The scent of something warm and savory drifted into your room, pulling you from the fragile grasp of sleep. For a moment, disoriented in the vast unfamiliarity of silk sheets and a bed too large for comfort, you forgot where you were.

But then reality hit.

The Bonten mansion.

Mikey.

Shin.

You sat up with a quiet inhale, running a hand through your hair as you glanced toward the door leading to Shin's room. It was open.

Your heart lurched.

Swinging your legs over the side of the bed, you quickly stood and padded toward the doorway, your bare feet meeting the cool marble floor.

The hallway was quiet, save for the distant sound of voices and the faint clatter of plates.

Following the scent of food, you made your way downstairs, your unease growing with each step.

The moment you stepped into the grand kitchen, your breath caught.

Shin was seated at the long dining table, legs swinging happily as he munched on something that looked way too luxurious for a child's breakfast. His cheeks were puffed out, eyes bright with excitement as he spoke between bites.

Across the kitchen, a professional-looking chef worked diligently at the stove, plating food with a precision that made it clear he wasn't just some hired help—he was top-tier.

And then there were the men.

Bonten.

They were scattered around the space, some leaning against counters, others seated near Shin, their presence suffocating in its intensity.

Mikey stood at the head of the table, his usual unreadable expression in place as he listened to Shin's excited chatter.

"Mom!" Shin beamed when he noticed you, waving his spoon. "They made pancakes! And eggs! And bacon! And look—fruit!"

You swallowed, eyes scanning the table full of gourmet breakfast options, a stark contrast to the simple meals you used to make for him.

The weight of too many stares pressed against you.

Sanzu, sitting lazily in one of the chairs, grinned. "Morning, sweetheart. Sleep well?"

You ignored him, moving toward Shin, instinctively checking him over, brushing some crumbs from his cheek. He looked fine. More than fine. Happy.

Too happy.

Mikey's voice cut through the tense silence. "Eat."

It wasn't a request.

You hesitated, feeling the weight of too many unspoken expectations. Then, reluctantly, you sat beside Shin, who eagerly placed an extra pancake onto your plate with his tiny hands.

A cup of coffee was set in front of you by an unfamiliar hand. You glanced up, meeting the chef's neutral gaze before he stepped back.

"Boss said you take it with sugar," he said simply.

Your stomach tightened. How did Mikey even know that?

The sound of a chair scraping against the polished floor pulled your attention. You barely had time to process it before Mikey settled across from you, arms resting lazily on the table. His gaze, however, was anything but relaxed—dark and unwavering, pinning you in place like you were prey caught in a trap.

"We need to talk."

Your fingers curled slightly around your fork. The breakfast before you sat mostly untouched, though Shin had been happily eating away just moments ago. You forced yourself to swallow the bite you barely tasted.

"About what?" you asked, though deep down, you already knew.

Mikey leaned back, studying you with an unreadable expression. "Your place here."

The weight of those words settled over you like a suffocating blanket. The room, despite the idle chatter of the Bonten members in the background, felt too quiet. Too expectant. The air thickened with something unspoken, something inevitable.

Mikey's voice remained eerily calm, but every syllable carried an unshakable authority. "Things will be different now. You and Shin will stay here. You won't have to work anymore. Everything you need will be provided."

Your grip tightened around the fork. "And if I don't want that?"

A slow blink. Unfazed. Unmoved. "It's not a choice."

The finality in his tone sent a sharp pulse of frustration through you. You had known, somewhere deep down, that this wasn't a negotiation. But hearing it, having it confirmed so effortlessly, made your stomach twist.

Mikey didn't care about your resistance. He continued as if you hadn't spoken. "You'll be taken care of. Shin will have the best education, the best life. No more struggling. No more worrying about bills or safety."

His voice lowered, his next words carrying something darker—something you couldn't ignore.

"No one will ever be able to take him from you." A beat of silence. Then, softer, more deliberate— "From us."

Your breath caught.

There it was. The real truth buried beneath all of his so-called generosity. This wasn't just about giving Shin a better life. It was about control. About ensuring that you and your son were no longer just yours.

You forced yourself to push past the chill crawling up your spine. "And me?" you asked, your voice quieter than before but still firm. "What's my role in all of this?"

Mikey's expression remained unreadable. "You take care of Shin. You live here. You get used to this life."

