The clock ticked ominously in the dimly lit penthouse, the tension suffocating. The city below was alive with flashing neon and distant sirens, yet inside this lavish cage of gold and shadows, only two people existed—her and him.
Taehyung stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his broad back facing her, hands clenched into fists. He had taken off his suit jacket, and his crisp white shirt stretched taut over his powerful frame. The top buttons were undone, revealing a hint of the tattoos etched across his chest, a testament to the sins he carried.
She stood behind him, trembling. Not from fear, but from the sheer intensity of his presence. The air crackled between them, heavy with unspoken words, forbidden emotions, and a desire that neither of them should have entertained.
Finally, he turned.
His dark, obsidian eyes locked onto hers, and she felt her breath hitch. There was something dangerous in the way he looked at her—possessive, wild, utterly unhinged.
"You were going to run." His voice was velvet laced with steel, controlled but barely.
She swallowed hard. "You left me no choice."
A humorless chuckle rumbled from his chest. "No choice?" He took a slow, measured step toward her. "I gave you everything. And yet, you still tried to leave."
"You don't own me," she whispered, but her voice lacked conviction.
Taehyung tilted his head, watching her with an amused smirk. "Oh, sweetheart." His fingers brushed against her jaw, featherlight but firm enough to make her shiver. "That's where you're wrong."
His grip tightened just slightly, enough to make her aware of the power he held over her. Not just physically—but in every way that mattered. He had consumed her, trapped her in his web of obsession, and despite every warning her mind screamed at her, her heart betrayed her.
"You think you can run from me?" His lips were inches from hers now, his breath warm against her skin. "That you can escape what's between us?"
"You're suffocating me," she shot back, her hands pressing against his chest, trying to push him away. But Taehyung didn't budge. If anything, he leaned in closer until their bodies were flush against each other.
"I'd rather suffocate you with my love than let another man breathe the same air as you," he growled.
A dark, twisted part of her craved this—craved him. The way he burned for her, the way he broke every rule, every boundary, just to keep her in his world. It was wrong. It was dangerous.
And it was the only thing that had ever made her feel truly alive.
His lips brushed against hers, teasing, torturous. "Tell me," he murmured, "tell me you hate me."
She squeezed her eyes shut. She should say it. Should push him away and walk out of this penthouse, out of his life.
But when she opened her eyes, all she saw was him. The man who had burned cities for her, who had stained his hands with blood just to keep her safe.
"I can't," she admitted, her voice a mere breath. "I can't hate you, Taehyung."
His smirk was sinful.
"Good," he whispered before claiming her lips in a bruising, possessive kiss.
She lay beneath him, bare, vulnerable, yet worshiped like a queen. His fingers traced every inch of her skin, his lips marking her as his own. There was no softness in the way he took her—only raw, unfiltered need. A desperation that spoke of a man who had already lost his soul to her.
"You belong to me," he murmured against her throat.
She gasped as his fingers tightened around her wrist, pinning her to the bed. "Say it."
Her pulse pounded. "I…"
"Say it, love." His voice was both a demand and a plea, dark and desperate.
"I belong to you," she whispered, knowing there was no turning back.
His lips curled into a satisfied smirk before he kissed her again, sealing her fate.
She was his.
Forever.
The morning light filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting golden hues over their tangled bodies. She stirred slightly, feeling the warmth of Taehyung's body against hers, the weight of his possessive arm draped over her waist.
Her gaze flickered to his face. Even in sleep, he looked dangerous—his brows slightly furrowed, lips parted, as though even his dreams weren't peaceful.
She tried to move, but his grip on her tightened.
"Where do you think you're going?" His voice was rough, laced with sleep, but his grip was unyielding.
She swallowed, looking down. "I just…" She hesitated. "I need to breathe, Taehyung."
A muscle ticked in his jaw as he studied her, his dark eyes unreadable. "Breathe?" He sat up slightly, brushing his fingers through his disheveled hair. "You think I don't let you breathe?"
She looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. "You don't let me be free."
Taehyung exhaled sharply, gripping her chin and forcing her to look at him. "I never promised you freedom, sweetheart." His voice was dangerously soft yet laced with a lethal edge. "I promised you forever."
Her chest tightened. "Forever shouldn't feel like a cage."
His eyes darkened, and he leaned closer, his lips ghosting over her ear. "Then why do you crave the chains I put on you?"
She sucked in a sharp breath. He wasn't wrong. She had spent so long convincing herself that she was fighting him when, in reality, she had already surrendered. The moment she had fallen for him, there was no escape.
She looked up at him, her lips parted, her heart hammering in her chest. "Because you won't let me go."
Taehyung's smirk was dark and victorious. "That's right, baby. And I never will."
His lips descended on hers again, claiming her, reminding her of who she belonged to.
That afternoon, the world outside the penthouse continued to move. People walked the streets, oblivious to the man who owned half the city and the woman trapped in his unrelenting love.
As Taehyung buttoned his shirt, his gaze never left her. She sat on the edge of the bed, her arms wrapped around herself.
"You're not going anywhere," he stated firmly.
She glanced at him, her eyes defiant. "And if I try?"
A slow smirk curled his lips. "Then I'll hunt you down, sweetheart. And trust me, you won't like what happens when I find you."
She shivered. Not in fear—but in anticipation.
"You're insane," she whispered.
Taehyung chuckled darkly, stepping closer and tilting her chin up. "No, love. I'm just obsessed with you."
Her breath hitched as he brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.
"You should fear me," he murmured.
She swallowed hard. "I don't."
His eyes gleamed with something dangerously close to love. "Then you truly are mine."
And as he kissed her again, sealing her fate for the second time, she knew she was doomed.
Doomed to love a man who would rather set the world on fire than let her go.