Prepare your popcorn. Here's the scene you were waiting eagerly for. Enjoy the 7k+ chapter! 

525.

Hye-Jin walked into the familiar restaurant with her head held high. Her white pencil skirt and blazer made it appear as if she was here for a business meeting. But it was her casual look. No matter where she went, Hye-Jin always looked sophisticated and dressed to the nines. It was one of the early lessons she received as a teenager when she was being introduced to this society's lifestyle.

"Always dress for the occasion," her coach would say. "Oftentimes our appearance is what decides how others would treat us. So always dress to look the part no matter what your mood is."

And the second lesson was to hide one's vulnerability. It was important to hide one's weakness and make themselves appear stronger or impassive. Because the others always tried to look for a weakness and prey on it.

That was why when she met Jungkook, she thought he needed more polishing. He was too naive in her eyes as he was. While it was a good personality trait in some ways, in a cut throat world such as hers, he would be mauled mercilessly in a matter of minutes.

There was still ample time left for Jimin to arrive, but she reserved it earlier so she could formulate her thoughts and hopefully hurt her emotions. Jimin was a gentleman no doubt. He was always soft spoken to her and never raised his voice on any occasion even if he didn't agree with her. But when emotions were involved, anything could happen and she was way too hurt to act cool.

It wasn't a pleasant place to be. Growing up, Hye-Jin always had whatever she wanted in life. Even if their marriage was arranged by their parents, she found love and was considered to be blessed to have mated a loyal husband. Jaehyun respected her and their marriage. He was a dutiful husband and an even better father.

While Hye-Jin couldn't have asked for more in her life, she sometimes felt lacking as a mother. Sending Jimin off to the boarding school wasn't easy. She missed him dearly but it was the custom of their families to send their children away for studies. The goal was to raise them as independent as possible and make them responsible for their own lives. It was also a matter of honor and pride among the elite families.

Hye-Jin believed it was when the gap between her and Jimin began to widen. Her son was slowly drifting away from her and there was nothing she could do about it. When he sought after her mate, she thought it was only natural for the boys to go to their father for most of the things.

However, soon, she began to feel left out in most of the things. Jimin came over for dinner almost every weekend after he moved out of their family home. He went to visit her often and always answered her calls. Jimin was a responsible son, but her only worry was that he wasn't a responsible mate material.

No. She never understood why her son chose the path he did. Her husband's face would crumble with concern whenever she talked about it and he would tell her that Jimin will find his way back. It was only a matter of time.

But it had been a decade. Hye-Jin had almost grown numb, but it still hurt to see him with a different omega every week-opposite of how his father was. So she naturally began to blame herself for his upbringing. Maybe she should have educated him better and taught him about relationships and commitments.

She tried to indirectly set him up for blind dates with omegas from her circle, but nothing worked. Jimin outright refused saying he wasn't interested or told her that he was with someone.

When she went to Jaehyun, it was as a last resort. The gossip stopped and Jimin broke up with the model he was seeing. When she didn't see any news about him for weeks, she dared to take some comfort and hoped that her mate's talk had worked on him.

Only Hye-Jin didn't think something huge must have happened. She thought there were no secrets between her and Jaehyun. Her mate looked like a kicked puppy this morning and her heart ached to see him like that but her hurt was still overwhelming. She wasn't ready to even think of forgiving him just yet.

The restaurant manager greeted her and led her to the private room she always used. He stood obediently waiting for her command as she took a seat.

"I'm waiting for my son," she said. "Just bring me some water please."

"Sure, ma'am." The manager bowed before shutting the door behind him.

Hye-Jin blew out a breath, letting the ambience and the calming atmosphere soothe her before the upcoming storm. She had rehearsed the conversation several times in her head and could think of several ways this all could go wrong. Jimin was hot headed and had a temper. And as a mother, she was hurt. She hoped she would receive an explanation and her son would stop brushing her off as usual.

Honestly, she didn't know what to expect. But Jimin had promised he would give her the explanation she deserved to hear. And her son always kept his promises. She trusted him to keep his word.

A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth as worry seeped into her. She was an over thinker so it was no surprise she imagined all worse scenarios possible in her head. With a sigh, she sipped the water the manager brought just then.

