The sky was cloudy today, it was probably going to rain soon but she didn't care much about the weather. It was simply ironic how it mirrored her melancholic attitude. She knelt before two graves, it felt odd to even be in a place like this. She had her time to grieve, and usually, she'd never cling to the dead, but she loved them and had too much to get off her chest.

Both Dong-Wook and Cookie deserved to be remembered, and wherever they were, if their souls lingered here on earth or in another dimension, she talked to them as if they were still alive. There was so much to say, and maybe they didn't know. Although Cookie wouldn't understand because she's an animal, Runa always felt that she did, she felt human to her.

She's been reluctant to come here, fearful almost that it would make things all too real. She didn't want to lose either of them, and she understood that's a part of life, but she didn't have to like this harsh world she lived in. It had its perks, one of them being powerful enough to do anything she desired.

But what did that mean if she didn't have her people alive and beside her? Family was truly everything, hers might be twisted and somewhat broken, but she had her brother and Jungkook now. She was grateful that she had them, even if that meant it cost her others.

Runa often wondered to herself if God was real, and there were times she truly did believe he was. In a sticky situation, she'd pray to him in her head, to any Gods that existed and would listen to her, and most of the time the problem was resolved. When she begged and prayed for nothing bad to happen to those she loved, no one listened, they possibly heard, but they couldn't help.

It sounds sick to even say such things, but she believed that this was meant to happen. Going through hell these past few months, losing friends, people she thought were her friends, strengthened her. She's changed for the better, she's smarter, more experienced, and the leader of her family's empire. The last Kang left.

As much as it hurt to see her dog bleed out with nothing to do but watch, and hold a man she saw as her father cold in her arms, it was inevitable. This was meant to be, she was meant to suffer so she could persevere and learn from it. She was too trusting, she gave people the benefit of the doubt and that was a mistake she wasn't going to make again.

Now that she's here and reflecting on all that's happened, the memories of being a young child and having only one true adult care and protect her, and have a loyal companion such as her Doberman, the pain came rushing back into her heart. It felt as if she was being stabbed repeatedly, thinking about the devastation she felt when she woke up to him lying dead beside her.

Reliving those painful moments made her grateful it was over, that if anything like this happened again, she'd be stronger and wouldn't cry. That's what she thought, and she kept the tears at bay, only one rolling down her red cheeks that were abused by the rough winds, leaves blowing towards her as the air gusts and creates an intense ambiance.

Looking to her right, she sniffles from the cold and wraps her fur coat tighter around her small body, seeing that Jungkook stood a good distance away from the car parked in the gravel. He was leaning up against the tree, his eyes roaming the place like a hawk to make sure no one was around. It warmed her up inside, it made the cold a bit more bearable as she sat on the freshly mowed grass, getting into a comfortable position as she first spoke to his grave.

"I haven't talked to you recently, and I'm sorry for that. If you can hear me, I want you to listen."

Inhaling a deep breath, she continues while playing with a leaf to keep herself occupied, "I'm sure if you've seen what's happened all along, you'd know that I was going through a rough time. Losing my dog and you within such a short amount of time did destroy me. It made me a monster, but I'm proud of myself."

"In the end, I came out stronger than I began, and that's what life is about. Taking risks, living in the moment and preparing for the future, becoming stronger day by day, and making sure to keep your loved ones close."

"But I can't help but wish you were here", her eyes flood with tears, "I hope you're at peace now, wherever you are, but I'm selfish. I wanted you to stay with me. I asked you to but you didn't."

She sniffles and wipes her cold nose with a tissue she had in her coat, "I'm sure I got on your nerves with my stubbornness, I know I did. I hope you could understand why I was like that. I had no choice but to be a bitch sometimes. That's just the way I was born."

"I don't like saying things like this, you know I'm not one to get sappy, but I love you. I always have and you'll always be in my heart. You were a father to me, my best friend, and one of my protectors. I was so proud to have someone like you by my side, it gave me the confidence and assurance I lacked at times."

"Now that I've had time to think back on my life and what I've done so far, I wish you could be here to see it. I don't know if you can, or if you want to, but just in case, I'll try to come here every so often to tell you how my life is. In that case, I should share a few things with you if you don't already know."

