“Did you receive the mail?” a robotic voice crackled from the other line as the vice-chairman of S&H Group smirked.

“I did. I’m impressed that you didn’t get caught.” 

“They’re still at the tailor shop, but I’ll continue to update you.”

“Hm. I’ve already wired you the money, so monitor them for a couple more days. Good work so far.”

Turning off his burner phone, the vice-chairman shifted his gaze toward the white envelope on his desk. An amused grin lit up his face as he picked up the somewhat bulky envelope. Spilling its contents onto the mahogany desk, the vice-chairman stared long and hard at the pictures before the room erupted with boisterous laughter. His shoulder shaking, the elderly businessman picked up a photograph of Min tightly holding Yi-an’s hand in front of the SHINHA Department Store. 

“So this was what my brother was trying to hide. Pfft, to think that my cute grandnephew has such a huge flaw… Hehe, God must be on my side–!”

A sudden knock startled the old man from his glee as he hastily gathered the photos into the envelope again. Sealing it shut, he had barely tossed the envelope inside his desk drawer when the door swung open. With his hands clasped behind his back, the chairman of S&H Group stood before his flustered brother.

“Seok-hoon, let’s have a chat, shall we?”

~~~

The vice-chairman sipped his coffee and glanced at the sour-faced chairman. Why’s he in a bad mood again? Ha… Setting down his cup, the younger elder cleared his throat, prompting the chairman to look up from his hands. 

“So, what did you want to talk about? You’ve just been sitting there, brooding for the last ten minutes. Is something wrong?”

With a long sigh, S&H’s chairman sunk his hands into the leather armchair, his face growing dark with disappointment, “... Seok-hoon, do you think my grandson has what it takes to be the next chairman?”

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

“Just wondering. What are your opinions about having Min become the next chairman?”

“... Hmm.”

Intertwining his spindly fingers together, the vice-chairman leaned forward, his smooth forehead creased in deep thought. After a long moment, he glanced up at his brother, who seemed quite impatient to hear what the vice-chairman had to say.  

“Well?”

“Do you want the sugar-coated version or–?”

“I don’t have time for your jokes. What are your honest thoughts on the matter?”

“I’ll be honest with you then. Compared to Do-woon, Min isn’t as… flexible as his father. He’s too headstrong and unwilling to negotiate; he takes a cutthroat and stubborn approach and is adamant about having things go his way. And to top it all off, the boy is too easy to read.”

“So, you’re saying he’s not cut out to be a leader.”

“Hahaha!” the vice-chairman chuckled at his older sibling’s pronounced pout, “I didn’t say that! Min’s young– he just has a lot to learn. I can teach him like I did for Do-woon.”

“Is that why you’ve watched the boy like a hawk ever since he returned?”

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”

Grunting, the chairman rose from the leather armchair before stretching his sore back with a satisfied groan. “Dear me, I’m getting old, aren’t I? Maybe I need to schedule an acupuncture appointment with Dr. Park.”

“Hyung–!”

“Seok-hoon.” The chairman began, side-glancing at his younger brother, who froze upon meeting his gaze, “I don’t mind if you monitor my boy, but shouldn’t you be holding a tight leash on yours?”

“What is that supposed to mean…?”

A flurry of photographs flooded the vice-chairman’s lap, leaving him at a loss for words. Pictures of his son, Jung-ho, drunkenly partying at exclusive nightclubs and leaving hotel rooms after one-night stands stared up at the mortified businessman. With a shaky hand, the vice-chairman picked up one of the photos, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“H-How… No, this can’t be–!”

“Why are you so surprised? It’s not like you didn’t know what Jung-ho was up to, surely… Ah. Are you shocked I would stoop down to your level and keep tabs on your son? Ridiculous. Have you forgotten that I was the one who taught you how to run the business?”

In a rage, the vice-chairman jumped to his feet, his beady eyes glowering at the chairman with overbearing hatred, “My son did nothing wrong! He can have fun during the weekends! What’s so bad about relieving some stress by going to a nightclub?! At least he’s not a homosexual like your grandson!!!”

“Hahahaha!”

“What are you laughing about?! Didn’t you hear what I just said? Your grandson is a disgusting homosexual! Do you think the board and the shareholders will idly sit by and watch Min become the next chairman?!”

“You’re finally showing your true colors, eh?” The chairman tightly gripped his cane as he pointed the wooden stick towards his snarling sibling, “I already know that my grandson is gay– so what?”

“... Ha! How can you be so carefree about that?! His sexual orientation will ruin our company’s image–!”

“Since when did you care about the company’s image? This is my final warning: Leave my grandson alone. I’ll let your son off the hook if you stop here.”

“And if I say no?”

“Well, I have a reverse card up my sleeve… So it’d be in your best interest to advise your son to not act out any longer– and this warning also includes you.”

“...”

Slamming his cane on the ground, the chairman gave one last look to his brother before calmly exiting the room. With his hands clenched into tight fists, the vice-chairman glowered after his elder brother.

“... You’ll pay for this…!”