She was rubbing her temples when she heard the door open again. Hye-Jin sat with her back facing the door, so she glanced over her shoulder to see if her son arrived but saw Myeon-suk, Sooyeon and A-Yeong entering instead.

What the hell are they doing here?

"Hye-Jin-ah, we saw you entering the restaurant. Thought we will say hello." A-Yeong grinned and the smile didn't reach her eyes as usual. Her pearls gleamed under the light and matched the color of her teeth, but the dark plum colored lipstick ruined the aesthetic in Hye-Jin's opinion. And yellow didn't suit her at all, but A-Yeong loved all shades of yellow and could be seen often in one or another piece of yellow clothing. Hye-Jin would never tell her that, though.

"Hello, A-Yeong-ah, it's been a while." Hye-Jin smiled, schooling her features. "Wasn't expecting you here."

"Oh, it was nothing. We were just meeting for our monthly 'elites only' dinner," Sooyeon stressed the word with a sneer Hye-Jin identified immediately.

An elite only dinner she wasn't invited to. That's too fast. Hye-Jin didn't let her emotions betray her. She wore that impassive mask she always wore. Every month the spouses of the elite families would meet for dinner. These dinners were only a formality to stay updated with all the latest gossip.

She didn't see their cars outside. Maybe she was too absent minded to notice sooner. She pursed her lips. If she had known, she wouldn't have asked Jimin to meet her here. The three circled around to come and stand in front of her.

"I was surprised to see that you weren't joining us," A-Yeong said. "Then Myeong-suk told us the reason why you wouldn't be comfortable joining us." She batted her lashes. "I'm so sorry to hear that, Hye-Jin-ah. That must be so hard on you." She faked sympathy, but Hye-Jin could see the glimpse of joy in her gaze.

A-Yeong sat first on the couch against the wall, motioning at the others to do the same.

Hye-Jin sat back, crossing her right leg over the left. "And what reason might it be, A-Yeong-ah?" She cocked her head to the side. "Why are you sorry for me?"

"Myeong-suk said your son picked a stray as his mate," A-Yeong said. "And we were just talking about how hard it must be on you that he would downgrade like that. I mean...I can't imagine my son even doing something like that." She chuckled. "Can you believe this? I thought Park Jimin had a taste even if he was doing that entire omega hopping for a while." She waved her manicured fingers dramatically, rolling her eyes in an exaggerated fashion.

"A stray?" Hye-Jin played dumb, her gaze slid to Myeong-suk briefly. "I'm not sure I understand who you're referring to. And I also don't understand why I should attend a dinner I wasn't invited to."

"She wasn't invited?" A-Yeong questioned in an exaggerated manner. "She's one of the leading ladies. How could no one invite her?"

Hye-Jin had no doubt they were all gossiping just a while ago and purposefully left her out. She expected this to happen, just not this soon. The word of her son's future mate wasn't even official yet and here they were ready to strike at the first opportunity.

"You can stop pretending now, A-Yeong. Bet you were just waiting for an opportunity and arranged this dinner, leaving me out just to gossip about me and my family. There's no need for the facade cuz we all know what happens in these dinners." Hye-Jin just cut to the chase. She wasn't a fan of pretending. "You have said hello to me. Now you may leave now."

"This is a public space and not your home," Sooyeon hissed. "And she isn't your servant. You have no right to ask her to leave."

"This is a private room I have booked for the rest of the evening for my privacy using my money." Hye-Jin met her gaze dead on, refusing to avert her gaze. "Does that mean something to you? I don't remember inviting any of you over to my room."

Sooyeon clenched her jaw. Myeong-suk looked equally mad but didn't say anything. She was a coward, who operated from the other's shadows. A-Yeong and Sooyeon were more like dogs barking at her command.

Myeong-suk wouldn't say something directly. Haven't said anything in years. It was always through the others or through some underhanded tactics. Hye-Jin pretended to not know or not notice so Myeong-suk thought she was safe.

Only Shin Na-Rae and a few of her friends saw Jimin and Jungkook together, but Shin Na-Rae was the one who took photos of them together, likely after following them without anyone noticing. So even if A-Yeong didn't pick Myeong-suk's name, it was apparent who was the hot topic of today's dinner and who was spilling the beans.

