A week later.
The bedroom atmosphere this morning was suffocating.
Not because of me. But because of Ren.
He stood before the grand mirror. He struggled to knot a navy tie, his hands shaking with sheer frustration. His face was haggard, with dark hollows under his eyes. A man starved of sleep for days.
His phone buzzed nonstop on the table. The screen flashed incoming calls from his executive secretary and the board of directors.
"Dammit!" Ren cursed loudly. He tore the botched tie from his neck and hurled it to the floor.
"Why the hell is everything falling apart?!"
I sat quietly reading at the foot of the bed. I set the book aside and stood, dragging the chain toward him.
I bent down and retrieved the discarded tie. I dusted it off lightly and stood before him. I met his bloodshot eyes.
"Calm down..." I looked at him with feigned concern. "The more frustrated you get, the harder it is to tie. Let me do it for you."
Ren froze. He stared at me with a volatile mix of surprise and suspicion. Normally, I would avert my gaze or tremble when his temper flared. But today, I approached him. I walked straight toward him.
"Are you... not afraid of me?" he asked hoarsely, staring deep into my eyes.
"Of course I am," I answered honestly, a faint smile gracing my lips. My slender fingers draped the tie around his neck, knotting the silk deftly and gently.
"But I hate seeing you this stressed. Is there a problem at work? You've been coming back late every night."
Ren released a long, heavy sigh. His rigid, broad shoulders slowly relaxed. He stood completely still, allowing me to tend to him. Like a wounded beast allowing itself to be touched.
"Some unknown bastard is driving my company's stock into the ground," he ground out. His eyes sparked with lethal vengeance.
"And the port warehouse burned down last night. Almost a billion in inventory destroyed. The clients are screaming at me. I am losing my damn mind."
"That's terrible… such a loss. You must be exhausted."
I smoothed his collar. I pulled the knot perfectly into place. I looked up to meet his gaze and rested my hand against his chest.
"Stay strong, Ren. I will be right here supporting you. I am not going anywhere."
The words stunned him. He stared at me in disbelief. As if witnessing a mirage.
Suddenly, he seized my waist. He crushed me against his chest.
"Yurin..." He buried his face in the crook of my neck. He inhaled my scent deeply, like an addict taking a hit.
"You finally understand me. You aren't going to leave me, right? You will never run away again?"
"Yes." I answered simply, rubbing his back to console him. "Where could I possibly go? I am yours, remember?"
A lie coated in poison.
Ren pulled back slightly and pressed a heavy kiss to my forehead. The crushing stress in his eyes morphed into an even deeper, darker obsession. Like a drowning man clinging to his final piece of driftwood.
"Good. My good boy. I will rush to the port to sort this out, then I will come straight back to you." "Wait for me."
He snatched his phone and suit jacket. He left, unaware he was walking into a trap.
Beep! Beep! Clack! The security system locked aggressively.
I stood perfectly still. I listened to his fading footsteps. The gentle smile on my face vanished like a flipped switch. Leaving only a cold and unyielding glare.
"Aunt Lin," I called out softly, not bothering to turn around.
Aunt Lin emerged from the corner where she had been silently cleaning. "Yes, Mr. Yurin?"
"Inform Mr. Zen. Ren is heading to the port to inspect the burned warehouse." "Tell him the path is clear. The fish took the bait."
Aunt Lin nodded. A knowing smirk touched her lips. "Understood. That was quite the performance, Mr. Yurin. You nearly had me convinced."
"It wasn't a performance, Aunt Lin." I looked down at the metal shackle binding my ankle. My eyes hardened into steel.
"I'm learning how to survive in a cage.. You have to tame it... before you slit its throat."
Velas City - Cargo Port.
Black smoke billowed above the charred ruins of Warehouse 9. The stench of burnt chemicals filled the air.
A motorcade of pitch-black limousines pulled up. Ren stepped out. Black sunglasses masked eyes boiling with absolute rage.
Police, firefighters, and a swarm of reporters fought to breach his security perimeter.
"Mr. Ren! What caused the fire?!" "Are the arson rumors true?!" "Varis Enterprise stock is tanking! How will you take responsibility?!"
