Arrange Marriage | JC

Chapter 4: Hot and arrogant

"At least try to look like you're happy about this," Joshua muttered, dabbing a brush against Jeonghan's cheeks. Jeonghan ignored him, staring at his reflection with a glare that could melt glass.

His anger was simmering; Minjun had promised a private wedding deal, so why was his and Seungcheol's faces plastered all over news channels and gossip magazines?

"Jeonghan," Joshua's stern voice cut through his thoughts, drawing his attention to the deer-eyed man glaring at him. "There’s a ton of media right outside your house, and you’re not helping," Joshua said, lifting the curtains to reveal the throng of reporters and onlookers waiting outside.

"Minjun said it was going to be private, right? Then how the hell did they find out?" Jeonghan snapped, irritation etched across his face.

Joshua shrugged, flopping onto the couch. "I have no idea. The last thing I remember is going to sleep, and the next morning I woke up to a barrage of texts and calls. Even the daily newspaper had the news. Minjun isn't picking up either." He sighed, and Jeonghan clenched his fist, feeling the weight of his frustration grow.

Jeonghan took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm brewing inside him. "This is just great," he muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "First, a wedding I didn’t even want, and now I’m the star of a media circus."

Joshua smirked, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, at least you're not boring."

"Gee, thanks, Josh. That really helps," Jeonghan shot back, standing up and pacing the room. "I can't believe this. How am I supposed to deal with this mess? And where the hell is Seungcheol in all of this?"

"Probably dealing with his own set of reporters," Joshua replied, leaning back and stretching his arms. "You know, the usual."

Jeonghan groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I can't believe Minjun would screw this up. He knew how important privacy was to me."

"Yeah, well, it seems like he underestimated the allure of a high-profile wedding," Joshua said, crossing his legs. "The public loves a good love story, especially one with a bit of drama."

"Love story?" Jeonghan scoffed. "More like a nightmare."Joshua chuckled, shaking his head. "Oh, come on. It's not that bad. Besides, you look gorgeous. The public will eat it up."

Jeonghan shot him a glare. "I’m not doing this for the public, Josh."

"Sir, are you done?" The bedroom door swung open, revealing two bodyguards standing there, their black tuxedos impeccably tailored to showcase their muscles. Ah, yes, this was the safety Nexus had promised: two bodyguards. Wonderful. Just what Jeonghan needed.

"Yes," Joshua said, hurrying to grab his bag. He took Jeonghan's hand, his grip firm and unwavering. There was no way out of this mess now. Even if they wanted to call off the wedding, it wasn’t happening.

Jeonghan hated every second of it, feeling like a prized possession rather than a person. The presence of these looming bodyguards only added to his frustration, as if he needed more reminders of how trapped he was in this orchestrated circus.

Joshua gave Jeonghan's hand a reassuring squeeze, his eyes full of unspoken apologies. "Let's just get this over with," he muttered under his breath. The bodyguards fell into step behind them as they made their way out of the bedroom, their heavy footsteps echoing ominously in the corridor.