It wasn't light blinding him, his cellphone alarm blaring or the natural opening of his eyes that woke him from his sleep that morning.

It was warm weight gently settling over his hips and hands pressing down on either side of his head.

He opened his eyes and looked up at Heiran who tucked some of her hair behind her ear and smiled like a ing angel.

That’s what she was, heaven, paradise, was utopia too much of a cliche? 

“Morning, baby.” She whispered. 

Had he died?

Was this the promise land?  

Because he swore this only showed up in his dreams. This was all he ever wanted in his life and he wanted it so badly. 

Wanted every morning to start and end like this. 

No wonder he had felt empty and miserable for so much of his adult life. And no wonder she always talked about being able to be happier. Had he known that he could feel like this, he wouldn’t have fought it so hard. 

Every day was them pushing their limit a little more. 

His hands gripped her thighs and he took a sharp breath when he was met with her bare skin, still a little cold from the morning air. He ran his palms up and down her thighs as if to warm her up. She leaned down, brushed their noses back and forth a few times as his hands explored higher up her legs until his knuckles grazed the hem of the sweater of his she wore.

Digging his hands into her flesh, he sat up and slowly rolled them over so that she landed on her back, her hair messy around her head. God, it was like a thick layer of cotton surrounded his brain as he stared down at her. He copied her gesture and nudged her nose with his but hesitated when it came to kissing her. It'd be so easy and his soul craved it, to just sink into and fall into her head first, eyes closed. But that was the line they never crossed. She didn’t push him and just let him stare down at her as she reached out to tangle her fingers into his hair. 

“How are you feeling?” She asked softly. 

He hummed roughly in the back of his throat and ran his nose up and down the column of . It was like he was trying to dull his senses by filling them with her. His lips brushed her skin when he mumbled, “Okay.”

She shivered and let out a sigh, “We have to tell Jaebum.”

“I know.” He didn’t want to think about the earful he was going to get when he found out that their only lead was dead and probably sinking to the bottom of a lake somewhere. 

“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself for every bad thing you had to do to survive.” She said into the top of his head. 

He pulled her legs higher up his waist as her fingers slid down his , her nails digging into his muscle. He melted into her, his shoulder pressing into hers, tucking his face into the base of  when a clumsy knock on his bedroom had him letting go of her thighs and pressing them to the bed to hold himself off of her. 

He looked over his shoulder at the closed door as Heiran’s hands slid to hold his arms, “Yeah?”

“Mom?” Lucy’s sleep ridden voice called out. 

Mark silently rolled off of Heiran and went to search for some clothes. She sat up and caught the pair of sweatpants he tossed her way, “Just a second, sunshine.”

Once she and Mark were modestly covered, she opened the door and crouch down to see Lucy cutely rubbing her eyes, “Hi, honey.”

“Good morning.” She said politely, making Heiran laugh as she smoothed her baby hairs out. “When are we going home?”

“Actually, what do you think about staying with Mark for a while?” Heiran asked. 

Mark walked behind Heiran and smiled at Lucy, “You’ll get to spend time with Nemo.”

Her eyes sparkled, “Really?”

Heiran nodded, “Mark will pick up some of your things. I’ll even let you stay home from school for a few days. Won’t that be fun?”

Lucy, too excited with all the new information didn’t bother asking questions and just took the spare toothbrush Mark handed her and rushed off to the bathroom. Mark pressed a palm to Heiran’s back, “Go wash up, I’ll run out and pick your things up and wash up when I get back. I completely spaced last nig—“

“It’s fine.” She said with a smile, “Cut yourself some slack, Mark.”

-----

When he came back and stepped out of the bathroom, he found Lucy sitting on the couch in front of cartoons and Heiran by the stove, making the best of his spare fridge.

“Here, let me help.” He said, meeting her over the pan of eggs she was frying. 

She moved to give him room but he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He rested his forehead against hers, “Thank you, for last night.”

Heiran’s eyes fluttered shut and she hummed, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m getting there.” He whispered, “I promise.” 

“Okay.” She whispered back, opening her eyes. 

He kissed her on the forehead and she sighed delightfully before moving away from him to cut up some fruits. Mark fiddled with the dials on the stove when he felt someone watching him. He turned and frozen when Lucy’s blank eyes bore into him. He gulped, suddenly intimidated by her unshaken gaze. He had assumed she wasn’t paying attention, now he wondered how much she had seen. 

“Lucy, breakfast!” Heiran called, oblivious to the tension.

Her face lit up as she hopped off the couch and raced to the table. 

Breakfast was quiet, Mark was antsy in his seat across from Lucy, worried that she was upset at the minor display of affection that she was probably not used to seeing. The knock on the door provided an escape as Mark left the table. 

Jaebum raised his brow when Mark opened the door, “Wow, you look bad.”

“Shut up.” Mark muttered, glaring at the back of his head when he chuckled. 