Glancing over at the tall man in black to her right, whose eyes remain focused on their surroundings, a small smile graces her lips. Just looking at him made her heart clench.

"I'm so deeply in love with Jungkook it's unreal", she speaks quietly, clearing her uncomfortably dry throat and turning towards Dong-Wook's grave, "He loves me too, and we're happy together. In case you're wondering, I don't plan on having kids so don't even ask. Jimin can be responsible for carrying our bloodline", she semi-jokes just so she doesn't feel so solemn, but the mood dampens once again much like the sky that becomes darker as the clouds move.

"I don't think I could handle having a kid. I don't have the time and patience for it. I'm afraid I'll be like my father, that I'll neglect my child, that I'll lose Jungkook once he realizes I'm not fit to be a mother..."

She heaves out a sigh, her gaze dropping to the ground as her fingertips lightly dance across the grass and enjoy the ticklish sensation, "I don't see myself having children, I don't feel a motherly instinct and I know you've said before you'd love that for me, since you didn't have any. But I don't think I can."

"I don't think I'm strong enough to be a mom, to protect my children from the world I can barely protect myself from. I wouldn't want to bring such a precious being into a world like this, especially ours. It'd be selfish of me to do that."

The wind gusts again and makes chills run across her skin, the fur coat only doing so much to protect her body, "I wouldn't want my kids to suffer what I've suffered. I would never want them to see what I've seen, I wouldn't be able to live if they had to witness their loved ones die. To not be able to protect your children, as much as I'd want to, it's a sense of hopelessness that I never want to experience."

"That no matter what I do, I can't always protect them from what's out there. I can't undo what's been done, I can't take back words, I can't reverse time. In the end, I think it's best if I don't go down that path. It makes me think about my mother and what she had to go through."

"How she had her husband taken from her, how she was assaulted in front of her child-", she chokes out a sob and bites her lip to hold it in, taking a second to compose herself before continuing.

"She was used as a slave, forced to carry the child of a man who destroyed her family and forced marriage upon her. I'm fucked up, my mom was from what she had to go through, and my dad was too. I know every family is in no way perfect, but there's too much trauma there, it's too much pain that I could never explain to my children."

"I'm grateful for what you've done for both me and her, you tried your absolute best to protect us and you did. The only reason I knew about my family is because you protected that information with your life, putting yourself at risk and playing the part you needed to. It's admirable, and I hope that my brother and the people close to me know that I'd do anything for them, that I do my best to keep them safe."

"Just in case you're wondering, Jimin is doing good, at least I think so. You know how we are, we always bury our emotions and wear a poker face. Sometimes it's hard to read him, sometimes it's like I'm looking in a mirror. When I get home I'll talk to him if he isn't busy. He and I haven't had many personable conversations lately, just strictly business. I still have to get used to the fact that I have a brother, you know?", she chuckles weakly, the pain she feels lodged in her throat like a suffocating knot.

"It feels weird sometimes to be able to say that I have a sibling, an older brother who's the head of the Russian mafia at that. It's nice though, to have him around and to live in the same place as him. San, I'm sure you remember him, is now on our side and runs the Organization along with being Jimin's consigliere and underboss, much like you were. I find it ironic is all..."

She took another glance at Jungkook and saw he was looking at her, making sure she was ok, and with a subtle nod, he returned the gesture and pulled his gaze to look elsewhere. It was starting to get late, she knew that, so she tried to wrap this up as best she could.

"I also have an underboss, Kim Namjoon. He was a consigliere to the Italian mafia, and he's about Jungkook's age. They get along fairly well, and I'm a bit surprised my bodyguard isn't all territorial over me around him. You know how he gets", she chuckles a little, finding it endearing that Jungkook gets possessive like that.

"But I guess that's a good thing. Everyone likes him and he's been with us for some time. It truly is a breath of fresh air, a lot less work and stress I have to deal with. I didn't realize how much you did until you were gone."

Her voice grows solemn once again, as does her expression while she stares out at the glowing city through the trees, "Ever since you left, there's been a void, one that can't be filled. But Namjoon's helped lessen that, he reminds me a bit of you and Jimin mixed. I think you'd like him", her eyes get teary and she reminds herself that she's wearing makeup and doesn't want to ruin it.

