Scarlet(Red 3) JC [Revised]

4: Precious Boytoy

"Honey, you can come join eomma now!" the woman called out, her voice sweet but her eyes betraying a hint of madness.

The little boy toddled over to her, his innocent smile oblivious to the danger lurking.

"Come on, baby!" she cooed, embracing him tightly as he reached her.

"You are so pretty, just like your father," she whispered, her tone shifting eerily. "But you've taken him away from me."

Confusion clouded the child's face as his mother's words became increasingly twisted.

"You're the reason your father doesn't love me anymore!" she screamed suddenly, her grip tightening on her son.

Terrified, the boy struggled against her, gasping for air as she forced him into the water.

"Stop! What are you doing?" a voice boomed, as the man who had been watching intervened, pulling the child from the water.

The woman's laughter turned manic as she struggled against the arms restraining her. "He's mine! You can't take him away from me!"

"Hana, what were you thinking?" her husband's voice cut through the chaos, filled with disbelief and concern.

Hana's heart sank as she watched him swim frantically with their baby in his arms. He didn't spare her a glance, didn't check if she was okay. It was all about their son now.

Tears welled up in Hana's eyes as the realization hit her like a tidal wave. Her husband, her rock, didn't love her anymore. The thought gnawed at her, threatening to consume her whole.

For ten years, she had been his world, his everything. But now, because of this child, she was nothing. How was she supposed to go on, knowing that the one person who meant everything to her no longer cared?

Her heart ached with the weight of it all as she watched him, torn between wanting to scream and wanting to beg for his love back. But deep down, she knew it was futile. She was losing him, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

                                      _

"All the best, Yoon!" Ruby whispered, planting a quick kiss on Keeho's lips before the press conference.

Keeho was taken aback by her sudden affection, but a smile tugged at his lips. Today was the day they had been waiting for—the press conference where Keeho would officially take over as Minjun's heir. It was also a chance for Keeho to reunite with his father after years of separation.

As they waited for Minjun to arrive, Keeho couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. He missed his mother dearly, especially since he hadn't been able to attend her funeral. But he pushed the sadness aside, focusing on the importance of the conference.

"I'll definitely do my best after this," Keeho declared, flashing a cheeky grin at Ruby, who rolled her eyes in response.

"You're insatiable," she teased.

"Only for you, Red," Keeho replied with a wink, earning another eye roll from Ruby.

Their banter was interrupted as Minjun entered the room, prompting them to step back from each other. Keeho and his father locked eyes, both feeling the weight of their reunion after eighteen years apart.

"Keeho, you've become such a handsome man after all these years," Minjun remarked, pulling his son into a hug.

Keeho sighed, feeling a wave of happiness wash over him. Despite everything that had happened in Toronto, seeing his father again filled him with a sense of warmth and belonging that he hadn't felt in a long time.

"I missed you, appa," Keeho's voice trembled, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Saying those words, especially calling his father "appa," felt like a release of emotions he had been holding back for years.

"Don't cry, my son. You're finally here, back with me," Minjun replied, his own eyes glistening with unshed tears as he held Keeho close.

Breaking the hug, Keeho mustered a smile and looked into his father's eyes. "And appa, meet Red... I mean Ruby, my girlfriend."

Ruby, taken aback by Keeho's sudden boldness, met Minjun's gaze with a mixture of surprise and warmth. She extended her hand as Keeho introduced her.

"Nice to meet you, Ruby," Minjun said with a gentle smile. "I've heard a lot about you from Keeho, and now I finally get to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Yoon," Ruby replied, bowing politely. Her mind raced with thoughts of what Keeho might have shared with his father about her, but she pushed them aside, focusing on the present moment.

"Now come, Keeho, the reporters are waiting," Minjun said, leading the way as they headed towards the press conference, a newfound sense of unity and hope filling the air.

                                         _

Seokmin's gaze fixated on the TV screen, where Yoon Minjun, Jeonghan's father, was making a shocking announcement. Jeonghan, Seungcheol, Joshua, and Seokmin watched in disbelief as the truth unfolded before their eyes.

"So Mr. Yoon, you're saying Keeho has been your son all along, when Jeonghan wasn't?"

"Yeah. Jeonghan and Keeho don't have the same father. Keeho is my child," Minjun's voice echoed through the restaurant, sending shockwaves through the group.

Jeonghan felt like the ground had been ripped out from under him. A brother? He had never even known. Meanwhile, Seungcheol's mind raced with questions and confusion. He had always thought Jeonghan was an only child.

"Han, you have a brother?" Seokmin's voice broke the silence, his eyes wide with surprise.

Jeonghan nodded, his mind swirling with a mix of emotions. "Well, I'm not, but my parents always treated me like one. And it's been eighteen years since Keeho was gone. Why did he come back all of a sudden? My father broke all connections with him, so why now? Why does he need to claim the company now?!" Anger replaced Jeonghan's initial shock as he grappled with the sudden revelation. He had always enjoyed being the center of attention, reveling in the privileges of being the sole heir. The idea of someone else taking what he believed was rightfully his left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Han, calm down! You're living your life well now. Don't let this bother you," Seokmin urged, trying to soothe Jeonghan's rising anger.

"Yeah, Yoon's right. Focus on your life with Seungcheol. That's what's important," Joshua added, echoing Seokmin's sentiments.

But amidst their attempts to comfort Jeonghan, nobody noticed the terror in Seungcheol's eyes. His mind raced with fear and desperation. Keeho, alive after all these years, back to claim his rightful place in his father's company and as Jeonghan's brother? It was unthinkable. How could someone return from the dead like this? And if Jeonghan found out the truth... Seungcheol's heart pounded in his chest, his throat dry with dread.

"Tae should have buried this guy even deeper into the ground, I think," Seungcheol muttered under his breath, his voice tinged with malice. "But this time, I'll make sure you never return, my precious boy toy."

His words dripped with venom as he vowed to do whatever it took to prevent Keeho from revealing the truth to Jeonghan. If it meant committing another murder, Seungcheol was prepared to do it. Keeho would never survive this time.

So let me clear one thing to you people, Crimson was mostly from Jeonghan's POV while Ruby was from Aerin and Ruby's POV. Now why I'm saying this you would understand later, a lot of parts in the previous two books are now projected from a third person's POV here which is obviously the reality. But in those previous parts the characters have bended them a lot of times according to themselves. And the first flashback part?who do you think the baby is? And Seungcheol knows Keeho? But how? And I would like to clarify one thing since a lot of you are quite confused about that, Ruby and Aerin are not sisters.

Now this story has crossed 100 reads but I love your comments more. I mean I'm trying to mess with your mind a lot and I love to see myself succeeding😭. But of course thank you so much! Have a great day.