His laughter died when he saw Heiran and Lucy happily washing dishes together. Lucy glanced at him, barely giving him a smile before turning back to the sink. “I’m not ever going to get used to this.”

“Did I forget to tell you to shut up?” Mark glared, reaching for a mug of coffee Heiran had left him on the table. 

Jaebum rolled his eyes as Heiran helped Lucy off the chair that she was standing on to reach the sink, “Can we go somewhere to talk about…things where she can’t hear?”

“She can watch tv. I have a study.” He said. 

With Lucy perched on the couch, the three of them stood around Mark’s office. It wasn’t simple and relatively empty except for a desk, a bookshelf and weapons hanging off the wall, “You probably need to find something to do with Lucy because she’s going to get bored watching daytime television.”

“Maybe she should go back to school.” Heiran considered. 

Mark shrugged, “It might keep her busy but eventually it won’t be safe.”

She nodded, considering her options when Jaebum cleared his throat, “Anyways, I was thinking of what we could do about that VP guy that you guys suspected. It might be risky but I think we’re going to have to just grab him. I was thinking we pretend to be his Uber driver.”

Heiran and Mark shared a look and Jaebum tensed, “Oh god, what is it now?”

“Something came up with the VP of Legal.” Heiran said slowly. 

Mark sighed, “I killed him.”

“Wha-Why!” Jaebum boomed exasperatedly. “Are you ing kidding me? There’s no way you’re that trigger happy."

Heiran shushed him before Mark pinched the bridge of his nose, “I ran into my Boss when I was copying information. I managed to lie my way out of it but he cornered me into taking care of an assignment. It wasn’t until I was standing over him in the middle of an empty field that I realized who it was. I couldn’t back out with Jackson and my Boss standing and watching.”

“ing hell.” Jaebum muttered, “Of all the ing people in the world—wait, Jackson was there?”

Mark leaned against the door, “Yeah, I guess our theory was right, he must’ve been their contact and they got rid of him in case he came clean.”

“What will people think when he just goes missing?” She asked worriedly. 

Mark shoved both hands into his hair, “They’ve set it up to make it look like he just took a vacation or just ran off with some company money or something. They seemed confident that it wouldn’t look suspicious considering a new guy just started.”

“. So, I mean, where does that leave us? They got rid of their weakest link before we could get to him.” Jaebum said in resignation. 

Heiran dug her heel into the ground, “We skipped a step. Does that mean we just go straight to Jackson?”

“If we start questioning him, he’ll know we’ve flipped.” Make said.

Jaebum rubbed his chin, “So, instead of an interrogation, what if we make it seem like a casual conversation? I mean, you two used to be friends, right? Why not pretend to get lunch or sometimes and talk about his fancy corporate promotion and what went down last night? Record the entire thing and that’s it. He won’t suspect anything, I’m sure sharing information is normal between members.”

Mark closed his eyes and mulled it over before relenting, “That could work, but Jackson is slippery. The second he senses something’s wrong, it’s over.”

“We’ll be there with you, then. We’ll pick a busy restaurant and blend in with the crowd. I doubt he’d blow his cover if there are people around.” She suggested. 

Mark shot her a dirty look, “You’re not going in there. Things could go bad, fast.”

“I’ll be there with her. The minute it gets sour, I’ll get her out of there.” Jaebum assured.

“That’s not a bad plan.” She said softly. 

He pressed his fingers to his temples, running through his options in his head, “Fine. Okay. Only if you promise to take her out the minute it goes bad.”

“Take Lucy to Yugyeom or drop her off at school or something to keep her safe. And you go make a lunch date with the new VP of Finance. This is happening. We're done playing defensive.”

-----

It was a popular restaurant in the heart of the city. 

As the reviews said, it was packed during the lunch rush. Fortunately for them, they made reservations and bypassed the line that had wrapped around the building. Heiran and Jaebum were tucked into a corner where Jaebum had a view of Mark’s table. 

“He’s here.” Jaebum informed both Heiran and Mark who could hear him through his earphones. 

Heiran pretended to busy herself with the menu as Jaebum waved away the waiter, listing the need for more time to decide on what to order. She didn’t notice her leg bouncing until Jaebum’s foot tapped her calf, “Relax. He’s handled worse.”

She nodded but it didn’t stop her from tensing when she spotted Mark enter the restaurant. She watched him speak to the hostess and follow her to his table. He didn’t acknowledge them as he passed and she was grateful, she wasn’t sure her stomach could take it 

It was one thing knowing that Mark went out on dangerous assignments, it was another thing to be in a room with him. “The salmon looks good.”

Heiran gave Jaebum a dubious look but he didn’t look up from his menu, “Right? We’re at a restaurant, so discussing the menu is the normal thing to do.”

“R-Right.” She said, looking back at the list of dishes, the words blurring together. 

Jaebum quickly ordered some dishes for them to keep the waiter busy before they fell silent, straining to hear the conversation. 

“Awwww, the golden boy wanted to get lunch with me. I was blushing like a bride.” Jackson cooed with a laugh. 

