Isabella’s fingers trembled slightly as she traced the rim of her coffee cup. The aroma of freshly brewed espresso filled the quiet café, mingling with the subtle notes of vanilla and cinnamon. Outside, the world moved at its usual hurried pace—cars honking, people laughing, life continuing as if nothing had changed.

But for Isabella, something had shifted.

Ever since that night at the gala, an unease had settled deep within her. It wasn’t logical. She had never even spoken to the man who had consumed her thoughts—the one with dark, unreadable eyes and an aura that commanded fear and respect in equal measure.Jungkook.

Even his name felt dangerous.

She had heard whispers about him in passing conversations—the way businessmen stiffened at the mere mention of his name, the way women both feared and fantasized about him.

A man of power. A man of control. A man no one dared to cross.

And yet, she had felt his gaze on her that night, like a hunter watching his prey.

She shook her head, pushing the thought away. It was ridiculous. A man like him had no reason to care about someone like her.

“Earth to Isabella?”

Lily’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She blinked, finding her friend staring at her with an amused expression.

“You’ve been spacing out a lot lately,” Lily teased, stirring her iced latte with a straw. “Thinking about a certain someone?”

Isabella frowned. “What? No!”

Lily raised a brow. “Really? Because you look like you’re daydreaming about a romance novel.”

Isabella’s cheeks burned. “I was just… distracted.”

“Uh-huh.” Lily smirked. “Well, if you’re not going to tell me what’s on your mind, at least listen to mine. I think I have a crush.”

Isabella blinked in surprise. “On who?”

Lily hesitated, biting her lip. “I don’t know if I should say…”

“Lily,” Isabella pressed, narrowing her eyes.

With a dramatic sigh, Lily finally admitted, “Taehyung.”

Isabella nearly choked on her coffee. “Jungkook’s friend?”

“Well… yes. And also his business partner.”

“You do realize what kind of people they are, right?” Isabella whispered, glancing around as if someone might overhear.

Lily shrugged. “I know they’re powerful. I know they’re dangerous. But Taehyung… he intrigues me.”

Isabella stared at her friend in disbelief. She wanted to argue, to tell Lily that men like them were the last thing they needed in their lives.

But the truth was… she understood the intrigue all too well.

Meanwhile, across the city…

Jungkook leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled beneath his chin as he listened to the report being given. His office—perched at the top of the tallest skyscraper in the city—offered a panoramic view of the skyline, though he barely acknowledged it.

“The shipment arrived safely. No interference this time,” one of his men informed him.

Jungkook nodded, his expression unreadable. “And the Russians?”

“They’re still negotiating, but they know better than to cross you.”

A smirk ghosted over Jungkook’s lips. “Good.”

Beside him, Taehyung chuckled, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “You know, for a man with more money than he could ever spend, you take an awfully deep interest in these negotiations.”

Jungkook shot him a dry look. “That’s because I don’t like loose ends.”

Taehyung grinned. “Of course not. Everything in its place, right?”

Jungkook didn’t answer, his gaze shifting toward the city below. He had built an empire from the ground up. He had crushed anyone who dared to challenge him.

And yet, for the first time in a long time, his mind wasn’t on business.

It was on a girl with big blue eyes and an innocence that didn’t belong in his world.

Taehyung must have noticed his distraction because he smirked. “Still thinking about her?”

Jungkook’s jaw tightened. “I don’t think about things that aren’t mine.”

Taehyung let out a low laugh. “Right. But you will make her yours, won’t you?”

Jungkook didn’t respond, but the flicker of possessiveness in his eyes said enough.

It was only a matter of time.

Back at the café, Isabella pulled her coat tighter around her as she and Lily stepped out into the cool evening air.

“I still think you’re crazy,” Isabella muttered.

Lily just laughed. “You’ll understand one day.”

Isabella highly doubted that.

She wasn’t meant for a world of danger and power plays.

And yet, fate had a way of pulling people toward the things they feared the most.

And for Isabella, that pull had already begun