📖 Chapter 1: The Encounter
The rain hammered down on Seoul, washing the city in silver streams. Seo-jin pulled her thin coat tighter, hurrying through the narrow alley she always avoided—but tonight she had no choice.
Her phone buzzed.A single message."Don't take the shortcut tonight."
Her breath caught. She froze mid-step, eyes scanning the darkness. But she shook her head quickly. Probably a prank. She needed to get home.
Then—shadows moved.
Three men stepped out, blocking her path. Their eyes glimmered like wolves in the dim neon light."Well, what do we have here?" one sneered.Another licked his lips. "Pretty… and alone."
Seo-jin's heart pounded so loud she could barely hear the rain. She stumbled back, but her foot splashed into a puddle, betraying her fear.
Then, a voice cut through the storm. Deep. Cold. Dangerous."Move."
The men stiffened. From the mouth of the alley, a tall figure emerged. His black suit was sharp against the glow of the streetlights, his steps calm, predatory. His eyes—dark, piercing—locked onto Seo-jin.
"Kang Joon…" one of the men stuttered, panic flashing across his face. "We—we didn't know—"
"You don't need to," Kang Joon replied flatly.
He didn't look at them again. Instead, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it over Seo-jin's shoulders, his touch firm, unyielding. His scent—rich, dangerous—wrapped around her as much as the coat did.
Then, his lips brushed close to her ear, his voice a deadly whisper.
"From this moment on… you belong to me."
Before Seo-jin could react, before she could even breathe, Kang Joon turned his head slightly—eyes narrowing at the men.
"Kill them."
Seo-jin's blood ran cold.
The last thing she heard before the alley exploded into chaos… was the sound of guns being cocked.