“Oh wow, it’s been a while since you were here. Nice to be graced with your presence.” Jinyoung mused when Mark stopped by his office. 

Mark dropped down on the chair in his office and stretched his legs out. It had been a few weeks since Lucy was taken and he was stabbed. Although only Heiran knew about the latter, “Yeah, had to run some stuff by one of the guys.”

“How’ve you been doing?” Jinyoung asked, pulling his glasses off. 

Mark blinked heavily at his friend, “Just tired. I’m basically working around the clock.”

“Yeah, you’ve been really busy since the kidnapping.” Jinyoung pointed out.

Mark raised his brow, “Did you hear about Jackson and the Boss’s directive?”

“Yeah, . Thank god Jackson volunteered, I can't believe DS would make a direct threat to Lucy.” Jinyoung said while shaking his head. 

Mark steadied his gaze, “I wasn’t informed beforehand.” 

Jinyoung’s eyes widened, “Wait…you didn’t know she was being taken?”

“No! Why would I be okay with her being kidnapped? Why would I let Heiran think her kid’s been abducted?” Mark said in exasperation. “I have no clue why he’s freezing me out.”

Jinyoung ran his teeth against his lip, “Can I ask you something and can you give me an honest answer without getting defensive?”

“Fine.” He mumbled.

Jinyoung stared at his hands before looking up at him, “Do you have feelings for Heiran?”

Mark blinked slowly at his friend, “Why are you asking?” 

“I saw you when Heiran was taken. You were…you were distraught. And I know what you’re like when something unexpected happens during an assignment, you’ve never reacted like that. And Jackson told me that he was worried about you. That you seemed unhealthily invested in Heiran.” Jinyoung prodded gently. 

Mark narrowed his eyes, “I reacted intensely because he took her. And Jackson grabbed Lucy without me or Heiran knowing. She thought her kid was in danger.” 

“Why did that affect you so much? You should’ve been relieved that Jackson had her but instead you got mad? You got mad because you were worried about the toll that it would’ve taken on Heiran even if Lucy wasn't in any danger. Doesn’t that seem out of character for you?” Jinyoung said. 

Was he really that transparent?

Mark closed his eyes and massaged his temple, “Look, it’s not…simple. I know how complicated my relationship with her is. That it’s not normal or easy. When it comes down to it, I know I care about her and her kid. And it's a feeling that I’ve never felt with anyone else. Like, all my mind can think about is her, how to keep them both safe, how to make her happy, and take some of her burden. But I’m worried the more time I spend with her, the more serious those feelings are going to get.”

“You think you could actually like her?” Jinyoung asked, “Knowing what you do for a living, your past, you think you’d let yourself?”

That was the question of a lifetime, wasn't it?

Mark hung his head, “Maybe not. But circumstances can change. I could change.” 

Jinyoung’s eyes widened, “Wait…what are you saying?”

“I’m not saying any—“

“You’d leave GOT7 for her?” Jinyoung asked, whispering.

Mark swallowed, “I didn’t say that. My mind isn’t even there. Right now, I just know that I care. And caring is different to love which is what I would need to feel to want to leave like that. And we know how badly I do in that area. Not to mention, I know she’d never feel anything that serious about me anyway. No matter what she says, she’d never actually want me in her life.”

He knew how dangerous it was to think in hypotheticals when it came to love. You can't get carried away in an imaginary future before the feeling itself manifested in anyone.

“But if everything somehow lined up…you’d leave for her?” Jinyoung pressed.

Mark fisted his hands to hide the tremble, “I don’t know.”

“That says more than you think.” Jinyoung mumbled. “Wow.”

Mark rubbed his face, “ changed with us after I brought her back from DS. For the first time, I’m actually…scared that something could happen to her. Something really ing bad. And I'm not sure what I would do if it does.”

“And now you’re more protective of her and Lucy than you were when you first started this.” Jinyoung finished. 

Mark looked at his feet with a nod, “I don’t want DS hurting them.” 

He looked up and saw the sad look on Jinyoung’s face. “, I don’t know. I keep trying to ignore it but it’s like everyone sees it.” Everyone except him.

“For now, the most you can do is keep her safe from DS. Figure the rest of the out when her safety is more secure and Boss gets rid of DS or at least puts a stop to DS’s revenge warpath.”

Mark nodded before raising a brow, “You think he’ll actually try to wipe him out completely?” 

“What other choice does he have? There’s no way to ensure she’d be safe, especially now that they know who she is and it’s not like DS wants anything other than Heiran’s head on a platter.” Jinyoung reason. 

Well, there was one thing he wanted. 

Mark to work for him. 

“I guess you’re right. Well, I should go.” Mark grumbled while standing, “She has a meeting.”

Jinyoung smiled at his friend, “Thanks for coming by, and thanks…for answering me honestly.”

“It’s only because I like you.” Mark mused with a rare smile as he walked out of the office.

He closed the door behind him and stilled when Yeonhee stood across from him with a cold look in her eyes. His heart sunk when he realized that there was no way she was standing this close to Jinyoung’s door and didn’t hear any of what he just said. 

“Yeon—“

“Save it.” She muttered, knocking into his shoulder as she walked past him. “Don't say I never warned you.”

-----

Boss looked at the picture he held, the one of his late wife before setting it back into the drawer. 

He missed her. He didn’t often allow himself to, but tonight he did. 

She was his moral compass, she was a light in a world of darkness but even she wasn’t enough to save him from himself. And every turn he took, he was straying further and further away. 

