Crown of Scorn
Unworthy Heir
The sleek, cold office is silent save for the low murmur of the wall-mounted television.
A news anchor speaks over paparazzi photos of a young man stumbling out of a club, surrounded by a haze of smoke and people.
News anchor
"...another scandal for the heir of the illustrious Jeon conglomerate.Sources say the Enigma was involved in an all-night party, the latest in a string of controversies that have shareholders questioning..."
Taehyung stands before the screen, his posture rigid. His phone vibrates on the glass desk, the screen flashing KIM NAMJOON. He answers, his voice a low, controlled monotone.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
"Hello Dad."
Jeon Namjoon_Enigma
(Crackling with anger) "Have you seen the news?"
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
(His eyes don't leave the screen,where the scandalous photos are already being dissected by industry experts.) "Yes.The PR team is already containing it."
Jeon Namjoon_Enigma
"A containment isn't a solution!How much more time do they need? Can you not handle anything properly?"
A muscle twitches in Taehyung's jaw. The controlled calm on his face tightens.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
"The PR team's core duty is to manage the company's reputation.Babysitting an unworthy heir through his self-made scandals is not in their job description. If you wish to scold someone, direct your anger at the source of the problem."
He ends the call without waiting for a reply. The silence that follows is heavier than before. He presses the intercom.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
(To intercom) "Get me the head of PR.I want this buried within the hour."
He turns and strides out of his office, Jimin falling into step beside him without a word. They walk in tense silence to his private office.
Taehyung stands by the window, the cityscape sprawling below him. But he isn't seeing the skyline. He’s seeing the past.
My father used to look at me as if I hung the moon. Then, when I was four, my nephew was born. An Enigma. My brother always saw me as a mistake, a challenger to his sole inheritance. But his son... his son became the new sun in our family's sky, and I was cast into shadow.
So I fought. I excelled in every subject, won every sport, shattered every expectation. I thought if I was perfect, they would have to see me. But I was wrong.
They don't see perfection. They only see the Enigma. It doesn't matter that he's undisciplined, that he's unworthy. He is what they cherish.
Office meeting
A soft knock pulls him from his thoughts.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
(Without turning) "Come in."
The door opens and Jimin enters, placing a cup of steaming coffee on the desk. The rich, familiar scent cuts through the sterile air.
Park Jimin_Omega
(His voice is calm,a quiet anchor in the storm of Taehyung's thoughts.) "The meeting with the marketing department starts in thirty minutes. The files are on your tablet."
Taehyung finally turns from the window. His face is a mask of composed authority once more, the vulnerability of a moment ago locked firmly away.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
"Good."
The sleek glass table is littered with laptops and coffee cups. A junior employee, sweating slightly, concludes a presentation. An expectant silence falls.
Manager
"Director, your thoughts?"
TAEHYUNG, impeccably dressed and radiating an air of unshakeable authority, doesn't look up from his tablet. When he does, his gaze is like a laser, pinpointing a graph on the screen.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
(Voice cold,precise) "This projection is inadequate. The data modeling here is superficial. I need a deeper analysis."
A collective, almost imperceptible, tension tightens the room. The employees simply nod.
Tem leader
(Murmured) "Yes,sir."
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
"Redo it.I expect the final version on my desk by end of day."
Tem leader
(Nodding quickly) "Understood,sir."
Without another word, Taehyung stands and exits, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room. He moves down the hallway, where JIMIN waits by his office door, a tablet held ready.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
"Jimin.What's next?"
Park Jimin_Omega
(His posture is professional,but a warm, cheerful light is in his eyes—a stark contrast to Taehyung's frosty demeanor.) "Board meeting in thirty minutes.I've pre-loaded the briefing documents onto your tablet."
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
"Good.I'll be in my office. No interruptions."
Park Jimin_Omega
"Of course."
Taehyung enters his minimalist office, the door clicking shut. He settles into his leather chair and picks up a pen, his expression unchanging as he begins methodically signing a stack of files. The only sound is the sharp scratch of ink on paper.
A battlefield of power
The air in the opulent boardroom is thick with tension.
Taehyung stands at the head of the table, cool and composed, while Director PARK, a man in his sixties with a sneer, points a finger at him.
Director Park
(Tapping the newspaper on the table) "...And this latest...escapade from your nephew is a direct reflection on this company's leadership, Taehyung-ssi. The stock dropped 3% this morning. How do you explain your failure to control your own family?"
Taehyung doesn't flinch. He meets the man's gaze evenly.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
"The stock dipped due to speculative panic,which our PR team has already stabilized. My nephew's personal life is just that—personal. My duty, and the duty of this board, is to the company's performance. And as the Q3 report in front of you shows, performance is at an all-time high."
Another director, KANG, a sharp-eyed woman who supports Taehyung, speaks up.
Director Kang
"He's right.We are a corporation, not a gossip magazine. Let's focus on the numbers, which are impeccable thanks to Taehyung-ssi's leadership."
Director Park scowls, switching tactics.
Director Park
"Impeccable?What about the delays in the Singapore merger? Rumor has it your meticulousness is starting to look like incompetence."
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
(A cold,sharp smile) "The'delays' are due to the thorough due diligence I ordered, which uncovered significant liabilities our partners tried to hide. I am preventing a 500-billion-won mistake, Director Park. Unless, of course, you would have preferred we rushed in blindly?"
Director Park falls silent, defeated. The meeting continues, a battlefield of veiled accusations and precise, calculated defenses from Taehyung.
Taehyung drives his sleek black car through the city. As he approaches a steep downhill slope on a suburban road, he presses the brake pedal. It sinks to the floor with a sickening, spongy feel.
His heart doesn't even skip a beat. His face is a mask of grim acceptance. He immediately picks up his hands-free phone.
Jeon Taehyung_Alpha
(Calmly) "Jimin.It's the brakes. I'm on the old coastal route. Sending my location now."
Park Jimin_Omega
(Urgent,but controlled) "On my way. wait for ten minutes. What's your plan?"
Taehyung's eyes scan the road ahead—long, relatively straight, and empty.
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