"that's your cheque," jiah nods at his voice, picking up the envelope from the table and takes a deep breath, opening it only a little to peek inside at the amount, making sure that she wasn't being cheated on. although, when she looks at the words scribbled in jimin's messy handwriting, which although isn't that difficult to read, her eyes widen in shock.

"this is—"

"it's for you," jimin says casually, nodding his head to show that he means what he said and wrote on the cheque. "i cannot pay you enough, jiah. ever. this is nothing."

jiah looks down, shaking her head and places the envelope on the table again, "if you think you can call me here throw your money at my face and i'll be all happy and fall for you again, then you're one hell of a man, park jimin."

"again?" jimin catches one word that interests him, ignoring the rest that are full of insult and anger, "so you admit that you did fall for me, at least at some point?" he smiles to himself, loosening his necktie and unbuttons his coat, stepping forward into jiah's space. "do you want more, baby?"

jiah glares at him, grabbing fistful of his neat shirt's fabric and pulls him face to face directly, gritting out in anger, "stop showing me your true colors, okay? from the very beginning i've told you that i'm not—"

"i'm sorry," jimin hushes out, snaking his hands on his waist, "hit me if you want. curse all you want, jiah. but please don't leave... i've been waiting to see you and make things better between us. i love you."

"you don't." jiah tries pushing his hands away, but they stay firm on her waist, and that bugs her more than it should. her brows scrunch in horror, staring up at the man for a second before gathering all of her strength and pushes him back. "don't touch me!" she shouts, breathing heavily with tears forming in her eyes as she slaps him hard, even going to throw a punch, but a knock on the door, stops her in time.

"jiah—"

"mr park?" it's his new secretary, jiah knows that voice. "may i come in?"

"what is it?! i told you not to disturb me!" jimin roars at the door that's still closed and silence takes over. the girl probably went away.

jiah takes a deep breath, blinking a few times holding her head, suddenly all the bad memories flooding her mind and it gets too hard to keep herself together. "fuck you mr park," she mutters, rubbing her eyes and turns to look at him, "is this what you wanted to do? call me here, give me— give me money... and if i refuse you'll... just— why? you don't love me, okay? get that thought out of your head this very instant... this is not love..." she hushes out at the end, wiping her tears with trembling hands.

"god, why are you guys like this? what did i ever do to you?" she mutters, "keep your money, your name and power and whatever..."

"jiah, listen to me. it's not what you're thinking. why would i hurt you, baby? i love you." jimin pleads instantly, holding her hand to stop her from walking out, "please, just listen to me. i didn't want it to go like this. i'd never hurt you, it's a misunderstanding—"

"stop." jiah whispers tiredly, clutching her bag and steps towards the door, but again jimin holds her hand and gets in front of her. his own eyes hold tears for some reason and features showing an extremely guilty expression. he gets down on his knees and jiah frowns, moving back. "don't—"

"i'm sorry if i hurt you. i never wanted to do that." he confesses, "i'm really sorry, jiah. i just want us to go back to how we used to be. you don't wanna work here again, fine. i get that, i was an asshole to you. and i do understand that you're mad at me. you have every right to be. but please, don't leave like this.... don't hate me... i just, i just want you with me. i love you..."

jiah stares at him, too tired to argue at this point and tilts her head, looking at him, "will you let me go if i do this too? cry and get on my knees and beg you until you're satisfied? you offered me a hundred mil—" she scoffs, cutting herself off and shakes her head, "and you call this love? where did you buy it, mr park? isn't love too cheap for you? a hundred million and you call that love?"

"it's not about money, y'know it." jimin sighs, "i don't care how much i've to spend. if i've to give up this whole empire for you, jiah, i will... if i get to be with you, then i will give up everything with no regrets, and i mean it."

"really?" jiah looks amused.

"you can try me." he promises, getting up and tries to hold her again. this time jiah doesn't protest, but stays stiff in her shoes, not reciprocating anything either.

"fine," she nods, "leave this office. this building. this work. all your cars and servants and whatever kind of luxury you have. you want me, come have me at the position i am."

