^^ MIN HO^^

Two days later, Shanshan went back to work, looking a bit better, but that didn't lessen my worry for her. I discovered that Mark is in the country to persuade her to go back to her family. I was thinking that it's a bit impossible for him to force her back. Shanshan already has a stable life in Korea and running her own business, but with how powerful her family is, her parents will do everything to get her back. And her ex-fiance is even giving her a short time to think about it. If she leaves with him, how about us and the gallery?

"Mr. President!" Miss Kim called as I passed by the counter while doing some errands for Shanshan. "The CEO has a mail."

"Thank you. I'll give it to her."

As soon as I entered the office, I held out the letter to her.

"Where is it from?" Shanshan asked, not not minding to lift her head while busy writing on her table.

Judging from the stamp, I immediately knew that it was from her family. "New York."

"Throw it away," she said coldly, still focusing on her task.

I sighed. This has been the fourth mail sent by Shanshan's family for this year but she never opened any of them. "Okay," I mumbled before walking towards the bin. Before I could throw the letter away, I noticed the name of the sender. This time, it wasn't her father. It's from her youngest 18-year old stepbrother and was sent two days ago. I glanced at my busy superior before curiosity took over me, my hands quietly ripping the cover and unfolding the letter.

I'm writing you a letter coz I know that my mom has access to my phone.

Daddy is very ill.

He asked me to send you a file, but Mom took it away from me. Recently, she's acting differently. I can't help being suspicious.

Come home with Mark and help me find the file. Daddy said it's a very important file. I'm sure it's hidden somewhere.

P.S. You can trust Mark.

-Roger

"Her stepmother..." I unconsciously crumpled the paper in my hand before shutting my eyes with exhaustion, processing the information I had just read. Something's odd. Something's wrong. It's a good thing that I didn't throw it right away. "However... if I let her know..."

"Yo." Someone spoke from the office door, snapping me out of my senses.

"Jungkook!" Shanshan blurted out. "You startled me."

I turned around to see Jungkook entering the office with a plastic bag while grinning. As usual, he wore the same black-colored outfit from his bonet to his boots, with only his wavy hair that was newly dyed into gold. It was like he was mourning for someone every day.

He gave me a short bow, and I did too before he turned to his best friend.

"What are those?" Shanshan leaned back on her chair with her arms crossed, obviously distracted by her best friend's presence.

"Mom cooked a lot of food for you. Kimchi fried rice, kimchi stew, oh- bulgogi... and samgyeopsal. I also brought red ginseng." He stated while spreading the lunchboxes on the table.

"Whoa. But why so many?" She leaned in to check on them.

"I'm worried about your health, so I asked eomma to cook meals for you. You don't seem to be eating your meals and you look like you're losing weight. Or am I the only one who thinks you're getting thin?" Jungkook turned to me and pointed at her. "She seems to be getting thin, right, hyung?"

Just then, I realized that I was just watching at them while being stuck in my position. "Y-yeah," I stuttered and nodded repeatedly. "Even right now, Ma'am Lee looks sick."

"Could this be the right time I should ask her to tell us her secret? We could at least have a heart-to-heart talk about it."

"What do you mean I'm sick? I'm feeling completely fine! Min Ho, what is that thing you are holding?" Shanshan immediately asked after clearing her throat, trying to divert the conversation about her.

I was caught. "N-nothing," I answered nervously, quickly hiding the letter behind my back, however raising suspicion from the two instead.

"It's probably something," Jungkook chuckled and teasingly approached me.

"It's n-nothing." I stepped back to avoid him, still gripping the letter behind me.

"Omo. This is the first time you're lying to me," Shanshan clapped and stood to join her friend in trapping me. They were both amused to know what it was, not knowing what the paper really contained.

"Come on! What are you hiding?"

I knew I shouldn't keep it from them. What's the point of not telling her anyway? Before they pushed me further into the corner of the office, I gave in and quietly held out my trembling hand with the letter on it.

Shanshan gave me a puzzled before she snatched it from me and started to open the crumpled paper, her eyebrows furrowing as she read in silence.

"I'm sorry. Ma'am. I... I can't help it. I got curious!" I said and quickly bowed for an apology. I waited for a response, but she just stood there still gawking at the paper.

"What are you apologizing for?" Jungkook took the paper from her shaking hands and started to mumble the words as he read.

^^ SHANSHAN ^^

"A file...? What is in that important file?"

Sudden questions flooded my mind after reading the letter. "And why did Mona hide it?"

"What?!" Min Ho and I both jumped as Jungkook finished reading. "Even your brother is telling you to go home? Heck, for his info, you're already home. You belong here! Korea is your home." Jungkook commented on the letter before compressing it into a ball and throwing it with complete annoyance, the paper hitting the trash bin instead. "Your family is really trying to do everything to take you, but I won't let that happen!"

Jungkook. He's too focused on the 'going home' part that he wasn't interested in the file mentioned in the letter.

