Lin's eyes widened, and he quickly closed his mouth.
"Oh… I see," he whispered.
Mira chuckled softly, though surprise flashed across her face when Lin dropped the cake.
"Oh no, the poor cake…" she bent down slightly, watching the mess on the floor.
Lin moved forward, his body trembling, about to crouch and pick up the ruined cake when the office door suddenly opened. A group of people walked in they looked tired but relieved, clearly finished with the meeting.
One of them spoke quickly, "CEO, the project is ready. Just needs your final confirmation."
Dimitri's tall figure entered behind them. His expression was calm but strict, his presence so commanding that even silence seemed to respect him. He looked at his secretary and said in his deep voice, "If you're done with the project, let me know immediately."
"Yes, sir." They bowed before leaving one by one.
The office fell quiet again. Dimitri's sharp eyes landed on Mira.
"Why are you here? I told you we would meet in the evening."
Mira walked toward him with an elegant smile. "I just came to check on you. Is something wrong? Why are you frowning like that?"
"It's nothing," Dimitri replied coldly, moving to sit in his chair. "This project is more complicated than I thought. It's stressful."
"Poor thing…" Mira murmured sweetly as she slipped behind him and began massaging his shoulders.
Dimitri's face softened a little. "Thank you," he said warmly.
In the far corner, Lin stood frozen. His fingers clenched around his bag. He bit his lower lip hard to stop it from trembling. His voice finally slipped out, quiet and fragile.
"Hi… big brother."
Dimitri barely glanced at him. His voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Go home."
Lin's breath caught. "But I…"
"I warned you not to come to the company if you haven't finished your exams," Dimitri interrupted harshly.
"I… I already finished them," Lin stammered, trembling slightly. "Father said I could come…"
Dimitri leaned back in his chair, his face unreadable. "Done already?" He sounded disinterested.
"Yes, big brother," Lin whispered nervously.
Mira looked between them, sensing the heavy atmosphere. She touched Dimitri's shoulder lightly. "I'll leave you two alone. I'll see you in the evening. Bye, Lin." With a graceful smile, she walked out, the door closing softly behind her.
The silence grew unbearable. Lin slowly walked closer to Dimitri. His trembling hand reached forward, desperate to hold him. But Dimitri smacked his hand away without hesitation.
The sting of rejection burned through him. Tears filled Lin's eyes. He tried to hold his brother's hand again, sobbing softly. "Big brother… why are you ignoring me? I'm sorry. Please, I'm sorry…"
Dimitri didn't even look up from his desk. "So you know what you did?"
Lin nodded quickly, tears streaming down his pale face. "Yes… I know. I regret it. I'm really sorry."
"Aren't you trying to do that same disgusting thing again?" Dimitri slammed his palm against the table. The sound echoed through the office.
Lin flinched in fear, stepping back. His whole body trembled, but Dimitri stood and walked toward him, his tall figure towering over him.
"B-Big brother…" Lin whispered, his voice breaking. He stepped back again, but Dimitri caught his wrist roughly and pulled him close.
Hot tears spilled down Lin's cheeks. He tried to wipe them quickly, but his sobs shook his voice.
"Big brother… I love you. Why won't you love me back? Why?"
His cry filled the office, pitiful and broken. Memories flashed painfully in his mind when their parents first married, Dimitri had been nineteen, and he, just fifteen. Lin had been so happy back then, so hopeful that having an older brother would complete the family. But Dimitri never gave him a chance. For two years, Lin had been waiting, tormenting himself, longing for affection, while Dimitri treated him with nothing but cold silence.
And now… Dimitri had a girlfriend.
Dimitri's words sliced the last of his hope.
"Why would I ever be interested in you, Lin?"
Lin's face went pale. His lips trembled. "Big brother… please. I'll do anything. Please… don't have a girlfriend." His voice cracked as he sobbed.
"Shut up." Dimitri's cold tone stabbed into him like ice.
Lin lowered his head. His heart shattered. I'm pathetic, he thought. So pathetic… why didn't I realize sooner? Dimitri isn't someone who can love me.
Slowly, he fell to his knees. His lips curved in a weak, broken smile as tears fell endlessly. He gently pulled his hand away from Dimitri's grip.
"I'm sorry, big brother… I'll leave now." His voice was almost a whisper, heavy with despair.
Dimitri stood still, his sharp eyes watching as Lin walked slowly toward the door. The soft click of the door closing echoed through the the room.
Silence.
Then, a voice rang out from the corner, playful and mocking.
"Aww, Dimitri, how can you reject such a cute little boy? Why are you playing hard to get?"
Dimitri's head snapped toward the voice. His eyes narrowed. "Shut up, Cyrus."
