Chapter Text
⬧⬨⬪⬨⬧
“Yes, Father?”
Y/n sits in a familiar brown leather chair with her legs crossed and eyes trained on the man who brought her into a dark world. Euntae sits up tall and proud with his usual condescending expression. His salt and pepper hair is slicked back, his gray suit in place without a single wrinkle. Y/n bites back a sneer, curling her hand into a fist.
“Is that how you greet your father?” He gives a sly smile, waving his hand off to the side. “You just waltz in here like you own the place and sit in my chair.”
Y/n stares blankly and doesn’t bother to respond.
Euntae sighs, slumping back in his seat and rubbing his temple. “Y/n-ah.”
“Can you get to the point, Father?” She taps her manicured fingers on her exposed knee, irritation filling her veins at the useless term of endearment. “I have things to attend to.”
Her father lifts an eyebrow but nods. “Very well. I’ve struck a new deal with someone.”
She frowns, showing a lick of emotion for the first time. “With who?”
Euntae grins, devilishly. “The leader of SKZ.”
Y/n stares at him for a moment before shifting slightly. “For what reason? And what does this have to do with me?”
“I’ve decided to step down as the leader of ICE,” he announces, placing his hand on the table.
Y/n scoffs, crossing her arms over her chest. “I could’ve told you that two years ago, Father.”
Euntae glowers at her. “Excuse me?”
“You’ve been absent ever since Ma died,” she deadpans. “ICE has fallen apart because of your lack of leadership. It’s not surprising you’re quitting.”
“Why you little–”
“What does this have to do with me?” She snaps. “I said I was busy.”
The man’s face pulls tight with anger, showing off his old age. It makes Y/n furious beyond words.
“Is that any way to speak to your father?”
“You are no father to me,” Y/n hisses. “A father doesn’t blatantly put his child in harm’s way from the moment they learn how to walk!”
“I did what I had to do to protect you,” he shouts back. “You wouldn’t have survived in this world if I hadn’t.”
“I shouldn’t have been in this world in the first place!” She slams her hand on the desk.
Euntae whips his gun out but Y/n’s quicker, pulling hers from behind her back and pressing it against his forehead. Euntae slowly glances up at the barrel before meeting her furious gaze with a sneer.
“And just what the hell were you planning to do, huh?” She cocks her head. “You’re old, Father. I’m much faster than you will ever be.”
Euntae grins. “And where do you think you got this skill from you, hm?”
“The same woman who’s six feet under with a fucking bullet in her head,” Y/n seethes. “She’s better off dead than playing pretend as your wife.”
Euntae’s eyes darken in a split second and he pulls the trigger. Y/n doesn’t even flinch as the bullet hits the wall behind her.
“Watch your goddamn mouth.” He points the gun back at her head. “Or the next bullet won’t be a miss.”
“So you’d kill your only daughter?” She huffs out an annoyed laugh. “I’d love to see you try, old man.”
Y/n withdraws, putting her gun away and plopping down on the chair. “What the hell do you want from me?”
“It’s about time you do your part in this world,” Euntae huffs, tugging his suit jacket straight.
Y/n frowns as a small trickle of panic begins to rise. “What does that mean?”
“In exchange for ICE, I’ve asked Chan to marry you.” Euntae smirks and juts his chin out. “And he’s agreed.”
“Are you serious!?” She shouts. “Why the hell would you do that!?”
“Because you’re no longer of use to me.” He merely shrugs and despite her hatred for him, her heart cracks at his dismissal. “It’s a good deal and you have no choice but to comply.”
Y/n lifts an eyebrow as a million different routes flit through her head. When will this happen? Can she run in time? What can she afford to pack up and leave? Where will she go? She has a few people she knows who can–
“Don’t even think about running, Y/n.” He sits back in his seat once more. “There’s nowhere you can go without Bang’s men hunting you down.”
She sends him a withering glare as her hands curl into fists, and he laughs in delight.
“That’s good. You’ve figured it out by now, yes?” He stands from his seat. “He owns you, Y/n. The moment you try to step into anyone else’s territory, you’ll either be killed or traded back to Bang for money and resources. This is the end for you.”
Euntae grabs his elegant silver cane and walks off. “His men will come by tomorrow to gather you. Be ready.” He pauses and glowers over his shoulder, his brown eyes dark and threatening. “Wouldn’t want to make a bad impression on your husband now, would we?”
She flinches violently for the first time in her life when the door slams shut behind him. Her life as she knows it is over. She knows about Bang Chan. A man from Australia with deep mafia connections in not only Korea and Australia but America and Europe as well. He’s ruthless and possessive, but impossibly strong. He’s the one man Y/n fears even if it stems from respect.
Y/n slumps in her seat, pulling at her hair as her panic consumes her. “What the fuck am I gonna do?” She mumbles, sliding her hands down to cup her face. “I-I can’t marry him.”
But as her father said, she has no choice. She’ll be found no matter where she runs. The most she can put off is three years, but she’ll be spending that entire time paranoid out of her mind. That’s no way to live.
