The private elevator of the Lu Tower ascended in total silence, the digital floor indicator rising rapidly toward the top penthouse suite. Ji-won’s hands shook against his leather satchel as he stepped out into the dimly lit, expansive study. Floor-to-ceiling glass overlooked the glittering city skyline. Floorboards of dark oak, plush leather couches, and the faint, intoxicating scent of sandalwood filled the room. Sitting behind a massive mahogany desk, his jacket removed and the top button of his dress shirt undone, was Lu Sheng. "You're five minutes early," Lu Sheng murmured, leaning back in his executive chair, his dark eyes tracing Ji-won from head to toe. "Eager, little angel?" "I came because of our agreement," Ji-won said, his voice quiet as he set his books on the glass table. "Nothing more. You promised to tutor me in corporate finance and leave my family's shipping bid alone." Lu Sheng let out a low, dark chuckle, rising slowly from his desk and walking over like a panther stalking cornered prey. "Is that what you tell yourself? That this is purely transactional?" He stopped right in front of Ji-won, taking the heavy economics textbook from Ji-won's hands and tossing it carelessly onto the sofa. Before Ji-won could pull back, Lu Sheng caught him by the waist, pulling his soft body flush against his hard, tailored frame. "Mr. Lu—" Ji-won gasped, his breath catching in his throat. "Sheng," the billionaire corrected in a gravelly whisper. His long fingers slid up Ji-won's back, pressing into his spine, pinning him firmly in place. "When we're behind this door, you call me Sheng." What was supposed to be a study session quickly dissolved into a masterclass in slow, agonizing temptation. Lu Sheng leaned over Ji-won at the desk, hovering so close that his warm breath brushed Ji-won’s temple as he pointed at financial statements. Every deliberate graze of Lu Sheng’s knuckles against Ji-won's thigh sent a traitorous shiver straight down Ji-won's spine. "Pay attention, little angel," Lu Sheng purred, his hand sliding down to rest heavily on Ji-won's waist, squeezing gently. "If you fail these modules, your brothers will suspect your tutor isn't doing his job properly. And we wouldn't want them looking into who is really holding your hand... would we?" Ji-won could barely read the numbers on the page. His heart was hammering, his skin burning everywhere Lu Sheng touched him. He was supposed to hate this man. He was supposed to fear him. But as Lu Sheng's thumb stroked the small of his back, Ji-won felt the terrifying, thrilling sensation of slipping entirely out of his family's gilded cage and into the palm of a demon's hand. By the end of the second hour, the pretense of studying had vanished entirely. Ji-won stood near the glass wall, looking out at the city lights, trying to cool his flushed cheeks. The heavy oak doors were locked. The quiet was absolute. "You're distracted," Lu Sheng's voice sounded directly behind him. Before Ji-won could turn, Lu Sheng spun him around, trapping him between the cold glass wall and his broad chest. Lu Sheng’s calloused hand tangled into the soft hair at the nape of Ji-won’s neck, tilting his head back. Ji-won opened his mouth to protest, but Lu Sheng claimed his lips in a searing, bruising kiss. Ji-won’s eyes widened in shock. The kiss was hot, demanding, and utterly ruthless, tasting faintly of high-end whiskey and dangerous promise. Ji-won tried to push against Lu Sheng's broad chest, but as Lu Sheng’s tongue swept inside, deepening the kiss, a shocking, hot surge of unexpected desire shot straight through Ji-won's lower belly. His body betrayed him completely. Instead of fighting, Ji-won’s knees went weak, his small hands clutching desperately at Lu Sheng’s crisp shirt collar as he let out a soft, breathless whimper against the billionaire’s mouth. A profound, sickening wave of guilt washed over Ji-won’s mind even as his heart hammered with forbidden pleasure. He was ruining himself. He was destroying the pure, sweet angel his family worshipped, willingly letting a demon taint him in the shadows. Lu Sheng's lips finally pulled away, a faint, almost imperceptible hickey bloomed on Ji-won's neck, a brand of ownership that could shatter his 'pure' image if discovered. The main residence was quiet when Ji-won stepped through the grand foyer after his ride home, but the quiet in the Kang household was always an illusion. Ji-won kept his head tilted down, his hands trembling as he constantly adjusted his crisp oxford shirt, which he had buttoned all the way to the top to hide the crimson mark burning on his skin. "Ji-won-ah?" Ji-won stiffened, his fingers instantly flying to his top button. Sitting on the broad leather sofa in the formal living room was his eldest brother, Min-jun. A crystal glass of neat scotch rested on the table before him, alongside three open tablets displaying real-time stock markets. Min-jun wasn't wearing his suit jacket; his dark sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing sharp forearms as he slowly closed his laptop. "Hyung," Ji-won murmured, keeping his distance near the edge of the polished marble archway. "You're... you're still awake?" "Of course I am," Min-jun said smoothly, his deep, authoritative voice filling the vast room. He stood up, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the warm lighting. "Do you really think I could sleep while my little brother is out late taking extra classes?" Every step Min-jun took toward him felt like an executioner marching closer. Ji-won’s pulse spiked, a cold sweat breaking out across his back as he forced a gentle, innocent smile onto his lips. "I told you not to worry, Hyung. The instructors are very thorough," Ji-won said, dropping his gaze slightly—a habit he used whenever he wanted to look small and docile. Min-jun stopped two paces away. The eldest Kang brother possessed a terrifying, analytical mind—the same intellect that brought corporate rivals to their knees in boardrooms across Asia. His dark eyes scanned Ji-won with an unsettling, laser-focused intensity, taking in his posture, his shallow breathing, and the unusual way Ji-won kept his head tilted. "You look flushed, Ji-won-ah," Min-jun noted softly, reaching out a hand. Ji-won almost flinched, but forced himself to stay rooted to the spot as Min-jun’s large, warm palm gently rested against his forehead to check his temperature. "No fever," Min-jun muttered, his brow furrowing slightly. "But your breathing is elevated. And you've buttoned your collar all the way up. You never do that unless you're freezing or... uncomfortable." "The... the air conditioning in the lecture hall was very strong," Ji-won lied, the words tasting like lead on his tongue. "I just caught a slight chill." Min-jun didn't move his hand away immediately. His fingers lingered near Ji-won's jawline, his sharp eyes narrowing as he traced the tense line of Ji-won's neck. For a terrifying, heart-stopping second, Ji-won was convinced Min-jun was going to reach down and pull the fabric aside. If Min-jun saw the mark, the fragile peace of the Kang family would shatter. Min-jun would start a blood feud with the Lu Conglomerate by morning, and Ji-won's shameful, secret surrender would be laid bare before the people who worshipped him. Instead, Min-jun’s thumb gently brushed the soft curve of Ji-won’s cheek, his dark eyes lingering on his brother's flushed face. Min-jun's gaze lingered on Ji-won's neck for a beat too long, and he casually remarked, "You seem... lively today, little brother. Anything exciting happen?"

Chapter Three: Stolen Kisses, Bitter Freedom