The following few days had been a suffocating stalemate. Ha-eun's silence was a heavy, low pressure system hanging over the city, and Joon-Won knew her well enough to know she wasn't mourning, she was calculating.
Inside the suite, Joon-Won had spent hours staring at his phone, his bandaged knuckles now healed a little but still tender with scars, his jaw perpetually tight. The corporate titan was being eaten alive by the stillness.
"You're going to burn a hole in that screen, Joon," Tae-Hyun's voice drifted from the bedroom, followed by the soft rustle of shopping bags.
Joon-Won sighed, rubbing his temples. "She hasn't responded to the email, Love. Not a single word from her or a lawyer. It's been three days. Silence from Ha-eun isn't peace, it's the fuse on a bomb. I shouldn't have left the house.. I should be there to ensure she hasn't done anything reckless."
Tae-Hyun emerged from the room, and the words died in Joon-Won's throat.
Tae-Hyun was dressed in a sheer, charcoal gray mesh top that clung to his frame like a second skin, layered over a deep V silk tank that exposed the sharp lines of his collarbones and the bite mark on his neck. His trousers were black leather, tailored so perfectly they looked painted on. He'd styled his hair back with a wet gel look, leaving a few strategic strands to fall over his forehead. He looked like a sin personified.
"We are going out." Tae-Hyun declared, leaning against the doorframe.
"Tae-Hyun, I can't. I have to wait for—"
"You have to wait for your life to start." Tae-Hyun interrupted, walking over and pouting his lips, his eyes turning wide and glossy. He caught Joon-Won's hands, pulling them toward his waist. "You've been staring at your phone for three days. Don't you want to be with me? Or am I just the 'pathetic little pet' as your has wife called me?"
"You know that's not true." Joon-Won growled, his gaze darkening as it raked over Tae-Hyun's revealing outfit.
"Then prove it. Take me to a bar. Buy me a drink. Let's pretend we're just two people on our second date." Tae-Hyun whispered, leaning in until their noses brushed. He let out a soft, theatrical huff. "Unless you're bored of me already. Is that it? You got what you wanted and now you're over it?"
Joon-Won let out a rough, defeated laugh, his possessive streak flaring at the sight of so much exposed skin. "Fine. But if a single man looks at you for more than three seconds, we're leaving."
Joon-Won changed into a pair of dark indigo denim jeans and a heavy, charcoal cashmere sweater that clung to his broad chest and arms, ditching the suit for something that made him look like a high end bouncer. He swept his blond hair back, exposing the sharp, predatory lines of his face. He looked dangerous, masculine, and entirely too focused on the man at his side.
.
.
While Joon-Won and Tae-Hyun stepped into the crisp evening air, the Ha-eun was a frantic hive of activity.
Ha-eun had spent the last seventy two hours turning the master bedroom into a command center. Printouts of bank statements, phone logs, and GPS data were scattered across the bed. She looked haggard, her eyes bloodshot, her hair unwashed.
Seo-yeon sat on the edge of a velvet chair, watching the two boys, Eun-woo and Min-jun chase each other through the hallway with toy cars. Their laughter was a stark contrast to the poison in the room.
"He's hiding her." Ha-eun hissed, pinning a photo of the hotel to a corkboard she'd brought in. "He's at this hotel, I know it. He's been there for a week. He's with some... some fucking slut. Someone he thinks is worth a decade of marriage."
"Ha-eun, honey," Seo-yeon said softly, trying to sound like a voice of reason while her heart hammered in her chest. "Maybe there is no other woman. Joon-Won has been unhappy for years. You know the fights you two had. Maybe he just needs space to breathe without the toxicity."
"Space? You don't file for divorce for 'space'!" Ha-eun spun around, her eyes wild. "He's being manipulated. Some woman has her claws in him, and she's the one who made him sign those papers. I can feel it. I've called a private investigator in the city. I'm going to find her, Seo-yeon. And when I do, I'm going to make sure she's a household name for all the wrong reasons."
"But what if it's not a woman?" Seo-yeon suggested carefully, testing the waters as she shifts slightly. "What if he's just... done? You can't force someone to love you by being a martyr."
"You're supposed to be on my side!" Ha-eun snapped, grabbing Seo-yeon's arm shakily. "You and Tae-Hyun have the perfect marriage! You don't understand what it's like to have a husband who treats you like an obstacle. I need you to help me. Use your connections or something I don't know. Find out if anyone has seen him with a woman at that hotel by tomorrow morning.. or you know what? I'm going myself."
Seo-yeon felt a wave of nausea. She looked at her phone, which was tucked into her lap. Under the table, her thumb moved quickly, typing a message to Tae-Hyun.
Tae:
'Ha-eun is losing it. She's hired a private investigator. She's convinced there's another woman and she's heading toward the hotel tomorrow morning. Get out of there or be careful. She's looking for blood.'
She hit send, watching the 'Delivered' checkmark appear.