"That's it?" You searched his face for any flicker of emotion, any crack in the wall he kept so perfectly built. "Just be a mother? Play house in a mansion I never asked to be in?"

A flicker of something, mild amusement? crossed his gaze before it was gone. "You make it sound worse than it is."

"That's because it is," you bit out. "You think you can just decide everything for me? For us?"

Mikey exhaled slowly, as if you were exhausting him. He leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on his hand. His stare remained locked onto yours, unwavering.

"You're here," he said simply. "That's all that matters."

Your chest tightened. "And if I don't get used to this?"

Silence.

But it wasn't empty.

It was heavy.

Dense with an answer you weren't sure you wanted to hear.

Then—

"You will."

No threat. No warning.

Your fingers clenched into fists beneath the table, nails digging into your palm. Every fiber of your being screamed against the inevitability of it all.

A low chuckle broke the tension.

Ran Haitani, sipping leisurely from a cup of tea, smirked. "Damn, Mikey. No wonder she's tense. You just dropped all that on her before she even finished her coffee."

Sanzu laughed, shaking his head. "You'll get used to it, sweetheart. Might even like it here."

Your jaw clenched. You weren't sure what was worse, the suffocating reality of your new life or the way they all seemed so damn amused by it.

Mikey, unaffected by the conversation around him, stood. "We'll talk more later."

With that, he walked off to the other side of the table, leaving you at the table with Bonten's most dangerous men.

Shin, blissfully unaware, stuffed another bite of pancake into his mouth, grinning.

And you, staring down at the untouched coffee in front of you, realized one thing with startling clarity.

You weren't just trapped.

You had never even stood a chance.

The weight of their stares pressed against you like an invisible force, but you refused to show any weakness.

Kakucho was the first to break the silence, his scarred eye assessing you with an intensity that made your skin prickle. "You're handling this well," he mused. "Most people would be terrified by now."

You swallowed hard. "I don't have the luxury of fear."

A low chuckle came from the man with slicked-back, Takeomi Akashi. He leaned back in his chair, exhaling a puff of smoke from the cigarette between his fingers. "Gotta say, I like her already."

You kept your expression neutral, but internally, you were calculating. Each of these men carried an air of power, their presence alone demanding attention. It was clear they weren't just underlings, they were Bonten's executives.

A small hand tugged at your sleeve.

"Mama, are you not hungry?" Shin spoke up.

Your heart clenched.

Mikey watched you carefully from across the table, his fingers drumming lazily against the polished surface. "Eat."

The single command made your jaw tighten, but for Shin's sake, you picked up the fork. The food was good, deliberately so, as if another way to remind you of how much control Mikey had over your circumstances.

As you forced yourself to eat, the last two men at the table finally spoke.

The one with purple hair mullet, Rindo Haitani, smirked. "So, this is the queen, huh? Can't say I expected someone like you."

You didn't dignify that with a response.

Kanji Mochizuki, built like a brawler, scoffed. "Doesn't matter what you expected. Boss says she stays, so she stays."

His casual statement sent a chill down your spine. They were so used to following Mikey's will, to treating his word as law, that your opinion—your life—was nothing more than another decision made for them to accept.

Then, a soft but sharp voice cut through the conversation.

"Enough."

You turned to see the final man, Hajime Kokonoi, finally looking up from his phone. His sharp gaze flickered toward Mikey. "If you want her to settle in, maybe don't make her feel like a caged animal on display."

You blinked. That was... unexpected.

Mikey's expression didn't change. "She'll adjust."

Kokonoi sighed as if already tired of this conversation, but his attention shifted back to you. "If you need anything, financially or otherwise, tell me. I handle Bonten's assets."

It was a test. An invitation.

He wanted to see if you'd reach for the power they were dangling in front of you.

You met his gaze evenly. "I don't need anything from Bonten."

A flicker of amusement crossed his face before he returned to his phone, uninterested.

The conversation continued around you, the men falling into easy discussions about business and logistics, things you knew better than to ask about.

They spoke in codes, but it was clear this was how they operated. A crime syndicate, but one with discipline, hierarchy, and absolute control.

And at the center of it all sat Mikey, silent but omnipresent, his presence more commanding than any spoken word.

Shin, thankfully, was still oblivious to the tension, happily eating his pancakes.

For now.

You had no idea how long that innocence would last in this world.

But one thing was clear.

No matter what it took, you would protect your son. Even if it meant playing along in Mikey's twisted game.