Y/n tries to motivate herself into accepting this, to conjure up any sort of information she has on SKZ and their leader but she comes up blank. She knows their circle is up to eight. They lost one due to betrayal. She knows the positions of each of them along with their names but she has never once met any of them and doesn’t know what they look like. She’s kept to herself throughout her mafia life and that includes ignoring other groups and their members as much as possible. It’s the only way she knew how to protect herself and it worked a little too well.
Y/n glances at the tattoo on her inner bicep. Her father’s insignia is of a detailed melting ice cube with a dagger cracked through the middle of it. As the daughter of the boss, Y/n has a princess crown draped around the hilt of the dagger, a simple version of her father’s. Euntae made her get it as soon as she turned thirteen; that was the year she started working for him. Going undercover and using her young, pure face for bait was her job up until she matured enough to fuck them. This job she’s been forced into broke her so early in life she’s practically numb to emotions… but she still has them, buried deep inside the pits of hell that are her secured heart.
Y/n sighs and stands, tugging her dress down as some of her composure comes back. She grumbles curse after curse as she heads to her room on the other side of their ridiculously huge mansion. The moment she steps inside she sees tons of suitcases and boxes sitting in front of her bed and around the room.
“Guess he didn’t waste any fucking time,” she huffs. “Bastard.”
⬨⬪⬨
Y/n wakes up the next day to banging on her door. The sound snaps her awake with her gun in her hand within seconds, her sleep fading instantly. The door opens and she watches deathly still as a man she’s never seen before walks in. He’s got a bit of a young-looking face with evident laugh lines around his lips, short black hair with white highlights, and beautiful hazel eyes. He flinches at the sight of the barrel pointed at his face.
“U-Um.” He clears his throat and bows his head. “Sorry to wake you, Miss.”
Y/n glares at him. “You say that and yet you still woke me up. Who the fuck are you?”
He bows again. “I’m Yang Jeongin, a member of SKZ. I’m here to collect you.”
Yang Jeongin. The name clicks in her head instantly. He’s their spy and he’s damn good at it, too. He goes by many many names, but they’ve always drawn back to the same man.
Y/n sighs, dropping her arm and flicking the safety back on. “Right. Sorry.”
Jeongin shrugs, smiling shortly. “It’s alright.”
She’s blinded briefly by the beauty of his smile before shoving it aside. “You can start taking my stuff.” Y/n climbs out of her bed and grabs her clothes. “I’ll get dressed.”
Jeongin’s eyes widen with a gasp as he blushes furiously and averts his gaze away from her body. Y/n grins at his reaction.
“What? Never seen a naked woman before?” She places her hand on her cocked-out hip.
“N-No, I have.” He roughly clears his throat, swiftly turning on his heel to show his back to her. “I just wasn’t expecting you to be… indecent.”
“Right.” She rolls her eyes and slips past him into her bathroom.
The moment the door closes, she hears shuffling and counts about ten… no eleven, men walking in and out making quick work of moving her things. Y/n sighs as the truth sets in and gets dressed.
She goes with another all-black outfit. A pair of black shorts with fishnet leggings underneath, black leather garters strapped to her thighs holding a few knives, knee-high lace socks, and combat boots. Her top is a simple black short-sleeve crop top, shredded down the middle with a black floor-length leather jacket thrown over it. Y/n tucks her gun in the back of her shorts and a smaller one in her boot before exiting her bathroom, buttoning up her jacket as she goes.
Most of her things are gone, and she nods, appreciating their speed. Jeongin’s standing next to someone new, overlooking everything. The guy next to him elbows him, and Jeongin does a double-take once he notices her.
“Oh! You’re done.” He perks up.
“Mhm.” She saunters up to them, tucking her hands into her pockets. “Who’s this?”
The man is tall and nicely dressed with long blond hair and an eyebrow piercing. He brushes his heavily-ringed hand through his hair before giving her a sly smile and holding out his hand. Y/n absently admires the beauty of them, the evidence of knife and gun usage along his calluses. “Name’s Hwang Hyunjin.”
“Ah.” She nods, not removing her hand from her pockets to shake his. “The spy and the con-man.”
The two men’s bodies go taut with tension, and she notices how Hyunjin shifts, adopting a defensive body language.
“I– How do you know that?” Jeongin frowns, his fox-like eyes glistening with a cold look.
Y/n shrugs, turning to her now empty room. “I’m the daughter of someone who was once the strongest leader in the country.” She glances at them with sly, hostile eyes, and they stiffen, resisting a shudder from her cold gaze. “I know a lot of things.”
Y/n turns, her hair moving over her shoulder, and walks away with her hips shifting and boots clicking against the wooden flooring. “Shall we get going?”
Jeongin and Hyunjin turn to each other as she struts out of the room.
“She’s nothing like intel says,” Jeongin whispers.
Hyunjin grins, shrugging a shoulder. “Neither am I. I kinda like her. The outfit’s hot.”
Jeongin smacks his arm. “Hyung, behave.”
Hyunjin huffs out a laugh and throws his arm over Jeongin’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get Mrs. Bang home.”
