with me now and win very badly to prove me wrong but when you lose everything, you will eventually regret with your decision today. I’m giving you a chance now, to think what you should really do later.”

Letting out a slight smile, Min Ho looked deep into his father’s eyes. “You are always so confident with everything you say and do. But I might need to disappoint you this time. Everything I’m doing today have nothing to do with you. I’m not interested to fight with you or even win over anything. I’m here today because I want to fight for someone that mean a lot to me. I’m fighting for her, I’m trying my best to protect her.” He paused and breathed deeply. “You are right that I’m ambitious and greedy like you but that was because I didn’t know what is important to me at that time. Everything is different now. I finally found the right fuel to keep my fire flaming.”

“Min Ho!” Kim Mi Kyung tried to stop her son but it was too late. Each and every word he said already went into her husband’s ears very clearly.

Lee Dong Hwan laughed as he nodded. “Very well. If this is your final decision, I’ll wait patiently and enjoy your performance later. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. I have already bought myself an insurance before I decided to let you attend this press conference. Don’t be too surprise with what will happen later.”

Without waiting for his son to reply, he walked pass him and stepped out of the room with Kim Mi Kyung followed him from behind reluctantly.

Min Ho chuckled as he looked at Jong Suk who was now walking towards him. He smirked at his brother. “Do you have any idea what kind of father you are having now? Good luck.”

Jong Suk sighed deeply before looking straight at him. “I don’t care what decision you made at last, I just want you to protect Shin Hye. She doesn’t deserve all this after what you have done to her… after what we have done to her.” He inhaled a sharp breath and took another step forward. “I don’t need you to protect me. I might not be as smart and capable as you but I can still take care of myself. I won’t let myself fall just yet because I still want to win Shin Hye back from you.”

Min Ho grinned as he patted his arm. “I hope my performance today will not disappoint you.”

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Shin Hye immediately looked up when the door of the waiting room opened. It was Lee Dong Hwan who came in. He flashed her a smirk as he sits right in front of her. After Min Ho left the apartment at 9am just now, Lee Dong Hwan’s driver was already waiting for her at the lobby to fetch her over to the hotel to attend the press conference without Min Ho’s knowledge. When she reached the hotel, she was straightaway sent to a private waiting room to wait for the press conference to start.

“I’m glad u keep your promise and really came.” He said.

Shin Hye took a deep breath and looked at him. “As long as you keep your word, I’ll keep mine too.”

“Of course.” Lee Dong Hwan smiled. “Min Ho is my son. Compared to Jong Suk, he is very smart and capable. I don’t want to waste time to train another one when I already have a good inheritor in my hand.”

“He is not a tool for you to use in your business. He is your own flesh, own blood. You should learn to treat him like a son before you regret when you lose him one day.” Shin Hye said, biting her lip to control her emotion.

Lee Dong Hwan laughed. “To become my son, he have to learn to become an useful tool to strengthen my power. I won’t lose him. It will be his loss if he dare to leave.”

Shin Hye shook her head and looked at him in disbelief. “You are unbelievable.”

“I have no time for all this crap.” Lee Dong Hwan said. “I hope you remember what I want you to say during the press conference later.”

Shin Hye exhaled sharply. “You don’t need to worry. I will tell the world that the contract was released by me. The reason behind all this is to blackmail and avenge Min Ho oppa for not paying me enough. And I wish to continue the relationship with him to get more money but he just left me after the contract ended. I tried very hard to seduce him and get him back but he just ignore me. So when I failed to get him, I tried to seduce his brother too. Are all these good enough to satisfy you?”

Lee Dong Hwan laughed loudly in satisfaction. “I finally understand a little bit why both of my sons love you so much. You are not only beautiful but very smart too.” He looked at her with a wide smile. “Don’t worry. Money is your main motive of approaching my sons. Once you complete your task in the press conference later, you will get the money that you deserve. And at the same time, you will take tonight’s flight and go to your new heaven.”

With her eyes reddened, Shin Hye bit her bottom lip and looked away.

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Kim Ji Seok opened the door and stepped into the waiting room to find Min Ho sitting on the couch, waiting for him. He walked towards his friend and handed him an A4 size envelope.

