The next morning, Jungkook awoke with a strange sense of calm. His body felt unusually relaxed, and as his eyes fluttered open, he realized that something was different. The familiar, sharp bite of the metal cuffs was gone. He flexed his wrists slightly and felt the soft velvet against his skin. Confusion swept over him as he blinked at the sight of the new restraints. His memory from the night before was hazy, but he clearly remembered being bound by harsher means. Why the change?

Sitting up slightly, he winced as his body reminded him of the soreness from being restrained for so long. He tugged at the velvet cuffs, and though they were still secure, they lacked the cruelty of the previous bindings. His mind raced as he tried to piece together what had happened. Isabella. She must have done this.

He glanced around the room, expecting to see her smirking in a corner, but she was nowhere to be found. The room was silent, save for the soft ticking of a clock on the wall. The atmosphere felt strangely serene, a stark contrast to the tension that usually filled the air when Isabella was around.

Just as he was beginning to contemplate his next move, the door creaked open, and there she was. Isabella strode into the room, her presence as commanding as ever. She was dressed in her usual all-black attire, the leather of her jacket gleaming under the soft light. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes glinted with something he couldn’t quite place.

She didn’t say anything at first, simply approaching him with a slow, deliberate grace. Her heels clicked against the floor as she stopped beside the bed, her gaze locked on his. Jungkook felt a mixture of anticipation and wariness as she stood over him, her lips curling into a faint, almost predatory smile.

“Sleep well?” she asked, her voice smooth and laced with amusement.

Jungkook said nothing, his eyes narrowing slightly as he watched her. He wasn’t in the mood for games, not after everything that had happened. But Isabella, as always, was in control, and she knew it.

She reached out and ran a hand over his arm, her touch surprisingly gentle. “I hope you appreciate the new cuffs,” she continued. “I figured you deserved something... softer.”

Jungkook resisted the urge to flinch at her touch, though the feeling of her fingers brushing over his skin sent a shiver down his spine. He was used to the cold, ruthless side of Isabella, but this softer approach was throwing him off. It was unsettling in a way he couldn’t fully explain.

“Why?” he asked, his voice hoarse from disuse.

Isabella raised an eyebrow. “Why the change?” She let out a low, sultry laugh. “You’re not the only one who knows how to adapt, Jungkook. I have my ways of keeping things... interesting.”

She sat down on the edge of the bed, her eyes never leaving his. For a moment, there was a silence between them, a heavy, charged pause that filled the room. Jungkook’s mind raced, trying to figure out her next move. Was this some new tactic of hers? A way to throw him off balance, to make him question everything?

But then she did something that truly caught him off guard. She reached for his wrists, gently unclipping the velvet cuffs, freeing him from his restraints. Jungkook blinked in surprise, his arms falling limply to his sides as he stared at her.

Isabella’s smile widened at his confusion. “Don’t get any ideas,” she warned, her voice a low purr. “You’re not free. Not yet. I just wanted to see how you’d react.”

Jungkook clenched his fists, his body tense as he fought the urge to lash out. She was playing with him, testing his limits, and it was working. But as much as he wanted to fight back, something in her gaze held him in place. She had a power over him that he couldn’t quite explain, a magnetic pull that kept him rooted to the spot, even when every instinct told him to run.

Isabella stood up, her movements fluid and graceful as she walked to the window. She gazed out at the view, the morning light casting a soft glow over her figure. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, her expression distant.

“You’re probably wondering what’s next,” she said after a long pause, her voice quieter now. “What I plan to do with you.”

Jungkook’s jaw tightened, his eyes locked on her as he waited for her to continue. He didn’t trust her, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious. What did she want from him? What was her endgame?

Isabella turned back to face him, her eyes dark and intense. “I’ve been thinking,” she said slowly, “about what to do with you. You’ve proven yourself to be more... interesting than I originally thought.”

Jungkook’s heart raced as her words hung in the air. Interesting. That wasn’t what he had expected to hear. Was she toying with him again, or was there something more to her words?

She approached him once more, her steps deliberate as she stopped in front of him. She reached out and cupped his chin, tilting his head up so that he was forced to look at her.

“I could break you,” she whispered, her breath warm against his skin. “I could destroy you, piece by piece, and you’d be powerless to stop me.”

Jungkook swallowed hard, his throat dry as he met her gaze. There was a flicker of fear in his chest, but there was also something else—something darker, more twisted. The thought of being at her mercy, completely under her control, both terrified and excited him.

“But I won’t,” Isabella continued, her voice softening. “Not yet.”

She released his chin and stepped back, giving him space to breathe. Jungkook exhaled slowly, his body trembling with a mixture of relief and frustration. He hated the way she could manipulate him so easily, but at the same time, he couldn’t deny the thrill that came with it.

“I have plans for you, Jungkook,” Isabella said, her tone cryptic. “Big plans. But for now... rest. You’re going to need your strength.”

With that, she turned and left the room, leaving him alone once again. The door clicked shut behind her, and Jungkook was left staring at the ceiling, his mind racing with questions. What were her plans? What did she truly want from him?

As the morning light filtered through the window, Jungkook lay there, his wrists still tingling from the velvet cuffs. He didn’t know what was coming next, but one thing was certain: Isabella wasn’t done with him. Not by a long shot.