"You're mistaken if you thought you could get away from this, Hye-Jin," Sooyeon said in a condescending tone. "You know how the elite circle works. We are called 'the elites' for a reason. We will never allow a stray mutt to enter the room we are in. And now that extends to you." She notched her chin. "Your son should be mindful of where he sticks his dick into. If he doesn't get his act together, you and your family will have hell to pay for."

Hye-Jin burst into laughter. She threw her head back and laughed. Really laughed. Her sound bounced off the walls and she even slapped the table as she bent over. Something she never did before. She laughed for a good minute before she straightened.

The Park family had come from money. She was born into money. They never had to rely on anyone for anything and they weren't in the Top 10 without reason. So it was funny to her that the bitches who didn't even make it to the top 25 would threaten like this. The math isn't mathing. Who would end who?

However, Hye-Jin was also well aware of what an ill rumor was capable of. As much as she wanted to avoid these people, it wasn't an option. They won't let go that easily.

"So you're kicking me out of the elite circle, you say," Hye-Jin asked just to clarify.

"Whether you like it or not, that will be the outcome of this." Sooyeon glared at her. "What your son is doing is not okay and we will not accept it."

"Is that so?" Hye-Jin hummed. "Why didn't I see any of you barking at Mrs. Choi during the last 'elites only' dinner? Her son is a pro in sticking his dick where it didn't belong. He even went to jail for that, no?" She tilted her head to the side. "I saw you sucking up to her throughout the dinner. What's different this time?"

"Everything!" Sooyeon hissed. "Choi Jun-Myeon is a scoundrel who screws around and we all know he never settles down. But when he marries, he will only marry a purebred and from a prominent family. As for you, you're inviting a street rat into your home to continue your family legacy. We heard he's an orphan. We will never let such a disgrace walk among us, bearing that mating mark."

"I thought I was the matriarch of the Park family since my mother-in-law passed away ten-years ago." Hye-Jin scoffed. "As I have stated before to Myeong-suk, Jeon Jungkook is a Park family's private matter and not up for discussion. My son's relationship with him or what we have decided to do with that is none of your business. Sooyeon, mind your family business. I don't like people poking their noses where it doesn't belong."

Sooyeon made a displeased noise in her throat. "You're such a fucking hypocrite," she hissed. "You don't like regular omegas. You used to be one of us."

Hye-Jin notched her chin. "I never discriminated against regular omegas before. The Park Group employs more regular wolves than any other conglomerate in the country. I'm not sure what gave you that notion about me."

"Sooyeon-ah, don't you still get it? Her son must have knocked up that bitch," A-Yeong snickered. "Why else our dear Hye-Jin is behaving like this? It must be a pretty bad situation to be in. The government doesn't even allow aborting purebred offspring due to our alarmingly lowering birth rates. She must have no choice in this matter."

Sooyeon rolled her eyes. "You act so high and mighty, Hye-Jin. You always think and behave as if you're above us. How does it feel to be where you are now?" She narrowed her eyes and pointed her index finger at her. "This is only the beginning. Let's see how many will back you up when the words get out, especially the media. You let that stray mutt into your home. You. Are. Over!"

"I'd appreciate it if you don't take that tone with my mom, Sooyeon-ssi. Park Hye-Jin doesn't need approval from someone who seduced a chaebol heir and became pregnant in order to lock him in a loveless marriage to sit at the top. I see a lot of hypocrites in this room but my mother isn't one of them."

Hye-Jin whipped her head to see her only son standing tall behind her, his blazing eyes set on the three women in front of her. He wore a grey checkered suit today, pairing it up with white shirt and red tie. The omegas were on the shorter side so they had to tilt their heads to look at his face.

"Park Hye-Jin, my mother was born into a prominent Park clan, went to a prestigious university and she was a topper, mind you. She had taken charge of her family's hotel business at the age of twenty-two, bringing five percent more profit in the second quarter and she was fresh out of college while juggling a master degree online. This was all before she even met my father." Jimin put a hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing it. "She never needed any underhanded tactics to be where she is today. My mom's work speaks for itself. Every penny she spends is what she made for herself and what she helped my dad to make by working hard."

Sooyeon fumed at him, clenching her fist. She opened her mouth to speak but Jimin stopped her.

