"Yoongi?" Areum breathed, ignoring the introductions.

The glass of whisky in Yoongi's hand stilled. He didn't look shocked; he looked... weary, as if the gold leaf on the walls was finally starting to peel in his mind. "I wondered when I'd see the 'Princess of Aura' in her natural habitat."

"You knew?"

"My father is the Chairman's oldest friend. I've heard about the 'rebel daughter' for years," Yoongi shrugged, his dark eyes locking onto hers with a sudden, sharp clarity. "I just didn't realise the rebel made such a decent espresso."

The silence that followed was deafening.

Chairman Park's hand tightened on Areum's shoulder, his "Great Leader" mask cracking. He looked from his daughter to Yoongi, then to Chairman Min. "Espresso? Yoongi, what on earth are you talking about?"

Chairman Min, usually a man of granite-like composure, blinked in genuine confusion. "Yoongi... you know Areum? Since when have you taken an interest in coffee shops?"

"Since I found the only place in Seoul where people don't bow when I walk in," Yoongi said smoothly, his eyes never leaving Areum's.

"You've been going to her cafe?" Chairman Park's voice rose an octave, his protective instincts clashing with his business mind. "You've been... sitting there? In that little shop? While I was sitting here worrying if she had enough customers to pay the rent?"

Before the fathers could spiral into a full interrogation, a voice boomed from behind them, desperate and high-pitched. "Areum? What are you doing here?"

It was Hoseok. He was there with his father, looking polished and frantic. But as he looked at the grouping—Areum stood between the two most powerful Chairmen in the country, with Yoongi acting as her silent observer—the blood drained from his face. He realised in a heartbeat that his family's "franchise empire" was a grain of sand compared to the mountain she sat upon.

"Areum... I didn't realise you were... I mean, regarding our last chat, I think there was a misunderstanding about the acquisition—"

"There was no misunderstanding, Hoseok," Areum said. She felt her father's presence behind her—a literal mountain of influence—and for the first time, she used it. Her voice was cold as ice. "You wanted to buy me out. But the truth is, you can't afford me."

Hoseok sputtered, his eyes darting to the two Chairmen, who were both now glaring at him for interrupting a much more interesting family scandal. He looked to Yoongi for support, but Yoongi just took a slow, mocking sip of his drink.

"You heard the lady," Yoongi muttered. "You're blocking the view. And frankly? You're ruining the roast."

Hoseok's father, realising the magnitude of his son's blunder, practically dragged him away by the arm.

"Now," Chairman Park whispered, leaning in toward Areum, his voice a mix of awe and fatherly suspicion. "Would someone like to explain how a Min and a Park have been sharing coffee behind my back for months?"