Even if the children of the Kim family hated each other's guts, they would always gather for the birthday of their father and the company's CEO, Kim Yunseok.

It was a huge event with hundreds of guests, all just as wealthy and high-class as the Kim family. This, of course, made it a huge opportunity to conduct business.

As a child, Taeyeon had only gone to his birthday party once, tightly grasping her mother's hand. She'd worn her favorite blue and white dress that she only saved for special occasions and cooed in fascination at all the different types of foods and the intricate decorations hung around the venue. 

At that time, her father hadn't even known her name. She'd been alive for eight years and her mother had hidden her existence, hushed by the money from his wife. 

Things were different now. After receiving exemplary grades in high school and entering one of the most prestigious universities in Korea, she'd caught her father's attention - in that she'd be an important asset to the company. Fighting against the venemous eyes of her siblings, she'd accepted a position in the company as a head manager.

Even if her mother had never been acknowledged with respect, she was going to make it so that she would be. 

"Well, look who it is," Kim Seolhyun, the youngest child of the Kim family at the tender age of 20, exclaimed, sashaying up to her.

"You don't plan to call me 'unni' ever, do you?" Taeyeon remarked dryly. 

Seolhyun giggled, taking a glass of wine from one of the waiters. "Don't be too disappointed about that. Even if I don't call you 'unni', I still treat you with more respect than Yunjin-unni, Youngwoon-oppa, or Myungsoo-oppa combined."

 "Right. I guess you have no reason to feel threatened because you're not involved with the company anyway," Taeyeon said, taking her own glass of wine. "What were you interested in again? Modeling or something?"

"Acting," Seolhyun sighed dreamily. "Why should I involve myself in this bloody battle over the company when there's clearly a better path for me?"

"Don't let father hear you say that."

Both women looked up to see Kim Youngwoon, the second sibling of the Kim family at the age of 31, approach them, a stony look on his face. 

Seolhyun rolled her eyes. "Father said he supported acting. That he'd even talk to some of his friends to get me gigs in dramas and movies." 

"He said that to appease you," Youngwoon remarked. "You really think father wants you in acting? He thinks you'll grow out of it and eventually join the company."

Seolhyun pouted. "Isn't this better for you anyway? Less competition makes it easier on both of you!" 

Youngwoon let out a deep breath, shaking his head, before turning to face Taeyeon. "I'm surprised you showed your goddamn face here again." 

Though every sibling respectively of hers hated her, Youngwoon and Yunjin, the two oldest, in particular were especially hostile. They were the most attached to their mother and felt the most betrayal at the realization that their father, not only had an affair with a cheap bar madam, but also brought in a child from that affair. 

"I am father's child, so I see no reason why I shouldn't be here," She replied firmly. "By the way, I saw Yoonji at the department store the other day. Have you spoken to her recently?"

Youngwoon's jaw clenched, and she knew she'd hit his blind spot by dropping the name of his former girlfriend. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"I'm just trying to make small talk," She remarked. "I don't want to create a scene at father's birthday party, after all."

"You've got a lot of nerve. Acting like you're on an equal level as us."

"As far as I'm concerned, I've been far more successful in father's eyes than you have this year."

"What was that? You ing bi--"

"Alright, enough," Seolhyun cut in, a dreary sigh escaping her lips. "Oppa, do you really want to cause a scene here? When there are already rumors of your violent nature going around?" 

"Stay out of this," Youngwoon hissed. "This needs to be taught a lesson on respect." 

"In which, then, father will literally kick your , oppa!" 

 "There's no need to worry," Taeyeon cut in before Youngwoon could bark back a reply. "I'll be excusing myself now. As much as I'd like to stay, I have an appointment to attend right after greeting father."  

Before Youngwoon could open his mouth to spit out much worse insults at her, Taeyeon turned around, a cold look in her eyes. 

"Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention this: Yoonji said she'd be delighted to attend your wedding. Isn't that exciting?"

--------------------------------------------

"Oppa, not here!" 

Jiyong smirked, snaking a hand below the girl's waist. What was her name? Mijoo? Minjung? Something along those lines. She was one of the waitresses hired for the party and she'd been loitering around his table for a while now, trying to catch his eye. 

Naturally, he wasn't going to resist. 

