KIM TAEHYUNG

"Are you staying behind, hyung?" Jungkook asks, his tone impatient as he looks at me sifting through the files on the table and out the door. It's so clear to see he wants to go to Lyr, as fast as he can.

"Just go." Jimin sniffs, his slit eyes sparkling. "He's a workaholic."

"Leave first." I say, hearing the sound of Jimin's laughter when I glance up sharply. "I just need to look at some of these."

The room grows quiet as they both leave.

And her face suddenly flashes through my mind. Her surprised face, eyes wide like a rabbit and her lips parted slightly in shock after I'd kissed her.

The papers slip from my hands.

I didn't know women were capable of making such faces. And such a wide range— with such intoxication.

What am I thinking?

Abandoning the papers, I leave the room knowing I wasn't going to be able to focus on them anymore. What was the po—

Then someone's small and delicate hand wraps around my upper arm and pulls me into one of the open rooms along the hall.

A woman.

My body instantly tenses, and I can't move as my back is shoved against the wall. If it was anyone else, I would've torn them open within a second for touching me like that.

But I can't even move, terror turning my blood to ice as a cold fingertip teases at the line of my jaw. A scent of sickly sweet honey fills the room. Perfume so fragrant that it makes me nauseous.

"Mother was right." A feminine voice whispers, so close to my ear it makes me stumble back. But there's nowhere else to go, but the wall behind me. "You are afraid of women, Crown Healer."

It feels as if my body has turned to stone.

Blood roars in my ears.

Why was this— Why was this so different?

Normally I would just be shaken a bit. Push her away, and let the rest take care of itself.

But her.

This woman's voice was so alike to her and heavens different from Leah's.

I can't even lift a single hand. I can't even feel the tips of my fingers. There's only the cold sensation of an acrylic nail caressing my bottom lip.

I can smell it. The toxic, bittersweet scent.

She's so damn close, and I can't even push her away.

"Aw. I didn't realize it was this bad." There's mocking laughter in her words as I press into the wall behind me, so hard that it feels like it's caving with the force. Her face is a blur, but her voice.

"Is it because I'm too close?"

Even the teasing tone is the same.

All I can hear is my own breathing, rough and violent. It dissipates into the air.

"The Crown Healer— you were told to be so cold, so distant." She repeats, and tremors rack through my figure as I force the memories down.

"You're everything but."

"What a terrible secret, hm?"

Then she laughs, a cold giggle that breaks the heavy seal. In a second, memories fall through like a waterfall through my mind.

I remember a sickly whisper, the cold touch of hands against my face. A dark silhouette covers every inch of my sight. Fingers runs down my body. My own is not mine.

I remember.

She tells me to take my clothes off.

Kneel, love. My beautiful, beautiful boy.

You're all mine.

I can't breathe.

A distant voice, impatient with lust.

"Let's get this mask off." She hisses, and suddenly my face feels too cold, too exposed to someone whose face I can't see. "You're too pretty, Crown Healer. To have a mask hiding your face. It's truly a waste of beauty."

Show me. Take it off.

I stumble, again.

"Don't— Don't."

She laughs.

"Then push me away, gorgeous."

"It really is that easy. Otherwise it makes me think that you want me after all."

She leans in. Then I feel rough fingers bury harshly into my hair, gripping handfuls of my dark locks and forcing my head downwards. Fingers curls around my nape. Cold lips touch my throat, tracing a line down to my collarbone. She jerks the neckline of my shirt to expose my skin.

"Mm."

My eyes unfocus.

She kisses me, but I'm not there with her. Even when my legs give out and she climbs into my lap, making moans full of pleasure as she slips her hands underneath my shirt, I'm not there. All I see is her shadow as she slips off the shoulder of her dress.

I'm somewhere else.

Taehyung, my lovely little angel.

Let me show you something good.

A smile glints in the dark. A faint silver glitter. Acrylics. That scent. That damn smell of burning candles and—

In the distance, above the surface. I feel something harsh against my lips. Something tries to force through, and I realize with chilling disgust as I instinctively squeeze my mouth shut. I hear a giggle, full of poison.

"Aw."

Why can't I move.

"Come on. I can make you feel so good— a thousand times better than that useless bitch." She whispers, caressing the line of my jaw. There's a click as something unhooks. She lowers the front of her dress. Sharp, nailed fingers clamp around my wrist and force my hand upwards.

"Touch me."

She places my hand on the curve of her chest. The moment I feel the soft flesh, I jerk myself away with everything I can. Bile rises in my throat.

