Inside the dark room, with all the curtains drawn, a low groan echoed.
"F-fuck…" Shuu muttered under his breath as his hand moved faster. His eyes were fixed on the photo displayed on his phone screen. He could feel it—he was close. His movements quickened, his breathing growing heavier until he finally reached his climax.
Afterward, he smirked faintly and reached for a tissue from the table. He lay back on his bed, panting, then glanced at his phone again—his gaze lingering on Jinny's photo.
A sudden knock broke the silence.
"Bro, Uncle Mikhail is calling for a meeting!" Tohru's voice came from outside.
"Coming!" Shuu shouted back as he stood up.
He opened the door to find Tohru waiting. Together, they headed toward Mikhail's study, where everyone was already gathered.
The meeting began, but Shuu found himself bored almost immediately. He yawned, his attention drifting, until his eyes landed on Ran, who was quietly typing on his phone.
A smirk tugged at Shuu's lips as he recalled seeing Ran and Jinny leaving a small hotel together not long ago. He had been surprised—they were together again, yet still pretending to ignore each other at home.
Ran noticed Shuu staring and raised an eyebrow. In response, Shuu simply grinned and flashed him a middle finger.
Ran rolled his eyes and returned his attention to Mikhail, choosing to ignore him.
.
.
.
"Hmm… their meeting is taking longer than usual," Kaye remarked, glancing at the wall clock.
They were in the kitchen, preparing food for the men.
"Um… Mom?" Jinny called softly as she placed the used plates in the sink.
"What is it?" Kaye asked while setting the soup on the table.
Jinny hesitated before speaking. "When you met your husbands… how did you know you'd end up with all of them? What did you feel back then? Were you… forced to accept them?"
Kaye blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected such a question.
Noticing her reaction, Jinny quickly looked down, embarrassed. "I—I'm sorry, Mom. Please don't mind me!"
But Kaye only smiled gently.
"I wasn't forced," she said. "It was my decision. At first, I wasn't sure if I could love them all equally. I was afraid they might fight because of me… and I wasn't sure if I could return their love the way they deserved."
She paused, her expression softening.
"But as time passed, I realized I loved them all. The thought of losing any of them terrified me. Maybe it's selfish… but I do love them. They are my world now… along with you, my children."
Jinny listened in awe.
"I'm lucky to be their wife," Kaye continued. "They've done so much to protect me. And in return, I'll love them with all my heart until my last breath."
"Don't they get jealous of each other?" Jinny asked.
Kaye chuckled. "Of course they do. But they never hurt each other. They've learned to accept one another—like brothers. And I always make sure to treat them fairly."
Jinny smiled, admiring her mother even more.
"By the way…" Kaye added, gently taking Jinny's hand. "Why are you asking all this?"
Jinny stiffened.
"Hmm… are you in love? Seeing someone, perhaps?"
Jinny's face flushed bright red. "N-No, Mom! I'm not in love! I was just curious!"
Kaye laughed softly. "Come on, you don't have to be shy. So, who's the lucky guy? Is he your classmate?"
Jinny bit her lip and looked away. "H-he's not…"
"Ooh~ my baby girl is seeing someone!" Kaye teased.
"Seeing someone?" Mikhail's voice suddenly cut in.
Jinny froze.
The men had entered the kitchen, one after another.
"Who's seeing someone?" Haru asked.
Kaye smiled as she wrapped an arm around Jinny. "Our daughter is all grown up now."
Jinny's eyes widened in panic as she covered her face, completely embarrassed—especially with Ran standing there.
"So Jinny is dating someone?" Raon said. "You should introduce him to us soon."
"N-no! It's just a crush. I'm not dating anyone," Jinny quickly corrected.
"Still, we should meet him," Shin added. "We need to make sure he's not an asshole."
"Oh! I think I saw her with that guy the other day!" Shuu suddenly chimed in.
All eyes turned to him.
Shuu smirked, noticing Ran's serious expression. Jinny's heart pounded—had he found out?
"Really?" Harusheen asked.
"I didn't see his face," Shuu continued casually. "Only his back. But I don't think he's a student."
"You're seeing someone, Jin? How come I didn't know?" Thane asked.
"It's her private life," Kyle said calmly. "You should respect it. She's grown up now."
