Fake Marriage with the Mafioso

Seoul, South Korea, Spring

"I understand, sir, but it's just that..."

"I already said, Miss Prescott, there's nothing more I can do for you. It's been over four months with the mortgage overdue, not to mention the accumulating rent," said the bank manager.

"Mr. Pyon, I really had the money, but there was a family emergency. My aunt fell gravely ill, and..."

"Miss Prescott..." The manager interrupted, closing the folder with the documents. "I'm just doing my job. One month, or I'll have to ask you to vacate the property."

...

"Damn it..." she cursed softly, trying again to make the call that kept going to voicemail.

"Hello!"

"What is it now?" her brother asked in a worried tone.

"Mario, for heaven's sake! How could you spend the rent money again?"

"What are you talking about, sis?"

"Mario, don’t play dumb. You’re gambling again, aren’t you?" Catherine asked anxiously.

"Look, I just borrowed it, okay? I'll sort it out, alright?"

Catherine sighed, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I have to work now, but we'll talk more tonight. Bye." She hung up her phone as she left the bank.

Rain began pouring down heavily, and she quickened her steps. She mentally cursed herself for forgetting her umbrella, but was grateful that her work was only a block away. However, just before turning the next corner, a sleek black car sped past, drenching her completely.

"Oh... just... damn it!" she exclaimed, shaking her arms in protest.

...

"Slow down a bit, please, Do-yun."

"My apologies, Mr. Kim."

"She should’ve been wearing a raincoat," he thought, glancing out the window, watching the woman flip him off along with some curse he couldn't hear. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he brushed it off, straightening in the car seat.

"Hello! Hello, Han-joo!"

"Yes, I’m here, Mi-Jun."

"Did you hear what I said?"

He rolled his eyes in disdain.

"Yes, but I don’t understand why all the fuss. We know that Ye-jun has no way of taking my place; I've been the head for years."

"Look, just get here soon. Mr. A will be here shortly, and the meeting is about to start. I have to go now, and please, don't be late," his friend and assistant said hurriedly on the other end of the line.

"Alright, I won’t be."

He ended the call.

Could Ye-jun actually convince the council to oust him?The thought caused his calm demeanor to falter momentarily.

"We've arrived, Mr. Park," the driver announced as he parked the car.

"Thank you, Do-yun," he said as he got out of the car.

Adjusting his expensive suit, he walked into the hotel, passing through the large revolving doors and heading straight for the luxurious lobby.

"Good morning, sir. How can I help you?" the receptionist asked.

"Good morning. I’m Mr. Kim Mi-Jun's guest. He’s expecting me on the tenth floor."

"Oh yes, and whom should I announce?"

"Kim Jaewon," he replied with a side smile at the woman, who smiled back.

"One moment, please."

The woman dialed the room or office number, as the hotel housed commercial suites.

"Yes, Mr. Kim Jaewon is here, Mr. Mi-Jun. Certainly... Thank you, sir." She hung up the phone and looked at him. "You may go up, sir," she said with a thin smile on her lips.

"Thank you."

...

He took the elevator to the tenth floor and, upon stepping out, walked down the vast hallway to a door ahead, where a tall man in a suit and dark glasses was waiting.

"Kim Jaewon," he said, and the man opened the door, allowing him to pass.

"Finally! Now we can start," his friend said with a look of relief.

"Missed me, Mi-Jun?"

"Jaewon... the council elders are here..." his friend whispered near his shoulder, prompting him to look behind and see the others present.

"My apologies! I didn’t realize you had already arrived, gentlemen," he said with a smile.

"Mr. Kim, please sit. We have a matter to discuss, and I have other appointments shortly," said the oldest man, his expression serious, though a hint of a smile lingered on his lips as he watched the two young men in the room.

"Very well, speak," Jaewon said, crossing his legs as he sat down.

"Mr. Kim, I'll be direct. Mr. Ye-jun is claiming your place in the Japanese house, which has belonged to the Kim family on your father’s side for three generations, though the Tanaka family was the original owner."

"Yes, but we all know this story, and why I don't understand…" Jaewon said, struggling to keep his patience in check.

"Please, Mr. Kim," the elder raised a hand, cutting him off. "I ask that you don’t interrupt, yes? As I said, my time is short, and Mr. A can’t come here at this moment because he’s attending his granddaughter's first birthday. But as his right-hand man, I’ll convey what needs to be said, and afterward, I’ll inform you of what’s going to happen."

"My apologies, Mr. Ito. Jaewon won’t interrupt you again," Mi-Jun said, smiling at Jaewon before muttering for him to keep quiet.

"Do you smoke, Mr. Kim?"

"Sometimes."

"Then try one of these Cuban cigars; they’re magnificent, and your grandfather loved their aroma," the older man said, opening a cigar box.

Jaewon smiled, recalling his grandfather and the scent of smoke and nicotine that clung to him.

"Thank you, sir," he said, taking a cigar from the box.

"Now, we understand you've been living quite an... eventful life, particularly at night."

"Yes, I..."

