Bound by Shadows .jc

CHAPTER 41

Shattered Promises

The air between them felt heavy, a charged silence stretching as Seungcheol struggled to meet Jeonghan's gaze. He could feel the weight of his own hesitation, the reluctance to speak the words lodged deep in his chest. For a moment, his eyes flickered to the floor, searching for courage in the grain of the wooden panels.

"Are you really sure you want to hear this?" he asked finally, his voice quieter than usual but tinged with a raw edge, as though he already knew the answer but hoped for an escape.

Jeonghan, sitting across from him with a steadiness that Seungcheol didn't know if he admired or feared, nodded. "I can handle it," Jeonghan said, his tone resolute, though his fingers gripped the edge of the blanket draped across his lap.

Seungcheol's breath hitched slightly as he leaned back in his chair, his shoulders slumping under an invisible weight. He ran a hand through his hair, his fingers trembling just enough to betray the storm raging within. "Alright," he murmured, the words falling from his lips like a reluctant surrender. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

He looked up, his eyes meeting Jeonghan's with a mix of vulnerability and determination. "What I'm about to tell you... it's not a story anyone should have to hear." The room seemed to hold its breath, the dim light casting shadows that flickered like ghosts on the walls

Flashback 

The grandeur of the Choi estate was a masterpiece of deception. Outsiders saw it as the epitome of success—marble floors gleaming under crystal chandeliers, sprawling gardens manicured to perfection, and an air of wealth so thick it could suffocate. But for those within, it was a gilded cage, a fortress that imprisoned its inhabitants in silence, cruelty, and duty.

The Choi and Jung families weren't just wealthy; they were institutions, the titans of industry in a world where power was currency and morality was an inconvenience. Their names carried weight, their reputations untouchable, but behind closed doors, their empires were built on greed, manipulation, and blood. Generations passed down not wisdom or love but the sins of their forebears, like heirlooms polished and displayed with pride.

In these circles, marriage was never about love or companionship. It was a transaction, a cold business deal designed to merge assets, consolidate power, or gain influence. A wedding wasn't the union of two hearts but the signing of a contract. Brides and grooms often met for the first time at the altar, their lives dictated by clauses written in boardrooms. Children were born not out of love but as heirs, pawns in a game of legacy.

The Chois and Jungs epitomized this world. Their parents taught them that money was the only thing that mattered, and humanity was a weakness. A mistake made by one generation was repeated by the next with stubborn pride, never questioned, never corrected. The cycle continued, each generation further entrenching the rot.

For Choi Seungcheol, being the eldest son of this dynasty was a curse. He was never a child in his parents' eyes—he was an investment, a tool to be shaped, honed, and wielded. His father's lessons were delivered with fists and a belt, his mother's with venomous words that cut deeper than any weapon. Yelling and berating were common, neglect even more so. It was not uncommon for Seungcheol to go to bed hungry, not because there wasn't food—there was always an abundance of it—but because his parents had simply forgotten, or perhaps chosen, not to care.

The grandeur of the dining hall mocked him. A table that could seat twenty, adorned with crystal glasses and silverware, was meaningless when no one shared a meal with him. He was alone, always alone.

Until Yoona.

Five years his junior, Choi Yoona was the single ray of light in Seungcheol's bleak existence. Her birth was the first time he had felt hope. From the moment he held her tiny hand, he vowed to protect her from the darkness that had consumed their family. Her laughter was the only music in the otherwise silent halls, her bright eyes a reminder that not everything in his world was broken.