“This is the thing you want me to get for you.” He said.

Min Ho opened the envelope and looked at the documents inside. He sighed deeply before turning back to Ji Seok. “Thank you.”

“Where is Shin Hye?” Ji Seok asked, looking around the waiting room. “I thought you want her to attend the press conference with you.”

Min Ho shook his head. “She didn’t come. She is not feeling well. She have been vomiting and having headache the whole night. I want her to rest at home. She will feel even worse with all the reporters surrounding her here. I can handle all this myself.”

Ji Seok narrowed his eyes at him. “Vomit? Why? Eat something wrong or… pregnant?”

Min Ho let out a deep sigh and shook his head again. “Although I really wish she is pregnant but too bad, she is not. I think she is just overstress with the whole incident and worried about me.”

Ji Seok gave him a sympathy gaze before he sits down in front of him. “I hope the document I passed to you would somehow help you a little.”

“Of course it will.” Min Ho smiled at his best friend. “This is a solid proof to show them that what they reported was false.

Looking at him in concern, Ji Seok asked cautiously. “Is everything going to be okay?”

Min Ho held his gaze for a moment before he smiled slightly. “I might be selfish for doing all this now but after so many years of living for other people, I finally found the real purpose in my life.” He inhaled a deep breath before he continued. “Standing in front of the world today, I just want to do one thing. I just want to protect the person that loves me and I love the most.”

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The moment Min Ho stepped into the conference room, all the reporters and cameramen were already there waiting for his arrival. He ignored all the cameras that flashed at him as he continued walking towards the small stage in front, with a long table in the middle. All the reporters and the cameramen were seated in front of the stage while his parents and Jong Suk were seated in the first row. 

Min Ho sit down in the middle of the long table as he lifted his chin up and looked at the front, allowing the cameramen to take pictures of him. The MC who was already standing at the side of the stage, turned to Lee Dong Hwan and when he gave him a nod, signalled him to start, he quickly begin the press conference.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for joining us for our press conference today with Lotte Group President Lee Min Ho. As everyone of you are aware that the purpose of this press conference is for President Lee Min Ho to make a statement regarding the news article that was released two days ago. President Lee Min Ho will soon deliver his statement and I am sure you have been warned that there would not be a Q&A section and would not allow any question raise from the media. And now, we would like to let President Lee Min Ho to start with his statement.”

When the MC stopped talking and turned to Min Ho, he held the microphone close to himself as he started the event with a calm expression. Looking at the reporters with a confident gaze, he begins.

“Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming. I am here today to give a clarification on the news article that was released two days ago regarding my personal matters. To be frank, I do not think I have any reason to explain to the public about this. But due to I am a public figure and the news has now affected the interests of my company and the shareholders, I do think that I have the responsibility to step out and make a statement.

First of all, I sincerely apologize for the harm that this incident has done to the public. I must emphasize that there was no intention to hurt anyone in this incident. I hereby deplore the fact that without my knowledge and consent, the copy of the contract was released online and was later distributed and spread virally through the media.”

Min Ho paused for a second and inhaled deeply before he continue again.

“In regards about the truthfulness of the contract that was released, I would like to confirm that it was indeed exist and I was the one who offer to make the agreement with…”

“Thank you, President Lee Min Ho for his statement.”

Min Ho was bewildered when the MC suddenly cut him off as he turned to glare at him.

The reporters were startled too and started to make noises, murmuring to each other, confused and curious with the sudden cut off.

Min Ho shifted his gaze back to the front and when he met his father’s eyes, he was smirking at him. But before he could react, his attention was caught by the MC when he started to speak again.

“At this moment, we would like to invite another guest, who was also involved in this incident to join us in this press conference. Please welcome Park Shin Hye-sshi.”

The room was filled with another round of loud noises and everyone in the conference room turned to the side entrance when Park Shin Hye stepped into the room. Lee Dong Hwan’s assistant was escorting her as she slowly walked towards the stage where Min Ho was sitting, looking at her with a shock expression.

Jong Suk who was sitting with his father was shocked by her sudden appearance too. He turned to Lee Dong Hwan with a puzzled gaze. “D-Did you arrange all this? Did you bring Shin Hye over?”