From the shadows, a tall young man stepped out. His smirk was lazy, his eyes glimmering with mischief.
"So that was your little brother, huh? I've heard rumors that he was cute. But seeing him in person… he's even cuter than I imagined."
Dimitri's gaze turned dangerous. "I don't care."
Cyrus tilted his head, smirking wider. "Then… can I have him?"
The air froze. Dimitri's expression turned sharp, his voice colder than ice.
"I'LL KILL YOU."
Cyrus chuckled softly, raising his hands. "Relax, relax. I understand."
Dimitri's eyes softened slightly, though his voice was still harsh. "Why are you here, Cyrus?"
Cyrus leaned casually against the wall. "I just came back from France. Settled some debts. Thought I'd stop by and say hello. Didn't expect you and your cute little brother to put on such an entertaining show for me."
Dimitri narrowed his eyes. "And you expect me to believe that crap?"
Cyrus laughed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright, you caught me. The real reason I came back to Korea… is because I found a chick online. She's gorgeous, Dimitri. We planned to meet here." He looked almost giddy.
Dimitri sighed, rubbing his temples. "I thought you liked boys."
Cyrus grinned. "I like both, my dear friend."
Dimitri leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples. His sharp eyes flickered toward Cyrus, who was still lounging lazily on the sofa, that familiar cocky grin plastered on his face.
"You still haven't changed," Dimitri said coldly. "Still chasing after whoever catches your eye, still wasting your time. When will you leave that ridiculous playboy behavior behind?"
Cyrus chuckled, his voice deep and amused. "Tch. You sound just like my father. Always serious, always acting like the whole world is sitting on your shoulders. Tell me, Dimitri… when was the last time you actually had fun?"
"Fun doesn't matter," Dimitri replied without hesitation. His gaze sharpened, his tone carrying the weight of a man used to responsibility. "What matters is the company. What matters is stability. If you don't stop fooling around, Cyrus, one day it'll cost you everything."
Cyrus tilted his head back and laughed. "Ah… the great CEO Dimitri, lecturing me again. But speaking of the company, I heard some interesting things while I was abroad." His smile faded a little, his eyes glinting with something serious beneath the mischief. "There's a rumor spreading in France… that one of your partners is planning to pull out from the joint investment deal. Something about dissatisfaction with your last quarterly report."
Dimitri's expression darkened instantly. "Which partner?"
"An overseas branch in Lyon. I don't know if the rumor is true, but you should check it before it turns into a storm. You know how fast business gossip spreads." Cyrus shrugged, as if the fate of millions didn't concern him in the least.
Dimitri narrowed his eyes, silently processing the information. He knew Cyrus's personality well reckless, arrogant, but he was never careless when it came to business matters. If he said he heard something, then it was worth investigating.
"Alright," Dimitri muttered. "I'll look into it."
Cyrus smirked again, stretching like a lazy cat before standing up. "Good. My job here is done, then. I'll let you get back to your boring meetings and stressful life." He straightened his jacket, running a hand through his dark hair. "Don't forget, Dimitri, not everyone lives to carry the world on their back. Some of us… just live to enjoy it."
Dimitri said nothing. His sharp eyes simply followed Cyrus as he walked toward the door.
Dimitri rose from his chair and walked with him downstairs, silent the whole way. When they reached the entrance, Cyrus's sleek black car was already waiting. Cyrus slid into the back seat casually, offering one last smirk through the open window.
"Take care of that little brother of yours. If you don't want him… someone else surely will."
Dimitri's gaze hardened like steel. But before he could respond, Cyrus's driver shut the door, and the car pulled away smoothly from the building.
For a long moment, Dimitri stood at the entrance, his hands deep in his pockets. He tilted his head back, looking up at the clear blue sky above the glass towers. The sunlight was sharp and blinding, but it did nothing to clear the storm in his chest. With a faint sigh, he turned and walked back into the office.
An hour later, the sleek black car carrying Lin rolled through the mansion gates. The ride had been silent the whole way, his face turned toward the window, his reflection pale and hollow against the glass.
The moment the car stopped, he pushed the door open and hurried out. His feet carried him quickly up the steps and into the house.
The silence inside was a relief. His mother wasn't home she must have gone out. Thank goodness. He didn't want her to see his face like this.
He rushed upstairs, his bag still clutched tightly, and entered his room. The door closed behind him with a soft click. Without hesitation, he turned the lock.
And then… the dam broke.
Lin slid down against the door, his body curling as sobs tore free. His hand pressed against his mouth to stifle the sounds, but it was useless. The tears poured down endlessly, hot and merciless, running over his pale cheeks. His chest ached, his shoulders trembled violently as he hugged his knees tightly against himself.
