Jiwon strode down the dimly lit hallway, her pulse thundering in her ears. The kiss lingered on her lips, like an unwelcome burn she couldn't shake, a reminder of her own betrayal—of her will, of her pride. It wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to falter.

Jiwon quickened her pace, desperate to put as much distance as possible between herself and that training room, between herself and Jeonggukk. But the sensation lingered, the echo of his touch trailing down her skin like a haunting she couldn't outrun.

Jiwon reached the end of the corridor and braced herself against the wall, taking a deep, steadying breath. Her hands were shaking, and it infuriated her. She closed her eyes, trying to recapture her composure, but every time she thought she'd grasped it, her mind betrayed her with the image of his face, the feel of his hand on her jaw, his lips pressing against hers with an intensity that had shattered every barrier she had so carefully built. And the previous tension between within the depths of forest didn't helped either of them.

"Get it together," she whispered to herself, but the command rang hollow.

Back in the training room, Jeonggukk remained motionless, watching the space she had just left, his gaze unfocused as if lost in thought. He could still feel the warmth of her against him, the fire in her touch, the defiance that seemed to seep from her very being. He'd meant to break her, to finally push her to a point where she would yield—just once. But the plan had taken a dangerous turn. That kiss... it was a complication he hadn't foreseen.

The faintest hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but it wasn't a smile of satisfaction. It was a dangerous kind of satisfaction, laced with irritation. Jiwon had fought him, resisted every step, only to respond with as much force and need as he had felt himself. She was unlike anyone he'd ever known. Unbreakable, unyielding—yet there had been that spark, a glimpse of something she wasn't aware she had revealed to him. It was enough to pull him closer, enough to unsettle the carefully placed lines he'd drawn between them.

Jeonggukk let out a slow, steady breath, as if trying to rid himself of her presence, her scent, the lingering sensation of her lips against his. But it was no use. Jiwon had lodged herself into his mind, her defiance haunting him in a way that no amount of control could suppress.

Jeonggukk needed to see her again. To make her acknowledge what had happened between them, to test if the fire he'd seen in her would emerge once more. He knew that trying to ignore it, to pretend it hadn't happened, would only push him deeper into the obsession he was beginning to feel. He left the training room, his stride purposeful, determined.

Later That Evening: A Tense Encounter

Jiwon sat in her workplace the quarters within the mansion, her fingers tracing the lines of a case laid out before her. She had been studying it for nearly an hour, trying to focus, trying to force herself to think of anything other than what had happened in that training room. But her mind refused to cooperate, and the frustration gnawed at her like an itch she couldn't scratch.

The knock on her door was soft, almost hesitant. She felt her pulse spike, and she forced herself to take a deep breath before responding.

"Come in."

The door opened revealing the hot demon, and Jeonggukk stepped inside. He looked calm, composed, his expression carefully guarded, but she could sense the tension simmering beneath his surface. He closed the door behind him, his gaze fixed on her with that same, unwavering intensity that made her feel as though he could see right through her defenses.

Jiwon straightened, steeling herself. "What do you want ?"

Jeonggukk held her gaze for a long moment, his expression unreadable. "I think you know."

Her chest tightened, and she felt her hands clench into fists at her sides. "If this is about what happened earlier—"

"Yes," Jeonggukk interrupted, his tone soft but firm. He took a step closer, and she felt her pulse quicken, a mixture of anger and something far more dangerous flickering to life within her. "It is."

Jiwon scoffed, folding her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture. "Then let me save you some time. It was a mistake, a lapse in judgment."

Jiwon eyes narrowed, a faint, almost mocking smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "A lapse in judgment? Is that what you tell yourself?"

She bristled, her pride flaring in response to his challenge. "I don't have to justify anything to you."

Jeonggukk took another step forward, and she could feel the weight of his presence bearing down on her, the dark, magnetic pull that seemed to defy logic or reason. "No, you don't. But I think you're lying to yourself."

Her jaw tightened, her defiance flickering like a flame. "And I think you're deluding yourself if you think that kiss meant anything. It was nothing. A moment of... of weakness."

Jeonggukk smiled, but there was nothing warm in the expression. It was the smile of a predator, sharp and knowing. "Weakness? Is that what you want to call it?"

She glared at him, her voice trembling with barely contained anger. "Yes."

Jeonggukk tilted his head, studying her with that same piercing gaze that made her feel as though he was stripping away every layer, every defense she had built. "So, if it was weakness, then I imagine you wouldn't care if it happened again."