"i will," jimin accepts it like a challenge, taking of his necktie and coat right there. the rolex on his wrist and the expensive phone, he hands it all to her. jiah looks at his belongings, gulping a little and jimin makes her look up again, leaning down for a kiss, as for what she thinks. but he stops just in time and whispers, "i'll show you that i'm playing around. i love you, and i'll do anything for you."

"we'll see," jiah rolls her eyes, pushing his chest as she walks past him, "give up your card too, jimin."

hearing his name from her, jimin stays put in his shoes, his heart doing the familiar flip inside his chest for he sees some hope, if he can come clean and make things right by this one chance he's given. jiah, on the other hand, suddenly regrets her demand. she doesn't like jimin's behaviour for sure, and feels like ruining everything he has but that doesn't justify what she asked him to do. and on second thoughts, if he is actually able to survive like this, it'll be a problem for her.

groaning to herself and hating herself for being so impulsive, she walks down the stairs, not taking elevator and barges in namjoon's office without a knock again. this time she's at least ten times more stressed than before and stops only when she's right in front of his desk. ignoring her son, she leans over the table, taking him by surprise, "what happened? are you okay?" he frowns.

"no." she mumbles, "i fucked up very bad. well, technically jimin fucked up first, and then i followed... with a stupid demand..."

"demand? what— what did you guys do?"

"well, fight for one." she sighs, "he was offering me money to return back here, to him. but i refused then he grabbed me, and wouldn't let go, that made me mad—"

"he did what?" namjoon stands up, "let me go smack the shit out of him—"

"oppa, relax i did it." she assures, "just listen to me, you can do whatever once i'm gone. he said he didn't mean it and said that he would do anything for me. so, i might've— out of anger! asked him to leave this company and his luxuries and—"

"don't tell me he agreed..." namjoon gawks at jiah with wide eyes, getting a nervous look from her she nods slowly, "god! why's this generation so impulsive! jiah, you want revenge and stuff, i get that. but not like this, kiddo. this is wrong, he's not the only one in this company. there are like thousands of employees working under him. if he leaves like this we're gonna have a big loss and then what about those people?"

"i'm sorry..." jiah mumbles, "i just said it out of anger. i didn't know he'd agree... what do i do now?"

"well, go talk to him."

"no, not again." jiah shakes her head, "but is it really that bad? don't you think he'll just give up when he doesn't find comfort in the normal life...?"

namjoon sighs deeply, massaging his temples and shrugs his shoulders, "hopefully. what are you doing now?"

"i wanna drink..." jiah gulps, "i feel like i messed up, but then a part of me is like, no he fucked up first and he deserves it. he's the reason i went through so much and now it's his turn!"

namjoon shakes his head and steps closer, patting her shoulder with a gentle hand, "i don't know what to say to you. take jihun and go, i guess. i'll try talking to jimin. that guy's really not thinking these days."

"i know right?" jiah rolls her eyes, suddenly looking straight up at him and smiles nervously, "is jungkook at home? can he, like hangout with me a little bit?"

namjoon stares at her, taken aback by the request for he didn't expect her to ever ask him about his brother, who apparently a few weeks back was the biggest jerk she knew. it's cute the way she asks for permission, like kids do to their friends' parents to send their friend to play with them in the park. he chuckles softly, nodding his head and pulls out his phone, dialling his brother's number without a second thought, "hey, bun. where are you right now?"

"home," jungkook yawns, "please don't tell me that i've to come get you or anything..."

"no, not me. but you do have to come. your friend is here and she wants to hangout with you."

"she...?" jungkook sounds confused, then gasps suddenly, "jiah? she's there? and she said she wants to hangout with me?"

"yeah, are you free?"

"i am. but why didn't she text me then?"

"i don't know that, kid. you can ask her that later. but she's here right now in my office with jihun and kinda wants to see you."

"you're the best, hyung." jungkook grins on the line, "i love you so much! tell her i'm on my way."