Sniffling, and wiping her nose with the same tissue she held, she finds the strength to continue without her voice wavering, "I miss you both so much", she says while looking at both headstones, standing from the grass and letting the leaf she was playing with fall and blow with the wind.

"I have business to take care of, so I need to leave. But I hope you can hear me, I hope you're watching over me wherever you are. Goodbye Dong-Wook", she circles the grave and pats the headstone, going towards Cookie's to do the same.

"All dogs go to heaven, Cookie. Have fun and enjoy the peace you have. I miss you. You were the best dog anyone could've wished for. You were an angel to the little girl who always wanted a pet, who always wanted the companionship of an animal like you. Don't forget that."

Feeling a soft sprinkle from the sky, Runa departs from the cemetery to escape the rain and get inside the car, which Jungkook opens for her. As they drive down the road, the only thing that breaks the silence lingering in the air is the thudding of raindrops tapping against the Tesla's windows.

"Your cheeks are a bit red. Do you want to stop somewhere and get a warm drink?", he asks, pulling up to a red light and looking in her direction for a response.

"Yeah, that's fine. There's a cafe just down the block", she clears her throat which aches for moisture, thinking that hot chocolate sounded good right about now.

Her stomach swirled at his affectionate concern, especially when he made her stay inside the car while he got her order since it was raining. It was the little things like that that made her feel truly loved, that she deserved him and what he does for her.

"Here we go", he gets into the driver's side, soaking wet while handing her a hot chocolate with a small bag.

"What's this?", she mumbles, wondering what he got since he demanded that he paid for it, which she didn't argue.

Taking it out, her body heated up with joy when she saw a cookie the shape of a dog, and it looked like dark chocolate which was her absolute favorite. She didn't eat sweets much, but dark chocolate was always her weakness.

"I figured you'd like it. I wanted you to eat something even if it was small", he answered, his heart warm from seeing the content look on her face.

"Thank you", her gaze was thoughtful and he had to look away so he could focus on the road and not crash because she always looked angelic when her eyes lit up.

"You're welcome."

He takes a few glances while she bites into the cookie, and he resists the urge to smile at how adorable she looks when her cheeks puff up every time she chews. She was irresistible.

💎🗡️💎🗡️💎🗡️

"Please don't stop", she moans in relief, feeling every aching muscle in her body release when his hands massage her back and gently rub her sides and shoulders.

"I won't", he responds, paying attention to what he was doing while her eyes were closed with contentment, the TV playing in the background.

After complaining about how exhausted her body felt, he took it upon himself to ease her pain and figured that it would be best to physically relieve her. He didn't know he was this good at massaging somebody until now, seeing as he'd never done this before. He liked it though, he can't even imagine how good it must feel for her.

"You should be a professional", she mumbled, moaning quietly every time his fingers massaged her skin, and made warmth flood to the rest of her body in pure ecstasy.

"I'll be your personal masseuse", he responds, earning a hum in response while she turns her head to face him since he was straddling her back, his knees on both sides of her hips that were cushioned by the bed.

"How much should I pay you?", she jokes, leaning up and turning around so she was on her back and fully facing him.

"You think you could match my price?", he added, crawling forward to hover above her while he rested his hands beside her head, to which she held his face in her palms now that he was so close.

"What's the amount?", she smiles when he leans down and kisses her neck, and her head rolls to the side so he can have more access.

"I want everything. All or nothing", his lips softly trace up to her jawline, which he stops at and leans back to look at her as she slowly blinks her tired eyes open.

"You want it all? It's yours", she whispers, and he traces his hand down to her abdomen before he flips her over so she's on her stomach.

She yelps in surprise from how easily he tossed her around, but eased when he starts to go back to work by massaging her hips, all tension leaving her soul while his fingers expertly dig into her flesh and relieve the knotted up nerves.

"Take a nap, I know you're tired. Let me take care of you."

Those are his final words as she fades into sleep, unable to keep her eyes open any longer because his hands felt too good. God, she'd never get sick of him. Never.