The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting soft golden hues across Isabella’s small apartment. She sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers gently tracing the cold metal of her locket.

She had barely slept.

Something about last night lingered—an unease that refused to fade.

Maybe it was the way the streets had felt too empty.

Maybe it was the weight of unseen eyes pressing against her back.

Or maybe… maybe it was the memory of 
Him.

Jungkook.

Even thinking his name sent an unfamiliar shiver down her spine.

It was ridiculous.

She had seen him once.

And yet, his presence clung to her like an unshakable shadow.

Shaking off the thought, Isabella stood up, forcing herself into motion. Dwelling on irrational fears wouldn’t help her. She had classes, work, and a life to get back to.

She wasn’t some lost girl waiting for danger to find her.

Not anymore.

Meanwhile…
Jungkook stood in his office, staring out at the city below. Sunlight reflected off the towering skyscrapers, painting the skyline in a dazzling array of light and shadow.

But his mind wasn’t on the view.

It was on her.

She had no idea.

No idea that she had stepped into his world the moment she had walked into that gala.

No idea that from the second he had laid eyes on her, she had belonged to him.

Taehyung leaned back in the chair across from him, watching the way Jungkook’s jaw tightened.

“You’re thinking about her again.”

It wasn’t a question.

Jungkook exhaled slowly, setting his whiskey glass down on the desk.

“She’s different.”

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. “That’s new.”

Jungkook rarely fixated on people. Women came and went, never holding his attention for more than a fleeting moment.

But Isabella?

She had something else.

Something he couldn’t ignore.

Taehyung smirked. “So what now? Are you going to let this one slip away?”

Jungkook’s dark eyes flickered with something unreadable.

No.”

Taehyung chuckled, shaking his head. “Didn’t think so.”

Because Jungkook never lost.

And he sure as hell wasn’t going to start now.

At the Café.....

Isabella tucked a strand of red curls behind her ear as she balanced a tray of coffee cups, carefully weaving through the crowded café. The familiar warmth of the place eased some of the tension in her chest.

Work was simple.

Work was safe.

And right now, she needed safe.

She reached the counter just as Lily walked in, her eyes scanning the café before landing on Isabella with a bright smile.

“You’re alive,” Lily teased, plopping down into a chair. “I thought you’d disappeared after the gala.”

Isabella sighed, setting the tray down. “I’ve been… busy.”

Lily gave her a knowing look. “Busy avoiding someone, you mean?”

Isabella frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, please.” Lily leaned closer. “You saw him, didn’t you?”

Her heart skipped a beat.

She knew exactly who Lily was referring to.

Jungkook.

The name felt too big for the small space between them, too dangerous to speak aloud.

Isabella shook her head. “It’s not like that.”

Lily grinned. “Uh-huh. Sure.”

Before Isabella could protest further, the door to the café opened, and the air shifted.

Isabella didn’t even have to turn around to know.

She felt it.

That undeniable presence.

The kind that made her skin prickle and her breath hitch.

And when she finally gathered the courage to look…

Her heart stopped.

Jungkook.

Standing at the counter, dressed in all black, his expression unreadable.

His gaze locked onto hers.

And suddenly, the café felt much, much smaller.

Elsewhere…

Taehyung scrolled through his phone, barely listening as the man in front of him spoke.

Business. Deals. Numbers.

The usual.

But his mind wasn’t on work.

It was on her.

Lily.

She was a distraction. An unnecessary one.

And yet, he couldn’t seem to shake her off.

With an irritated sigh, he set his phone down and leaned back.

He wasn’t the kind of man who chased.

And he wasn’t about to start now.

Or at least, that’s what he told himself.