There were five of us in the penthouse suite office of Jellyfish's building; our lawyer, Vixx's publicist, and our CEO along with me and Imani were in attendance, all of our gazes fixed on what we were currently viewing. We all stared at the projection on the screen, a live updating shot of a photo that had been taken of myself and Imani, my arm around her as I led her away from the courtroom, uploaded just a day before but already the 'like' counts were in the hundreds of thousands.

In the caption below, the owner of the account bragged about having seen me in such a place as a courthouse and there was some speculation to that extent, but even more people had noticed the fact that I was leaving the family law floor. Like wild fire, fans had caught on that something was amiss, and rumors were starting left and right, some claiming I had an illegitimate child and Kang was the mother, others declaring that I was caught up in some torrid love affair with a foreigner and another woman; there had been some type of brawl between the two conflicting opinions happening in the comments. The post had several million views and I was staggered by how quickly all this had spread.

But this was honestly the least of my worries; the local media had caught wind of the goings on, and now they had begun sniffing around, trying to find out who Imani was by lurking around the company. Looking at the face of Hwang SeiJun, I'm surprised to not see the disappointment I had expected there. Instead he seemed almost serene, and I may have been imagining it, but a slight smile seemed to be playing around the corners of his lips.

"Well TaekWoon-ah, you have surely caused something of a scandal," he said with a light laugh. "Min-ssi, what can we do about this?" He asked gesturing to the screen while turning to the woman standing next to him.

Vixx's publicist pulled out her own phone and made a few intense calls as we all watched in anticipation. Seeing her working, it looked as if she was merely calling in a series of favors but somehow like magic, as we watched the live image on screen it disappeared. Thanking whomever she was talking to on the phone, Min-ssi hung up and looked at our stunned faces.

"You'd be surprised what we can do with the internet nowadays, especially if you know the right people," she told us with a wink. "It'll take a few days, but all subsequent images will begin to be erased. In the meantime, we have to deal with what the public already knows and spin it in our favor. This will be a double shock; not only is a male idol married suddenly, but he's also in a custody battle for a child," she said thoughtfully.

"Not a child, our child," I corrected her simply and she bowed her head to me in recognition of her mistake.

"The amount of information you want to let the public know is your choice," the woman continued. "But they will have to be told something. To some degree we can protect Imani and as far as JaeHyun is concerned, there won't be all that many willing to put his name into the news, so we can simply put out that he's your child. In all honesty, Vixx has only just begun gaining some real popularity.

Although it may not be a huge gain with Korean fans, our international relations will skyrocket if this becomes even bigger news. Take a look at our group Instagram," she said and clicked a button on her phone, switching the picture onscreen to show our account. "From the 8 million or so followers we'd had before, now we're showing about a 3-million-person increase." Min-ssi pressed again, and a new screen popped up, this time showing a demographic chart.

"Within the last day since this information has been made public, those new followers have come from all over the world, namely Canada and America. With these sorts of increases, we can grow our international fanbase; the media attention won't be too terrible and it may end up helping us in a few areas." Min-ssi rushed to continue on, her eyes sparkling in excitement but I tuned her out.

I felt myself let out a sigh in relief, unaware that I'd even been holding my breath. Imani squeezed my hand and I squeezed back, glad that I hadn't ruined my group because of my selfishness in wanting the woman next to me. I wouldn't have been sorry to quit being an idol, but I would've felt deeply responsible for ruining my member's chances.

"That's all well and good for TaekWoon's career, but this fan posting has brought more public attention to your case, way too much now that the news stations have gotten wind of it. The more this becomes a hot topic, the more influence the community will have on the outcome of the case. At this point, even an unbiased judge may be swayed by public opinion; this is only going to add fuel to the fire," Song spoke up from his position on the room's only sofa, he hands steepled together as he stares at the image where the post used to be.

"But you said that this case was cut and dry; she gave up parental rights," I exclaimed in anger. "How can she be given custody just like that?"

"Of course it wouldn't ever be full custody, but this is a serious issue happening within our country today. Because of the inherent stigma of foreign adoption rates, the judge may decide to be lenient, and to make himself look good, grant partial custody or visitation rights. With this type of media attention, people are going to be weighing in with their opinions." He looked at Imani pointedly, his eyes fixed on her face that seemed to be frozen; she hadn't said a word the entire time we'd been here.

"You're not the woman who fought for Jae while he was at the orphanage anymore Imani; now you're the woman who sought to adopt a foreign child before his birth mother could get him back. TaekWoon, you may be a star, but fans may see this as a betrayal of their trust and will turn on you because of it. The situation has become somewhat dire," Song finished bleakly and I suddenly I felt too cold.

"So, you think we'll lose?" Imani replied, her questioning tone just as cold as I felt.

"I can't be as sure as I once was," Song admitted honestly, and I thought he was a braver man than I to stand up to the glare that Imani was throwing his way.

"Then I suggest you start doing what we've been paying to you to do and make sure that we don't," my wife replied in a tight voice that shook with the effort of forced calm. There was more talking after that, but Imani and I didn't need to be around to hear it. We were both mentally and emotionally exhausted; rehashing the issue would only make it worse.

