Nicole's entire face froze.
"…What?"
Ash's head snapped up from the couch. "EXCUSE ME?!"
Gu Sean spoke quickly as if to keep the explosion contained. "Temporarily."
Nicole stared at him like she'd lost the ability to process language.
"Temporarily," Xan echoed.
Nicole blinked once. Then twice.
"And why," she asked slowly, voice rising, "would you move into my home—my marital home—with my husband?"
Gu Sean's jaw tightened, eyes flicking to Xan with visible irritation. "Because he insisted."
Xan didn't flinch. "Because you need protection."
Nicole threw her hands up. "I just took down Lennel by myself!"
Ash leaned forward on the couch, eyes glittering. "That part was iconic, by the way."
Nicole glanced at her best friend like she was begging for help.
Ash only shrugged. "Don't look at me. I'm entertained and terrified."
Gu Sean stepped closer, voice low, careful. "Nicole. Listen. We're not doing this to control you."
Xan nodded once. "We're doing it because your safety matters more than our pride."
Nicole stared at them both, pulse racing.
This was insane.
It felt like a trap.
And yet… the way they both looked at her—so serious, so protective, so determined—made her chest tighten in a completely different way.
Ash leaned close to Nicole's ear and whispered, far too loudly:
"Must be nice to have two boyfriends."
Nicole whipped her head around, eyes wide.
"Ash!"
Ash grinned. "What? I'm just observing."
Nicole smacked her arm.
Ash yelped dramatically. "Ow! Domestic violence!"
Nicole turned back to the two men, face flushed.
"This is not funny," Nicole said firmly.
Gu Sean's gaze lingered on her flushed cheeks for half a second too long before he looked away.
Xan's eyes stayed on her like he was trying to read what she wasn't saying.
Nicole exhaled hard.
"Okay," she said cautiously. "If—IF—I agree to this…"
Both men straightened slightly, like soldiers waiting for orders.
Nicole held up a hand.
"I have rules."
Gu Sean nodded instantly. "Of course."
Xan's voice was calm. "Name them."
Nicole began counting on her fingers.
"Rule one: No one knocks on my door after midnight. If I'm asleep, I'm asleep. I don't care if the house is on fire—call 911."
Ash snorted, amused.
Gu Sean nodded seriously like this was a board meeting.
Xan's lips twitched faintly. "Agreed."
"Rule two," Nicole continued, "no arguments. No fighting. No passive-aggressive comments, no cold stares, no testosterone battles in the hallway."
Xan's eyes flicked to Gu Sean.
Gu Sean's jaw tightened.
"Agreed," Gu Sean said, too quickly.
Xan nodded too. "Agreed."
Nicole narrowed her eyes. "Rule three: No jealousy."
Gu Sean's expression flickered.
Xan's jaw flexed.
Nicole pointed between them. "I mean it. You two will not make me feel uncomfortable in my own home because you can't act normal."
Ash muttered, "Good luck with that."
Nicole glared at Ash.
"Fine," Gu Sean said slowly. "No jealousy."
Xan nodded. "Understood."
Nicole continued, voice sharper now. "Rule four: No flirting."
Gu Sean blinked. "I'm your husband."
Nicole's cheeks burned. "That's— That's not what I— You know what I mean."
Xan's eyes darkened for a fraction of a second before he smoothed his face again.
"No flirting," he said quietly.
"And rule five," Nicole finished, voice shaking slightly, "you respect me. My space. My decisions. My pace."
Gu Sean's gaze softened.
Xan's expression turned serious.
"Always," Gu Sean said.
"Always," Xan echoed.
Nicole stared at both of them.
And then the question slipped out before she could stop it—half joking, half horrified, fully real.
"…So what does this mean?" Nicole asked slowly. "Am I seeing both of you?"
The room went silent.
Ash's eyes widened like she'd just been handed a front-row seat to madness.
Gu Sean and Xan exchanged a look.
Not friendly.
Not warm.
It was the kind of look men gave each other when they were forced to share something they didn't want to share.
And yet…
They both nodded.
Once.
Nicole's mouth fell open. "Oh my God."
Ash gasped dramatically. "SHE'S COLLECTING THEM LIKE POKÉMON!"
"Ash!" Nicole hissed, embarrassed and panicking at the same time.
Ash grinned. "I support women's rights and women's wrongs."
Nicole pressed her hands to her face.
This was crazy.
This was insane.
This was—this was going to ruin her life.
And yet…
A small part of her—some reckless part deep inside—felt a spark of something she didn't want to name.
Nicole lowered her hands, eyes wide.
"This is…" she started.
"Temporary," Gu Sean said quickly.
Xan added, "Until you feel safe. Until you're settled."
Nicole stared at them again.
Then she exhaled sharply.
"Fine," she said, voice trembling. "But if either of you breaks my rules, I'm gone."
Gu Sean nodded instantly. "Understood."
Xan nodded as well. "Understood."
Ash leaned in and whispered, "Girl… I'm so proud of you for being brave."
Nicole whispered back, "I'm not brave. I'm insane."
Ash grinned. "Same thing."
⸻
The Drive — Awkward Chaos
The ride to the estate was… unbearable.
Nicole sat in the back seat, squeezed between silence and regret.
Gu Sean sat on one side, staring straight ahead like if he moved, he might explode.
Xan sat on the other, calm and unreadable, but his knee bounced slightly—betraying tension he couldn't hide.
The driver stayed silent like a man praying for survival.
Nicole stared out the window, cheeks still warm, heart still pounding.
She could feel both men near her—heat, pressure, presence.
And it made her want to scream.
Or laugh.
Or jump out of the car.
The gates opened.
The estate appeared like a castle.
Nicole's stomach flipped.
The car stopped.
Before anyone could speak—
Nicole shoved the door open and practically fell out.
"I'm going to my room," she blurted.
Then she ran.
She ran through the hallway, up the stairs, down the third-floor corridor like she was being chased.
She reached her room, slammed the door, and locked it.
Her back hit the wood as she slid down to the floor, breathing hard.
"What did I just agree to?" she whispered.
Her phone buzzed.
She ignored it.
She pressed her forehead to her knees, panic and adrenaline swirling together.
"This is not my life," she muttered.
But it was.