The two men quickly catch up to Y/n as they navigate toward the front of the house. Both SKZ members try to make light conversation with her, but she gives them the cold shoulder, keeping eerily silent. It seems she’s gotten what she wanted from them, their names and has no intention to say anything else. Jeongin thinks introducing themselves was a bad idea while Hyunjin regrets the deal between SKZ and ICE entirely, but there’s no turning back now.
“Y/n-ah.”
The trio stops as her father enters the foyer with his silver cane clicking against the tile. Jeongin and Hyunjin instantly stand up straight and alert, his aura stifling even in his old age.
Y/n stares blankly as she addresses him, “Father.”
“Ah, Y/n, don’t be like that.” Euntae chuckles softly, leaning against his cane with a slight tremble in his body. “It’s only business.”
She blinks twice. “If that’s all you have to say, I’ll be leaving.”
“What, no goodbye?” He huffs, his smile is genuine but his eyes hold a promise worse than death. “Give your old man some slack.”
Y/n scoffs. “Worthless bastard.”
She throws the double doors open and almost stomps down the stairs, anger rolling in her gut.
Euntae sighs, rubbing his forehead as she goes. Jeongin and Hyunjin bow awkwardly toward the man and quickly follow after her, surprised by her gall to dismiss her father.
Before Y/n’s fingers can even brush against the door handle, Jeongin beats her to it, opening the door for her with his chin lifted. Y/n’s eyes snap to his face, her cold fury slightly shifting to something of amusement, and he flushes brightly, his hand twitches with the urge to scratch the back of his neck bashfully.
“I– Sorry.” He bows his head. “We were told to treat you with the same respect we’d show Hyung, so…” He gestures toward the car.
Something about his expression gives off a boyish innocence, warming her frozen heart, and Y/n huffs a laugh, patting his shoulder. “You’re alright, kid.”
Jeongin lifts his head with a frown (read: pout), his ears turning red. “I’m not a kid.”
“Right.” She steps into the heavily tinted vehicle and gets comfortable on the leather seat.
Jeongin closes the door and stands there for a minute. How one woman can surprise him in so many ways is astounding.
He meets Hyunjin’s gaze. “What was that?”
The man shrugs, looking equally as puzzled as he feels. “Dunno.” He tilts his head in apprehension before he grins and leans into his space. “Maybe she also sees how adorable you are.”
He runs his hands over Jeongin’s head and face, ignoring the man’s squawking. Jeongin smacks his hands away and rushes to his side of the car as Hyunjin cackles.
They both climb into the truck, and Hyunjin starts it. Y/n shifts and watches as her father stands at the top of the stone stairs. He waves as they drive off with that fake smile on his face, and Y/n rolls her eyes, turning away from him. “Bastard.”
The drive starts in silence, Hyunjin and Jeongin talking softly to each other in the row before her. There are two men seated in the row behind her, but they’ve been silent as well.
They must be security. Interesting.
While driving through the streets of Seoul, a phone goes off, and Y/n pulls herself out of her disassociation to listen to the conversation.
“Yes, we’ve got her…” Jeongin glimpses at her over his shoulder. “No, she didn’t resist.”
Hyunjin glances at her through the rearview mirror and catches her gaze.
Once again, he tries not to shrink under her stare and smiles at her. “You okay?”
“No.” She grits, shifting in the annoyingly comfortable leather seats. “If you get me food, I’ll feel better.”
“That can be arranged.” Hyunjin nods, flicking the turning signal on. “What are you in the mood for?”
“Literally anything.” Y/n sighs, rubbing her fingers into her temple. Why is he so perky?
Hyunjin hums, eyes focused on the road. “Alright, I know a spot.”
“Mhm. We’re getting some food then we’ll be there… Okay, bye.”
Jeongin hangs up the phone with a huff, and Hyunjin chuckles. “Was that Chan-hyung?”
He rolls his eyes. “Of course, it was.” Jeongin runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “I’ve been a member for five fucking years and he still gets all overprotective whenever I get a mission. All I’m doing is picking someone up and coming back to headquarters. I’ve done way worse things than this, yet he still gets all–” He furiously waves his hands out, and Hyunjin laughs at him, breaking at a red light.
“Well, you’re the baby.” He reaches over and pinches his cheek.
Jeongin smacks his hand away. “I’m the youngest, not the baby.”
Y/n snorts from the middle row. “Same thing.”
Jeongin shoots her a withering glare as Hyunjin throws his head back with a laugh, smacking the steering wheel. “See! Even she gets it and she’s new!”
Jeongin crosses his arms over his chest and slumps down in his seat, his lips pursing in a pout. “Whatever.”
Y/n laughs under her breath, glancing out of the window once more. “Cute.”
Jeongin blushes as he catches the comment and Hyunjin grins, holding himself back from teasing him more.
Soon enough, they arrive at an organically designed restaurant. To the public, it looks cozy and innocent, but Y/n’s trained eyes can see the heavy security surrounding the place.