We left the Jellyfish office floor easily enough but before we'd even made it to the elevators, we could see outside the large glass windows and stare down at the crowd of fans and reporters lined up mob-style around the building. The noise could be heard even this high up and I bit my lip in annoyance.

"What do we do?" Imani asked me worriedly and I felt myself hesitate, knowing it was time to let her in on a secret.

"We can just call the security that I hired," I relied and watched as Imani raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, her look not needing words to understand her meaning.

"I've actually had protection watching over you for a while, every time I'm out of the country or go away for more than a day, I have guards follow you. I wanted to keep you and Jae safe, but I thought you wouldn't agree, so I didn't let you know. Are you mad?" I rushed out, taking a step back just in case she lost it.

Imani rolled her eyes but smiled at me, grabbing my hand in hers. "I could give you a lecture on respecting my privacy but the truth is I'm kind of touched. I think you've really become more like me with your excessive planning. Are they here now," she asked looking around hopefully.

"Yeah, they are and I'll have them escort us out. It looks like our best option at the moment." I said excitedly, glad for the slight reprieve.

I call them up and they come quickly to meet us downstairs in the lobby. Even as they come through the doors, they have to push past the crowded entry, some of Jellyfish's own people blocking the way.

Nodding to the men that I'd hired to protect my wife and son, I approve of the fact that they are all nondescript and slightly taller than average, perfect for looking out over a shorter crowd. They huddle around us and I let go of Imani's hand gently, putting her behind me slightly so that I can take as much of the attention as possible. This is a worst-case scenario come to stunning reality and I'm beyond anxious.

Telling the men to go ahead of us, we make our way out of the glass doors and immediately we're pressed down upon. The cacophony of sounds created by flashing cameras and yelled questions assaults our ears instantly the moment we're outside. Although I've gotten somewhat used to it, Imani flinches behind me and tightens her hold on the back of my shirt. I watch grimly as our guards try to make a path to the waiting van parked a little way away, but the mob is dense and unwilling to let us leave without any comments.

One yell stands out above the others and a wet splatting noise comes from my left after it ends. Suddenly the sounds of breaking shells fill the air and the remnants bounce off the ground at my feet, real eggs are being tossed at us. Yolks and egg whites hit with force and while I try to look for the culprit, the loud and startled gasp by my side lets me know that Imani's been hit. Fury ignites inside of me and I know it's too late to try and stop whomever is attacking us. My patience now at its end, so I pull Imani in close to me and grab one of the guards, yelling for him to take her. He pulls her away much more quickly than we could've gone together but I'm still not satisfied.

"Leave me and get Imani safe inside the car," I said sharply to another man who's trying to block the tide of reporters from getting to close to me. But I could care less about the flashes and shouted questions going on all around me, Imani needed to be taken care of first.

The second man leaves and I thank God for once that I'm taller than most of the people around me. I can see that the guards have surrounded Imani in an effective bubble and are escorting her to a waiting vehicle. I breathe out a sigh of relief but it doesn't last long. The reporters are closing in and my manager with the remaining guards are doing their best to fend them off, but still the more zealous ones grab at my clothes, trying to pull me in for an interview on the spot.

Accusations rain down just as much as questions do, many stating that I've betrayed the fans, lies to the public and sided with a foreigner over a Korean. I do nothing but grit my teeth and keep my head down; losing my cool now will only make things worse and the situation will be sensational enough as it is.

It takes me much longer to reach the van that I want it too, and I feel like screaming until we finally make it. I'm hustled inside the large vehicle quickly and then we're speeding off down the road, the mass still calling out behind us. I look at Imani as I breathe heavily, inspecting her for any damage. But besides the pieces of eggshell stuck in her hair and splotches of egg yolk that I see among her curls, she's thankfully unharmed. Cursing darkly under my breath I move closer to her, picking out the small white pieces one by one.

"It's just a little egg in my hair Woonie, not the end of the world," Imani told me consolingly as I fuss over her, trying my best to wipe at the yolk with a wet wipe, the sticky stuff having easily gotten caught in her soft curls. "Besides there a lot of good properties for hair in eggs, so this will be a good conditioner; I bet they didn't know they were helping me with my split ends," she teased and I felt my stomach curl in response.

"This isn't a joke Imani, you could've gotten hurt," I said more harshly than I intended and Imani turned her head quickly to look at me, her eyes rimmed red around the edges.

I sucked in a gasp as I saw the tears well in her eyes, as I saw her struggle to keep them from falling. Imani was always so strong and proud, that she had come to this was all my fault, I had caused her pain however indirectly.

"I won't crumble from just this," she whispered to me fiercely, aware that our driver could hear everything we said. "I won't give in just because there are people out there willing to judge what they know nothing about. I would fight them all head on one by one if they were what stood between me and Jae. They can throw shit at me, they can call me names, but in the end none of it means anything."

Imani grabbed my hand and laced our fingers together, her warm palms meeting my cold ones. It felt as if my chest was being constricted and I struggled to focus on her words.

"I knew what I was getting into when I decided to adopt Jae, I realized it again when I found out you were an idol. Don't you know that I'd go through all of this and more for you?" Her smile was tremulous but there nonetheless, but I wasn't in the mood to be comforted.

