The dimly lit conference room reeked of cigar smoke and old money.
Heavy curtains blocked out the late afternoon sun, casting long shadows across the polished mahogany table where two families sat, facing each other like opposing kings on a chessboard.
Chung Subin slouched in her seat, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the swirling pattern in her coffee cup.
The entire atmosphere of the room irritated her—too much cologne, too many fake smiles, and the suffocating weight of a decision she had no say in.
At the head of the table, her father, Chung Dohyeok, leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lazily against his glass of whiskey.
"It’s simple," he said, voice smooth yet commanding. "Our families have been at each other’s throats for years. Blood spilled, businesses sabotaged.
We’ve made our point." He tilted his head towards the man sitting across from him—Lee Taejun, the ruthless patriarch of the Lee family. "But now, the underworld is shifting. We need unity, not war."
Lee Taejun nodded, his sharp gaze flicking between the two figures seated beside him: his heir, Lee Hyeri, and his wife, a silent but watchful presence.
Hyeri, of course, was barely pretending to listen. A bored smirk played on her lips, fingers lazily tapping against the table as if waiting for the real entertainment to begin.
"And what better way to seal an alliance than through marriage?" Lee Taejun’s words rang out like a death sentence.
Subin finally looked up, her expression unreadable. "Marriage?" she repeated, voice flat.
Hyeri, ever the dramatic one, let out a low chuckle. "Oh, come on, darling. You say it like it's a bad thing."
Subin shot her a glare that could have frozen hell over. "I would rather set myself on fire than play house with you."
Hyeri clutched her chest in mock offense. "You wound me." She leaned closer, the scent of her expensive perfume invading Subin’s space.
"But if you want to be on top that badly, I won’t complain."
Subin’s jaw clenched. "Shut up."
Their fathers exchanged knowing glances. Dohyeok sighed, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "This isn’t about what you want, Subin."
His tone brooked no argument. "It’s about what’s best for the family."
"And let’s be honest," Lee Taejun added smoothly. "You two are the most capable of your generation.
You’ll run the business together one day, whether you like it or not. A united front will make us untouchable."
Subin exhaled sharply, leaning back into her chair. She knew there was no getting out of this.
The power dynamics of their world didn’t allow for personal desires.
Hyeri, on the other hand, looked completely at ease, as if she had been expecting this all along.
She reached out, plucking a grape from the fruit bowl at the center of the table, her manicured nails gleaming under the dim light. "Well," she mused, popping the grape into her mouth, "I guess we should start planning the honeymoon."
Subin shut her eyes briefly, resisting the urge to throttle her.
This was going to be hell.
—
YOU ARE READING
Heaven and Back
FanfictionThe night Seoul bled, the war should have ended. For years, the Chung and Lee families had been locked in a brutal feud-rival syndicates clawing for control over the city's underworld. Deals were burned, alliances shattered, and bodies piled up in t...