An unnamed man opens the door for Y/n, holding his hand out and Y/n stares at him. He adorns all black with a mask on his face, and when Y/n notices the translucent earpiece, she acknowledges him as a bodyguard from another car. With a reluctant sigh, she takes his hand and lets him help her out of the vehicle. He bows when she passes, tucking her hands into her pockets. Hyunjin and Jeongin close in on her sides as more bodyguards surround them.
Y/n is no stranger to security detail, but this is truly something. Her father never cared to give her this much protection when she left their home, and they were only getting breakfast. Will it be like this for the rest of her life? Walled in by heavily-trained men so nothing can climb them and touch a single hair on her head?
For some reason, she isn’t opposed to it.
Two bodyguards open the doors, bowing as they pass, and Y/n is once again surprised by the level of respect. A hostess greets them, and the first thing Y/n notices is the oak tree symbol plastered on the front of the podium. This is a neutral establishment. Behind the hostess, Y/n can see men and women seated in clumps, glaring at each other but at peace.
“Will it just be three?” she asks.
Hyunjin nods. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Great. Follow me, please.”
They’re guided through the restaurant to the third floor, dimly lit giving a secluded feel for VIP. They pass an occupied booth, and Y/n stiffens when she accidentally makes eye contact with the man in the middle. She quickly averts her gaze and focuses on the wooden floors. Just her luck she’d bump into him here.
Much to her dismay, Y/n is put in the middle with Hyunjin on her left and Jeongin on her right. Jeongin hands her a menu, and she forces herself not to snap. What is up with all the pampering?
Keeping a tight leash on her trigger-haired anger, Y/n glimpses through the menu and grows hungrier. Everything sounds amazing, but her eyes keep darting toward the sweeter options.
“Anything to drink?” the hostess asks with a sickly sweet voice.
Y/n meets her eyes, and she jolts, quickly averting her eyes. As Hyunjin and Jeongin give their drink orders, her hand trembles as she writes them down, and Y/n inwardly sighs. She’s intimidated by a single look. Maybe she’s guarding her emotions too much.
“For you, Miss?”
Y/n gently places the menu down and sits back against the booth. “I’ll take the lemon ginger tea. Can I place my order as well?”
“Absolutely!” She nods.
“I’ll take the cinnamon pancakes with extra sausage on the side.” Y/n shoots the woman the gentlest smile she can manage.
The motion calms the hostess, and she brightens, pen scribbling away. “Okay, I’ll be right back!”
She leaves much more relaxed than she arrived, and Y/n takes it as a win. As harsh as she is, she has a rule not to be rude to other women and children no matter where she goes or what she’s doing.
“You smiled.” Hyunjin blinks at her. “That was weird.”
Y/n glares but says nothing, glancing around the area to keep herself awake. Jeongin asks Hyunjin a question and they quickly fall into a soft conversation, occasionally checking on Y/n. A different server appears with their drinks and takes Jeongin and Hyunjin’s orders, informing Y/n that hers will be ready shortly.
As soon as she’s gone, three men approach their table. The bodyguards sitting at the table in front of them snap to their feet and push them back.
“Whoa.” The man in the middle chuckles, holding his tattooed hands up. “Relax. We’re just saying hi.”
Hyunjin’s face slips into a mask of indifference instantly as he stares the man down while Jeongin waves his hand. “Let him through, it’s alright.”
The bodyguards back off, and the man turns to them with a short smile, sliding his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket. “Hello. Fancy seeing you all here.”
“JK.” Hyunjin addresses, leaning his forearms on the table. “A pleasant surprise indeed.”
“I’d say so.” Jungkook smiles, eyes darting toward Y/n. His polite demeanor shifts into something hard and serious. “Y/n.”
“Jungkook,” she replies, her voice devoid of emotion.
They stare at each other in tense silence, and Jeongin shifts in his seat while Hyunjin assesses their harsh expressions.
“You know her?” Jeongin eventually asks.
Jungkook keeps his gaze on Y/n as he answers, “I do. Quite well.”
“I wouldn’t say quite well.” Y/n tilts her head, caressing her fingers over the hilt of her favorite knife. “I’m sure JK here still holds quite a few grudges against me.”
He glares at her and pulls his hands out of his pockets, setting them on the table. “Might I ask what you’re doing with these two? You’re on the wrong side of town, princess.”
Y/n bristles at the nickname. “Nothing that concerns you, mutt. Go crawl back to your master. I’m sure you’re just begging to be his little good boy once again.”
Jungkook tenses, the muscles in his jaw flexing as he curls his hands into fists. “You haven’t changed a bit.”
She smiles slowly, something sinister in her eyes. “Same as you.” She holds her hands up and taps her left ring finger, gesturing toward the silver ring on his left hand. “Say hello to the misses for me.”
Jungkook jolts forward as if to jump across the table, but Hyunjin’s on his feet in milliseconds, pushing Jungkook back with the barrel of his pistol against Jungkook’s sternum. Jungkook’s men have their weapons pointed at Hyunjin in retaliation.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Hyunjin tilts his head, smirking as Jungkook holds his hands up, taking a few steps back and puffing angry air out of his nose. “Let’s not do this here. Wouldn’t want to be banned from this place. They have the best americanos, you know?”
