Not Broken. Jaehyun Mafia Au

Love Talk

What do you mean it would hit us harder? We're not the ones whose leader was killed by a goddamn stripper!" Jaehyun boomed.

"Yes, you're right. He was killed and that's exactly why they aren't facing the same level of risk NCT is. Lucas was killed, making him Wayv's former leader. He no longer represents them and thus whatever happened to him has very little effect on their image now seeing as they managed to recover so easily from the loss of their leader. If anything, his death will actually strengthen Wayv's image since after Lucas's died, his successor managed to keep his death a secret for almost three years. It takes a lot to hide something as big as the death of a prolific mob boss. If even one person were to squeal, the entire city would know within a matter of days and yet we're only learning about it now, three years later. Wayv can only benefit from all this, you on the other hand, will be seen as weak, incompetent, and a disgrace to your father's legacy," The older man explained.

"And that's a shame because you're not, Jaehyun. Your father would be proud to know how far you've come despite those whose doubt you," He added.

"That man never approved of anything I did when he was alive. I don't know why he'd start in his death," Jaehyun sneered.

His face had fallen from its angered state, yet an air of bitterness seemed to linger in his features. Suho could only sigh at his nephew's hardheadedness which had surely been passed down to him by his father.

"The council wants to replace you."

"Oh yeah? And how do they plan on going through with those plans?" Jaehyun scoffed.

Suho gave his nephew a softhearted look.

"They don't. You and I both know how capable the council is when forcing their agenda regardless of the leaders who oppose them, but I convinced them to hold off on their plans just until you've had a chance to resolve the issue on your own."

Jaehyun leaned back in his chair as he pondered his uncle's remarks. It was true that the council was more than capable of replacing him as leader even if his men continued their loyalty to him. Exo wouldn't just threaten to withdraw their protections over NCT, they would find a way to completely dismantle NCT, rebuilding it in their ideal image. Exo had more than enough funds to obtain whatever resources needed to preserve control of their affiliates. The only thing he could do, was roll over and hope they wouldn't tighten his leash any further. He had to act.

"What should I do?" Jaehyun asked, finally letting his guard down.

"You need to get on top of this. Find a way to ease the council's anxieties."

"And how exactly do you suppose I do that?"

Suho lifted his drink from its coaster, bringing it to his lips and finishing it in two large sips. He returned the glass to the desk, causing it to make a soft thumping sound as it came in contact with the wood.

"Have you thought about the council's suggestion from before all this began, about taking a wife?"

"Oh, not this again," Jaehyun groaned.

"Look, the council is worried. They don't think you hold the same values your father did. To them, you're a firecracker just waiting to go off. It makes them antsy. Marriage will show the council that you hold traditional values and are not the irresponsible rebel they think you are."

"Marriage will do all that?" Jaehyun laughed, obviously not taking his uncles advice seriously.

"You were so insistent on being able to choose your own wife and rejected any thoughts of allowing the council to make any arrangements for you, which pissed off a lot of people. Taking one of the council's daughters or nieces as a wife would have shown your commitment to your role as SM's successor. Having you reject a political marriage arrangement within Exo shows a lack of respect and makes them question how much power they should allow you when you continue to make them feel uneasy about the future. Your parent's marriage was arranged. It really isn't that big of a deal. Have you at least started considering any possible applicants?"

"I haven't exactly had any time to mingle given how I've been busy trying to find the men responsible for my sister's death and all." Jaehyun reminded his uncle in a tone drenched with sarcasm.

"Hmmm, well I guess that's probably a good thing considering the circumstances," Suho mused quietly.

"Excuse me?" Jaehyun leaned forward so that his forearms rested on the desk.

Suho returned his focus to his nephew whose curious features urged him to go on.

"The girl, take her as your wife."

"I'm sorry, what?" Jaehyun gawked, unable to believe what his uncle was saying.

"Marry her. That's the only way you can turn this around. If word gets out that NCT's leader got married to the girl responsible for Lucas' death, they'll assume that his death wasn't actually an accident but was all a part of your plan. Even people don't come to that conclusion, which I don't see why they wouldn't, marrying her will prevent all of the damage that she'd cause us if you let her go. How I see it, you could let her go get captured by Wayv, which you do not want, and let everyone view NCT as weak for not being able to kill the man who murdered their leader's sister, which you definitely don't want, or you can marry the girl and kill three birds with one stone. She'll be safe from Wayv, NCT's image will be as strong as ever, and the council will view you as a trustworthy leader who shares their same values."

Jaehyun scoffed in amazement unsure of what he could possibly say to respond to such an outrageous proposal.

Were these just the crazy ramblings of a man entering the stages of early onset dementia or was his uncle actually onto something?

"I mean, it's not a bad deal. She is a very attractive young lady. I'm not sure you could do much better, even if you were to marry one of the councilman's daughters," Suho smirked.

Jaehyun glanced at his half empty glass, reaching out to take a sip.

His uncle was right. Despite the bitter taste that the idea of marrying a burlesque dancer left in his mouth, she was more beautiful than any of the council's daughters. He couldn't brush off the fact that marriage could very well be enough to stop them from interfering in his business as much as they did. Although the council members would probably prefer, he didn't marry a foreigner, perhaps her being an American would grant him a bit of status. When he thought about the possibility of marriage before, he believed that he would be happy as long as the girl was beautiful and didn't speak up too much or challenge him. To him, that'd be the perfect arrangement, although he really couldn't see Y/N as being the obedient type.

"Ok, wait a second. Suppose I were to commit to such a plan, how would I get her to accept my proposal? We didn't exactly get off to a great start, so I doubt she'd agree," Jaehyun asked, beginning to entertain his uncle's suggestion.

"Present it as though she doesn't have a choice," He advised.

Jaehyun shifted his weight off the desk and leaned back against his chair, taking a moment to process the idea.

"Even if I didn't give her a choice, I'm sure she'll find ways to be as bothersome as she can. Dealing with her rebellious moods might be more trouble than it's worth."

"Well, finding a way to ensure her compliance shouldn't be that hard, should it?" Suho hinted with a smile.

"No, it should not," The younger man hummed, as he contemplated what his next actions might require. 

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