| Antidote | Poison 2nd Book |

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟛

Eager to uncover the last location of the Choi family, Seonghwa had begun working day and night for the past few days, hoping that even the slightest lead would lead them in the right direction.

The handmade clock upon the wall in the corner of his office ticked in a steady rhythm, each tick adding another thin layer to the frustration weighing down on his shoulders. Seonghwa was on his fourth cigarette of the morning, a plume of white smoke streaming through his nose as his fingers worked aggressively against the keys of his laptop.

Just as he was about to lose his temper for a brief second, the sound of the door to his office opening broke his concentration. Still in his morning robe and bed matted hair, Hongjoong strolled into the office with what looked like a folder in his hands.

"What are you doing up?" Seonghwa quickly removed the cigarette from his lips, stubbing it out in the crystal ashtray that sat on the edge of his desk.

"Never send an idiot to do an expert's job." Hongjoong stopped in front of the desk and tossed the file upon its surface.

Seonghwa's brows frowned in confusion as he glanced at the file. "What is that?"

"You know what it is."

Reaching over, he took the file in his hand and used his index finger to slide it open. After skimming the content of the file, he shot a look up at Hongjoong with his look of confusion becoming a look of shock.

"Where the hell did you get this?"

Hongjoong crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side. "Clearly, you forget who the hell is your best advocate. I did the research myself. They were last active on the southern coast, someone was careless by using an unprotected network. You're welcome." 

Seonghwa took a moment to go over the file again before he locked eyes with Hongjoong once more. "What have I told you about-"

"Not getting involved? These people need to pay for what they've done, not only to me but to what they did to YOUR family. I took matters into my own hands because I know how to get things done. You could at least thank me." 

Seonghwa rubbed his chin with a soft sigh. He wasn't a fan of Hongjoong getting himself in the middle of the chaos, but he appreciated the effort he was willing to give.

He leaned back in his chair and pushed himself away from the desk a bit, patting his inner thigh. "Come here, little one."

Hongjoong unfolded his arms from his chest, walking around the desk with a growing smile on his lips. He took his place on Seonghwa's lap and wrapped his arms around his neck, Seonghwa's hands finding a comfortable place upon his hips.

"I do thank you, and thanks to you, we can move forward on taking down the biggest rival we've had for years. I don't like that you got involved, but you did well." Seonghwa leaned in and placed a few kisses along the edge of his husband's jawline. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me." Hongjoong grinned as he brushed a few black strands of Seonghwa's hair from his face. "As I said, never send an idiot to do an expert's job. Now... Do with that information as you wish. Get it done."

"You know that I will..."

"Good, and when you're done, you can grow a pair and apologize to your brother." With that, Hongjoong slipped out of Seonghwa's lap and made his way toward the door.

"Now I never agreed to-"

"You WILL agree to it or I'll kick your ass. Just get your job done, I don't like hearing you whine." 

Seonghwa licked the edges of his teeth, watching Hongjoong leave his office without another word. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself, his husband had become quite assertive and demanding, but he liked it. It made him feel better that Hongjoong was overcoming his demons rather than allowing them to consume him.