The smile drops from his face. “Though if you want a fight, I’d love to take this outside.” The corners of his eyes crinkle as Hyunjin squints, a sneer on his plump lips. “But I won’t let you touch her, JK. She’s off-limits no matter how you feel about her or how well you think you know her.”
Y/n’s eyes widen just a sliver at the possessive tone of Hyunjin’s voice.
“Is that so?” Jungkook drawls, meeting Hyunjin’s challenge head-on. “Last time I checked, SKZ didn’t deal with ICE.”
“Well, you should check again.” Hyunjin juts his chin up, glaring down his nose at him. “She’s with us now and you know how Hyung gets.” He smiles, cocky and teasing. “Wouldn’t want to piss him off now, would we?
Jungkook clenches his jaw, dark eyes fluttering across Hyunjin’s face trying to find a lie. Eventually, he sighs, dropping his hands and stepping back.
“No, we wouldn’t.” He flicks out his hand, and his men drop their weapons. “Apologies.”
Hyunjin flicks on the safety and twirls his gun around his finger. “No need. Just a misunderstanding, right?”
Jungkook hums, slowly dragging his eyes over to Y/n. Y/n lifts her mug and sips from it, winking at him, and his nostrils flare in irritation.
Jungkook abruptly turns on his heels, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Have a nice day, Hyunjin-ah. Always a pleasure bumping into your fucked-up pack of wolves.”
Hyunjin doesn’t move until Jungkook is out of sight, and even then, it takes him a minute to calm down, shoving his gun into his holster.
“What was that?” Jeongin questions, frowning at Y/n. “Why’d you provoke him?”
Y/n holds his gaze before she grunts, crossing her arms over her chest. “We have history. That’s all I have to say.”
Jeongin sighs but nods as Hyunjin slides back into the booth, repeatedly tapping his fingers against the table. “Okay then.”
“This history–” Hyunjin hisses, furious eyes staring into her. “-it’s not gonna cause any problems, will it?”
“It shouldn’t.” She shrugs. “Things are wrapped up, but there are scars.”
“Scars,” Hyunjin repeats, calculating eyes watching her. He shakes his head and turns from her. “Right.”
Y/n doesn’t respond as their food arrives. Jeongin thanks the server with a gentle smile and slides Y/n her plate. Once they’re gone, Y/n gathers food with her fork.
“Let’s not speak of this to your boss, hm?” Y/n suggests, her voice taut with warning. “Nothing he needs to worry about, promise.”
Jeongin and Hyunjin stare at her but say nothing, turning to eat instead. The rest of breakfast passes in tense silence, and they don’t linger when they finish, quickly escorted out of the building and back on the road.
Y/n admittedly feels less like a demon and more like a person after eating. As she ponders her altercation with Jungkook, she silently scolds herself for causing a scene in front of two men she doesn’t know.
Her eyes drift over to Hyunjin as he drives one-handed, long fingers tapping against the steering wheel.
The fact that Hyunjin was so quick to defend her is alarming. She hadn’t done anything to earn that loyalty, barely spoken to him since they met, and yet he had pointed a gun at Jungkook’s heart in neutral territory like it was just another day.
Y/n bristles, shifting in her seat as they proceed to headquarters. This is new territory. She doesn’t know how to handle men like them. She’s only dealt with indifference and hostility with her father’s group. Sure, there was a level of respect for her and her father as the head of the gang, but nothing like this.
How does she handle this without her trauma taking action for her?
The car slows to a stop, and Y/n gazes at the place. It’s beautiful, and a part of her loves the design, but seriously, what is up with mafia leaders and their big ass houses?
She shakes her head as Jeongin opens the door for her, smiling grimly. “We’re here.”
Y/n takes his hand and slides out of the truck, her feet clicking against the concrete driveway. “Thanks.”
“Follow me.” He jerks his head toward the manor.
Hyunjin comes up to her and throws his arm over Y/n’s shoulder, ignorant to how she tenses up. “So Y/n! What do you– Whoa!”
Y/n grabs his arm and flips him where he stands. Hyunjin hits the ground with a thud and a groan as Jeongin guffaws, bending over and slapping his knees.
“Fuck!” Hyunjin moans, rolling onto his side. “What the hell was that for?”
“I’m not some little buddy of yours for you to lean on.” She glares down at him, brushing her shoulder off. “Don’t fuckin’ touch me.”
Hyunjin pouts and stands to his feet, brushing himself free of dust and rolling his shoulders. “Whatever. Sorry, Noona.”
Y/n rolls her eyes and whirls around, her long leather jacket flapping in the wind as she makes her way up the path to the front of the manor.
Jeongin bursts into laughter again once she’s out of earshot, playfully pointing at his boyfriend. “Pfft! You just got flipped by a girl!”
Hyunjin glares at him before roughly grabbing him and ruffling his hair with his fist. “You little shit!”