Meanwhile, In a dark, crowded bar across town, Tae-Hyun's phone buzzed in the pocket of his leather trousers. He felt the vibration against the table, but he didn't reach for it. He was too busy watching Joon-Won order a stiff drink, his eyes fixed on the way Joon-Won's bicep flexed under the cashmere.
"Tonight is about us." Tae-Hyun whispered, leaning his head on Joon-Won's shoulder. "Just me and my favorite monster."
Joon-Won chuckled lightly and hummed at that. He didn't see the storm coming. He just reached down, his hand finding Tae-Hyun's waist, pulling him flush against his side as the music drowned out the world.
.
.
.
The bar was a low lit, subterranean sanctuary of dark wood and polished brass, smelling of bourbon and the faint, sweet smoke of a distant cigar. They were tucked into a corner booth, the shadows dancing across Tae-Hyun's exposed collarbones.
Joon-Won swirled the amber liquid in his glass, his gaze never leaving Tae-Hyun. Without the suit, he looked less like a businessman and more like a predator in its natural habitat. The charcoal cashmere of his sweater clung to his chest, emphasizing the sheer breadth of him.
"You're doing it again." Joon-Won murmured, his voice a low, gravelly hum that vibrated through the table.
"Doing what?" Tae-Hyun asked, his voice a velvet purr. He leaned forward, resting his chin on his palm, his mesh top shifting to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of his ribs.
"Looking at me like I'm a meal you haven't quite decided how to devour."
Tae-Hyun laughed, a soft, musical sound. "Maybe I'm just admiring the handiwork. Your knuckles look better." He reached out, his fingers tracing the faint, jagged scars on Joon-Won's hand. "What do you think happened to him? Min-ho. After I dragged you away, did he just… crawl back into the shadows?"
Joon-Won's jaw tightened, a ghost of that cold, obsidian rage flickering in his eyes with slight irritation. "I don't care if he crawled or stayed there. I broke his nose and likely three of his ribs. He'll think twice before he look at something that isn't his again. But you..." Joon-Won leaned in, his eyes locking onto Tae-Hyun's with a terrifying focus. "You seemed almost… disappointed that I stopped."
Tae-Hyun's breath hitched but he didn't look away, tilting his head slightly as he drop his gaze down for a second as he play with Joon's fingers before looking back into Joon's eyes through his lashes. "I wasn't disappointed, Joon. I was breathless. When I walked in and saw you standing over him... that look in your eyes. It was like seeing a side of you that had been locked in a cage for a century. I was terrified, genuinely. I didn't know if you'd recognize me or if I'd be next. But Mm.. God..." He lowered his voice, his eyes dark with a raw, honest heat. "It was the most aroused I've ever been in my life. Seeing you get your hands dirty for me? I felt like I was the only person in the world who mattered."
Joon-Won let out a slow, heavy breath. He took a long sip of his scotch, the ice clinking against the glass. "You should be careful what you wish for, Tae. I told you, I spent years burying that version of myself. In college, I didn't just win fights. I dismantled people. I never intended to kill, but I have a habit of… 'accidentally' snapping bones when I get too deep into the red. It's a level of violence that doesn't belong in your world."
"But it does belong in our world.. I love it." Tae-Hyun countered, his voice a seductive challenge, eyes darkening. "Because I'm the only one who can handle it. I'm the only one who smiles when you get rough."
Joon-Won's gaze softened, a nostalgic smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "You always were a little freak. This place… it reminds me of that night."
"The night we met on accident?" Tae-Hyun's eyes lit up. "You were sitting at the bar zoning out, looking like you owned the building and hated everyone in it."
"And you," Joon-Won shook his head, a chuckle escaping him. "You walked up and ordered the most expensive gin on the menu, then proceeded to tell me my hands looked like they could kill a man. Staring into my soul and flirting with me none stop. I spent the whole night questioning my sanity. And my sexuality."
"I knew exactly what I was doing," Tae-Hyun teased, his foot sliding up Joon-Won's calf under the table. "You were so repressed, Joon. I could feel the heat coming off you from three stools away. I remember we started talking about… preferences. You mentioned you liked being in control, And I told you I liked being the chaos that ruins the control."
"You told me you liked to be told what to do." Joon-Won corrected, his voice dropping into a dangerous, possessive register. "You told me you wanted to be undone by the right hands. Fuck, I still remember.. We were inches apart right over there by the bar table. I could smell your scent. I almost lost it then. I almost made out with you right in front of the bartender."
Tae-Hyun leaned back, a smug, playful glint in his eyes. "Why didn't you? You were so close. I could feel your breath on my lips. I was practically begging for it with my eyes."
"I was married, Tae," Joon-Won said, the weight of the past flickering across his face. "And I was terrified of how easily you were breaking me. How were you so bold? You didn't even know me. How were you so sure I'd take the bait?"
"Because you were looking at me like you wanted to lock me in a room and never let me out," Tae-Hyun whispered, his hand sliding across the table to interlace with Joon-Won's. "I saw the hunger behind the cold mask. I knew if I pushed just hard enough, you'd snap. And look at us now… you're a free man, and I'm still here, still pushing."