"Keep them back!" Ren barked at his head guard. He shoved through the crowd to inspect the blackened cargo.
"What is the damage?" he asked the warehouse manager. Flat voice.
"Nearly eight hundred million, sir. This entire lot was electronics bound for Europe." The manager trembled, his face pale.
"And worse... the fire sprinklers didn't trigger. Someone disabled the system beforehand."
Sabotage. His fists clenched. Someone was hunting him. Going for the throat. This wasn't an accident. It was a declaration of war.
Ding! A text chimed on his private phone. Ren checked it, irritated.
An unknown number had sent an image.
A photograph... of Ren standing in front of the burning warehouse in this exact second! Taken from a distance. From the peak of the container crane opposite him. A red circle marked his head.
Like a sniper's crosshairs.
A short message followed beneath the image:
"Beautiful fire, isn't it?" "Be careful. Fire spreads fast." "It starts with material things. Then it spreads to your heart."
Ren's eyes widened. He ripped off his sunglasses and snapped his head toward the crane. Too far to see clearly. Only a fleeting shadow vanished into the height.
"Motherfucker!" He hurled the phone at the ground. The screen shattered into pieces.
He wasn't afraid of death threats. He was used to them. But the word 'heart'... Yurin! The target was Yurin! They knew his only weakness!
"Go home! Now!" Ren screamed at his driver, his face went pale. "Send twenty more men to the penthouse! Absolute lockdown! If anything happens to him, I will kill you all!"
...
I sat sipping tea comfortably on the sofa at the foot of the bed. Aunt Lin poured for me.
Bzzzt... The hidden phone vibrated softly beneath the lamp. I glanced at Aunt Lin. She nodded. The coast was clear.
I retrieved the tiny device and checked the messages.
My Savior > 'I have successfully provoked the tiger.'
My Savior > 'He is currently losing his mind and speeding back to you.'
My Savior > 'Prepare yourself. He will return with maximum paranoia.'
My Savior > 'Make him trust you blindly... Yurin.'
I typed a brief reply. Me: 'Understood.'
I deleted the messages. I returned the phone to the cavity and turned to Aunt Lin.
"Aunt Lin, please prepare a warm bath with lavender essential oil. And get the medication ready. Crush it and mix it into the wine. I will medicate him myself today."
Aunt Lin smirked in satisfaction. "Right away, Mr. Yurin."
Shortly after, heavy footsteps thundered outside.
Bang! Ren shoved the bedroom door open so violently that the hinges groaned. Panic consumed his face. Drenched in sweat. He scanned the room in paranoia.
Seeing me sitting safely, reading and sipping tea, he collapsed against the door. He panted heavily. Like a man who just barely escaped death.
"Ren?" I feigned shock, quickly setting my book down. "Why are you back so early? What happened?"
Ren didn't answer. He lunged forward, crushing me in his embrace. He trembled. Not from rage, but from sheer terror.
"Yurin. You're here. You are still here with me. Thank God."
I hugged him back. I stroked his hair soothingly. "I am right here. I am not going anywhere."
Ren looked up. He gripped my shoulders, shaking me frantically. "Did anyone call? Did anyone try to contact you? Aunt Lin! Did any strangers enter the building?!"
"No one, Mr. President," Aunt Lin reported with absolute conviction.
"Everything is normal. The security systems are fully operational."
Ren exhaled a long breath. He buried his face in my chest, completely drained.
"I'm tired. I am so fucking tired, Yurin. It feels like someone is hunting me."
"It is okay. You are home now. You are safe," I whispered, my sweet tone laced with poison.
"Go take a warm bath. I have it ready for you. Come have a glass of wine and rest."
"I will take care of you today."
Ren nodded obediently like a lost child finding his shelter.
He walked toward the bathroom, guided by my hand, harboring zero suspicion.
I watched his broad back. The smirk touched my lips again. A smile infinitely colder than ice.
Tired, Ren? Rest. Rest well. Indulge entirely in this counterfeit bliss. Because the next time you wake up, you might have nothing left in this life. Not even your own shadow.