As the sun rose over the estate, Sergei had already left for the doctor's office. The mansion was left behind in silence, its corridors empty, its walls still carrying the weight of what had happened the night before.
Inside one of the rooms jiwon slept, not the fractured, restless sleep he was used to, but something heavier, as if exhaustion had finally pulled him under without permission.
For once, his body had stopped fighting itself, and the silence around him felt almost unreal, almost safe... Until it wasn't.
Outside the gates, a black car rolled to a stop the engine cut for a moment, nothing happened.
Then the door opened.
A tall man stepped out, his boots sinking slightly into the frost as he looked up at the mansion with slow interest, like he was revisiting something familiar that no longer belonged to him.
"Hmm…" he muttered.
"Let's see what you're hiding in here, Sergei."
A faint laugh escaped him, then faded as he moved forward.
At the gates, the guards immediately recognized him. That recognition alone made them hesitate.
"Open it," he said calmly.
"Sir Ten… Smert is not here," one of them replied, forcing his voice steady.
The man tilted his head slightly, almost amused.
"Oh really..." he said.
"Is it wrong to visit my cousin's house?"
The moment he reached inside his coat, the atmosphere changed.
The weapon was not raised fully, not even aimed, but it was visible enough to erase hesitation entirely, and the guard's body reacted before his mind could, stiffening as instinct screamed at him to move while reason told him that any resistance would be meaningless he stepped aside.
The gates opened.
Ten walked in without urgency... Inside, the maids had already opened the entrance doors, frozen in place as they recognized him.
"Welcome, sir Ten " one of them said quietly.
He didn't even look at her.His footsteps echoed through the hallway as he entered the mansion like it was a place that had not forgotten him, even if he had forgotten parts of it.
"It's been a long time," he said to himself.
"Still the same."
He moved through the rooms slowly, opening doors one after another, observing everything with detached curiosity, as if searching for something he wasn't sure he would find but expected to exist anyway.
.
.
.
Across the city, Sergei sat in the doctor's office.
The doctor was finishing his assessment, flipping through Jiwon's file with calm precision.
"It will take about a year for his ankle to fully heal," he said.
"But his body is strong. If nothing interferes, it may recover faster."
"I see," Sergei replied.
No emotion nor reaction. Only control.
The doctor exhaled...
"You're really not going to reconsider any of this?"
"I don't reconsider decisions I've already made." Sergei stood.
The doctor slid a small bag of medication across the desk.
"Painkillers. Anti-inflammatory. Make sure he takes them."
No response...
Then Sergei's phone rang, he glanced at the screen once... It was the guard.
He answered immediately.
"What."
The voice on the other end was tense.
"Sir… Ten has arrived at the mansion."
Sergei stopped moving, for a moment the silence on his end deepened.
Then his expression shifted slightly, not into surprise, but something sharper, colder, more alert.
"Ten…" he repeated under his breath.The name carried weight.
"Do not let him leave " Sergei said instantly.
"No one interferes with him until I arrive."
"What happened?" the doctor asked, suddenly concerned.
Sergei didn't answer, he was already walking out.
.
.
.
Back at the mansion, Ten had stopped in front of a door he didn't recognize.
He tilted his head slightly, then opened it, inside was a bedroom... Large, clean, carefully maintained.
And on the bed, Jiwon was still asleep unaware of anything happening around him.
For a moment, Ten didn't move.Something shifted in his expression, subtle but real, like interest sharpening into focus.
"So this is what you're hiding…" he murmured.
He walked closer, slowly and deliberately, not like someone intruding, but like someone confirming a theory.He leaned slightly forward, studying Jiwon's face.
"He's better than I expected," he said softly. "No wonder you're keeping him close smert."
Jiwon shifted slightly in his sleep, then slowly opened his eyes confused and disoriented, and immediately aware that someone was standing too close.
Then he froze...The man didn't step back... Instead, he smiled.
"Nice to meet you," he said.
"Who are you…?"Jiwon's throat tightened.
Ten didn't answer directly.Instead, he observed him like something valuable.
"You're not what I expected," he said. "That's interesting... Is that why he hasn't let you go?"
Jiwon swallowed desperately
"Please…" Jiwon's voice cracked.
"Help me. Get me out of here."
That made Ten pause... he smiled wider.
"Oh? You want to leave?"
"Yes…"
"Of course," he said calmly.
"I can take you out of here."
Hope flickered instantly in Jiwon's eyes.
"But only one condition."
Ten sat on the edge of the bed he was too close and comfortable.
"become mine."
The words didn't land immediately.Jiwon recoiled slightly, confusion and fear breaking through his exhaustion.
Before he could process anything further,
Ten leaned closer.
Not rushing or forcing. Just closing distance with certainty, like refusal was irrelevant.
Jiwon stiffened, something about this man felt wrong in a way he couldn't explain, controlled and deliberate, like he already owned the outcome of every choice.
Then...BANG
The door slammed against the wall so hard the frame groaned, the sound ripping through the room like something had been torn apart.
Sergei's expression cracked as he saw ten close to jiwon it wasn't panic nor angriness
It was something way more dangerous ...
Ten turned his head... and smiled.
"Well?" he whispered.
"Speak of the devil."