"Kyle's right," Kaye agreed. "I'm sure Jinny will introduce him when the time is right."
The men nodded in agreement.
Jinny let out a quiet sigh of relief. She still couldn't bring herself to look at Ran.
She knew he was mad.
They had almost been caught.
.
.
.
Jinny was at the balcony, gently petting their cat as it rested on her lap when Shuu suddenly joined her.
"You were almost caught," he said.
Jinny's heart began to pound again as she quickly turned to him.
"W-What do you mean?" she asked nervously.
Shuu sat beside her and started petting the cat.
"Do you really think I wouldn't recognize my own brother?" he said with a smirk.
"S-Shuu…" she muttered.
"Relax. I won't tell Mom or the others that you and Ran are secretly seeing each other," he added casually.
"We're not dating," she whispered.
Shuu chuckled. "Don't try to fool me. You two have been fucking since we were in the Serolf Empire. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? I'm not as dense as the others."
Jinny's face flushed red.
"Don't worry," he continued. "Your secret is safe with me."
She narrowed her eyes. "You want something from us, don't you?"
"Yep." He nodded.
"What is it?" she asked through gritted teeth. She knew Shuu well—he always wanted something to entertain himself.
He paused, then grinned. "Hmm… how about you fuck me too?"
"Shuu!" she snapped.
He burst into laughter.
"Relax. I'm joking," he said. "Well… mostly."
"Stop saying things like that," she muttered, clearly annoyed.
"Fine. I only want one thing," he said, his tone shifting slightly.
"Tell me."
"Be my official girlfriend."
Jinny stared at him in disbelief. "What? Are you insane? Are you trying to start a fight with your own brother? And besides, I have no plans to date any of you."
"Oh?" Shuu tilted his head. "So you really are in love with Ran?"
Jinny said nothing, lowering her gaze.
Shuu's expression darkened slightly. "Do you really believe him? He's not in love with you. He's just using you—only using your body because he isn't satisfied with the girls at the club. If he were serious, he would've made things official and told the family."
He gently lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
"He's not serious about you, Jin."
Jinny pushed his hand away. "And what about you? You're only saying all this because you hate me! None of you ever liked me from the start!"
"Never liked you?" Shuu stood up, letting out a short laugh. "Yeah… I don't like you—"
He paused, then smirked.
"—as my sister. Because I want you to be my woman."
Jinny froze.
Shuu turned and began walking away. "If you don't believe me, then go see Ran. He left earlier—went to the club. Go and see for yourself how serious he really is."
Without another word, he left.
Jinny remained on the balcony, her thoughts in chaos.
Was Shuu telling the truth about Ran?
Her chest tightened as doubt crept in.
Without wasting another second, she rushed to the parking lot. There, she found Thane wiping down his car.
"You need something?" Thane asked, stopping as he looked at her.
"C-Can you drive me…" she hesitated, her voice trembling slightly, "…to the club?"
Thane furrowed his brows, clearly puzzled.
.
.
.
At the club.
Tears streamed down Jinny's face as the truth unfolded before her eyes.
She had asked Thane to bring her there. He didn't question her—he simply followed. When they arrived, she searched for Ran and asked one of the staff. They recognized her immediately; everyone in the club knew the members of the Fuentebella family. Without hesitation, they led her to one of the VIP rooms.
Even from outside, she could hear a woman's loud moans.
Her hand trembled as she slowly turned the knob, just enough to peek inside.
And there he was.
Ran.
Fucking another woman.
Jinny's breath caught in her throat. Her chest tightened painfully as the sight sank in. She quickly shut the door, as if doing so could erase what she had just seen.
But it didn't.
Her tears fell even harder as she wiped them away, trying to steady herself.
Without another word, she walked out.
Thane was waiting by the car when she returned.
"Let's go home," she said softly, her voice barely holding together.
Thane studied her for a moment, then nodded. He didn't ask any questions. He simply opened the door for her, and they drove back in silence.
When they arrived at the mansion, Jinny rushed out of the car and ran straight to her room, locking the door behind her.
Thane remained outside for a moment, letting out a quiet sigh.
He didn't know what had happened inside the club—but he could tell it wasn't something small.
Still, he chose not to ask.
If there was something he needed to know… he would find out in his own way.