"You really don't know what you want," She murmurs scornfully as she presses up against my body. "Do y—"

Then her voice suddenly turns surprised. I feel a thick wetness down my cheek.

"Are you crying?"

...Am I?

How fucking pathetic.

"Don't cry," She purrs, and I feel her lick my tears away. The sensation of her tongue against my cheek makes me draw in a harsh breath.

No more. No m—

Open.

"Why are you shaking? You're honestly making me feel bad. And all I'm trying to do is give you a nice time, Crown Healer. Do you know how many men would want this?"

Her voice overlaps. It twists and squeezes.

Open.

Open for me. Do it.

"Stop," I whisper, words streaked with ragged breaths. "Stop. Please. I—"

I can't.

"I don't want to, though."

She leans in, for another kiss. My throat clutches the moment I see her blurred, expressionless face drawing nearer.

Then there's a fresh burst of wind. It blows the choking heat away. The thick aroma of sickening perfume. It clears my mind, my eyes. The whispery voice.

"Tae!"

_________________________

LEAH

My heart hurts more than I'd expected.

V lets out a shaky breath, on the floor with a woman all over him. He doesn't even make a move to resist her— and I swallow painfully as I turn away.

I should've expected this.

He was Head, after all. The prized Crown Healer, and a gorgeous man. He could have any woman he desired.

And I was his non-special wife. Someone he'd marked by accident and had been forced to marry in the first place.

I don't know what I'd—

"Please."

I freeze.

There are tears, in his voice.

Tears?

For a long second I just stand there, before rushing back to the room and really taking a good look inside.

The sad acceptance I'd felt earlier transforms into white fury.

Impossible.

After that, I lose every bit of self-discipline over myself as I practically sprint towards the woman and pull her away from V, almost throwing her to the ground. She screams, but I don't even care.

I land a punch straight on the center of her masked face.

He's crying. V is in tears.

I've never, ever seen him cry before.

The woman screams again. I'd landed it good— her nose is bleeding. But I don't even feel the tiniest bit of guilt when I see how smudged her lipstick is. The front of her dress is wide open. She'd been pressing herself all over him.

I feel like I'm about to lose it.

"You fucking bitch."

And I'm about to hit her again when I catch V in the corner of my eye. He's shaking too violently, broken breaths falling from his pale, bloodless lips. He's shaking way too hard.

Oh, no.

"Tae." I whisper, rushing to him. He's slumped against the wall, eyes unfocused. He's a complete mess— the neckline of his shirt is loose from being tugged too hard, showing skin ravaged by kisses underneath. Cold sweat pours down his forehead and jaw.

A second wave of fury blinds me when he finally looks up, his dark, beautiful eyes blank and split with pain.

I whip back towards the woman, set on ripping her head from her neck.

That rat.

Rage spikes through me when I realize she's gone. She'd run away while I wasn't looking.

Damn it.

I turn back, struggling to calm the anger.

"Hey." I say soothingly, hugging him tightly to my chest. His hand wraps uncertainly around my back, before he completely sinks into my arms.

"You okay?"

There's no answer.

My teeth clench together when I see more. His lips are swollen and red. There are love marks, imprinted with that same lipstick, in a narrow trail up his neck and jaw. His clothes are undone.

His voice wavers.

"I'm— I'm fine."

My jaw flexes.

"No, you're not."

At my words, he straightens up a bit and looks down at my steady eyes. A sudden red flushes his cheeks, and he quickly staggers up to his feet. looking shaken.

"I—"

Then I reach up with my sleeves pulled down. He doesn't flinch back as I run them over his eyes, trying to dry his tears.

I know what he has just went through isn't a simple fear.

He was strong and powerful enough to resist against a stupid, lustful woman. But he hadn't, because he hadn't been able to.

Because he probably had some kind of trauma with this.

Trying to put as much warmth into my expression, I bury my face into his chest and wrap my arms around his broad shoulders. Even though I barely cover half the distance, he shivers.

Then to my surprise, he lifts my head and looks deep into my eyes.

And he kisses me.

But it isn't powerful, fighting-for-dominance type of kiss like last time. This one is soft and hesitant, but trusting. It's full of vulnerability, but one that he is willing to show.

It makes me absolutely melt.

After a minute or two, I break away unable to keep my heart from racing out of my throat. He pushes back into the wall, cheeks blushed fiercely.

"Look!" I say proudly, waving at his clean neck and jaw. I'd rubbed the lipstick marks off while we were kissing. "It's all gone now, so don't worry."

A small, torn laughter escapes his lips, and I can't help but smile as I look down at his face. I intertwine my fingers with his.

"Come on."

"Let's go back."