“Wait, no, Hyung, stop! You’re messing up my hair!” Jeongin writhes under his hold.
“YAH!”
The two men jolt at the familiar voice and glance up slowly. Y/n stands there with her arms crossed over her plump chest as their superior glares down at them with his buff arms also crossed.
“What the hell are you two idiots doing?” He grits.
Jeongin pouts and points his thumb at Hyunjin. “He started it.”
“Yah!” Hyunjin exclaims.
The guy stares them down for another minute before turning to Y/n.
“Sorry about them.” He gives them a quick side-eye before holding his hand out for her. “Name’s Seo Changbin.”
Y/n nods. “Treasurer. Nice to meet you.”
Changbin lifts an eyebrow before dropping his hand and heading inside. “Let’s go. I’ll show you to your room.”
Y/n breaks her stony expression with a curious frown but quietly follows him inside. The mansion is decorated in black, white, and gray with a modern industrial style. It oddly feels homey. There’s a different kind of painting hung on every wall, and Y/n wonders who the artist is. Changbin gives her a short tour on the way, telling her which way the kitchen is and their training room and which wings hold which members’ room. Y/n’s room is on the wing with her future husband’s.
They stop in front of a pair of wooden double doors and Changbin opens them. Y/n follows him inside, eyes darting around, and hums softly to herself. The room is just a tad bit bigger than her old one, which she isn’t mad about. The only thing furnished in the room is a king-sized bed with a plain gray bed set and a tall wooden bookshelf that seems to be built into the wall. There are two other sets of doors and guess that they lead to a bathroom and closet. As she turns in a circle, Y/n mentally plans out how she’ll decorate the room to make it her own.
“Can I paint these walls?” she questions.
Changbin crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs. “I see no reason why not.”
Her eyes shine briefly with artistic interest. “Cool.”
The bodyguards from before bring in her stuff, and Changbin shifts to the side, uncrossing his thick arms.
“Someone will come get you soon,” he says over his shoulder. “We’re having a meeting and you need to attend it.” Changbin stops, leaning on one of the doors. “Don’t leave this room until then.”
Y/n nods, briefly bristling at the command, but instead instructs the men where to put certain things. Once everything is there, she starts unpacking the necessities– casual clothes and her favorite weapons– and figuring out where to hide things. Not that she can do much with little furniture but she’s already found a few loose floorboards to work with.
She’s just finished changing the bed sheets when a knock sounds on her door.
“Come in,” she calls out, her perfectly curated mask slipping back on.
The doors open and in walks a dark-haired man with doe eyes and adorably round cheeks. He smiles once he sees her, and Y/n wonders if it’s truly heart-shaped or if she’s losing her mind.
“Hello.” He waves. “I’m Jisung.”
“Supplier,” she responds with a short nod. “Nice to meet you.”
Jisung huffs out a laugh. “So you really do know everything?”
Y/n shrugs, throwing her jacket back on. “Yes.”
“Sorry to interrupt your unpacking but we’re meeting now.” He steps to the side, gesturing for her to follow him.
She nods once more and follows him out of her room, mind running a mile a minute at the possibilities. Jisung talks animatedly throughout the entire walk about little things in their daily life and a few things she knows he wasn’t supposed to spill. Nothing he said came as any surprise to her except for one thing.
“Weekly dinner?” She interrupts, curiously tilting her head. “What does that mean?”
“Ah.” Jisung smiles. “The eight of us get together every Monday for dinner. It’s non-negotiable. It’s just something we do to keep each other company.”
Y/n makes a face. “I’m guessing I have to attend those now?”
“I mean I’d assume so.” Jisung shrugs as they slow their pace in front of a door. “You will be marrying the boss soon, so…”
“Right,” she huffs, briefly scuffing her foot against the rug. “Marriage.”
Jisung grins and pats her shoulder. “It’s alright. He’s not that bad.”
Y/n glares at the hand on her shoulder until he moves it.
“Sorry,” he mutters, shyly averting his gaze.
She doesn’t say anything, so Jisung awkwardly clears his throat and moves to open the door. The room is fairly lit and decorated in black like the majority of the manor. There are maps of different countries pinned against one wall while the others are decorated with more paintings. In the center of the room sits a large mahogany table with eight chairs around it, one at the head of it. Another table with multiple screens sits a few feet away in the corner with a head of blond hair poking out from the top. A comfy-looking couch sits against a wall with a coffee table in front of it covered in miscellaneous things. It’s clear the room is used often.
Most of the seats are taken, and Y/n drags her gaze across each member. Jeongin and Hyunjin sit on one side with another man with a resting bitch face in between them. His dark brown eyes are set on the table but they glance up once Y/n enters the room, hard and scrutinizing. Jisung now sits on the other side with Changbin and a silver-haired man who stares at her with a glare so harsh and intimidating it could take her head clean off.
