Confessions & Compromise

Nana walked into the conference room and saw Jay sitting next to Simon and Amanda. Jade was right behind her so she couldn't take a step back so she took the farthest seat from Jay. She wanted to scream and to cry but Jade had told her to keep her shit together so they could get the truth out of AOMG's team. They look like they didn't bring a lawyer but Jade was one so it was an advantage to Nana that she was there to both protect her and legally represent her.

"Where is your lawyer? We can't have a meeting if you don't have one." Jade had asked Nana to limit her talking so that she doesn't break down in front of the douche that got her into this mess.

"She's on her way. She just texted that she's trying to find parking outside Global City." Global City was the large production area owned by Simon Global in the suburb area outside of Seoul. It housed the whole production, housing, and training facilities of Simon Global Entertainment and CUBE. No one was allowed into Global City without security access to protect the employees and the artists of the two companies. A large concert hall was on the other side with a public access road for fans. Facilities available to fans to go to were limited to the concert dome, restaurants, and the CUBE cafe that were built for events. It wasn't even possible for any person to park near the area without a parking validation.

Jade called someone and simply said, "Let her in." The person on the other side simply said, "Roger, boss."

"How do you even know which car is hers?" Amanda wondered.

"We have Pentagon living inside this area. We have Pentagon-level security." Jade said simply and Amanda already felt intimidated. Pentagon was a boyband under CUBE. Jade was part of the team that formed the famous group.

"Noona, I really am sorry about what happened." Jay tried to reach out to Jade who dodged his hand.

"Which part are you apologizing for, Mr. Park? Screwing around with one of my artists when I explicitly told you that I would cut something of yours if you did that? Or was it the fact that you are pooled in with the filth that was on that inhumane chatroom of rapists and perverts?" If flames could come out of Jade's eyes, Nana was sure that Jay would be engulfed in flames by now.

"I didn't join any chatrooms of that kind. I would never do that to anyone, filming those things are the worst thing that a guy can do to someone he was intimate with. I may be a lot of things but I am not a sicko who would do such a thing to Nana!"

Jade slammed her hand on the table which rattled everyone. "You best keep your emotions in check, Mr. Park. Or you might face more legal issues than the restraining order you are going to get in a few days."

"I am begging you. Please believe me. I didn't do this. I would never do this." Jay was near tears. Nana looked away. She had to be strong. She couldn't let him melt her resolve.

"Where is the proof of your innocence, Mr. Park? Do you have any?" Jade faced off with Jay and the latter couldn't say anything more. "Do you really think I can trust you after you deliberately stepped out of line just because you wanted to wet your stick?"

A woman walked into the conference room and said, "Hold the dick cutting. Let's talk." The lawyer waved at Jade and said, "Long time no see, big sis."

Nana almost laughed when she saw Jade's annoyed face. Rainne is a lawyer who went to the same law school as Jade and was a clingy lowerclassman who Jade was close to in the past. They had a falling out but Nana couldn't get Jade to tell her the details except for, "She opened her legs for two things, money and sleazy men."Nana is sure it had to be some big betrayal but for the life of her, Jade wasn't the type to kiss and tell even on an enemy.

"Okay, so my client is going to be included in the list of people who would voluntarily get investigated because of their so-called involvement in that disgusting case. However, I would like to reiterate that Jae did not film Nana or any other women for that matter and stored, distributed, or reviewed such content. So both Nana and Jae are victims of illegal filming and video distribution. So we need to work together to get their names cleared up."

"Proof?" Jade held out her hand and Rainne put a folder on top of it. "Where did you get this?"

"I have a friend who is part of the investigation. I told her that you would cooperate in getting those bastards behind bars and getting more victims to come out and give their statements. The more people come out to give their statements and proof the more nails the prosecution would have to bury those involved. They need to catch everyone, from the customers to the raping content creators, the main tech guys and the dickhead who is hiding behind all of the middlemen and racking in the dough on this operation. We can't leave anyone out because then more of the same would just use a different platform." Rainne took a moment to take a breath. "Also I heard they are making a new bill related to it."

"More laws for bastards to break. Until this country gives life imprisonment to rapists and assholes like this then no one is safe." Jade looked at Jay, "You can't even sue a guy in this country without fear of retaliation from the moneyed fuckers who want to get away with it."

"You are looking at the wrong guy, Jade. I can be a cunt chaser but I am not a pornography fiend." Amanda covered Jay's mouth at this point.

"If you don't shut your client up, he might get himself in even deeper shit," Jade pushed a folder towards Rainne. "Make him sign an NDA. He can't mention Nana when he does his press conference. He can talk to the police about it and we will go there privately to give her a statement. But apart from this meeting, no other meeting between the two of them will be allowed for as long as Nana is signed under Simon Global and any of its subsidiaries. Any loss of commercial projects and work due to this scandal will be billed to Jay Park. If he doesn't pay, I will sue him in Nana's place. Are we clear?"

"Your artist breached those contracts herself when she slept with Jay. He is not legally liable for the actions of another consenting adult. Their sexual relations were not his sole responsibility. Whatever happens because of the illegal video leak is unfortunate. But he doesn't have any legal responsibility for the morality clauses your artist signed herself." Rainne was now all business. She wasn't going to let Jay be bled out by this scandal. All the money he earned was on the backs of AOMG artists and employees. He owned the money but he owed it to many people enough to make use of it for improving his company.

"I don't care about that money." Nana couldn't help but speak out. Jade tried to stop her but she continued. "All I want is for the person who did this to pay." She felt her tears but didn't care to wipe them off. "I want whoever did this to me to regret doing this to anyone. If I have to be the face of this scandal then so be it."

"No." Jay's firm refusal echoed in the conference room. "I won't let you do that." Nana's tears were tearing him apart. "I'll sign the NDA. I'll pay for the contract penalties. I'll fight those monsters myself. Just please protect Nana from all of this. I am the bastard here. She doesn't have to be caught up in this shit. I got her in this mess, I'll do everything in my power to make sure it doesn't touch her."

"So what do you plan to tell people exactly?" Jade asked Jay directly, sizing him up for what he is really aiming to do.

"If it was up to me I would tell them that we were together but it wasn't something disgusting but a private moment between consenting adults. And the fact that it was filmed without our consent was something abominable and I am going to make sure whoever did this will go to jail for a very very long time." Jay looked at Nana. Jay wiped his tears and stood up. He walked towards Nana and Jade's side of the conference table. He kneeled down in reference next to Nana. "But I don't have to say who the woman is. I don't have to confirm that it's Nana. She can continue to do her work without having to worry about the video ever making its rounds on the internet. I know your team can handle it but I would make one of my own to make sure that any copy of it on the net is wiped or in the dark web where only a few can see it. I can't promise that she would come out of this without any stain on her reputation. But the stain could be that she was someone who trusted someone like me, nothing more, nothing less." He looked up at Nana and said, "I'm sorry, Jin Ah. I am really really sorry. I fucked up. I am sorry I couldn't protect you more."

Nana was beside herself from anger and regret. Jay wasn't to blame for all of this. It was her fault for letting anything like this happen in the first place. There wouldn't be a video if she just kept her desires to herself. She wouldn't have a broken Jay in front of her.

"I'll face the music. Those bastards are going to pay."