Joon-Won squeezed his hand, his thumb rubbing over Tae-Hyun's knuckles. "You're a dangerous man, Tae. But you're the only one I want to be dangerous with."
Tae-Hyun smiled, feeling the thrill of the victory. He didn't know his phone was blowing up more on the table with warnings from his wife. He didn't care about the storm brewing. All that mattered was the heat in Joon-Won's eyes and the promise of the night ahead.
"Then show me," Tae-Hyun challenged, his voice a low, seductive hum. "Take me back to the suite and show me just how violent that love can get."
Joon smirked and hummed upon hearing that. The shadows in the booth seemed to shrink as Joon-Won shifted closer, the scent of his scotch drink and warm skin enveloping Tae-Hyun. He didn't wait for an answer to his challenge. Instead, Joon-Won reached out, his hand sliding behind Tae-Hyun's neck, his thumb tilting Tae-Hyun's chin upward.
"Random things, Tae." Joon-Won murmured against his ear, his breath a scorching contrast to the cool air of the bar. "Tell me something random. Tell me about the first thing you thought when you woke up this morning."
Tae-Hyun let out a shaky, fluttery breath, his hands clutching the edge of the table as Joon-Won't lips began to graze the sensitive column of his throat. "I... I thought about the weather," Tae-Hyun managed to stammer, his eyes fluttering shut. "How it looked cloudy and sunny. And how the sunlight was hitting your sleeping face through the curtains while you slept..."
Joon-Won hummed, a deep, vibrating sound in his chest that Tae-Hyun felt in his own bones. He moved lower, his tongue darting out to lick the center of the deep, purple bite mark Min-ho had left, the mark Joon-Won had reclaimed with his own teeth. Tae-Hyun's back arched, a quite soft, strangled moan escaping him.
"Continue baby." Joon-Won urged, his voice a dark, velvet command. He began to suck on the tender skin, his hand tightening in Tae-Hyun's hair to keep him still.
"And... and I thought about how quiet it was," Tae-Hyun continued, his voice trailing off into a gasp as Joon-Won't teeth grazed his jawline. "How I could hear you breathing next to me. It felt... it felt like the world had stopped moving for a while."
Joon-Won pulled back just enough to look down at him, his thumb dragging across Tae-Hyun's lower lip, pulling it down to reveal the slick, red interior. "You talk too much when you're nervous, my slut." he whispered, the degrading name hitting Tae-Hyun like a physical blow.
He didn't give Tae-Hyun time to recover. Joon-Won leaned in, his mouth crashing against Tae-Hyun's in a kiss that was slow, deliberate, and devastatingly sensual. It wasn't the frantic, biting desperation of that night he re claimed him as his own, it was the kiss of a man who had already won. his tongue sweeping into Tae-Hyun's mouth with a possessive rhythm that made Tae-Hyun's head spin.
Tae-Hyun whimpered into the kiss, his fingers tangling in the soft cashmere of Joon-Won's sweater, pulling him closer, desperate to feel the heat of Joon-Won's chest against his own. He loved the way Joon-Won didn't hide his touch, even here in front of everyone. One of Joon-Won's hands slid down to Tae-Hyun's waist, his fingers digging into the black leather of his trousers, pulling him flush against his side as if to remind anyone watching exactly who Tae-Hyun belonged to.
"Joon..." Tae-Hyun breathed against his lips, his voice thick with a needy, heavy heat. "Please... let's go. I want you. Right now. I'm so horny, I—"
Joon-Won pulled back abruptly, his eyes shimmering with a sadistic, playful glint. He adjusted his sweater, his expression suddenly becoming smooth and unreadable, though his pupils remained blown wide.
"You want me?" Joon-Won asked, a smirk pulling at his lips.
"Yes," Tae-Hyun pleaded, his face flushed, his chest heaving under the mesh top. "Take me back. I want to feel you."
Joon-Won reached out, his hand patting Tae-Hyun's cheek in a mock affectionate gesture that felt like a slap of ice water. "You've been a very provocative little slut tonight, Tae. You wanted the right hands to handle you, right?"
Tae-Hyun nodded frantically.
"Well," Joon-Won leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, looking entirely too satisfied with himself. "I think I like you like this. Needy. Frustrated. I think I've decided... I'm not going to fuck you tonight. I think we're just going to go back, and you're going to sleep right next to me, feeling every bit of that itch I've started."
Tae-Hyun's jaw dropped, a genuine whine of protest escaping him. "You're kidding. You can't be serious. Joon, look at me!"
"I am looking at you, baby." Joon-Won said, his voice dropping into that terrifyingly calm register. "And you look beautiful when you're desperate. Now, finish your drink. We have a long, cold night ahead of us."
Tae-Hyun stared at him, panting softly with need, his heart hammering against his ribs. He was dying of thirst, and Joon-Won had just locked the well. But as he looked at the hard, uncompromising line of Joon-Won's jaw, he felt that familiar, twisted thrill. He hated it. And he loved every second of it.