Y/n focuses on the head of the table and momentarily falters, her entire body going taut with an emotion she doesn’t feel often. If the man sitting there staring at her with a burning amber gaze is the man she thinks he is, she is totally utterly fucked . He’s gorgeous with his hard, masculine lines, bright intense eyes, and a beautifully broad build. Silk blue hair frames his face and he’s got a nose Y/n wants to sit on. She pinches herself for being instantly attracted to the man. Although they’re to be wed, she doesn’t think he’ll find her worth loving.
“Y/n.” He clears his throat, tilting his head up. “Thank you for coming.”
She recovers from her stupor and stalks over to the wall in front of the table, leaning against it with her arms crossed. “Didn’t have much choice now, did I?”
He lifts an eyebrow but dismisses the attitude. “I guess not.” He huffs, dropping his chin. “To be polite, I’m Bang Chan.” Chan places a hand against his chest as he says it before gesturing towards the other men around him. “This is Minho and Seungmin. Felix is behind the computer.”
Y/n nods as she finally connects names with faces. “Leader, right-hand man, fighter, and informant. Got it.”
“Would you stop doing that?” Hyunjin whines, shifting down in his seat. “It’s fuckin’ creepy.”
She settles her eyes on him. Her lips quirk up for a split second in amusement but she returns to her cold persona. “Sorry.”
“Let’s begin.” Chan sits back in his seat. “Y/n, you’re welcome to take a seat.”
“I’m fine standing, thank you.”
Every member snaps their gaze onto her with different levels of shock written on their faces. Not used to no, are we? Y/n makes a mental note of that.
The muscles in Chan’s jaw flex once before he nods, leaning back in his seat to speak to the man behind him. “Felix, have you received most of their information?”
Felix pokes his blond head out from behind the screens with a cute pair of golden-rimmed glasses on his face, and Y/n adores his little button nose and the freckles across his face. “Yeah, they sent it.”
He stands with a laptop and sits in his seat next to Jisung. Y/n bites back the urge to laugh at the lazy outfit he adorns, a severely baggy hoodie and shorts. It’s a sharp contrast to the men in various versions of formal outfits.
“What was given?” Chan asks, eyes briefly alight with amusement.
“Everything.” Felix’s fingers fly over the keyboard. “Lists of all the members from the first to last including dates on every single mission assigned and their pay along with deaths collected and tons of betrayals.” Felix’s face morphs into a frown at the number of them listed. “There’s been a lot of disloyalty the past few years, but it seems… they’ve been handled? But it isn’t listed who did it.” He briefly lifts his small hands to scratch his cheek before going back to typing.
Chan gazes up at Y/n. “Do you know who did it?”
She meets his gaze, ignoring the tightening of her chest before staring at the ground again. “I did.”
“Really?” Felix rapidly blinks as Minho leans over to glaze his eyes over the screen. “There are hundreds of betrayals listed here. You handled all of these?”
“Don’t sound too surprised about it.” Y/n grins momentarily. “I’m not the boss’s daughter for nothing.”
Hyunjin whistles. “Nice.”
“So you’re not just a pampered princess like the rumors say you are?” Chan lifts his eyebrows, clamping his hands together and setting them on the table.
“Do you know where you got those rumors from?” Y/n asks condescendingly.
Chan glances at Felix in question who frowns.
“I don’t think the rumors are true,” Felix says. “There are tons of members here speaking highly of Ms. Government Two.” He lifts his pale brown eyes over to Y/n. “Is that your code name?”
She nods sharply, uncrossing her arms to slide her hands into her pockets.
“You’re Government Two?” Minho speaks for the first time.
“Yes.”
“But the rumors–”
“I set the rumors up.” Y/n sighs, shifting her weight on her feet to lean a foot against the wall. “Needed people to think I was a spoiled brat, not one of the best members of ICE.”
“Huh.” Jeongin sinks against the back of his chair, idly flicking a knife around his fingers. He’s got a knowing look in his eyes, and she has the distinct feeling of a prey under a predator’s gaze. His voice is lazy in a drawl as he addresses her. “You must be pretty good to fool me.”
Y/n smiles at the dark look in his eyes, something of appreciation filling her lungs. “Must be.”
The others study her as she leans her head back against the wall and closes her eyes again. The only other reason Chan agreed to the deal with ICE was because of those rumors. He had assumed all it took was to throw some money at her to keep her occupied, but he might have gotten his hands full with this new information. Minho sends him a withering glare as they come to the same conclusion, and Chan briefly rolls his eyes.
With a long sigh, Chan taps on the table to catch the blond’s attention. “What else is there, Lix?”
“Ummm.” He hums, glancing through the documents. “There are a lot of people who owe ICE money, and I mean a lot. There’s also a list of buildings and companies ICE owns and runs… two out of fifty-six of them are on the brink of being sold to… Bangtan.”
Chan grunts at the name but stills when Hyunjin and Jeongin snap their gaze toward Y/n before looking at Chan. He gives him a questioning look, but Hyunjin minutely shakes his head, a signal to talk later.
Remembering Jungkook calling them a ‘fucked-up pack of wolves,’ Y/n chuckles. Guess both groups really do despise each other despite Chan being friends with their youngest. How interesting that they all have some entanglement with Bangtan.
