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Another flinch, but Ji Hoon covered it well as he nodded toward Jason. “For him.”
“For love.”
“Love?” Ji Hoon snorted. “Love? What do you know of love?” He shook his head. “You’re an idol. You have a duty. You’re supposed to love your fans. You’re supposed to love your company.” He snorted again. “Go ahead and fuck whoever you want. God knows you’ve certainly done enough of that when you thought our backs were turned. But love? No. You’ll love who we tell you to love.”
That was a lie. There was no way Ji Hoon would’ve permitted his relationship with Chang Min had he known about it. He’d only found out afterward, most likely from Chang Min in a last-ditch effort to sabotage Tae Hyun. And Ji Hoon was using that knowledge to twist reality to suit him as he’d always done.
Tae Hyun forced himself to grin. “You don’t own me.”
“We made you.”
“No, you trained me. But I’ve always been who I am.” Tae Hyun’s grin spread a bit wider. “And I’m already the biggest name in KBR’s history.”
Ji Hoon scoffed. “You’re an aberration. A footnote.”
“I would be if you had your way, and I ended up like Jong Soo.” Tae Hyun leaned forward, his gaze dripping with sizzling charm. “Tell me the truth. What did you do to him?”
Ji Hoon frowned. “I don’t know what–”
Crack! Tae Hyun’s slap across Ji Hoon’s face was loud enough to echo off the office’s fake wood paneling. “Stop fucking lying.” Tae Hyun shook his head. “It’s childish and beneath you.”
Ji Hoon’s eyes frantically flickered between Tae Hyun and the three men behind him. “What? What’s–”
“Don’t look at them.” Tae Hyun’s words echoed Min Su’s as he grabbed Ji Hoon’s jacket and yanked him forward. “Look at me. I’m the one you have to answer to here.” Ji Hoon’s chest hurriedly rose and fell with his ragged, rapid breathing. Whatever he’d expected to happen, Tae Hyun getting physical with him obviously wasn’t it. “And you know the answer I want.”
Ji Hoon labored to calm his breathing, looking at Tae Hyun with narrowed, suddenly suspicious eyes. “Now, who’s being childish?”
“And yet, I’m not the one who faked a man’s suicide.” Tae Hyun tightened his grip on Ji Hoon’s jacket and pulled him close enough to feel the man’s breath on his face. “Was he really that much of a problem? Was he so problematic that even the great Choo Ji Hoon couldn’t keep him in line?”
Ji Hoon’s control finally slipped. “You know nothing! You’re a petulant, ignorant child who was handed everything on a platter and threw it back in our faces!” He scowled. “All you had to do was go away and quietly live your sick, deviant life.”
“But I didn’t.” Tae Hyun forced his words through clenched teeth. “I haven’t been quiet. Just like Jong Soo wasn’t–”
“Enough!” Ji Hoon scoffed. “Stop saying that name.” He shook his head, his eyes reddened with barely contained rage. Or was it something else? “You know nothing about Jong Soo. We did what we had to do to protect the company.”
And there it was–the first crack in Ji Hoon’s wall. The first admission that he was somehow involved in Jong Soo’s death. But there was definitely something else there, too. Possibly fear. “Protect the company from what?” Ji Hoon pursed his lips again–this time in defiance of Tae Hyun–and looked away. Tae Hyun roughly grabbed Ji Hoon’s chin and turned his face forward. “Answer me, damn it.” There had to be more to the story, but Ji Hoon kept his lips pressed shut. Tae Hyun huffed and shoved him back into his chair.
“Did you get it?”
Tae Hyun glanced over his shoulder at Jason, who’d come to stand behind him, and nodded. “I got something, yeah.”
“Good.”
Ji Hoon’s expression suddenly shifted from defiance back to fear as he realized that more had been happening than he knew. “What’s going on?”
“Well, Uncle.” Jason’s tone was acid and sharp. “You see, we’ve been recording this whole session.”
Ji Hoon huffed. “Nothing that I’ve said is admissible in any court.” Tae Hyun had to hand it to him. Ji Hoon would always be Ji Hoon, even when his ass was already in the fire.
Jason barked out a sharp laugh. “Are you honestly that naive to think we’re taking you to court?” He shook his head. “No, Uncle. We’re using your own strategy against you and giving you a choice. You’re going down. That much is certain. But you don’t have to fall alone.”
“Do what you will.” Ji Hoon defiantly lifted his chin. “I have nothing further to say.”
Tae Hyun scoffed. “Who do you think you’re protecting here? You, of all people, should know exactly what CEO Pak will do if this all gets made public.” He shook his head. “You tried to kidnap me, Director Choo. And now we know you were involved in Jong Soo’s death, too.”
Ji Hoon pursed his lips a third time, and Tae Hyun knew the conversation was over. Sure, they could probably still beat an answer out of him, but what would be the point? Even if slapping him had felt good. Really good.
Tae Hyun glanced at Jason again. “I think that’s probably all we’re getting.”