"Don't try me, Sooyeon-ssi," he hissed at her. "How about you convey my regards to Beomseok when you meet him the next time? You didn't even notice that fool smudged your lipstick while kissing you earlier in the car."

Hye-Jin's eyes widened as Sooyeon's hand flew to her mouth in panic. It wasn't smudged but her reaction only proved her son was right.

"Does your husband know?" Jimin cocked his head to the side. "Let me guess...he already suspects of your extramarital affairs and you're afraid he will throw you out of his home anytime. If proven, you won't get a penny from his wealth. Not to mention your son will hate you," he continued. "So you want to ensure you'll have another branch to hop on when that happens. Does Beomseok's wife know of this? Not yet?" He pulled out his phone, typing away. "Consider the situation rectified." He grinned smugly. "Now let's see what our old Beomseok will do. His wife's family has a huge investment in all his businesses after all. And without their money, he's nothing but trash." He pocketed his phone.

Sooyeon's eyes went wide like saucers. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Her voice didn't waver. Though she looked strong, her hands trembled, betraying her.

"You'll soon." He smiled. "Perhaps you should have thought twice before you thought you had any right to question my mom. No matter how much higher you fly Sooyeon, you'll never be like my mom. She's an eagle but you're just a pigeon trying to mimic her. Buzz off. Your husband might want answers."

Her phone rang just in time and she broke out into cold sweat. "W-What did you do?" she panicked.

"He's faster than I thought." Jimin's grin widened. "You might wanna answer that because I heard he isn't a patient man."

Sooyeon paled and her hands trembled as she stared at her phone. The call went unanswered but she received another call immediately. She grabbed her bag and rushed out of the restaurant, stumbling on her feet.

"Who's next?" Jimin eyed Myeong-Suk. "Fancy you'd sit here and say all that shit about my personal life while you have personally never left a bush or an alcove in our garden untainted during the parties we throw." Jimin sneered. "At least I can assure you I never fucked an omega who's committed to someone else or been with more than one people at a time. However, I'm afraid you can't say the same." He leaned forward planting his hands on the table. "Mr. Choi, Mr. Jo and what was that producer's name? Mr. Lim? Yeah I think that's the one. Do you think you have an upper hand here because you've spread your legs to more alphas than I can count in my two hands? Or does that fact make you superior to my mother?" he asked. "You have no right to criticize how I live my life when you're no different."

Hye-Jin's eyes widened, watching all the blood from Myeong-suk's face drain, leaving her pace as a sheet.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered, climbing to her feet. Her gaze was on Hye-Jin next. "I must go. I have some important business to attend to."

Jimin grinned. "Oh, don't go that fast, Myeong-suk-ssi." He extended a hand blocking her path. "Convey my regards to your family, especially Shin Na-Rae." His tone was dangerous and the glint in his eyes was something Hye-Jin wasn't used to.

Myeong-suk rushed outside and A-Yeong tried to follow but Jimin just stepped into her path with a malicious grin. "I'm kind only to those who deserve. Do not talk ill of my family, A-Yeong-ssi. I know how your father couldn't wait to get rid of you, the ninth daughter of the family to a well-known womanizer. Your husband's dick doesn't know how to discriminate either. What's her name again? His favorite side chick. Was it Mungwa? Moong-Hwa?" he wondered. "Wasn't she a regular omega? The one who worked as a stripper if I'm not wrong." He grinned. "Too bad she has more hold on him than you do. Rumor has it that he is considering to mate her permanently." He tapped the side of his neck. "With a bite and all. Pretty serious if you ask me. I also heard he slapped you with divorce papers when you confronted him but here you are pretending all is well and that you have an upper hand over my mom because of how I live my life."

A-Yeong paled and tried to walk around him but he once again blocked her path. "Apologize to my mother," he growled. "And think twice before talking to my mother condescendingly because the one living a miserable life here isn't my mother but you."

She immediately bowed at Hye-Jin. "I'm sorry." She bowed at Jimin. "I won't talk about this again. I'm so sorry."

"You're not," Jimin hissed. "You're just sorry you got caught in action. You're safe for now because the Park family has no business connection with your family. But don't relax yet. I'll happily supply your husband's scandalizing photos to the media and then we will compare who is the worst alpha out there. Me or him. I'd suggest you use this energy to fix whatever is left of your life or build a new one instead of sticking to someone unworthy of your dedication."

