Chained Heart [Lee Know X Bang Chan]

1. The Bitter Return

Author POV

The news of his mother’s death had come like a storm, swift and merciless. One moment, Minho had been a quiet boy living in the outskirts of the city with his mother, and the next, he was an orphan.

The day she died, the sun was hidden behind thick, stormy clouds, as if the heavens themselves mourned her passing.

Minho stood in the doorway of their small, humble home, staring out at the muddy streets where his mother’s lifeless body had been taken away hours before.

She had been his only source of warmth and comfort in a world that seemed to have no place for someone like him—a male omega, illegitimate, and now, utterly alone.

He didn’t have time to grieve properly before a carriage arrived, its dark insignia unmistakable—the Jeon clan had come for him.

The clan he had never known, the family that had cast his mother aside and left them to fend for themselves. Now, with his mother gone, they claimed him, not out of love or responsibility, but for the sake of appearances.

The carriage ride to the Jeon estate was long and silent. Minho huddled in a corner, his small frame shaking from a mix of cold and fear.

His thoughts were a whirlwind—his mother’s gentle smile, the warmth of her embrace, the way she had always reassured him that everything would be okay, even when it clearly wasn’t. And now, all of that was gone, leaving only a gaping void in its place.

Minho felt like he was being ripped from the only home he had ever known .

At the Jeon estate, Minho's arrival sent shockwaves. Namjoon, Jungkook's husband, stood frozen in the foyer, his eyes wide with rage.

"What is this, Jungkook?" he thundered. "You bring an illegitimate child into our home? This...this is the proof of your betrayal!"

Namjoon yelled seething in anger, looking at Minho hurt him. He felt like he was looking at the other woman, the mistress. The cause to his marriage almost ending 17 years ago.

Namjoon's gaze fell on Minho's silver hair, and his face twisted in disgust. "You can't even deny his paternity, can you, Jungkook? He's got the Jeon Clan's mark all over him!"

Jungkook's expression was unyielding. "Minho will be an asset to our family, Namjoon . He'll secure alliances and strengthen our position."

Minho felt a chill run down his spine. He was nothing more than a tool to Jungkook, a means to an end.

His so called father left him there and went to coax his wife.

It had only been an hour since he arrived at the grand home, imposing structure of cold stone and darkened windows. It was everything his mother’s home had not been—grand, powerful, and utterly unwelcoming.

Minho was led through the vast halls by stern-faced servants, the silence pressing down on him like a weight. Every step echoed through the corridors, a constant reminder that he was a stranger in this place.

Finally, they reached a large set of double doors, intricately carved with the Jeon clan’s crest. The servant knocked once, and the doors swung open.

Inside was a grand study, filled with bookshelves and expensive furniture. Behind a large, oak desk sat Jeon Jungkook, the man who was supposedly his father.

Minho recalled only seeing him once, when he was very young, but there was no mistaking the resemblance. Silver hair, sharp features, and an aura of authority that seemed to fill the room.

Beside him stood another figure, one that made Minho’s blood run cold. Jeon Namjoon, the omega who had taken his mother’s place as Jungkook’s mate.

Namjoon was strikingly beautiful, with deep blue eyes and an air of grace, but his expression was anything but kind. He looked at Minho with a mixture of disdain and something darker—a bitterness that seeped into the very air around him.

“Come forward, Minho,” Jungkook commanded, his voice stern and unyielding.

Minho hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, his gaze fixed on the floor. He could feel Namjoon’s eyes on him, cold and calculating, and it took everything in him not to turn and run.

“You’re here because your mother is dead,” Jungkook continued, his tone as emotionless as the words themselves.

“You will live here now, as a member of the Jeon family. You will be provided for, but understand this—your place here is precarious. You are an illegitimate child, and you must earn your keep.”

Minho nodded, too afraid to speak. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat a reminder of how out of place he was.

Namjoon, who had been silent until now, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he looked Minho up and down.

“He’s a reminder,” Namjoon said softly, his voice laced with venom.

“A reminder of your infidelity, Jungkook. Do you really expect me to welcome him with open arms?”

Jungkook’s expression remained impassive, but there was a flicker of discomfort in his eyes. “He is my son, Namjoon. Regardless of how he came to be, he has a place here.”

Namjoon’s lips curled into a cold smile. “A place, yes. But not a welcome one. I will tolerate his presence, but only under certain conditions.”

Minho felt a chill run down his spine as Namjoon turned his gaze to him.

“You see, Minho,” Namjoon continued, his tone almost sweet, “you are a thorn in my side. A constant reminder of my husband’s betrayal. But I am a generous person, so I will give you two choices .”

Minho looked up, his eyes wide with fear and confusion.

“You can either become a bride of the Park clan,” Namjoon said, his voice dripping with false kindness, “or you can be sold to a breeding house. Those are your options.”

The words hit Minho like a physical blow. He couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing—sold to a breeding house, or forced into a marriage he didn’t want? He had known his life would change after his mother’s death, but this was beyond his worst nightmares.

Jungkook’s expression darkened, but he remained silent, his authority overshadowed by Namjoon’s icy resolve.

Minho’s breath caught in his throat. He wanted to scream, to beg for mercy, but he knew it would do no good. In this house, Namjoon’s word was law, and there was no one who would stand up for him.

“I… I’ll do as you ask,” Minho whispered, his voice barely audible. He could see no other option, no way out of the hell that awaited him.

Namjoon’s smile widened, a cruel glint in his eyes. “Good. Then it’s settled. We’ll make the arrangements immediately.”

Minho felt his world crumbling around him. He had lost his mother, and now he was about to lose whatever semblance of a future he might have had. As he stood there, trembling and alone, he realized that the Jeon clan was not a family—it was a prison, and he was its newest inmate.