The rain began just after ten o'clock, drumming a relentless, hollow rhythm against the high arched windows of the estate. Downstairs, the massive villa was silent, its long marble hallways bathed in the soft, amber glow of nightlights. To the rest of the household, Ji-won was safely tucked in bed, exhausted from a long afternoon of painting in his third-floor studio.
In reality, Ji-won stood in the shadows of the rear maintenance corridor near the estate’s west wing, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of a heavy, high-collared wool coat. His heart was hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird. Every soft creak of the floorboards, every shadow cast by the swaying trees outside, made him flinch.
He had waited until the grandfather clock in the foyer struck eleven before slipping past the servant quarters. He had taken off his shoes, carrying them in his hand as he crept down the back stairwell, praying that neither Min-jun nor Do-hyun would step out of their respective studies.
Reaching the heavy steel door that led to the private rear garage, Ji-won pushed it open. The damp night air rushed in, smelling of wet asphalt and ozone.
Parked in the narrow alleyway behind the estate’s high stone boundary wall was a sleek, black luxury sedan with heavily tinted windows. The engine was silent, idling with a barely perceptible hum. As Ji-won approached, the rear door glided open automatically, revealing a dimly lit, leather-trimmed interior scented with familiar, suffocating notes of sandalwood and expensive liquor.
"You're late by forty-two seconds, little angel," a smooth, dark voice purred from the gloom.
Ji-won’s knees went weak, but he forced himself to step inside. The door snapped shut behind him, sealing out the sound of the rain, locking him inside the moving sanctuary of his captor.
Lu Sheng sat back in the plush leather seat, his tailored suit jacket unbuttoned, a crystal tumbler of whiskey held loosely between long, elegant fingers. In the soft, warm ambient light of the vehicle's interior, his porcelain skin and sharp jawline looked almost ethereal—a breathtaking mask covering a ruthless, unhinged predator.
"I... I came," Ji-won whispered, his back pressed tight against the far door, his hands trembling as he pulled his coat collar higher up his neck. "Please... you promised you wouldn't release those documents against my family."
Lu Sheng set his glass into the illuminated cup holder and turned toward Ji-won. His dark, heavy eyes locked onto the boy, gleaming with a terrifying mixture of amusement and raw, possessive hunger.
"Did I?" Lu Sheng murmured, sliding across the leather bench until there was no space left between them. "I said I wouldn't release them if you were obedient. But look at you... trembling, cowering, acting as if coming to me is a punishment."
Before Ji-won could scramble backward, Lu Sheng’s arm shot out, wrapping around his waist like an iron band and hauling him effortlessly onto his lap. Ji-won gasped, his hands flying up to push against Lu Sheng’s broad chest, but it was like trying to move a granite wall.
"Lu Sheng—no! The driver—" Ji-won pleaded, his face burning red.
"The glass is soundproof and privacy-tinted," Lu Sheng growled gently against his ear, his calloused hand sliding up beneath Ji-won's wool coat, fingers digging into the soft flesh of his waist. "He can't hear you. No one can."
Instead of driving out onto the main highway, the sedan simply looped into the private, covered service driveway of the estate's west wing—a dark, secluded loading bay rarely used at night. Lu Sheng had no intention of taking Ji-won away; he derived far too much pleasure from corrupting the Kang family's precious angel right on their own doorstep.
"Sheng, please, my brothers—"
"Your brothers are blind," Lu Sheng interrupted, his lips trailing down Ji-won's jawline, making the boy shiver uncontrollably. "They think you're an innocent little doll. They don't know how sweet you taste when you're terrified."
Lu Sheng’s hands grew bolder, more demanding. With practiced ease, he unbuttoned Ji-won’s wool coat, tossing it onto the floorboards. His long fingers hooked into the neck of Ji-won’s soft sweater, tugging it down aggressively, exposing his collarbones to the cool air of the car. Ji-won’s breath hitched as Lu Sheng’s mouth pressed hot, bruising kisses against his throat, intentionally targetting the same delicate skin he had marked nights before.
"N-no... stop..." Ji-won whimpered, though his fingers traitorously clutched at the shoulders of Lu Sheng's suit jacket, his body flushed with a confusing, hot surge of forbidden arousal that made his head spin.