A-Yeong let out a whimper before running out of the room.

Hye-Jin sat in a stunned stupor, having not expected her son to behave that way. Savage was the word that came into her mind. "That was harsh," she mumbled.

"It's what they deserve," Jimin said unapologetically. "I won't allow anyone to talk to my mom that way. They have to go through me first." He glanced at the door. "This place is crawling with your elite buddies. Why don't we go somewhere else?"

Hye-Jin nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

Jimin held the door open for her and followed her out. Hye-Jin immediately noticed a few omegas, eavesdropping at their conversation in the corridor, scrambling to hide in the adjacent cabins or pretend they weren't listening.

Her son, however, took his phone and dialed someone. "Secretary Yun, write down what I'm about to tell you. Withdraw our investments from Lim Productions, CGC Entertainment, Y2K Global, PCK Group, Prime Times and JJBC effective immediately." She didn't hear what Secretary Yun replied but Jimin responded. "I made those investment decisions and now I'm deciding that they aren't worth my investment." He ended the call.

Beside him, Hye-Jin's eyes widened again. Shin Na-Rae was signed by CGC Entertainment.

Oh, God!

She should have known. Jimin winked at her.

"What are you doing?" Hye-Jin asked Jimin as he ended the call with Secretary Yun. They were standing outside the private room and she could see a few familiar faces lingering, trying to act inconspicuous.

"Showing them that the Park family will not tolerate disrespect toward their omegas," Jimin said loudly. "That our tolerance is very low and won't put up with their bullshit either." Hye-Jin saw several omegas gasp and turn around as Jimin put an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go home, mom."

She waited until they were out of earshot. "The Shins aren't going to like this."

Jimin huffed. "I want the Shins to dislike this very much and she should regret violating my privacy like that. I booked that VIP room for a reason. The club has banned photography for a reason. She broke several rules and she will pay. Jungkook only asked me for one thing when we began going out. He didn't want to end up in a tabloid. I promised him and I'm keeping my word." They reached the car and he opened the door for her to enter. "Shin Na-Rae will take the fall first. She will lose her precious career for meddling with what's mine."

Hye-Jin could only blink. She knew her son was ruthless when it came to business, but witnessing it in person was entirely a different thing. Proud surged inside of her but so did fear for the others. Because apparently according to the others, her son didn't show mercy to his rivals.

The car ride was silent and Jimin seemed thoughtful. Hye-Jin was too. She didn't expect her son to react the way he did. She didn't even know he knew so much about those families.

"I didn't think you had so much dirt on those families," she voiced out her thoughts.

Jimin gave her a one-shouldered shrug. "Guess I'd like to keep an ear on industry gossip. Comes handy in times like this."

"How did you know she met him this morning?" She turned her upper body to face him.

"Just happened to be in the right place at the right time." He grinned. "It was a coincidence, I promise. I wasn't stalking her. It's easier to connect the dots when you know the back story. Her alpha is a suspicious asshole but it appears he isn't completely unreasonable. So my text will give her nightmares for a few weeks at the most."

"And you're okay with that? What if he really divorce her?" she asked.

"Mum, she started it. She should have thought about the consequences before coming at you unprovoked." He crossed his leg at the knee, facing her. "I'm not gonna sit here and think about the right or wrong when my family is being insulted like that. You shouldn't be even listening to all that bullshit. I'm obviously going to strike and I'll strike in a way they will never be able to come back at me or my family for a good while."

She cocked an eyebrow. "You're so different from your father."

Jimin gave her a cocky grin. "Mum, I think we established that long ago. Besides, it's not my fault they were living a double life. They should know their choices have consequences. It's not my business how they live but it becomes my business when they come attacking my family like that. Maybe I'm just vindictive." He took her hand in his and began to play with her fingers like he used to do when he was a pup. "Mom... There's so much I have to tell you but I don't know where to begin."

She exhaled. "At home," she said curtly and looked ahead, her hand still clasped gently by her son. It made her emotional to be with him and talk about everything that was kept away from her.

Jimin nodded silently. "And I might need a few drinks."

She narrowed her eyes at him and he shrugged apologetically. Upon reaching home, Jimin dragged her to the dining room and told her they could talk in the office after food. Another hour later they were both in Jaehyun's office, facing each other and surrounded by heavy silence.