“Something funny?” Minho asks with narrowed eyes.
She shrugs, keeping her eyes shut. “No. Sorry.”
“Are you sure you don’t wanna sit?” Changbin offers, furrowing his eyebrows.
Y/n opens her eyes for a minute before shaking her head. If she moves to the couch, it’ll take too long for her to make her exit. She’s good right where she is.
With Y/n seemingly stuck in her head, Chan watches her intently, his head ticking with questions and things he should not be thinking. With the rumors surrounding her, he didn’t think she’d dress how she does, but with new information, he isn’t surprised by it. He does however love the black entirely too much.
Felix huffs and taps on the keyboard a few times before his eyes widen. “Hyung, he’s giving us his headquarters.”
Chan blinks. “Really?”
Felix nods. “There’s blueprints of the entire thing. It looks small on the outside but it’s massive. A lot of underground space, too. It’s kinda cool.”
“Are you going to keep it?” Jisung asks, sitting up in his seat.
Chan sits there for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. “There’s no point in keeping it. We have our own headquarters. I’m quite comfortable with where we are. We’ll sell it.”
“To who?” Jisung frowns.
“Sell it to ENA,” Y/n offers.
All eyes settle on her once again, but she doesn’t back down or turn away. Chan cocks his head to the side, assessing her. “ENA?”
“Mmh.” She shifts on her feet and Changbin bristles once more from her standing. “I’m friends with one of their leads. They’ve been looking for a better base ever since their growth a year ago. I’m sure they would make good use of the space.”
Chan shifts forward, leaning his forearms on the table. “And who is this friend you speak of?”
Y/n levels her eyes on him. “Someone.”
Minho sneers at her. “We don’t keep secrets here.”
She scoffs. “Well, it’s a damn good thing I’m not one of you, yeah?”
The room falls eerily silent and filled with immense tension as Chan locks his jaw, his eyes sharply darting over her face.
“I believe it’s about time we spoke about that.” Chan raps his knuckles against the table and the members shift uncomfortably at the telltale sign of his fury. “It is quite clear you do not want this marriage, but you don’t have a choice. I’m not sure whether or not your father told you this, but if you so much as try to run, I’ll bury a fucking bullet in your skull in a second.”
Y/n bristles at his threat as she glowers at him. “I’m well aware of that. I’m not stupid, Christopher.”
Six guns are pointed at her face in a flash at the use of his hidden name, and Y/n breaks into an amused smile as Chan’s hands curl into fists so tight she can almost hear the strain. Ohhhh. Touchy subject.
“How the fuck do you know that name?” Felix hisses, fingers hovering over his keyboard.
Y/n sighs heavily and pushes herself off the wall, sliding her hands out of her pockets. “You guys are forgetting something. You do know who I am, right?” She lifts a condescending eyebrow, placing her palms flat against the table completely unbothered by the barrels pointed at her skull. “I’m Jeon Y/n, the daughter of Jeon Euntae, leader of ICE, the strongest mafia gang in the world. I. know. everything.” She tilts her head to the side, holding Chan’s glare. “You seem to have forgotten your place.” She shrugs with a huff of a bitter laugh. “Though, I’ll cut you some slack considering the fact that my father abandoned his position.”
Pure unadulterated fury laces across Chan’s face as her words float through his head. He wants to smack that cocky smirk off her face more than anything but he relents, aware of the hurt and helplessness in those brown eyes. She hides it well, but the eyes are the window to the soul. Her eyes reflect the same amber pair he sees in the mirror every day.
He knocks on the table once, and the others slowly put down their weapons. His eyes dart back and forth as he takes in her beauty, her rage, and tells himself to have a little mercy.
“I’ll say this once, yeah?” His full, tempting lips pull into a smile so cold and dangerous that her skin lights up with nerves and urges that burn Y/n to her core. “Never speak that name again, do I make myself clear?”
Y/n relents and nods, swallowing sharply. “Got it.”
He lets out a deep breath, his anger fading along with it. “I understand your frustration given the uncontrollable circumstances, but quite frankly, I really don’t give a single fuck about how you feel.”
She almost flinches at the stern note in his voice but holds still, her hands slowly curling into fists on the table with a tremble.
“The moment your last name becomes Bang, you are mine,” he growls, leaning back into his seat and crossing his arms over his chest. “When the time comes, you will be branded as well. Your father wants the ceremony to take place in a month.” He huffs, the last of his emotions draining from his face as he glances up at her impassively. “If you want, I will leave the wedding planning to you. In the meantime, mind your manners and don’t be a hassle. I don’t like dealing with unnecessary drama.”
Y/n blows angry air out of her nose but nods sharply, pulling herself away from the table. Her eyes gloss over in a single layer of mournful surrender and the look of them takes Chan’s breath away a hundred new questions billowing in his mind from what that look alone could mean.
“If that is all–” Y/n slides her hands into her pockets and turns away from them, strutting away with seductive hips. “-I’ll be taking my leave.”
⬧⬨⬪⬨⬧