"you never love me so much on regular days." namjoon teases.

"i do, i do. i just don't say it. now hang up, i have to drive. bye."

"alright, drive safely." namjoon hums before hanging up and turns to jiah, "he's coming."

"thank you," she smiles at him, "jungkook isn't as bad as i thought he was earlier. first impression aren't always the last impressions, i guess?"

"true," namjoon chuckles, patting her side, "at least you guys are getting along. he's a nice boy, and really gives in all of himself for people he loves. but still, if he misbehaves, don't hesitate to tell me."

jiah laughs at that, nodding her head and carries jihun up in her arms. the boy isn't crying anymore but instantly lifts up his hand to grab her top again. jiah's about to say something, but then he doesn't pull or ask for anything and is busy looking at the buttons, reminding that he's still just two and wouldn't remember holding grudges or anything.

"let's go, jungkook is coming to get us. we're gonna hangout with him now." jiah smiles at jihun, getting a smile in return before he turns to quickly wave at namjoon.

"bye-bye!"

"bye, jihun. let's meet up again, okay?" namjoon says, shaking hands with the baby, making him giggle. "and be a good boy, your mamma's already having a hard time these days."

jiah smiles at that, shrugging her shoulders and waves at namjoon, "bye, oppa. thank you for looking after jihun while i was busy and sorry for the stupid thing i did."

"don't worry about it. go and have fun." namjoon smiles.

jiah takes her leave after that, waiting for the elevator, which takes too long for some reason. after waiting for almost two-three minutes, she overhears a guard talking about an electric fault due to which the elevators have stopped working. "great!" jiah mutters, heading to the stairs and puts jihun down on his feet, holding his hand, "let's do some exercise today."

jihun quickly starts walking down the steps, although he's slow with his tiny legs and need to maintain his body balance while jiah follows next to him, smiling at how cute he is. she gets down on the first level, opening her arms and claps for her son to get down to her quickly. jihun squeals in excitement, trying his best to run into her arms, but it still takes him a while. when he gets to hug his mother, he's so happy that he claps for himself and kisses her before getting ready to walk down another flight of stairs.

"excuse me, miss. can you please hold your kid?" a man, breathing heavily, asks. jiah, with a frown, lifts jihun up and arches up a brow. "mr kim is arriving, he doesn't like to wait. i'm sorry, please get aside."

"mr kim?" jiah's eyes widen with the realisation that the man probably refers to taehyung's cocky ass. and she's proved right when the man pushes her back with a firm arm like a bodyguard to taehyung. "excuse me? i have a child with me!" jiah snaps at him, rubbing jihun's back as he hugs her tightly.

"mamma..."

"what are you doing?" it's taehyung who speaks now, glaring at the man and pulls him away from jiah and his son, "is that how you deal with a woman and a child? apologize to her."

the man looks down, "i'm sorry, sir." he says to him first then bows to jiah, "i'm sorry, ma'am."

jiah sighs softly and nods, "just be careful next time." she says, about to leave when taehyung steps in front of her, and cups her face, his eyes scanning her from head to toe, "are you okay? and is jihun okay?"

"daddy," jihun mumbles, leaning towards him, getting gasps from the men around them and jiah as well. she holds jihun back, looking away and shakes her head.

"i gotta go—"

"we can go and talk in private." taehyung declares, motioning his hands for his guards and managers to go, while he leads jiah to an empty office, which for a weird reason belongs to taehyung. do ambassadors get an office too?

"you don't have to act like that, taehyung." jiah massages her temples, staring at her son who's already in taehyung's arms, hugging him and playing with him.

"do what? that man pushed you and you had jihun with you. do you think me, or any other man, wouldn't react?"

"keep reacting then." she grits out, holding jihun's hand, trying to get him to come to her, "let's go, ji. we've to be somewhere, right?"

"where?" taehyung asks, then glances at the clock, "the sun's about to set, baby. you should go home now. it's not safe for you and jihun to be out till late."