He was normally never one to attend important, fancy events like this, especially if it was with his family. But this one, according to his father, could not possibly be 'excused', therefore he'd attended.

That didn't mean he'd stay quiet.

"Then, oppa, should we go somewhere quieter?" The girl giggled quietly, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Cut it out, Jiyong."

The girl pulled away from him in surprise, letting out a yelp. She quickly straightened herself out, her eyes widening to the size of saucers when she realized who was approaching them.

"Noona," Jiyong greeted nonchalantly, as his older sister, Kwon Boa, fixated a harsh glare on him. 

"If you're going to play around, at least have some standards," Boa hissed, averting her gaze to the girl, who was now cowering in fear. "Have you really dropped low enough to start fooling around with cheap waitress girls?" 

"My standards have always been low, noona," He joked, before turning to the girl. "You can leave now. It was fun while it lasted!" 

The girl bowed quickly, mumbling out a squeaky apology, before proceeding to sprint away from the two of them. 

Boa shook her head, disappointment evident in her features. "I expected better from the Kim family. What are they doing, hiring waitresses like her?" 

Jiyong smiled. "Aw, don't wear that expression, noona. Your wrinkles become more prominent when you do."

"That's sweet of you," Boa responded sardonically. "Always looking out for your family, aren't you, Jiyong? That's why you act the way you do..."

"I mean, isn't it easier for you and hyung this way?" Jiyong chuckled. "It's much more effective to exert all your energy towards fighting one person, rather than two."

Boa bared a sharp smile. "Indeed. But you're still a child of the Kwon family, Jiyong. There are duties and obligations towards this family that you can't simply let go of."

"When have I ever followed any of those supposed duties or obligations?"

Boa murmured her agreement. "You haven't, of course. But you'll have to now. Even if you're not going to be involved with the company, father still wants you to do something to help us." 

"And that is?"

"A marriage to Jung group's heiress, Jung Sooyeon." 

Jiyong scoffed aloud. "What a load of bull."

"Father's serious, Jiyong!"

"And you know, noona, that I enjoy doing all things that piss father off," Jiyong reminded her. "He can connect me to as many chaebol daughters as he wants. I'll ignore all of them."

"Your selfishness is baffling."

Jiyong grinned, baring all of his teeth. "Call it the syndrome of being the bratty youngest child."

Boa crossed her arms across her chest. "You can never beat father, Jiyong. No matter how much you try to fight against him, he will have you married to Jung Sooyeon, if not, any other chaebol daughter he can find."

"I'm sure there's a chaebol daughter out there that father could never accept," Jiyong replied jokingly. "That's one I would marry."

 Boa sighed. "I know you have a lot of issues to work out with father, Jiyong, but this really isn't right. You think screwing around with low-class girls and going against his wishes will make you happy in the end?" 

Jiyong laughed under his breath. There was no way she could understand - she was a picture perfect image of what their father wanted: obedient, hardworking, and incredibly intelligent. On the other hand, he was a disappointment to his parents from the moment he was born. The words didn't even sting anymore.

"I don't want to be happy, noona. But if I can't, he can't be happy either."

--------------------------------------------

"The president is busy at the moment, ma'am, maybe if you come back la--"

Jessica stormed past her father's secretary, his words trailing off to a panicked whimper. If her father thought that he had every right to just barge into her life, then she had every right to barge into his.

Shoving her way past a couple of security guards, she finally arrived at the door to her father's office. Without even knocking, she pushed the door open, marching straight into his office.

He glanced up at her calmly, as if he had been expecting her. 

"This is a pleasant surprise, Sooyeon."

"Do not call me that," She snapped, gritting her teeth. "Don't play dumb either. You know why I'm here."

His expression betrayed nothing. "At least take a seat. It's been a while since I've seen my dear daughter's face."

"I'm not here to chat with you, father," Jessica growled. "Suddenly, all of the work schedules I had for tomorrow got canceled. Surely, you know why this happened?"

"Tomorrow's an important day for you."

"What? A goddamn blind date with the youngest son of Kwon Electronics?"

"Language," Her father warned quietly. "Though I would have preferred the eldest son, at this point, I'll take what you can bring in. Kwon Electronics would be a huge ally to our compa--"

"I don't think you understand," She interrupted. "When I left home with no money, that meant I was cutting off all ties with this company. This company has nothing to do with me and everything to do with you, father." 

