Chapter 7: A Caged Butterfly

The morning air was crisp, but my skin felt feverish. The weight of last night's call sat heavy in my chest, coiling around my thoughts like a snake tightening its grip.

I tried to convince myself it was just words—just an arrogant man playing with his power. But no matter how much I tried to shake it off, Seo Joon's voice lingered.

"Do you really think you have a choice?"

The way he spoke—it wasn't a threat. It was a promise.

I reached for my phone again, my fingers trembling slightly as I scrolled through my messages. There was nothing from him. No texts. No missed calls.

Maybe it was over. Maybe he was done playing his little mind games.

A knock on my bedroom door made me jolt. My aunt's sharp voice followed.

"Get dressed, Eun Hee. We're going somewhere important."

I frowned. "Where?"

No response.

An uneasy feeling twisted in my stomach as I got up and dressed in a simple beige dress, tying my hair into a loose ponytail. When I stepped out of my room, my aunt was already waiting, dressed in her usual expensive attire, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

The car ride was silent, but the tension was suffocating.

When we finally stopped in front of a luxurious hotel, my hands turned clammy. I didn't need to ask. I already knew who was inside.

Seo Joon.

I followed my aunt through the grand entrance, my legs feeling heavier with each step. My heart slammed against my ribs when I spotted him, sitting at a private table near the glass window, the city skyline behind him.

He was effortlessly composed, dressed in a crisp black suit. His presence was overwhelming—calculated.

His gaze flickered to me the second I stepped inside, his dark eyes unreadable.

I wanted to look away. But I couldn't.

"You're late," he said, his voice smooth but laced with quiet authority.

I swallowed. "I didn't know I had an appointment."

His lips twitched slightly, as if amused. "You do now."

My aunt placed a firm hand on my back, pushing me forward. "Sit."

I did. Because what choice did I have?

The waiter arrived, pouring tea into delicate porcelain cups. I wrapped my fingers around mine, needing something to ground myself.

Seo Joon leaned back, watching me with a gaze too sharp, too knowing. "You don't look happy to see me, Eun Hee."

I forced a tight smile. "I'm not."

A ghost of a smirk played on his lips. "Honest. I like that."

I clenched my fists under the table. "Why am I here?"

Seo Joon's expression remained unreadable, but there was something in his eyes—something possessive.

"To understand your place."

His words sent a cold shiver down my spine.

"You are mine now," he continued, his tone calm but unwavering. "I expect you to act accordingly."

I set my cup down with a clink. "I am not yours."

Silence stretched between us. The air grew thick.

Then, he leaned forward, his voice dropping just enough to send a shudder through me.

"You will be."

The confidence in his words terrified me.

I wasn't a person to him. I was a decision already made.

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I felt my breath hitch as I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. My hands curled into fists under the table, my nails digging into my palm to stop myself from shaking.

"What if I refuse?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Seo Joon chuckled, low and deep. "Refuse?" His eyes darkened. "That's a bold word for someone with no power in this situation."

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. My aunt said nothing. She just sat there, sipping her tea as if she weren't forcing me into a life I didn't want.

I gritted my teeth, trying to stay calm. "You can't just decide my life for me."

Seo Joon tilted his head, watching me like a predator watching prey. "But I already have."

His arrogance was suffocating, but what terrified me most was the certainty in his voice. He spoke as if my fate had already been sealed, as if there was no room for argument.

I pushed my chair back, standing abruptly. "I won't do this," I said, my voice trembling. "I won't marry you."

Seo Joon didn't move. He simply picked up his tea and took a slow sip. "Then run."

My breath caught in my throat.

"Run, Eun Hee," he said, his voice dangerously soft. "Try to escape. Try to defy me. But remember this—"

He finally set his cup down and locked his gaze onto mine, his expression unreadable.

"No matter where you go, I will bring you back."

The room felt smaller. The air, colder.

I turned to my aunt, hoping for even a shred of support, but she only gave me a knowing smile.

"Seo Joon always gets what he wants," she murmured.

I was trapped. A butterfly caught in a glass jar.

And Seo Joon was watching—waiting—for the moment I realized there was no way out.

The air in the restaurant felt heavier as I sat across from Seo Joon. Every breath I took felt like inhaling a storm, and he was the silent hurricane sitting right in front of me. His gaze never wavered, sharp as a knife, as if he was already predicting my next move.