"I'd like to apologize," she started. "I haven't been a good mother to you. I don't know when I became someone you couldn't trust." Her heart was heavy and her throat constricted. "So I apologize for everything I did. I hope you'll forgive me—"

"At thirteen, I found out the Shins have an open marriage," he said, intervening. "I do not want to disclose how or when. It was disgusting to me as a teenager, who was just venturing into this world. I just wanted to save Na-Ra from that hell hole. But guess what?" He laughed. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Just a day before I turned eighteen, I bought a courting gift for her, but then...I found out she's been sleeping with Choi Jun-Myeon behind my back and I was nothing but a quest to her probably for some stupid agenda."

She gasped. His words were too heavy and carried his pain to an extent that it hurt her too.

"I asked dad to not tell you because I didn't want you to hate them or push them away. We had been working on several things with them. But also you didn't have many friends and you seemed happy when you hung out with Myeong-suk," Jimin continued. "I thought I could cut them off from our life without hurting anyone but..." He shrugged. "Their schemes only seemed to evolve and Na-Ra has grown shameless enough to propose an open marriage to me."

Her eyes widened.

"I'm sorry for not being upfront, but certain things are too embarrassing and shameful to even talk about." He looked away. "I could talk freely to dad but couldn't come to you and say all those shameful, disgusting things I had to witness. I respect you a bit too much for that. But then I turned into the very thing I despised so much. I was judging others while doing the same thing. Guess I'm a hypocrite and you have every reason to be ashamed of me. I'm not proud of the way I turned into. I was hurting myself and everyone in my quest for revenge. I was telling myself that this was the right thing to do and there was nothing wrong with fooling around. Everyone does it. But then...Jungkook came into my life and made me realize how wrong I was and how I was just wasting my life away."

His mother sat silent, processing his words and hands clasped on the table.

"Honestly, it was easier to evade you than coming to you with the truth." He glanced away. "Maybe I didn't want you to tell me how wrong I was. I wasn't ready to hear that. Not that you held back. But I was terribly wrong, mom. I was wrong about everything. There's no excuse for how I behaved and all the hurt I brought you." He hung his head. "You're a great mother. I'm sorry I landed you in a situation where you couldn't say the same about me."

He took her hands in his. "As for Jungkook, I know how you feel about regular wolves, but I couldn't help it. My heart has chosen. So did my wolf. Jungkook is the one for me and if I get another chance, I might find him sooner so I could fall in love with him again. I hope you can find it in your heart to accept him without any limitations. I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark and for asking dad to keep it between us until I was sure about this relationship. You deserved to know sooner."

"I was ashamed of your behavior, not you. I've always been proud of you, pup." She shuddered through her next breath, trying her best to reign in her tears and failing miserably. "We used to be so close." Her voice was barely above a whisper and audible only to Jimin because he was close to her. "Where did we go wrong?" she asked, sounding so miserable even to her ears. "Maybe I'm just jealous that you only go to your dad for everything. Maybe I just want you to come to me and share those things like you do with him. Maybe...maybe I wanted to hear from you when you met someone special or something important is happening in your life. Is it wrong for me to feel included in your life? I gave birth to you. I brought you up with so many dreams. Is it wrong for me to hope that you will walk with me till the rest of my life? Where did I go wrong? What did I do?" Her tears fell freely and she saw her pain mirror in her son's expression. "Haven't I been a good mom? I thought I gave you enough freedom as you grew up. I thought boys will be boys and you'll come to mama once you're mature enough and cross that phase, but you never did." Her shoulders shook and she covered her face with both her hands.

Jimin swiftly engulfed her in his embrace. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry I made you feel that way."

"It must be something I said or did," she said. "What is it? Why did you feel you couldn't come to me? I didn't know I lost you until I had to find out everything like this."

"Mum, that's not true. You never lost you." His hold tightened. "I'm still your baby boy. I'll always be your baby boy."

"It's hard to believe when I see you drift far from me," she sniffled. "So much has happened and I never knew. Why?"

"Because I'm an idiot," his voice carried sincerity and pain. "Your pup was immature and too young to understand that his actions would hurt you too. I thought I could save you the pain but I failed to realize hiding it could hurt you too."