Every word Dimitri had said echoed in his ears.
"Go home."
"Why would I ever be interested in you?"
"Shut up."
Each sentence stabbed at his heart like sharp knives. He buried his face into his arms, his whole body shaking with grief. For two years, he had waited. For two years, he had carried this forbidden love quietly inside him, hoping, praying that someday Dimitri would look at him, would smile at him, would care.
But Dimitri didn't. He never did.
"I'm pathetic…" Lin whispered between sobs. His tears soaked his sleeves. "So pathetic… why did I think he would ever… love me?"
The silence of the room was filled with his broken cries, each one softer and weaker than the last, as if his voice itself was running out of strength. His throat burned, his eyes felt swollen, but the tears refused to stop.
Then....
Ring… ring…
The sudden sound of his phone startled him. His sobs hiccupped to silence for a moment as he glanced at the glowing screen on the bed.
It was Rei.
Lin wiped at his eyes desperately, but his hands were shaking. He picked up the phone anyway, pressing it to his ear.
"Rei…" His voice cracked painfully, raw from crying.
On the other side, Rei's casual tone disappeared instantly. His breath caught in worry.
"Lin? What happened? Why do you sound like that? Did someone hurt you?"
Lin's throat tightened until he could barely breathe. His chest heaved, and in between broken sobs, he coughed as though his own tears were choking him.
"He… he said he'll never love me," Lin whispered hoarsely into the phone. His voice cracked again, raw and trembling. "Rei, it hurts it hurts so much. My heart feels like it's breaking into pieces. I don't know what to do anymore…"
On the other end of the line, Rei's brows knitted tightly. His grip on the phone turned white-knuckled, his jaw clenching as his mind roared with unspoken words. Dimitri again. Always Dimitri. If someone cannot return your love, if they cannot give you back the devotion you've poured into them, then you should walk away… leave them before you lose yourself completely.
But Rei swallowed the truth, burying it deep. He couldn't bring himself to voice it, not when Lin was so fragile. This boy his first love, his one soft weakness was already hurting enough. He wouldn't be the one to crush him further, even if it meant playing the silent martyr.
Rei forced his voice into something softer, steadier than the storm inside him. "Lin," he said carefully, almost coaxingly, "should I come over? I don't like hearing you cry like this. I'm really not happy with the way you're hurting."
There was a pause on the line, broken only by Lin's uneven breaths. Before he could respond, a faint sound echoed through his room his mother's voice, calling him from downstairs. She was back.
Lin's eyes widened, panic slicing through his grief. He hurriedly wiped his wet cheeks with his sleeves, though the redness of his eyes gave him away. Looking down at his phone, he forced a small, broken smile that Rei couldn't see.
"We'll… we'll talk later, okay? Bye." His voice was still hoarse, and without waiting for Rei's protest, he ended the call.
Rei stared at the darkened phone screen, his chest rising and falling heavily. His temples throbbed with a dull ache as he pressed his hand to his forehead.
Warm arms suddenly slipped around him from behind, pulling him into a familiar embrace. Dylan's deep voice brushed against his ear.
"Who was it?"
Rei didn't look back, but his tone gave away the heaviness he carried. "It's Lin. He's… having love problems again."
Dylan's eyes narrowed, his expression instantly cooling. His grip tightened ever so slightly around Rei's waist, but his words came out sharp, laced with disdain.
"Oh. So you're his adviser now, huh?"
Rei turned, frowning at the accusation in Dylan's voice. "And what if I am?" His tone was low, challenging, almost daring Dylan to push further.
Dylan's gaze hardened. "Don't try to corrupt that innocent child, Rei. You and Lin are not the same you know that as well as I do."
A bitter chuckle slipped past Rei's lips, though there was no humor in it. He tilted his head, his eyes flashing with something between anger and sorrow. "So, you think I'm filthy too, Dylan?"
Dylan didn't hesitate. His words were blunt, merciless.
"Yes. You are filthy. Throwing yourself at every man who looks your way, sleeping with whoever will have you it's disgusting."
The air between them crackled like a storm about to break. Rei's hand trembled, not from weakness but from fury. In the next second, the sharp sound of a slap cut through the tension, echoing in the room. Dylan's head snapped to the side, a red mark blooming across his cheek.
Rei's chest rose and fell rapidly as he glared at him, his voice trembling with both anger and defiance.
"Dylan, your words will never hurt me. Because you're not my boyfriend you never were. We're just fuck buddies, remember? Nothing more. So you don't have the right to be jealous, or to act like you own me."
His voice cracked at the end, but his pride held firm. His hand lingered in the air for a moment longer before falling to his side.