Mark rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless, exchanging a half hug with the man before sitting across from him, “I figure we’re won’t really be seeing much of each other soon considering you’re probably getting cozy in a corner office. Nice suit, by the way.”

Jackson shook his head, “I can’t believe it, man, it’s so bizarre, going from selling guns to selling stock.”

“I don’t think you’ll be selling stock.” Mark quipped.

Jackson laughed, “I don’t know what the I’m doing. Maybe you should give me some tips since you followed the daughter around for months. You probably know what she does.”

“Meh, once she starts talking numbers I stop paying attention.” Mark said casually.

“But at least you have something nice to look at.” Jackson said with a smirk.

Mark smiled tightly, “Yeah. Speaking of which, how did you even manage to get an in with the company? I mean, an executive job? I thought they were super tight-knit.”

“That’s why it’s important to have friends in high places, Marky.” Jackson wagged his finger in Mark’s face with a cheeky smile.

He wondered if it would attract too much attention if he just punched him across the face right now, “Right, was that a friend that I took care of last night?”

Jackson raised a brow and Mark snorted, “You said it first, man. I followed Heiran around for months, I recognize the faces of some of the suits.”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about him, Mark. Just needed to clear the way to make sure our plan is going smoothly.” Jackson lifted his glass to his lips, taking a sip.

Mark tried to look disinterested, “Yeah, I missed the meeting but Jinyoung filled me in. Said it was something about expanding the business, right?”

“Hmm, yeah, we got our hands on some new territory and without your girl funnelling our money, we needed to think quick. They sent me in to streamline it or some . We don’t need to lie and trick someone to clean our money, I can just do it myself.” He explained, waving his hand dismissively. 

Mark’s fingers itched hearing Jackson talk with so much authority. It was the same way he used to talk himself whenever anyone wanted a direct line to his Boss. He wondered if in his time with Heiran, he was being replaced with his Boss. “Where the hell did we get new territory? I wasn’t gone for that long, was I?”

“Things have been moving quickly, Mark. I’m barely keeping up. Boss secured it from someone and the money coming in is hot.”

“God, it feels so weird being out of the loop. I didn’t even realize we were growing. What are we doing with the new territory? Arms?” He leaned back and lifted a menu as if they were just exchanging pleasantries. 

Jackson scrunched his face up in distaste, “Ugh, I so don’t want to talk about work now. Ever since they stuck me in a suit I’m basically working around the clock.”

Mark’s jaw tensed as he forced out a smile, “It’s only been 2 days, Jackson.”

“That should tell you something but honestly, it’s only been 2 days since I was publicly announced, I’ve been ‘working’ for weeks now and it .” He groaned.

Mark tilted his head, “What if someone from our world exposes you?”

“They wouldn’t dare.” Jackson said with a smirk, “And if they do, we’ll sick you on them.”

God, he hated being treated like a dog, “True.”

“Tell me about you. What’s it like shacking up with the Boss’s daughter?” He asked, wiggling his. brows.

Mark rolled his eyes, “I’m not living with her, idiot. I’m in that ty broken down apartment.”

“But still, I bet you hit it once. I mean, it’s been like 6 ing months dude.” He said with a wink.

“Don’t call me dude.” Mark deadpanned, “And no, I didn’t hit it.”

“Right, sure.” Jackson said with a smirk, “I heard she married DS. I’m guessing it was a sham wedding. But she must be living the life, getting the DS and GOT7 .”

Mark was sure nail prints would be found on the underside of his chair with how he was digging in, “Now I sorta want to go back to talking about work.”

-----

Heiran twisted her face up making Jaebum snort. 

Judging by how this conversation was going, it was starting to sound like Jackson had no idea about the bigger picture. He was kept just as in the dark as everyone else. He had no idea what GOT7 was doing or why they were suddenly expanding with an influx of money. 

This entire plan was a failure. 

Sighing, she tuned out of the conversation as Mark struggled to refocus Jackson’s attention. And quite frankly she didn’t want to hear Jackson try to pry into her life. Even if the plan was a bust, at least she’d get to have good food. She had put this restaurant on her list of places she wanted to visit but she never got the chance. 

She stared at the empty space where her plate was meant to be before frowning. It had to have been at least half an hour since she and Jaebum had ordered and they hadn’t received their food yet. Scanning the restaurant, her heart fell when she noticed something very, very wrong.

The restaurant was empty. 

She had been so preoccupied with eavesdropping that she hadn’t noticed the crowd had thinned out to the point where the only people remaining were her, Jaebum, Jackson and Mark. 

There wasn’t even a single waiter in sight. 

Panicking, she reached out and touched Jaebum’s hand, pulling his attention to her. She slowly mouthed the word empty to him before nodding her head behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and his face immediately tensed. 

This was no coincidence. There was a line up of people out the door when they first entered, there should’ve been a steady flow of customers coming in and out. When she and Jaebum met eyes again, it dawned on them. 

This was a trap.