She gripped his shirt, crying into his chest. "Your father told me about Myeong-suk and a couple of others." She sniffed. "He told me we had a lot of business with them and couldn't act irrationally. It was also the time he became the president of the Park Group and there were people who were working against him. The Shin family's support was integral during that time. He didn't want to act rash and believed their life choices weren't our business and I agreed with him."

She felt Jimin nod his head.

"You could have told me. Maybe save those details but you could have come to me. I would have understood. My son always comes first to me and I'd have never pushed this proposal if I had known," she said. "Even with Jungkook, you could have at least given me a chance to express my thoughts. But you and your dad assumed I'd be against it because of my upbringing, didn't you?"

No one told her that but it was easy to draw an assumption. She had never spoken explicitly about her thoughts on regular wolves. It was true she was brought up to believe they were beneath the purebreds, but the incident involving Jimin had opened her eyes and changed her perspective.

She has known her mate for years and could assume why he would have done what he had done. Hye-Jin wasn't sure if that made her more upset or made her want to see reason and try to see things from their perspective.

"I know and I'm sorry." He exhaled. "I didn't see it was something important as the years passed. I was wrong." He cupped her head, holding her to his chest. "It was all wrong. I should have given you a benefit of doubt but I wanted to be sure about him first and I wanted him to choose me."

"Did you think this through?" She pulled back. "You can't be there to protect him at all times."

"He is not alone." Jimin smiled, taking both her hands in his. "He has you to guide him." He kissed the back of her hand. "And he has five other hyungs who will move mountains for him. I know what I'm doing, mom. And Jungkook is far from a pushover. Taehyung is going to adopt him legally as his little brother. He will be a part of the Kim family before he becomes a part of the Park family."

She blinked. "What? That brat is going to adopt your mate?"

Jimin chuckled. "Yep."

She scoffed. "That one can't even recognize his feelings for his mate yet and he's the one going to protect this pup? Why do I feel like it's the other way around? That brat can't even take care of himself."

"Maybe." Jimin quirked a brow. "So dad told you."

"Of course he told me. He always tells me every—" She cut herself off. The heaviness settled again in her heart and the hurt feelings were back. Jaehyun always told her everything, didn't he?

"I'm sorry, mum," Jimin repeated. "He wanted to tell you sooner but I held him back. And I was being a reckless teenager so he was afraid I'd pull away from him too if he told you by breaking our promise. It was me, who put him in a tough position. Even the other day, he called me to his office and told me that I should tell you soon because now I'm sure of Jungkook. But I wanted more time."

She sighed as he wiped her face with a tissue he grabbed from the desk.

"Don't punish dad for my mistakes, mom. It's killing him." He gently squeezed her hand. "I can see that it's killing you too. Please..."

"So you have decided, huh?" she asked. "You don't need more time?"

Jimin smiled at her and she saw that he was genuinely happy. There was certainty and determination behind his gaze. "I know it in my heart, mum," he replied. "I always wanted what you and dad have. No one has ever made me feel the way he makes me feel. They didn't even come close. I kept searching even without acknowledging it. Everyone had one motive or the other for dating me and never once did I find the right reason. Or they simply failed to entice my wolf. They couldn't hold my attention and make me feel something. With Jungkook everything is different. I know my heart is in it for the right reasons and I believe I'll be able to have a relationship like you and dad."

She looked at him for a long moment, studying his face intently. "You're in love," she noted.

The sweet smile spread on Jimin's face and the joy that bubbled in his scent were proof enough. "That obvious?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "You're worse than your dad."

"Yeah?" He shrugged. "Maybe...But he deserves it."

Once again silence fell between them and this time it wasn't as uncomfortable as before. "Jimin, do you realize there are consequences this will have?" she asked in a soft voice. "Do you think Jungkook is ready to bear the responsibilities that come with being your spouse?"

Jimin took a deep breath and blew it out. "He said he is ready." He patted her hands gently. "Mum, I don't think anyone he faces here would faze him."

She nodded, still the fear of the unknown lingered in her mind. "I'm worried," she told him. "These people are vile and they won't always attack you when you expect it. They operate in ways we will never be able to predict."

