Author's pov:
At Osak's hideout…
The room was dim, lit only by a single hanging bulb that swayed slightly, casting restless shadows across the walls.
Osak sat in silence.
Still.
Patient.
Like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
But his eyes—
They burned.
Fury simmered beneath the surface, sharp and dangerous.
"That bastard…" he muttered, voice low and venomous. "He got the cops involved again."
The men standing before him stiffened instantly, their backs straightening as tension filled the air..
Osak leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, fingers clasped together.
"We're out of time."
A pause.
Then, slowly—
"We take the boy."
His lips curled into something dark.
"Kidnap Yujin. Break that old man's trust in Taehyuk… and everything falls apart."
The room went dead silent.
No one questioned him.
No one dared to..
He began outlining the plan—his voice calm, precise, merciless. The details blurred into the heavy air, but one thing stood clear—
"We execute within twenty-four hours."
The night dissolved into darkness.
Midnight.
Taehyuk's mansion stood tall under the pale glow of moonlight—cold, untouchable.
Inside…
Everything was in motion.
Taehyuk's pov:
Numbers. Routes. Contacts.
Illegal paths mapped out like veins across the pages in front of me.
Every move calculated.
Every risk accounted for.
"Boss."
Lee's voice cut through the silence as he stepped in.
"Mm." I didn't look up, my eyes still scanning the files.
"As you instructed, we've started the process for the transaction."
"Good."
A brief pause.
"We need your final approval."
I leaned back slightly, resting my arm along the couch, gaze finally lifting.
"We'll visit the site tomorrow morning."
Lee nodded. "Understood."
The door clicked shut behind him.
Silence returned.
I closed my eyes—
But instead of numbers…
Him.
That moment in the car replayed, uninvited.
The way he looked at me..
The slight part of his lips…
The shared breath—
Too close.
Too dangerous.
And yet…
My lips curved.
A real smile.
Uncontrolled.
Unnoticed.
Next day
Morning..
Yujin's pov:
He was gone.
Again.
Just like every morning.
I stared at the empty space he left behind, a strange heaviness settling in my chest.
And just like that—
My thoughts went back to yesterday.
That moment.
Why didn't I pull away?
I should have…
Right?
My fingers tightened slightly around the yarn..
"I didn't even stop him…"
A small frown formed.
"…but we didn't do anything either."
My face warmed instantly.
"No—no, no. Stop thinking like that, Yujin."
But the thoughts didn't stop.
What if he had kissed me?
What would it feel like?
Soft?
Warm?
...good?
It would have mine
...My first kiss
I shook my head quickly, trying to push it all away.
"Focus."
I sat on the couch, knitting in silence, the soft rhythm calming my thoughts—
Until—
A faint sound.
From the window.
I paused.
Slowly, I stood up and walked toward it.
Another sound.
A soft scratch.
Carefully, I opened the window—
And a small cat leapt inside.
My eyes lit up instantly.
"Oh!"
A smile spread across my face as I crouched down.
"Where did you come from, huh?"
I gently stroked its fur, laughing softly as it nuzzled into my hand.
"Such a cutie…"
For a moment—
Everything felt normal.
Peaceful.
Safe.
Then—
A shift.
A presence.
Subtle.
Wrong.
My smile faltered.
The air felt… heavier.
Like someone was there.
Watching.
Slowly, I turned toward the balcony—
And that's when..
A shadow moved.
Before I could react—
A strong arm wrapped around me from behind.
A gloved hand clamped tightly over my mouth.
My eyes widened in shock.
"Mmm—!"
The scent hit me—
Sharp.
Chemical.
My body struggled instinctively, hands pushing against the arm holding me, but—
My strength faded too fast.
I tried to scream—
Tried to fight—
But my strength was slipping.
Fading.
My fingers loosened..
My knees gave in.
Tears blurred my sight as fear clawed up my throat—
And in that moment…
Only one person came to mind.
"Mr… Taehyuk…" I whispered weakly against the hand, my voice barely there.
A plea.
A call.
A name I didn't even realize meant safety—
Until now.
The man behind me didn't react.
His grip only tightened.
My vision darkened at the edges.
The room spun—
The cat's faint cry echoed somewhere far away—
And the last thing I saw…
Was a glimpse of those cold, emotionless eyes.
Then—
Nothing.
Darkness took me whole...