To Love and Protect

Prologue: The Beginning

           

The room JinYoung Byun sat in was wide and spacious, the decor opulent and dripping with crystal and glass. The cushion she rested upon was embroidered within an inch of its life, the swirled patterns of red and gold thread very pretty but wreaking hell on her ass. Wooden panels lined the room, the walls brightly decorated with painted mosaics that depicted cherry blossoms and pale, blushing maidens. The traditional Korean style home had been transformed into a restaurant, one of the most expensive in the country. It was beautiful, but JinYoung wasn't impressed. Eating here was no different from any other place she frequented, and in fact she was becoming sick of all the pomp and circumstance that came with her position as heir to the Byun fortune.

JinYoung's grandfather had come from humble beginnings, working his way up from an entry level position in a shipping company to eventually becoming its CEO. By the time JinYoung's father had taken over, their company had grown from one bustling building to ten. Her Appa had never been a slouch and had taken the companies to new heights, creating a conglomerate of over 70 businesses worldwide. Their net worth was in the billions and things had been perfect right up until JinYoung's father had suddenly died of a heart attack. It had been just days after his burial when the vultures had descended, trying to pick apart the company that he had worked so hard to build. At only 20, JinYoung had known little about business, but with the help of her father's most trusted secretary, she had brought the company back from the brink of disaster. Now here she was, five years later and waiting to meet the potential fiancée who had been chosen by her mother.

JinYoung wasn't an unfeeling woman, but she had much more passion for business than love and knew her duty. She was a woman in a man's world and had a target on her back as long as she remained unmarried. If the man was kind, signed a prenup and didn't stop her from trying to run her company, he would pass with flying colors. She was more worried about keeping her company alive for the next generation than her own personal happiness. The faster she married, the sooner she could be free to get back to work.

The only entrance into the room slid open and JinYoung shook herself from her wandering thoughts. The opened panel revealed a young woman in a hanbok, her hair intricately braided in the old style, full of hair pieces and gold clips. She made a fifty-degree bow to JinYoung and almost became unbalanced by the heavy headdress she wore. JinYoung muffled a laugh and waited while a man and woman were ushered inside.

The woman entered first, scanning the available area and taking in JinYoung with barely a glance. The man came next, slightly shorter than JinYoung found ideal, but strong looking with a fantastic smile that he sent her way. He extended his hand toward her in hopes of a hand shake but JinYoung merely looked at the proffered limb until he lowered it.

"Anneyonghaesyo, Kim HongMin inmida. I'm the head doctor at Chaeil Women's hospital." He gave her a short bow while his compatriot took a spot by the door, hands folded together and legs spread shoulder width apart. 

"You've brought a woman to our marriage meeting," JinYoung said in an even tone, raising an eyebrow at the woman dressed in an all-black pants suit. The female was tall, made even taller by the 3-inch heels she wore. Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun and she wore no makeup. She looked around the room silently, not reacting while JinYoung took stock of her. She was completely nondescript and in fact her most interesting feature had to be that she was black.

"Ah! Don't misunderstand! She's my bodyguard, on direct loan from the secret service," he boasted. "Since people found out about our meeting, I've had three attempts on my life," Kim exclaimed somewhat excitedly, making JinYoung want to roll her eyes. Great, her mother had picked someone cheery. She might as well have shot her.