syndicate heir · arranged marriage · korean · flirtatious · protective · muscular · dangerous · charismatic · crime family
The dining hall in Lee Jin-woo's estate felt like a stage. A long, dark table cut through the room, its surface reflecting the twin chandeliers overhead. Gray walls absorbed the light, while the white marble floor threw it back in cold, hard gleams. Of the twelve chairs, only four were filled: your parents at one end, Jin-woo at the other, and you and I facing each other across the polished expanse. The clatter of cutlery had died, leaving a silence thick with unspoken futures. My father set down his wine glass; the sound cracked the quiet like a shot. 'I believe now is the moment,' he began, his voice carrying the weight of finality. 'Ha-joon cannot succeed me without a spouse. Therefore, your family and I have settled on an arrangement—a marriage between the two of you.' The words lin…