It was past 3:00 a.m. again.
Another phone call. Another club. Another mess to clean.
Han Minjoon pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to the annoyed manager on the other end of the line.
"Your younger brother is drunk again, Mr. Han. We're tired of dealing with him. This isn't the first time."
Minjoon's response came like muscle memory at this point.
"Where is he?"
"Club Rova. Same as usual."
Club Rova… Of course. It was practically Han Jihyun's second home by now.
Minjoon let out a long, heavy sigh as he grabbed his coat and keys.
It wasn't that he cared. Not anymore. He had simply accepted this as his responsibility — the burden of being the eldest, the only capable one left to handle the spoiled youngest son of Han Group.
The scene at the club was almost pathetic now.
Jihyun, barely conscious, slouched in a velvet booth, surrounded by empty glasses and strangers who didn't even bother pretending to care about him. His shirt was half undone, skin flushed from alcohol, lips curled in a lazy, bratty smirk even while wasted.
"Han Jihyun."
Minjoon's voice was sharp, cutting through the fog of liquor and late-night noise.
Jihyun looked up, slow and smug.
"Ohhh~ Hyung… You came! Again. You're always so serious… Live a little. We're rich, aren't we?"
Minjoon didn't bother replying. He pulled Jihyun to his feet with little care for his complaints.
"You're lucky we're rich. Otherwise, you'd already be rotting somewhere you belong."
When they arrived home, the mansion lights were still on. Their parents were waiting — like they always did — in the marble hall that looked more like a courtroom than a home.
Chairman Han's face was cold, unreadable. Mrs. Han's eyes were tired beyond years.
"You think this is funny, Jihyun?" His father's words were sharp, but not loud. He didn't raise his voice anymore. That was wasted effort.
Jihyun's laugh was bitter.
"Do you think I care?" He swayed past them, stumbling up the stairs. "Lecture me later… I'm tired."
His mother's words, soft but trembling, followed him up the grand staircase like a quiet prayer.
"You're the youngest… Why do you try so hard to ruin yourself?"
He slammed the door to his room without looking back.
---
The Next Morning.
The atmosphere at the breakfast table was heavier than usual. Minjoon didn't speak. Mrs. Han didn't touch her food. Chairman Han finally broke the silence.
"Enough." His voice wasn't loud, but it was final. "I won't allow him to destroy himself further. I've received an offer from Kang Group. A marriage contract."
Minjoon raised a brow, unamused.
"Kang Group? The Kang Taewon? That S-Class Alpha everyone in the industry keeps praising as the ideal heir?"
"A responsible son. Unlike ours."
"Dad—"
"I'm not asking. Kang Group wants partnership. They want Jihyun as their son's mate. It benefits both families."
Mrs. Han's hands shook slightly as she held her cup. "He doesn't need a contract… He needs someone who won't give up on him."
"Then let's hope Kang Taewon has more patience than I do."
Upstairs, Jihyun remained asleep, dead to the world in silk sheets that smelled faintly of liquor and regret.
He didn't know yet.
He had no idea.
Tomorrow, he wouldn't wake up to another scolding.
Tomorrow, he would wake up…
And find his freedom had already been sold.