Lu Sheng pressed him down against the leather seating, his heavy body hovering over Ji-won’s smaller frame. He unbuckled Ji-won's belt with a sharp click, his hands slipping beneath the waistband of his trousers. Ji-won’s clothes were thoroughly disheveled, his shirt pulled up to his chest, his hair messy, his skin covered in hot, flushed patches as Lu Sheng’s mouth moved lower, tracing the curve of his ribs.
Ji-won was entirely compromised, trapped beneath the weight of a man who possessed no moral restraint, his mind drowning in a chaotic sea of guilt and involuntary pleasure.
KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.
The sudden, loud sound of sharp knuckles striking the dark glass of the sedan window echoed through the silent car like a gunshot.
Ji-won froze, his eyes widening in pure, unadulterated horror. The blood drained completely from his face, leaving him deathly pale. His heart leaped into his throat, slamming against his ribs so hard he thought it would burst.
"M-Min-jun..." Ji-won choked out, absolute panic seizing his throat.
Lu Sheng stopped, his sharp eyes narrowing as his head snapped toward the window. For the first time, a flash of genuine annoyance crossed the billionaire's dark features.
KNOCK. KNOCK.
"Young Master Ji-won?" a sharp, muffled voice called out from behind the heavy glass. "Are you in there? Executive Kang requested a tray of night tea be delivered to your study, but your room was empty."
It wasn't Min-jun.
Ji-won let out a ragged, gasping breath, but his panic didn't diminish. The voice belonged to Mrs. Park—the stern, sharp-eyed head housemaid who had served the Kang family for over fifteen years. She was fiercely loyal to Min-jun and noted every single irregularity in the household with terrifying precision.
"Get up," Lu Sheng growled softly, his tone laced with dark irritation as he released Ji-won and sat back, adjusting his own cuffs with infuriating calm. "Fix yourself."
Ji-won didn't just fix himself; he scrambled like a madman. His hands shook so violently he could barely align the buckle of his belt. He shoved his sweater down, frantically pulling his high collared shirt straight, his heart pounding a frantic cadence against his ears. He grabbed his wool coat off the floor, throwing it on and buttoning it all the way to his chin with frantic, clumsy fingers. He ran a hand through his messy hair, trying desperately to smooth down the strands Lu Sheng had tangled.
"If she sees me in here with you—" Ji-won whispered, his eyes wide with terror as he looked at Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng simply smirked, leaning back and resting his chin on his hand, completely unbothered by the chaos he had caused. "Then unlock the door, little angel. Let's see how clever you are."
Tears of frustration stung Ji-won's eyes. He pressed the electronic release button on the door handle.
The heavy door glided open with a soft hiss of hydraulic pressure.
Standing in the dim light of the service bay was Mrs. Park. She was dressed in her pristine, dark housekeeper uniform, holding a silver tray laden with a steaming teapot, a china cup, and a small plate of delicate evening pastries.
Her stern, weathered face was impassive, but her sharp, dark eyes immediately swept over the interior of the vehicle with unnerving, clinical scrutiny.
She looked at Ji-won—flushed, breathing heavily, his coat buttoned up crookedly, his eyes wild and glossy with unshed tears. Then, her gaze shifted slowly to the shadowed figure sitting in the deep leather bench beside him: Lu Sheng, the undisputed corporate enemy of the Kang family, watching her with a cold, mocking smile.
The silence in the garage was deafening. The only sound was the steady patter of rain outside.
Mrs. Park’s eyes lingered on Ji-won's neck for a long, agonizing second, taking in the disheveled state of his collar and the raw, breathless tension radiating from his small frame.
"Young Master Ji-won," Mrs. Park said, her voice smooth, flat, and entirely devoid of emotion as she held the silver tray steady in her hands. "Executive Min-jun is currently finishing his call in the main office. He asked me to ensure you drank your tea before sleeping. Shall I leave it in your study... or should I inform Executive Kang that you are currently busy with guest arrangements?"
Ji-won felt as though the floor had dropped out from beneath him. He was standing on the precipice of total ruin, trapped between the demon in the car and the woman who held his secret in the palm of her hand.