"i know what's right for us and what's not. stop pretending to care." jiah snaps at him, getting a strict glare which gives away that taehyung doesn't like her tone of voice. it makes her quiet down, and she hates how he has so much power over her.

taehyung steps closer to her, hand gradually sliding up her arm and circles to cup the side of her neck, his thumb caressing her jaw gently. "listen to me, princess. when i say i know what's good for you and our son, i mean it. and you've seen it yourself, everytime i said something wasn't right for you and you didn't listen to me, you've ended up getting hurt." he says softly, his voice nearly hypnotic with that depth of the ocean and calmness like the one before a storm.

leaving jihun to play around, taehyung smiles softly at jiah, circling her waist and leans down, "i'm sorry if i overreacted," he says, stroking her waist with light grazes, sending shivers up her spine. it hits jiah's head then, how weak she is and has always been in front of taehyung, she just slapped jimin and almost punched him when he tried to do the same thing. she has even kicked jungkook before, but somehow when it comes to taehyung her body just doesn't know how to react.

it's ridiculous how his touch feels safe and the sense of belonging that takes over jiah's mind when it's his voice commanding her soul, despite that one tiny whisper from a dark corner of her brain that she should push him away and not give in to his manipulative nature like this. but he's so good. "ah..." jiah's eyes snap open, arching her back in his hold when she feels him sucking on her neck, not even realising when he got there. she's panting too, and feels her lips and jaw hot with his saliva.

he kissed her and she gave in.

"taehyung..." she breathes out, "stop,"

"hm? you don't like it, baby?"

"jus—just stop, please." a tear drops from her eyes, "i can't do this again..."

"do what again? you love me, baby, and you know it too." he chuckles, kissing her cheek and turns her around, although he keeps her in a back hug and gestures towards their son, who has opened all the drawers within his reach and taken out eveything he could. "he's the proof that you love me. stop denying it, jiah. i can keep you so happy, just how you deserve. like my princess."

jiah shuts her eyes, tears rolling down her face and taehyung watches her with his dark eyes, tilting his head to lean closer to her cheek and starts kissing the tears away. "i love you, and it's only me who can ever make you feel better." he whispers into her ear, biting her ear lobe lightly and tugs on the skin just enough to get a reaction, which jiah gives, shutting her eyes again, shrinking in her shoes, "such a good girl. see? all i had to do was kiss you and you're being so good in my hands."

"mamma shad?" jihun's voice makes her flinch, dropping more tears out of helplessness. taehyung turns her to face him, pulling her in his chest and smiles at their toddler.

"no, buddy. mamma just missed daddy a little."

"mamma mishin' daddy?" jihun looks at them, and taehyung nods, rubbing jiah's back as she struggles to hold herself together, crying into the fabric of his shirt, holding him tightly against her will. "mamma... no' cwy..." the two-year-old mumbles, sticking to jiah's legs.

"yeah," taehyung hums, "stop crying, mamma." he chuckles teasingly, pulling away and wipes jiah's tears, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose. "please don't cry anymore. you look so gorgeous smiling."

"i hate you for doing this to me, taehyung..." she mumbles, breathing a bit heavy, staring at him with bloodshot eyes and lip quivering, "why do you do this...? you say you love me then why?" she hushes out.

"i do love you." he assures, cupping her face, "i just have to deal with you like this sometimes to get you to listen. you're so tough, that it scares me that you won't ever need me in your life. i want you to need me, even if it's a little bit... i don't wanna lose you and jihun."

"so you do this?" she can only whisper, tired with herself and this everyday struggle taehyung puts forth for her.

"i'm sorry," he looks down, "but i love you. i can't help it."

"what if i say no, tae? what if i don't let you—"

"you wouldn't do that," taehyung smiles sadly for her, stepping closer again until their noses are touching, "we both know you never moved on from me. and i want you to crave me just as much as i crave you."

_________

a/n- okay, like i promised here's an update! now u have to make sure that u vote and leave a comment for me 😌👍 i hope u enjoy the book so far, keep reading thank you 💜💜💜💜