Staged for Love

The luxury boardroom was filled with an uncomfortable silence, broken only by the steady hum of the HD projector and the surround sound audio. On the screen, a live stream of K-News was playing, the reflection of the images flickering across the polished mahogany table.

The headline was bold and unfavorable: “Minjun Seo: Playboy or Prince?” The journalist, a young woman with sharp eyes, was speaking rapidly in Korean. The subtitles at the bottom of the screen translated her words into English.

“Seo Minjun, one of the heirs apparent to the Seo Global Fashion Empire, was spotted leaving a luxury hotel with a mystery woman. This comes just two weeks after his high-profile breakup with global icon Jisoo Kwon. Reports are surprised the relationship lasted this long due to Seo’s reputation.”

The camera cut to a grainy photo of Minjun, his hand interlocked with a woman whose face was obscured by a wide-brimmed hat. The image and the implications were clear. Minjun sat at the head of the table, jaw clenched and fists white. His fingers twitched towards the remote, and with a swift click, the screen went dark. The room plunged into silence, the only sound the ticking of the expensive clock on the wall.

“Why are they still harping on this?” Minjun’s voice was tight with frustration. “This happened two weeks ago.”

Across the table, Hyunwoo, his older brother, sighed. His expression was weary, the lines of his face etched with concern. “Maybe because your girlfriend—or should I say ex-girlfriend—is a global icon. And our company is a leading fashion conglomerate. It’s hot news, Minjun, and you sure give the press and netizens plenty to talk about.”

Minjun exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “They act like I committed a crime. A breakup isn’t scandalous. Breakups happen all the time between elites. Is it a problem?”

Hyunwoo leveled him with a look. “It is when you’re a Seo. It also doesn’t help that this is not your first time in the media spotlight within the past six months. Your face is everywhere, your reputation is tied to this company, and the media loves a good downfall.”

Before Minjun could retort, the door to the boardroom swung open. Their father, Wonsik, a stern man with a commanding presence, strode in. His face was a mask of displeasure, his eyes hard as he looked at his youngest son.

“Bbak-chin-da Seo Minjun!” (I’m pissed off because of you Minjun Seo!)

“I’ve been getting calls from stakeholders all morning again,” he said, his voice echoing in the silent room. He took his phone and shoved it in Minjun’s face while he scrolled with his index finger. “Look at these headlines. You’re all over the news, all over social media...yet again.”

He tucked his phone away in the pocket of his blazer, letting out a deep sigh. “The stakeholders and board members are worried Minjun. They’re worried about the company’s image, and they’re worried about you. You expect me to retire when I can’t even trust you to behave like a Seo outside of these walls?”

Minjun bristled, but his father held up a hand to silence him. “You have one year, Minjun. One year to clean up your act. If you can’t prove to me that you’re stable, that you’re ready to take over this company, then I won’t hesitate to hand the entire company over to Hyunwoo. No CEO or COO of this company will cause me grief and destroy everything we have built.”

The threat hung in the air, heavy and undeniable. Minjun’s future with the company, his inheritance, everything he’d worked for—it all hinged on this one year. As his father left the room, leaving him alone with his brother and his thoughts, Minjun knew he had no choice but to clean up his act. For his sake, and for the sake of the company.

Hyunwoo leaned back in his chair, watching his younger brother with measured calm. “I have a suggestion,” he finally said. “You need to step away for a while. You need to gather yourself and your thoughts. Lay low, take some time to rebuild your image, and return with a clean slate.”

Minjun frowned. “Step away?” he asked with air quotes. “Where am I going to step away to, Hyunwoo? Are you going to send me to boarding school?” Minjun asked sarcastically as he leaned back in the plush boardroom chair.

“The family estate in Malibu. It’ll get you out of the spotlight here in Seoul while giving you the space to figure things out. We can hire you a few staff there—an assistant, a driver, a chef...have a maid come in as needed. You can still work from there. It might even be a good thing. You can scout some boutiques...vendors. Make it worthwhile.”

Minjun exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “And then what? Let the media spin their own narratives while I sit around waiting for it to die down?”

Hyunwoo smirked. “No. You take control of the narrative. And I know just the person to help you do it.”

Minjun arched a brow.“Who?”

Hyunwoo tapped his fingers on the table. “Alexandria Reid. She runs Vérité PR & Branding in Malibu. She’s sharp, relentless, and has turned around worse reputations than yours. A friend of mine in the States used her before when rumors were circulating about them and alcoholism. She knows how to handle delicate situations.”

Minjun’s eyes narrowed. “And what’s her angle? People like that don’t just work miracles out of the goodness of their hearts.”

Hyunwoo shrugged. “She’s built her brand on results. That’s what she does. Do you want to fix your image? You hire the best. From what I hear, Ms. Reid is the best. ”

Minjun remained silent, considering. He didn’t like the idea of someone coming in and dictating his life, let alone someone he didn’t even know. But he also knew his brother was right. His father’s warning was still ringing in his ears.

With a resigned sigh, Minjun leaned back. “Fine. Let’s see if this Alexandria Reid can actually work a miracle. How long is this supposed to take? How long am I expected tohide outin Malibu?”

Hyunwoo smirked, amusement flickering in his sharp gaze. “You always expect perfection half-baked, Minjun. You’ll be meeting Ms. Reid soon—she’s already been briefed on your situation. She doesn’t know much about you personally yet, but she knows what the world sees. And that’s exactly what she’s going to fix.” He folded his hands together.

“My advice? Stay as long as she thinks it’ll take to clean up this mess. Father gave you a year. Do I expect you to stay in Malibu that long? No. But I expect you to be a different man by the time you return to Seoul.”

Minjun ran a hand through his hair, frustration tightening his jaw. “Seems like you had this all planned out hyung” Minjun gave him a knowing smirk.

“So, you’re telling me I’m supposed to just hand over my reputation—my entire image—to some stranger I’ve never met? For months?”

Hyunwoo tilted his head, a smirk playing on his lips. “You’ve handed over more than your image to random women... what makes this any different?”

Minjun’s expression darkened, his lips parting, ready to snap back with something biting. But before he could, Hyunwoo leaned in, his voice steady, unyielding.

“You don’t have a choice, Minjun. Either you take this seriously, or you lose everything.”

A/N:Vérité (veh-ree-TAY)– A French word meaning“truth” or “reality.”