It was no question that she would’ve hated the man he was today. 

But it was pointless to mull over, he couldn’t change the path he was on now. He needed to protect what matters most to him. If he had to burn everything down around him, he would. Heiran was all he needed, all he cared about. 

He had to keep his eye on Mark, he had heard whispers that he was becoming a loose cannon and that people were noticing very visible changes in his behaviour. He didn’t know if it was because of DS or Heiran but it was making him uneasy. 

He sat down in his chair and stared out his window. His empire was under siege and he needed to be careful because the last thing he needed was a mutiny. 

-----

“Okay but Tinder?” Yugyeom gawked.

He was seated in her office at the end of the day, staring at Heiran in shock as she checked her makeup in a small compact mirror. “What’s the problem?”

“I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that my successful, rich friend is scoping for guys on Tinder. Don’t you have enough connections to find a hot, equally rich, and successful bachelor?” He asked. 

She rolled her eyes, “No, in fact, I’d hate that. I don’t want anyone I know in real life getting involved in my love life.”

“And you think Tinder will help your love life.” He smirked. 

Her own grin indicated her naughty intentions, “Look, I’m not trying to find Mr. Right, I just realized that I need a break. I’m so caught up with work and other personal stressful stuff. Some ty stuff has been going on especially with my dad, I just want to feel normal and do normal things like going on a date.”

“Your dad’s been contacting you?” Yugyeom didn’t know much about her father other than he left her mom and took her money. 

She gave him a sad smile, “It’s fine, really. I’ve just felt really…suffocated. I want to take control. Do something because I want to. I want to go on a date. I want to sleep with a stranger. So, I’m going to do it.”

It was true. Being kidnapped, having Lucy taken from her, having her father making decisions for her, she didn’t have control anymore. She felt helpless and submissive to the situation she was in. She hated it. And after talking to Mark, she realized that she wanted to change that. 

She wanted control.  

“Disgusting.” Yugyeom deadpanned, “You asked me to watch Lucy just so you can get laid? That’s so rude.” 

She snickered, “I’ve just been pent up. So what better way than to have an expensive dinner with a hot guy and then get bent over a bed.”

Yugyeom faked gagging as she laughed. She walked around to him and held out her phone, “Check him out.”

Yugyeom scrolled and clicked on a few pictures before raising his brows, “Okay, fair, he’s hot.”

She reached for her phone but he was tapping on something, “What are you doing?”

“Sending his profile to my phone so I can do a background check.” He said with an innocent smile.

Heiran didn’t bother arguing, “I’m bringing my assistant with me. He’ll just be waiting outside the restaurant.” 

“Good, but you can never be too safe. What does Mark think about it?” He asked.

Heiran smoothed her palms over the fitted white dress that ended above her knees and hugged over her body. Her hair was curled over her shoulders and her heels were the highest pair she could find. She wore a delicate necklace and her makeup was clean and flawless with a bold red lip.

She knew she looked good. 

But that still sent her in with nerves. 

“He doesn’t know. I told him it’s a business dinner with an investor.” She quipped. 

She couldn’t muster up the courage to tell him. Especially considering that this was her first date since her last relationship, she was out of practice. 

It was embarrassing, to say the least, made a tiny bit more vulnerable than she was used to and she couldn't deal with his jokes.

“So, what’s he going to think when you bring the guy home to ride him into the sunset?” Yugyeom asked. 

She pursed her lips, “He’s smart, he’ll figure out I lied once I flip my hair at the guy.”

"I hope you added MILF to your profile bio." He quipped.

She gaped and snapped her head at him, instinctively flipping her middle finger at him.

Yugyeom was keeling over with laughter when there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”

Mark stepped in, his eyes immediately landing on Heiran. His footsteps slowed as he took her in. Her hair was no longer in the bun that she had put it in that morning. Her lipstick was fresh and brighter and there was something she added to her makeup that made it glitter and glow. 

And then he looked at her legs.

.

They were a mile high tucked into a pair of leather heels and disappeared under a tight white dress. Pretty. She was so ing pretty it made his chest tighten. There was something that edged him when she stood in front of him all made up, not a single strand out of place. She looked perfect, airbrushed.

It made him want to mess her up so bad. 

To smear the lipstick down her chin, to rough her hair up through his fingers. 

She was a perfect picture he wanted to ruin. He bet she'd look pretty even then.

“You look good.” He said simply. 

Her lips quirked and Yugyeom raised his brows, “Thanks.”

“Ready to go? Your meeting is supposed to start soon.” He said, glancing at his watch.

She grabbed her jacket and purse before walking to the door with both of them. They made it to the parking garage he unlocked the door before Yugyeom stopped Mark, “Actually I have a question.”

Mark glanced at Heiran worriedly before nodding, “Yeah. Give me a second.”

Heiran got into the car and he turned to Yugyeom, “What’s up?”

“She isn’t going to a business dinner.” 

Mark blinked at him, “What do you mean?”

“She’s going on a date.” 

A stunned laughed escaped him, “What?” 

“She told me. She met the guy on Tinder. I’ll send you the profile.” He said quietly.

Mark was trying to keep up with all the new information, “Why didn’t she just say so?”

“Beats me. Maybe she’s just embarrassed. She hasn’t dated in years. I think the guy is just a regular dude-bro, but just keep an eye on her.”

Mark raised a brow, “Why? She’s going into a crowded restaurant.”

“Yeah, but men drug their dates or try to follow them home, you