My parents were demanding for me to go home and save their company while Roger wanted me to retrieve an important document. "Why would my stepmother take the file away? Is there something about the file that she doesn't want me to know? Can I trust my little brother?" Now things are getting complicated. It's giving me a headache. I sighed and slumped my shoulders, looking at Min Ho, whose eyes were still on the ground, feeling guilty for what he did. I was glad that he didn't listen to me when I told him to throw the letter away.

"Hey. Stop thinking much about it," Jungkook suddenly spoke, poking a finger on my chest to distract me from my thoughts. "As long as your best friend is here, no one can force you to leave Korea."

"JI HYO!"

We all looked towards the door, spotting Mark, who still looked good-looking and dashing despite the beads of sweat flowing on his neck while panting to catch his breath. Judging from his sporty outfit, he must have been playing golf with a business partner before rushing here.

"Whatever your concern is, I'm not interested." I coldly said, already irritated by the issues coming from my family and seeing the face of the man I objected to marry.

He didn't listen as he approached us with a dreadful look in the face. "Your father is dead. He... he just died an hour ago."

"Huh?" An unexpected gasp slipped out of my mouth.

"We must hurry back. All close friends and business associates must be there to pay tribute to him. You are his only child. You must go with me."

"D-dead?" The word kept ringing in my head as Mark spoke. I didn't know what to say while Mark's words processed in my mind.

While waiting for the whole moment to sink in, Jungkook stepped in front of him, reaching his arm behind to protect me. "No one's going with you."

The other man furrowed his eyebrows.

"His father is dead right now. It is her responsibility as a family member to go and mourn for her dead loved one," Mark answered, looking intensely at him.

"He's not a loved one to her. For ten years he was never her father!" Jungkook snarled. I felt a tight grasp on my wrist as he moved back closer to me. "You can go ahead and bury her father without her. She is not going to New York."

"Ji Hyo... we should go," Mark softly called at me.

"I said she's not going to New York!"

Mark's eyes flickered with anger, already giving in his patience. His face even turned redder as he faced my best friend. "You have no right to decide for her!"

"I have the right! I am her bestfriend and family! And marrying her? You can't!"

It was the first time I saw him trying to speak for me, but I didn't understand why he was so mad now.

"Stay out of this if you do not want your life to be ruined! Just because you have fame doesn't mean you can stop her family from doing what they want for her."

"Doing what they want for her??!" Jungkook moved forward to him, while protectively dragging me behind him. "What do you think is Lee Shanshan to you? She has her own life, she has the right to decide for her own life! She is not a puppet nor a machine!"

Min Ho stepped between them and tried to calm them down, separating the two from the intense pressure building up. "Gentlemen, please don't fight. We are in an office right now."

But neither of them didn't listen. I was just there, frozen in my toes while I watched them exchange harsh words on each other. I didn't know what to do. My mind was still in a puzzle after hearing the news of my father's death. I felt heavy inside. I shouldn't feel sad for the death of the one who harmed someone's family and plotted murder against their dad, but I couldn't help getting mournful for my own father's death.

Suddenly, Jungkook loosened his grip on me, making me lose my balance from vulnerability. I didn't notice that the atmosphere between the two men already escalated. I was pushed to the ground and gasped with shock when Jungkook threw a punch on my ex-fiance's face.

"Jungkook!"

Mark groaned, stumbling backward with surprise while he touched his face.

I looked at Jungkook, whose face was already painted red and madness taking over him. "You plotted her father's death just to force her to go back! You're just luring her to go to New York! Stop using her for your companies' sake!"

"What? How dare you say that!" Mark returned him a punch. "If you only knew, I love her, and I care for her! I don't have any intention of pushing her into slavery or what just because her parents asked me to marry her!"

"Mark? He has feelings for me?"

"Lies!" Jungkook pushed him on the wall with the things on the shelves crashing on the floor while they fought.

"Please stop it!" Min Ho panicked, but during their fight, they ignored him. Min Ho went to me instead and helped me avoid the two while they fought, punching each other with rage.

Looking at the two hurting each other, I wanted to scream and yell for them to stop, but my body felt numb, and my lips only quivered a squeak.

Both of them fell on the ground, rolling on the tiled floor and only stopping when Jungkook climbed over Mark and grabbed him by the collar. "LEE JI HYO SUFFERED A LOT IN NEW YORK! IF YOU LOVE HER, THEN LEAVE HER ALONE FOR HER SAFETY'S SAKE! Just go back alone and don't get her involved in your company's awful schemes!"

Just before he could give him another punch, I shouted, loud enough for him to hear.

"JUNGKOOK STOP!"

^^. . ^^

^^ I have to finish the story fast before the school year starts 08- 19- 21^^

^^ Haaaaaa... it's already our first week for the first semester... I just finished this chapter today T_T 08/27/21 ^^

^^ Please root for my other story "Her Gangster Twin" ^^