"But you don't understand, I never wanted you to have to go through anything," I bit out, still shocked by the unfairness of it all; I was at fault here at I needed her to see what I had done clearly. "If I was just a normal guy, none of this would've happened. And JaeHyun...I can't be the reason we lose him after I forced you to marry me." Imani tsked at me, her voice irritated.

"You didn't force me to do anything, I agreed that to that decision and it was the best one I've ever made. I don't regret being with you, and I don't regret you becoming a part of our lives. No matter who you may have been, I choose you TaekWoon, I trusted you. And I couldn't have asked for a better partner in all this." She told me firmly. I wanted to believe her and I did on some level, but there would be no escaping now that we'd been found out. Our idyllic bubble had well and truly burst, reality more than ready to hit us full blast.

I came back to the dorm rooms alone, not able to face my wife and son for long in the face of what had happened. I was shaken to the core, disbelief warring with the swirling feelings that I couldn't place. There was anger, a sense of betrayal, and even worse, self-doubt that made me question every decision I had made in the last half of this year that had led myself and Imani to this state.

Maybe some people wouldn't see it as a big deal; they were just words, and none of the things that had been thrown towards Imani had even reached her thanks to myself and the bodyguards. But I couldn't shake her look of confusion and sadness from my memory; it bounced around in my head, letting me know that I had been the cause of her pain. The one thing I had promised to do above anything else was to protect her. I had told her to trust me, to let me have all her worries. And the minute she had, my world had stampeded all over hers in the worst way imaginable. If we lost Jae because of who I was and what my so-called fans had done, did I have any excuse to give her?

My room was cool and dark and I basked in that emptiness, spreading myself across the floor because I didn't deserve the comfort of my bed. I wallowed and I knew that I was fully immersed in my self-pity, in my own feelings of inequity, but I didn't want to escape it just yet. I wanted to experience every sharp pain until I could think of what needed to be done. Until I could curse and rage internally without letting the same phrases slip past my lips when I met Imani, I would stay here. Because my apologies would mean nothing, my words wouldn't mean anything again unless I had a course of action. It was just too bad that I was stuck.

I was there for hours before HakYeon found me, and my friend scoffed when he saw me on the floor, kicking me with his socked feet until I got up reluctantly. He turned to switch on the light, but my whispered 'no' made him stop. Clicking his tongue, I let his disappointment wash over me too.

"I don't want to be myself anymore HakYeon," I whispered into the dark; it was so much easier to tell him my thoughts when I couldn't see properly.

"What do you mean "not TaekWoon"? Why are you like this; Imani called three times looking for you," he scolded me.

"I mean that the me I am now isn't enough for Imani and JaeHyun. I told her I would take care of everything but look what happened because of me," I muttered darkly, still caught up in the sight of Imani's crying face.

"Yah, babo! You're not responsible for other people's actions. What that fan did was crazy but you can't blame yourself. It could've happened to anyone that was involved with an idol. When she found out about us, she knew the risks," he explained but still I was bitter inside.

"Then who should I blame?! If I hadn't tried to have her, none of this would have happened. I didn't let her know who I was from the beginning and I made her believe that I would be responsible for our family. If I didn't expose her to that treatment, if I didn't put our child at risk, then who did? I'm afraid hyung, so terrified that I wake up in the middle of the night and look at her, look at Jae, and I wonder when it's all going to end," I whispered.

"Enough! Kumane TaekWoon-ah, why are you always like this? You never pushed for anything in your life except to become an idol. You put your whole life on the line for it and you succeeded. But in reality you're scared of everything. You're scared she'll leave you, scared JaeHyun won't love you anymore. Scared that you can't overcome yourself. But that's not the TaekWoon I know. That's not who you are. If you want Imani, and I know you do, then fight for her like you fought for this life. Be strong TaekWoon, if you love her make sure she knows it." HakYeon said fiercely, his words going through me and reaching that fire that was hidden away in me somewhere. He fanned the flames and I felt myself respond.

"Get her back and take control of this situation! Anything that's worthwhile in life will make us scared; you have to be willing to go for it anyway. Don't give up! In relationships, in love, these aren't things that you yield to, these are things you fight for. You struggled to overcome your past feelings of shyness, and you felt worthy of her once. So then do something that will make you worthy again."

Finished with me, HakYeon left after he'd said his piece and I didn't blame him. I was just a mess of feelings but still his words had pierced through the veil. I knew I had to do something, knew I had to make a change or else we'd be sitting ducks just waiting to get shot down. Our publicist's words came to me then; we could control how much the media was aware, make them come over to our side. Would it be possible to change the hearts of my fans, would it be enough to apologize and explain what exactly had happened? I wasn't sure, but there wasn't anything that I was unwilling to do for my family. Not hesitating any longer, I reached for my phone and dialed a number; this time I would make sure not to let Imani and Jae down.

A/N: So another chapter completed! The story's almost over guys so I hoped you've enjoyed so far! I know it's taking me a while to update but please stay tuned and check out my other stories here on Wattpad!Also please leave lots of comments, I love hearing your opinions