Forbidden Flame
Title: Forbidden Flame (part 5)
Pairing: HanHae
Rating: PG
Summary: Donghae was just a plaything who was bought to please. And it’s not even fun when he falls for the one who paid to keep him, who also vowed never to love.
The air conditioner was howling above their heads. The person sitting across of him tapped his pen rhythmically on the black glass table before him, all the while maintaining their eye contact. Hangeng sat comfortably back in his chair, not being even a bit intimidated by the person before him who looked like he was ready to kill him anytime.
“How many times was it already? Two?” Anger laced on every edge of that deep tone but Hangeng knew he needn’t really answer that.
“Second time-this is the second time you’re giving up on opportunities because of him!” Hangeng didn’t even flinch when the pen flew across his face and landed on the carpeted floor behind him. It came so fast that the tip scraped a thin line across his cheek. “I can easily let it go if it was like the small assignment I gave you three months ago, but this time round…” His father paused as if considering. “No, I can’t let this pass. I want you to get your partner back.”
“No.” Hangeng answered immediately.
His father’s jaw was working, tensed and tight. “Get. Him. Back.”
“No.” If anytime that Hangeng’s being extremely stubborn, that would be now.
His father’s eyes grew wide first, before he exhaled harshly and whirled his chair about. Now standing with his back to Hangeng and face towards the large glass pane that overlooked the city, his father had his hands on his hips, silent.
Hangeng just looked straight, not having any intentions of relenting. It wasn’t that Donghae meant anything to him, just that he didn’t like the idea of having a stinky lecherous paw laid on the younger man. It wasn’t a very long silence between the father and son when the older man spoke again.
“Get your partner back or I’ll have to send your pet away.” Finishing the abrupt sentence, he then turned to Hangeng who was now staring with those sharp murderous eyes. His father was the one being unaffected by the tension this time round. “I mean what I say Hangeng, and you know that.”
Hangeng swallowed hard, his father was a man of his word, has always been.
“You have two choices.” The older man’s voice caught his attention. “Listen to me, get your partner back and we get more revenue into the company’s pockets. AND guess what? You get to keep your pet. OR-don’t listen to me and I’ll send your silly pet out of your house. Oh, and on top of that, I’ll withdraw all of my investments from her husband’s company.”
Hangeng widened his eyes and hardened his jaw at the last statement, boldly staring harshly back at his own father.
The older man sat calmly back down onto his seat. “Don’t give me that look Hangeng, you know very well I can and will do it. So make up your mind right now.”
Biting the inside of his cheeks, Hangeng sighed quietly in resignation. “I’ll get him back.”
His father smiled for the first time that day, triumphantly. “Good.”
***
Hangeng slammed down hard on his own desk with his fists, staring down miserably at his own feet. He was heaving with frustration at how his father had used her in one of his choices for him. He shut his eyes at the memories flooding back to him.
“I-I’m sorry.”
Hangeng wrenched his hand away from the slender hand that grabbed onto his. “Don’t apologise if you intended for this to happen.”
“Hangeng, please listen to me. I-“
“There’s nothing more you need to say when you’ve already made your choice… I wish you happiness.” The man turned his back and walked away, not even looking back at the love of his life one last time. Hangeng’s body was stiff like a dead corpse as the shatter in his heart felt so real, so painful. No one asked to be hurt this way, ever.
~~~
“Hangeng, please help me.”
“What happened?” Said person raised a hand but stopping short just before it landed on the other’s shoulder. “Please don’t cry.”
“It’s my husband.” The woman before him looked up teary eyed at him. “H-his company is in crisis and he needs money desperately. You’re the only person I can turn to Hangeng.” She grabbed his hands tightly only to have Hangeng gently pulling away from her grasp.
“I’ll ask my dad for help.” He promised her before hesitantly putting his hand on her shoulder. “Please don’t cry.”
“Thank you, thank you so much Geng.”
Hangeng returned a small smile of his own. Seeing the smile on her face is already more than enough for him to get by each day.