"You will be mine," he had said, his voice dripping with an unshakable certainty that made my skin crawl.

I clenched my fists under the table. My mind screamed at me to resist, to fight back, to not let him dictate my life like I was a pawn on his chessboard.

But before I could speak, my aunt placed her tea down with a soft clink and stood up.

"I have a meeting," she said smoothly, adjusting her pearl necklace. "I'll leave you two to talk."

I froze. No.

My head snapped toward her. "Wait, what?" My voice came out more panicked than I intended.

She gave me a look—a knowing, satisfied look that made my stomach twist. "It's good to have some time alone, don't you think?"

My heart pounded as I watched her walk away, her high heels clicking against the marble floor, leaving me alone with him.

Trapped.

I swallowed hard, refusing to let my fear show. I straightened my spine and glared at him. "I'm going to run away, and you won't be able to catch me."

Seo Joon didn't even blink. Instead, a slow, dark smirk spread across his lips, his aura growing heavier, suffocating the space between us.

"Run, my butterfly," he murmured, his voice calm—too calm. "Fly with the wings you have... but remember—" He leaned in slightly, his next words sending a sharp chill down my spine.

"I can tear them whenever I want to."

I forgot how to breathe.

My body screamed at me to move, to run, to do anything—but before I could react, a gunshot shattered the window beside him.

Glass exploded in all directions.

I gasped, throwing my hands over my head as shards rained down onto the table. The sound of chaos erupted around me—chairs scraping, screams filling the air.

Seo Joon didn't flinch.

Instead, he moved like a predator, his eyes flicking toward the source of the attack with deadly focus.

Before I could even process what was happening, his men appeared out of nowhere.

They had been here all along—disguised as waiters, as customers, blending seamlessly into the background. Now, guns were drawn, and within seconds, a full-blown gunfight had broken out.

I pressed my back against the chair, my heart hammering against my ribs. The air was thick with smoke and the deafening sounds of gunfire.

Blood.

I saw red streaking across the floor, bodies dropping, and suddenly—I couldn't breathe.

I was six again. The burning smell of gunpowder. The piercing sound of gunfire. My parents—

A sharp ringing filled my ears. My vision blurred.

I couldn't be here.

Not again.

A warm grip suddenly closed around my wrist. Seo Joon.

His coat was draped over my shoulders before I could react, his voice low but firm. "Stay close."

I barely registered the weight of the expensive fabric as he pulled me against him, shielding me while simultaneously shooting back at our attackers.

The air reeked of smoke and destruction. The once-pristine restaurant was ruined—shattered glass, overturned tables, bullet-riddled walls.

And then—silence.

I slowly lifted my head, my entire body trembling. The fight was over, but the damage was done. The restaurant was destroyed.

Seo Joon tucked his gun back into his holster, his face unreadable. His dominant, unshaken presence only made the contrast between us more jarring—I was falling apart, while he stood untouched.

His gaze flickered to me, and something in his expression shifted.

Before I could even protest, he stepped forward and, without hesitation, picked me up in his arms.

Bridal style.

I let out a startled breath, my hands gripping his suit instinctively. "W-what are you doing?!"

He ignored me.

His strides were firm, unwavering, as if I weighed nothing. He walked past the wreckage, out of the destroyed restaurant, and straight toward his car.

I should've fought back, but I couldn't. My body refused to move—I was still trembling, my mind drowning in old memories I didn't want to remember.

With one swift motion, he placed me in the front seat.

I barely registered him reaching into his pocket and pulling out a huge pile of cash, tossing it to the shocked restaurant owner without a second glance.

"Fix it." His voice was cold. Uncaring.

Then, without another word, he slid into the driver's seat.

I curled into myself, still struggling to catch my breath. The car was moving, but I barely noticed. My mind was spiraling.

I had never been so scared in my life.

Seo Joon didn't speak. Not once.

The silence in the car was thick, suffocating.

I gripped my hands together, my nails digging into my palm, trying to stop the overwhelming panic rising inside me.

I was regretting everything.

Why did I ever get involved with him?

Why did I think I could escape?

My thoughts were dark, suffocating me as the realization settled in.

This was my life now.

And no matter how much I wanted to deny it...

I was already too deep.

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TO BE CONTINUED...