Your heart was beating rapidly against your chest; palms sweaty and breathing uneven. Without another thought, you unlocked the door and took a step back.

 

The man stepped inside; paying no attention to the fact that he hadn’t yet been invited in. “We have to go. Right now.” Kai stated, his disheveled appearance suggesting that he’d taken the stairs instead of the elevator.

 

“What’s wrong?” you asked, suddenly feeling as if your life were in danger. The man glanced at you and his mouth opened and closed. His eyes fell towards the girl behind you; who looked as if she were about to cry.

 

“Bring her too. We have to go, now.” he reiterated, walking past you into a room. No more than a minute later, he returned with a bag in his hand, which he then handed to you. “We don’t have much time. Pack your things.”

 

“Can you tell me what’s going on?!” you yelled, irritated at his behavior. What was Kai doing here? And what gave him the right to barge into your home uninvited? Granted you’d opened the door, but that was merely to ask the boy to leave. As he stood in your living room, fists clenched and gaze unfocused, you began to regret that decision.

 

He briefly stopped to glance at you. “Guozhi, he’s looking for you.” he stated. He watched as your eyebrows furrowed, the unease on your face evident.

 

“Why?” you asked, though your voice was shaking at this point. “I don’t know. But I have a feeling that if we don’t leave right now, we’ll soon find out.”

 

“N-No. I’m not going.” You stated, glancing back at Hea and then the boy. Hea widened her eyes, as if her opinion differed, nonetheless she didn’t say a word. Kai let out a groan, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “Do we have to do this every time?”

 

“I’m calling the police. If Guozhi wants me he’ll just have to come get me.” you stated confidently, reaching for your phone which lay on the dining table. Although you weren’t sure how valuable contacting the authorities would be, you didn’t want Hea to have any part in this. One quick glance at the girl was indication enough; she was terrified.

 

“So that’s it? You’re really not leaving?” he asked. It took a minute, but you soon nodded, indicating that the two of you weren’t going anywhere. The boy let out another groan and promptly left the room, slamming the door hard behind him.

 

“Jung Hye-yah, are you sure we shouldn’t go with him?” Hea asked fearfully.    

 

“No. We’ll be fine. Don’t worry.” You assured her. But, you weren’t sure how true that statement was.

 

…

 

“What the hell do you mean she won’t come?” the man asked, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.

 

“She says she’s calling the police.” Kai stated.

 

“The police?” the man shouted, banging his hands against the headboard. “How stupid is she.” He spat. His patience was running dangerously low; did the girl not comprehend the fact that her life was in danger? The younger of the two sighed, shutting his eyes briefly before opening them again. “I’ll try again.” He said, turning on his feet to return to the apartment.

 

“No. Let me handle this.” The man interjected, stepping out from his black Bugatti Veyron. Soon after, another knock was heard at the door. You sighed, readying yourself for another squabble with Kai. “I told you, I’m not going—”

 

Kris walked straight past you, making himself at home almost immediately. Kai soon followed, though he instead chose to wait by the door. “Pack your things. We’re leaving.” Kris stated, not even sparing you a glance.

 

At this point your blood was boiling. “You can run away if you want to. I won’t.” you nearly spat. The man raised a brow, as if he’d just been given a challenge. “You do realize that you’re not safe right? You nor your friend here—” he paused, sparing a glance at the younger girl who seemed as if she was about to faint. Clearing his throat, he glanced back at you, not wanting to overuse his vocal cords any longer.

 

“The police will protect us. We’re not going and that’s final.” You enunciated. The man chuckled, but it soon fell short as he took three large strides and grabbed your wrist. Then, as if it were his right, he pulled you along with him by force.

 

“G-Get your hands off me! Don’t touch me!” you stammered, unable to detach yourself from his hold. The man, unaffected by your resistance, chose to ignore you. His hold was agonizing and you soon felt a wave of fury rush into you.

 

“Didn’t you hear me? I said; DON’T TOUCH ME!” you shrieked, striking him hard against his left cheek. Indeed, your hand felt the aftermath of the blow. Silence fell over the room, your arm now back at your side. Kai and Hea glanced at each other, suddenly feeling as if they were out of place.

 

For a few moments, Kris simply stood there, perhaps too stunned at the events that had occurred. Nobody had ever hit him like this before; this was something entirely new for the man.

 

In the past he’d fought many, even tortured some. But even so, not a single man—let alone woman had the spine to retaliate, to fight back and reclaim their right. Somehow though, the girl that stood before him had. She wasn’t afraid, not even a little bit. Her fists tightened, her eyes enraged, the girl had stood her ground against the former leader of Black Dragons.

 

Was this merely a fluke? Or was the girl truly unaffected by his capabilities? He could kill her with one single move, but it didn’t seem as if the girl cared, or even acknowledged the fact for that matter.

 

You stood there, hand throbbing and chest heaving. Though, you weren’t sure why you were so angry, after all, Kris had been trying to help you, hadn’t he? So why did you feel slightly overpowered? Like you’d overcome something difficult, dangerous even? The answer that to that question was something you couldn’t articulate, not yet anyway. All you knew was that you were satisfied by the way Kris was glaring at you, not once bearing in mind the effect your actions may have. 