Lee Dong Hwan smiled without looking at his son. “This is the best opportunity for you to learn what is the real war in this world is all about.”

One of the staffs quickly placed another chair beside Min Ho and when Shin Hye walked up to the stage, their eyes were locked at each other instantly. She inhaled very deeply before she averted her gaze and slowly moved forward to take a seat beside him.

Min Ho’s eyes once again shifted to his father and clenched his jaw when Lee Dong Hwan looked at him with a satisfactory smile.

Shin Hye lifted her trembling hand up as she grabbed on the microphone in front of her. She took another deep breath before looking at the reporters down there. When her eyes met the sharp gaze of Lee Dong Hwan, she suddenly felt the breath hitch in . Clearing softly, she begins with what she needed to say.

“G-Good morning, everyone. My name is P-Park Shin Hye. And… and yes. The person that appeared in the news article and the person who signed on the contract… was me.”

She paused and tried to steady her uneven breathing when the reporters started to murmured and all the eyes were darted at her. This was the first time she have ever attend something like this and with the camera keep flashing at her, it make her even nervous. She breathed in deeply before she stole a sideway glance at Min Ho who was looking at her worriedly.         

“As what President Lee Min Ho said a moment ago, the contract was true and was offered to me with a remuneration amount of 100 million won… if I could do and follow the clauses that were stated in the contract.”

Shin Hye bit her lip and inhaled heavily. Lee Dong Hwan was looking firmly at her and it make her felt suffocated. When she parted her lips and wanted to continue again, she was then cut off by a reporter who suddenly stood up from the crowd and raised a question.

“So are you admitting your secret love affair with President Lee Min Ho now?”

Shin Hye was caught off guard by the sudden question and totally frozen in place, unable to form any word.

When the MC aware that the situation starting to lose control, he quickly stopped the reporter and was about to warn him not to raise anymore question but just when he was about to say it, Lee Dong Hwan shoot him a sharp gaze, signalled him to shut his mouth.

Min Ho who never leave his gaze from Shin Hye since she came in was looking even more worried. He was worried whether she is strong enough to handle all the stress and pressure that the media was throwing at her now.

Looking at the reporter for a long second, Shin Hye nodded her head slowly, admitted to the question.

“Yes. We did have a secret relationship for three months.”

Another wave of noises caused by the reporters filled the room when they heard Shin Hye’s answer. At the same time, the same reporter raised more questions to her.

“Are you saying that you are selling yourself to President Lee Min Ho for the amount of 100 million won three years ago? Are you admitting that your relationship with President Lee Min Ho was solely about ual intimacy? Are you the one who release the contract online to blackmail President Lee Min Ho for more money? Are you…”

“May I know which media organization are you from?”

The reporter was shocked when he was suddenly cut off by Min Ho, who was looking at him murderously. His voice was deep and dangerous. If his gaze could kill someone, the reporter should be dead by now.

“I-I’m from NTS Media.”

The reporter replied with a shaky voice.

Min Ho smirked slightly as he leaned closer to the microphone in front of him.

“Since my dear MC is not doing his job quite well, let me replace him and give you a polite reminder. As what we mentioned earlier, all the reporters are not allowed to raise any questions during the press conference. If I hear another question raise from you again, I’m going to call the guard to get you out from this hall immediately.”

Min Ho said with a stern voice before he turned to the MC at the side and daggered his fury gaze at him.

The MC was frightened and quickly looked back at the front, cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I hereby urge everyone to stay control and do not raise any question as per mentioned earlier. Thank you for your kind cooperation.”

When Min Ho looked back at Shin Hye who was trembling now, he exhaled sharply. “Just talk slowly and say whatever you want to say.”

Shin Hye bit her lip and just stared at him.

Min Ho smiled slightly. “Don’t worry. I’m here with you.”

She sighed silently before turning back to the front.

“I… I would like to answer those questions that was raised by the reporter just now.”

Her eyes shifted to Lee Dong Hwan as she continued.

“Yes. I indeed sold myself to a man that I barely know for an amount of 100 million won.