Propose

Seok-ho's POV:

I know Soo-min is already waiting for me in the home theater.

It's become our secret haven; a place hidden from prying eyes.

Or so we thought.

I'm almost there, impatient to finally have her in my arms, when...

Bam.

I slam straight into...

"Father?" I choke out, incredulous.

How?

He's supposed to be out of town.

"Looking for a little entertainment?" he asks, smirking.

"Not really," I reply, voice clipped.

"That's a pity." He glances at his phone, then back at me, amused. "She seems really eager waiting for you already."

He tilts the screen of his phone toward me.

Soo-min.

Adjusting her lace lingerie. In the home theater.

My chest tightens.

Hidden cameras? Shit. I should've known.

Tae-Jin opens the door to his office, silently signaling for me to come in.

I can't. I need to warn her first.

"Not even curious about the other videos? I've built quite the collection already," he says, his grin slow and sinister.

I stop mind-step.

"I wonder how many people would enjoy watching the two of you. Very... satisfying content."

The implication is crystal clear.

If I want them deleted, I'll have to make it happen myself.

I glare at him disgusted, furious.

"You expected this to happen long before, didn't you," I sneer, stepping into his office.

"Of course I did," Tae-Jin replies smoothly. "You've always had a weakness for broken things."

"Don't you fucking dare talk about her like that."

Tae-Jin smiles.

Slow, calculated, predatory.

Exactly the reaction he wants from me.

He slaps me.

Then again.

And shoves me back. I stumble, hit the floor with a dull thud. The rage pulses behind my eyes.

Tae-Jin doesn't flinch.

He doesn't need to use brute force often.

Just precision.

And timing.

He knows that his only chance to overpower me is if rage clouds my judgement.

He stands over me. Composed. Precise.

"Now that we've passed the emotional bit," he says, dusting off his sleeve, "let's talk business."

Business. That's all anything ever is to him.

Does he even care about being cheated on? Or had he anticipated this as a possibility, something he could exploit as an opportunity, a weapon?

"So," he muses. "What should I ask of you... as compensation?"

He feigns thought.

"There's a corporate partner I want to align with. His daughter is Korean too but lives abroad. What about marrying her?"

"No."

"Let me finish. If you go there, you'll be your own man. I want to expand the company there. You'll be the head. Full autonomy. Build your own kingdom, far from my control."

It's so clear. He wants me out of the picture.

"Still no."

"Well... If you don't take this deal, I'll have no choice but to disown you."

"Do it."

He leans in.

"Would you really give up all your dreams... for her?"

"I can't give up what I never wanted," I say quietly. "I never cared about being your heir. I stayed because I had nothing worth fighting for. But now I do."

He narrows his eyes.

"You think she'll still choose you without your name or wealth? You think I can't tempt her?"

He places two contracts on the table between us.

"You choose now. Without knowing her answer.

And once you decide, there's no turning back."

I either leave this house because of a marriage...

Or because I've been disowned.

That bastard.

Without hesitation, I make my choice.

A flicker of disappointment crosses his face.

Not that he hadn't prepared for this possibility. He simply hoped he wouldn't have to face it.

I sign it...

giving up everything.

No money.

No name.

No protection.

"Now get out of my house."

I don't move.

Instead, I step closer, locking eyes with him.

"Not until I know she's safe from you."

His smile doesn't falter.

"I'm afraid you have no right to be here anymore," he says smoothly.

And suddenly, two men grab me from behind.

Bodyguards? Seriously?

I plant my feet firmly.

I don't budge.

Solid. Calm. Unshaken.

They try to drag me back, but I don't move an inch.

A flicker of frustration flashes through his eyes before he leans closer, voice low and mocking.

"Don't worry so much.

I'm not planning to hurt her.

I'm planning something far more... enjoyable."

He flashes something in front of my face.

Something that makes my stomach drop.

Something that cracks my steady calm.

Soo-min's POV:

I have been waiting for Seok-ho for more than an hour now.

Where is he already?

Surely nothing bad could have happened… After all, it's just the two of us.

I'm just about to go look for him when…

The door creaks open.

Finally.

I can't wait to feel him again. I'm so wound up, I'm already wet just thinking about his touch.

Without hesitation, I throw myself into his arms.

Only to realize it's not Seok-ho.

It's Tae-Jin.

"What a pleasant surprise," he murmurs, eyes raking over me.

I mask my shock and try to play along, but I'm already trembling.

He moves behind me. His body brushes mine, fingers grazing my skin. A kiss on my neck.

I stay still.

His hand slips beneath the lace.

"So wet already," he breathes.

I can't stand his touch.

I can't keep pretending.

What happened to Seok-ho?

Panic tightens in my chest.

"I need to tell you something," I say, bracing myself.

What will he do to me if he finds out? How will he punish me?

I turn over,

and freeze.

He's kneeling there, holding out a massive diamond ring.

"Marry me," he whispers.

The air shifts.

I force a laugh. "Stop messing around."

"I'm serious," he says. "Be my wife. Publicly. Irrevocably."

I freeze.

"I can't marry you," I say, my voice surprisingly even. "I haven't been honest with you. I haven't been faithful."

The silence between us thickens.

Then he just nods.

"I know," he says calmly. "And yet, here I am."

"Why?"

"Because I know what the world is really like. I know your past. And I know you're still desperate to feel safe."

"How…?"

"I knew from the start. I thought maybe you'd be desperate enough to become what I needed. Obedient. Grateful. A good girl."

He pauses.

"But you're not just that. You're the first person I've ever tolerated at my side."

I breathe out. Calm. Steady.

"So, I will let it slide this last time. I will demand full loyalty and devotion from you in the future. In exchange, I promise you everything you want. Protection, the freedom to do as you desire."

An incredible offer. It was everything I ever wanted. My old self would have craved it. My old self would have never believed I could get this far.

My answer and the calm certainty behind it shocked even myself.

"I won't share my body or my heart. My love belongs to one person; Seok-ho. Only him."

The silence grows thick.

Not from fear.

From conviction.

Tae-Jin's mask cracks, just for a second.

Control slips.

"Love," he sneers, spitting the word like it offends him.

"What the fuck is love worth?" Tae-Jin sneers. "Do you think love itself can save you? Can he protect you, provide for you, without the power of my name?"

He shows me the contract. Both of their signatures scrawled at the bottom, disowning his own son.

"He's a nobody now," Tae-Jin says coldly. "Would you still choose him?"

I don't look away.

A few weeks ago, I would've chosen Tae-Jin without a second thought. It made sense. It was safe. Strategic.

But now I know better. Seok-ho showed me the things I truly want—what I truly need—have nothing to do with money.

"I don't need anything from you," I demand.

His jaw tightens.

"If you walk out of this house, you are dead to me. I don't care how hard you beg, how much you cry. Iwill never take you back."

I don't falter.

For the first time,

I don't feel like a victim.

I feel powerful.

For the first time, I'm not driven by what I'm running from, but by what I'm running toward.

And if the world burns behind us.

So be it.