 

The sound of footsteps was heard behind you and your gaze fell upon Hea; who looked as if she’d made a decision. The girl made her way over to Kai, linking her arm with his as if they’d been friends for years. The latter widened his eyes at the girl, though conscious of the underlying reason behind her action.

 

“Hea?” you called. Uncertainty filled your mind, was Hea really leaving with Kai? How could she trust him so easily?

 

“I’m sorry Jung Hye-yah, but I think it’s best for us to go with them. You gaped, caught off guard by the girl’s betrayal. She sighed, as if preparing herself for the storm that would come later. Nonetheless, she was aware that it was no longer safe to stay in their home. So as much as she wanted to stay by her friend’s side, her rationality soon took over. “I’ll see you soon, right?”

 

“H-Hea.” You let out. But the girl had already brought her hands back to her side, attention now focused on Kai. Though it was barely noticeable, you could swear you saw Hea blush just now. Before another word was said, Kai gave a small bow to Kris before leaving the premises; Hea trailing along behind him.

 

Kris smirked, content and slightly amused by the expression you now held. “Still think it’s a good idea to stay here?” he boasted.   “Your friend left you. At least one of you has a brain.” He provoked. 

 

“Stay away from me.” you informed, before storming past him. Thoroughly enjoying your actions, Kris smiled. Despite the situation, he could feel how his heart twitched during the brief moment your shoulders touched.

 

 

≫≫≫

 

 

The Bugatti approached the mansion, the black Audi following close behind. The estate seemed far larger and luxurious than the last time you were here, if that were even possible. As Kris drove into the massive driveway, you caught sight of his housekeepers staring through the balcony window.

 

Kris turned off the engine and stepped out, letting you follow him inside the house. Hea and Kai trailed along behind you and the girl increased her pace to walk next to you. You continued behind Kris, not even sparing her a glance. From the corner of your eye you could see the girl’s shoulder’s slumping as she frowned. Though you weren’t exactly mad at her, there was no desire to speak further.

 

Before Kris could even reach for the doors, they flew open. His staff welcomed him inside, courteously smiling in your direction with a simple bow. You awkwardly returned the bow, not used to the formality.  As the four of you sauntered into the living room, you caught sight of Yixing, Kyungsoo, and five other familiar faces staring back at you.

 

“Nice to see you again.” Jonghyun greeted, his tone solemn. It seemed as if a discussion had been interrupted with your arrival.

 

“We were expecting you Miss Jung Hye.” Kyungsoo smiled.

 

One of the housekeepers gestured for you and Hea to take a seat. After doing so, your eyes fell to the nine men whose attention was now on you. Glancing down, you placed your hands in your lap. Hea could be seen shifting uncomfortably in your peripheral.  

 

The awkward tension was apparent in the room, to all but one man. Kris sat down on his throne-like seat, his hands reaching for the cigar packet which lay on the coffee table. “Now then.” He paused to light the cigar. “Do you know why you’re here Miss Jung Hye?” with a dazed look directed towards the others, you simply stated “No.”

 

Kris took a long drag of his cigar before releasing the smoke. Instinctively you covered your face with your sleeve. The man caught your action and a smirk appeared on his lips, though slight. “Well. It seems as if you’ve caused quite a stir amongst the members of Black Dragons.” He notified. “W-What do you mean.” You inquired, discontent and frankly confused out of your mind by his statement.

 

The others glanced at each other. Kris observed their stares, then his eyes fell upon you once more.  “Guozhi, in particular, has taken quite a liking to you.” he stated, his eyes growing dark. Though it was quiet, you thought you heard Hea gasp beside you.

 

What?

 

What did he mean?

 

Guozhi was after you, that much made sense. But what did he want with you exactly?

 

Kris maintained eye contact with you, sighing at your lack of emotion. “You still don’t get it, do you?” he shot, almost in a possessive manner. Through your furrowed brows you peered at him. “But I have nothing he wants.” You merely stated, albeit still bewildered. In your perspective it was always less than enjoyable being the center of attention. But right now, you were.

 

Suddenly Yixing broke the silence. “Noona don’t you get it? He wants to make you his wife!” he blurted out, his face painted with worry.

 

For a second you thought you had heard wrong. But as you glanced around the room—which now had a far more uncomfortable vibe to it, you realized the reason behind Kris’ insistence.“H-He wants to… marry me?” you puzzled.

 

Stillness fell over the room once again. As a result, you now understood the cause behind everyone’s concern. At that moment you could feel the stare of all ten individuals in the room.

 

For the second time in your life, you were in danger.

 

 

 

---

A/N

Hello! I was planning on updating this chapter earlier but I accidently cut my finger pretty badly :( It's infected now too so i'm taking antibiotics and they taste absolutely disgusting. Now all i'm thinking about is how nice life was without pain haha, took it for granted!

If you enjoyed this chapter please upvote! it'll be greatly appreciated :D

On that note, what do you think about Guozhi wanting to marry Jung Hye? That guy is crazy so this isn't looking too good for her, is it?

BTW, this is how I imagine Kris' mansion