Tears collected in his eyes before his secretary came knocking on his door. “Sir, the car’s ready.”
Hangeng straightened as he blinked his tears away. He turned towards the petite lady, “Thank you.”
***
“Sir, he’s here.”
The man smirked when his assistant told him of the other’s arrival. “Bring him in then.”
It was just a few moments later when there was a knock and he couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. “Hangeng ssi, how UN-pleasant to see you again.” He mocked.
“I came to propose on behalf of my company, a partnership with your company.” Hangeng ignored the other’s remark and sat down on the offered chair by the man’s assistant.
“A partnership?” The other man gasped in feigned astonishment.
“This is our proposal, if you’ll take a look.” Hangeng pushed the documents to the man now opposite of him, across the desk.
The man snickered. “Don’t worry. I have complete trust in your work, Hangeng ssi.” He leaned forward in his seat and propped himself on the desk by the elbows. “However, I have a little deal to offer before I sign those documents.”
Hangeng narrowed his eyes at the statement. “What’s that?”
The man shifted so that his face rested on one hand as he looked straight into Hangeng’s eyes. “I get to keep Donghae.” He chuckled when he saw the sudden rigidness in the other’s body. “-for a week, I get to keep him for a week. I don’t think my interest will stretch that long anyway.”
Hangeng opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came because he had no idea what. He doesn’t want that rascal’s hands on Donghae, and that’s what made him end their partnership in the first place, right?
“…”
“Sign those documents.”
“Why, I look forward to working with you Hangeng ssi.” The young man picked up his signature pen.
“So do I.”
***
“Why are they packing my luggage, Hangeng?” Donghae asked as the elder sat at the huge dining table reading the morning news. “Are we going somewhere?”
Not looking up from his newspaper, “Uh huh, hurry up, we’re running late.”
“Oh… okay.” The younger man pouted in curiosity before running up the stairs to get ready. He ignored the peculiar feeling bugging at him when he saw the size of his luggage, which could easily last him for a week or even more than that.
---
“Wow-“
Donghae couldn’t get his jaw to work as it hung open since they stepped into the luxurious house far away from Seoul- he doesn’t even know where they are. Though it was so much smaller as compared to Hangeng’s non-exaggerated majestic mansion, but as soon as Donghae set his foot on the soft carpet underneath him, he knew he loved the place. “This is so pretty!”
“Good because you’ll be staying here for a week.” Hangeng gave a small smile as he looked at the other man prancing about in excitement.
“A week?” Donghae stopped checking out the walk-in wardrobe at the elder’s reply.
Hangeng nodded his head. “I’ll explain later, you just have to know this much for now.”
“O-kay.” Donghae frowned but accepted the explanation anyway. Somehow, he felt a little tinge of uncertainty tugging at his heart, but at the same time, a tiny bit of excitement making his heart thump in anticipation.
Hangeng looked down at his watch. “I’ve got an important meeting-“
“Oh sure, go ahead.” The other man smiled widely as he pushed Hangeng towards the door. “I’ll just... be here until you’re back.”
Hangeng chuckled. “All right, see you then.”
***
“What?!”
“I couldn’t pull him back in time. The car came too fast… he’s still in coma right now.” Hangeng said solemnly. His head was tilted slightly forward, in pretense apology.
The other man had his hands on his hips, frowning as he spoke. “Damn, that’s too bad. I was anticipating the week ahead.”
Hangeng sighed deeply. “Once again, I’m sorry.”
“Hey don’t worry about it. You must be feeling far worse than I am.” His partner gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. “I guess… we’ll have to just treat it as if the deal never existed then.” He bit his lower lip in consideration. “Well, I’ll see you next week at conference Hangeng ssi.”
Hangeng curtly nodded his head before the other man turned and trudged back to his black convertible. He called out goodbye and zoomed off, the screeching wheels indicating that the car had already turn round the bend and out of the vicinity.
The young heir smirked to no one before he stalked back into his house and began packing.
To Be Continued--