"However, your lifestyle has drawn unwanted attention to our affairs, Mr. Kim, and that’s not good at all. The house requires a responsible leader who stays in line. A good family head is a respectable man in business," the elder said, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke.

"Head of a family?" Jaewon asked, confused.

"Yes, we understand you're engaged and will marry over the weekend, correct?" the elder asked, exhaling another cloud of smoke, a grin forming as he watched him.

Jaewon looked at Mi-Jun, who had his head down.

"Oh yes. A lovely, beautiful woman," he smiled at the elder who was smoking. "The love of my life."

"Excellent, Mr. Kim. I hope to meet her next week at our annual social gathering in the Bahamas."

"Yes, of course, sir, we’ll certainly be there."

"Then we look forward to meeting Mrs. Kim. Now, I must go; it’s been a pleasure seeing you again, and we hope you’ll truly become an exemplary leader," the elder said, standing to shake hands.

...

Three hours later, at the Kim Casino

"FIANCÉE?! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" Jaewon yelled at his friend from across the table in his office.

"What else did you want me to say?"

"I don't know, but a fiancée? And that I’m getting married this weekend?"

Jaewon sat back in his dark wine leather chair, putting his hands over his face.

"What are we going to do?" he asked, now calmer, looking at his friend as if he were a wizard of solutions.

"We could hire an escort and later say she died in a tragic accident," Mi-Jun suggested with a wide grin.

"Absolutely not; I won’t associate my family name with a woman who’s been with the whole city."

"Got any better ideas?" Mi-Jun shot back.

"You tell me, then. Wasn’t it your brilliant idea to marry me off without my consent?"

"Fine! Let’s just hope for a miracle in time," Mi-Jun said, laughing humorlessly as he sat across from him.

Jaewon tapped a mug on the table, looking at Mi-Jun, who had his arms crossed. A knock on the door broke the silence.

"Excuse me, sir, we have a problem," a security guard said as he entered.

...

Catherine was finishing up a pile of dishes at the restaurant where she worked when her phone started ringing in her pocket. She wasn’t going to answer, but the insistent ringing made her anxious.

"Hello?"

"Katy... please, help me..."

"Mario?... What happened?"

"They're... they’re going to kill me..."

Catherine felt her breath catch for a moment.

"WHO?" She looked at the stack of dishes before her, the water and bubbles frothing over.

"Please, Katy, come to Mastoso... it's Kim Jaewon."

"Mario? Mario? Mario?"

She looked at the phone, seeing the call had ended. Catherine grabbed her bag and rushed out, taking a cab to Mastoso.

"What do you need, miss?" An elegant woman greeted her at the entrance.

"I... I want to speak with Mr. Kim, please," she said, somewhat nervously.

"One moment, I’ll see if Mr. Kim can receive you," the woman replied, looking her up and down strangely.

The woman left and returned shortly after, accompanied by one of the guards.

“Please, follow me, miss,” he asked politely.

Catherine followed him upstairs, where they stopped in front of a dark-toned polished wooden door. The guard opened the door, and there were two men inside, one of whom she knew from her childhood.

“Catherine, it’s been a while,” said Jaewon.

“Where’s my brother?”

The door closed, and she felt nervous under the gaze of that man who was just watching her with a mischievous smile.

“Please, take a seat,” the man next to her offered a chair.

“Thank you, but I just want to know where my brother is.” She didn’t take her eyes off the man across from her, staring.

“Bring him here,” Jaewon sighed, asking his friend, who nodded and picked up his phone.

Catherine felt a chill in her stomach at his cold tone and the emotionless look as he toyed with a pen between his fingers. She looked back as the door opened, and two men dragged in a hooded man.

“WHAT?” She asked, horrified, looking at the scene.

“Katy...”

“Oh my God... Mario!” She knelt beside the man who was on his knees on the floor. “What happened?” she asked, pulling off the hood to see her brother’s swollen and bruised face.

“How lovely, a family reunion. But let’s get to the point,” Jaewon spoke without emotion.

“What happened? Please, tell me what’s going on,” she looked at Jaewon.

“Well, I’ll explain. Your brother thought he could steal from me and get away with it. Can you believe that?”

“No, Mario would never do that,” she said, crying.

“Catherine, your brother is a sneaky thief, and I don’t let anyone steal from me, especially my employees. Do you think I’m just going to let this slide? How would that make me look?” he said, pointing to himself in mockery.

“Jaewon... please, we’re childhood friends... I...” She stood, placing her hands on the table and staring at him.

“Childhood friends?” he asked, laughing loudly, “Do you really think that’s enough?” He stood, walked over to Mario, grabbed a gun from one of the guards, and cocked it, pointing it at Mario’s head, who cried with his head lowered.

“OH MY GOD! I’LL PAY! FOR GOD’S SAKE, JAEWON, JUST TELL ME HOW MUCH AND I’LL PAY!” Catherine fell to her knees, begging, clasping her hands as

she looked at Jaewon.

Jaewon looked at her and removed the gun from her brother’s head, a thought—or rather, a solution—crossing his mind.

“I don’t want money; I want only you.”