"I'm aware there's always a possibility of him getting hurt and he's aware of it too," he assured in a gentle voice before standing and grabbing the cup of water he left earlier on the desk. "But we can't put our lives on hold fearing the unknown. We are ready to face it when the time comes. What if there was none and people gave up because this wasn't worth it? We just wanted some time for ourselves as we nurture this bond, you know?"

"The board of directors aren't going to let this slide."

"I thought about that too," Jimin replied without hesitation. "I'm not gonna take over the board immediately and my work should speak for myself. My personal life shouldn't matter." He walked toward her with determined steps. "And mom, time is changing. The voices for the rights of the regular wolves are rising. I'm sure this is a bold step but not an unwelcome one."

"Only time can tell. So what are you going to do next?" Hye-Jin asked. "That pup isn't safe until he becomes a part of this family. But he's still in college."

"Take you for ring shopping," he stated nonchalantly, once again going back to that playful demeanor he always maintained with her. Sometimes it was irritating and his indirect answers were frustrating but he was like that since childhood.

"Ring shopping?" Her brows creased.

"Of course I need my mom to choose the best ring for him. I wasn't going to do it without you." He smiled. "I need you, mom. I always needed you." He crouched in front of her one more time. "And I want you to know that you were always there for me in every way I needed you. So please, mum, don't ever think you weren't."

Tears burned the back of her eyes again. She sniffed. "Do you have something in mind?"

He shrugged. "Nope." He stood again. "I have no clue, mum. I feel like I'll know when I see it. I want to find something that suits his personality. But I have no idea what a omega likes or dislikes." He plopped beside her, throwing himself on her lap. "Help me, mom. Help me find a perfect ring for him."

She huffed. "I haven't even accepted him yet."

Jimin rolled his eyes. "Come on, mommy. You wouldn't sign him up for etiquette classes if you didn't find him worthy."

She averted her gaze. "The word is going to get out in one way or another. We cannot hide this forever."

"I know." He sighed. "I just want to take him on proper dates and propose when the time is right. Maybe I don't mind a little trouble after that but right now, I really want this to be between us."

She hummed. "The Shins would be furious when they find out what you did today. Myeong-suk already told the other omegas of the elite society. I don't know what to expect."

Jimin nodded. "We will get there when the time comes. So what do you say, mum? Ring shopping?"

She grunted. "Don't pretend you weren't going to do this on your own if I hadn't found out." She pushed him from her lap. "You're asking me because I'm angry."

"That's not true!" Jimin sat up. "I was going to meet you this Sunday, wasn't I? I have proof. I even texted you asking to meet you for dinner."

"Yeah, whatever." She stood. "It's late. I must retire now."

"That's it?!" He frowned. "You're going to leave me like this without an answer?"

Hye-Jin didn't respond. It won't hurt him to work a bit more. He hid it from her all this time and could afford to sulk for a night. She ignored him calling after her and went to her room to shower and get into her bed.

When she came out of her shower, though, she was surprised to see her son rolling blissfully in her nest. That morning she ended up making a nest to find comfort after her confrontation with her husband and now her pup was inside, rolling around with a sigh of contentment like he used to do when he was a pup. Fortunately, he had already showered and changed into one of his father's pajamas.

She sighed. "I made it this morning, you know?" She approached the bed, silently climbing into her nest.

Jimin moved to make space for her with a goofy grin but didn't look one bit apologetic. "Didn't break a single rule. No disturbance, see." He waved a hand around before burying his nose into her pillow. "Just feels like old times," he groaned. "So good."

Her wolf was so pleased to have their pup back in their nest and she couldn't help the surge of maternal instincts washing over her. Maybe Jimin was doing this intentionally, but it was working. She wasn't going to pick and probe when she had her son with her after a long time. Maybe things will be different now.

She lay on her side, facing Jimin who was lying on his stomach. Hye-Jin gently carded her fingers through his thick mass of hair.

"Mom," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

Hye-Jin sighed and was going to say something but noticed Jimin had already drifted off to sleep. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. He had always been like that. Jimin used to tell her that her scent made him sleepy and often passed out as soon as he was in her nest.

She exhaled, rubbing his back and watched him fondly until sleep tugged at her, slowly drifting off herself.

526.

527.

528.

***

That's it for today. See ya next week. Bye-o-bye 😘