His expression hardened. "I'd like to think that your mother and I have let you have enough fun."

"This is not about just 'fun'," She said in disbelief. "Is this what you see this as? Some sort of teenage rebellion? I am tired of the way you and mother try to control everything."

"We only want the best for you."

"That's what you said to Yunho-oppa too," She fired back.

An icy silence filled the room for a few seconds, before her father finally decided to reply. "You are not Yunho. You are different from him, I'm sure of it."

"What?"

"Even though Yunho was our family's only son and meant to inherit the company, he wasn't strong enough," He sighed. "You should have been set as the successor from the start."

Jessica's eyes watered in sheer shock and disgust. "How could you ever say something like that? You killed him, you know that!

"Sooyeon-"

"Enough," She cut him off, turning around. "I've been here for far too long. In any case, regardless of what you've done or what you plan to do, I am not going to attend that blind date tomorrow."

"Then you can count on not having any work anymore."

She spun around. "Father!"

"Be good, Sooyeon. You've had your share of fun. Now it's time for you to come back and be good to your mother and I. Understand?"

. everything. 

She did not reply, simply choosing to walk out of his office, slamming the door behind her. 

----------------------------------------------------------

"Seunghyun, you've been so cold to me these days."

Seunghyun looked up from his desk in his office to see Park Bom, a beautiful woman with jet black hair, stalk into the room, her eyes glistening with tears. She was one of the daughters to Aekyung, a middle child just like him, and also his longtime girlfriend. 

"This is my workplace," He remarked sharply. "What are you doing here?"

"Secretary Kim let me in," She responded, before changing topics. "Will you please talk to me? Is there something going on?"

Seunghyun let out a sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose. "I'll talk to you later, Bom. Right now, I have work to do. This is completely inappropiate."

"You always say you have work to do," Bom reminded him, her voice cracking. 

"Bom, if my father sees you here--"

"You are so desperate for your father's approval," Bom said in disbelief, shaking. "Whenever you said you were busy, I always just went along with it. But now, I can't take it anymore. Am I really someone you love, Seunghyun?"

He froze, pausing. "You're someone I cherish, Bom."

"That's not the answer to my question. Do you love me, Seunghyun?"

"Look," He sighed heavily. "Do we have to do this right now? I have a meeting in 30 minutes, Bom. Let's not be childish, okay?"

With a scandalized gasp, Bom slapped him across his cheek hard. 

He fixated a hardened look on her. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Is me asking you to talk about our relationship and your problems 'childish'?" She choked out indignantly. "You're unbelievable, Choi Seunghyun. What happened to you? You weren't always like this."

"And, you weren't either," He responded harshly. "You were a mature woman that knew how to mind her manners, in regards to the location and time. Now, you're just like any other childish, immature woman that grovels for love and attention."

"I can't believe you," She spat out. "If you say anything else, we're over."

"The moment you slapped me, we were already over."

Bom's voice trembled as she let out an angry whisper. "Your father will be furious at you when he finds out you've broken up with me. I'm a daughter of Aekyung, you know."

"So what?" Seunghyun replied casually. "Aekyung is not the only big company in Korea, and these days, their stocks are falling anyway. There's Lotte, Jung, Kwon Electronics, CJE&M..."

Bom wiped tears from her eyes. "You're not affected at all by this. In the end, I was just another factor in you succeeding your father's company, wasn't I?"

Seunghyun paused. "You were a good friend, Bom. I could at least respect the you back then. Now, I can't even give you the tiniest amount of respect from the way you're acting."

"You're never going to find true love, Choi Seunghyun..." Bom said venemously, shaking her head.

"I don't need true love," Seunghyun replied coldly. "What I need is a business partner who's willing to go the end with me."

Bom glared at him one last time, before turning around, and stomping out of the room. 

Moments later, his secretary walked in, speaking timidly.

"Sir, is everything alright?"

Seunghyun waved him off. "Everything is fine. Keep this a secret from my father. I will let him know of everything later."

His secretary bowed.

"Yes, sir."

----------------------------------------------------

A/N: I actually have no idea what the end pairings are going to be. :X This is only an intro. The characters will finally interact in the next chapter.

Thank you for reading though! Any comments are appreciated. :)