Before Jiwon could respond, he moved closer, close enough that she could feel the heat of his body, the faint scent of his cologne wrapping around her. She refused to back down, her heart pounding in her chest as she met his gaze, her defiance a shield against the intensity of his presence.

Jeonggukk reached out, his fingers brushing against her cheek, tracing a line down to her jaw, his touch both gentle and possessive. Her breath hitched, and she fought the urge to pull away, to break free from the spell he seemed to weave around her.

"You can deny it all you want," Jeonggukk murmured, his voice a low, dangerous whisper, "but I know what you felt."

Jiwon's pulse raced, her mind a chaotic mess of emotions she couldn't fully understand. She wanted to pull away, to slap his hand from her face, but her body refused to listen, drawn to the dark, magnetic pull that surrounded him.

She felt his hand slip to the back of her neck, his fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her closer. Her heart pounded as she felt the warmth of his breath against her lips, the faintest hint of a challenge in his gaze, daring her to pull away, to resist.

But she didn't move.

Jiwon's lips parted, a quiet, involuntary gasp escaping as she felt his mouth press against hers, a kiss that was both demanding and rough, a mixture of lust and restraint. She could feel the intensity of his desire, the raw, unfiltered need that simmered just beneath the surface, and she knew, in that moment, that Jeonggukk was as affected as she was.

The kiss deepened, his grip on her tightening as he pulled her closer, as if he couldn't bear to let her go. She felt her own resolve crumbling, her own defenses shattering as she surrendered to the moment, to the heat that flared between them, consuming and relentless.

And then, as quickly as it had begun, he pulled back, his breathing uneven, his gaze dark and intense as he looked at her. The silence between them was thick, heavy with the weight of what had just happened, with the unspoken words and the emotions that neither of them could deny.

Jiwon took a step back, her chest heaving, her heart racing as she tried to regain her composure. She could feel her cheeks flush, a mixture of anger, confusion, and something she refused to name burning beneath her skin.

"This... this doesn't mean anything," she said, her voice trembling with the effort to keep it steady.

Jeonggukk's gaze remained on her, his expression unreadable, but she could see the flicker of frustration in his eyes, the faint trace of something she couldn't quite decipher. The need to make her submit.

"Keep telling yourself that," replied, his voice laced with a quiet challenge.

Without another word, he turned and left the room, leaving her alone, the echoes of his words lingering in the silence.

As the door closed behind him, Jiwon sank onto the edge of her bed, her mind a whirlwind of emotions she couldn't begin to unravel. She could still feel the heat of his touch, the pressure of his lips against hers, the intensity of his gaze.

And no matter how hard Jiwon tried, she couldn't shake the feeling that Jeonggukk had seen something in her that even she didn't fully understand.

——————————————-

On the other hand, Jeonggukk's phone buzzed incessantly with notifications. It was Jangfei, his little choco. Instantly, his usually wicked and dangerous smirk softened into a subtle, affectionate curve of his lips. The flood of messages made him chuckle. He didn't really know what happiness felt like, but this adorable woman had quickly become his source of that unfamiliar emotion.

Mr. Jeon, I'm losing my mind because of my great boss. Why is he always ready to kill anyone?

Am I disturbing you? I just need you to listen to my rants, pleaseeeuu.

By the time Jeonggukk read the last message, he was still smiling, sipping his whiskey. The guards around him exchanged amused glances, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, shocked to witness their master smiling genuinely for the first time.

Mr. Jeon, your twin is blushing! Can you see him? He's literally blushing! This is a rare sight—rarer than Hailey's comment, don't you think?

Reply me, did you abandon me? Don't say you did... I'll be doomed without you now, I swear.

Jeonggukk chuckled softly as he glanced at the image of his twin, a rare moment of amusement on his face, while his other hand casually sliced the throat of some pitiful man who was begging for mercy. How foolish.

Mr. Jeon, I miss you... He's bad—really bad. He's so cruel to me. I feel awful today, and I'm doing everything I can to keep it together. But Why does he treat me like this?

Where are you? I don't know how to hold myself together without you. Please, talk to me.

At the sight of the final message, Jeonggukk's expression shifted into an undeniably dangerous gaze, his eyes burning with rage. He knew it—Jungkook had
crossed the line with the poor girl, and he wasn't going to let this go, it won't end good for Jungkook this time.

We will miss you Kim Yeontan 💜