Taehyung entered Min's insanely large mansion. The last time he'd seen the old man, he'd boasted of the place having twenty-five rooms, all with an en-suite, separate serving quarters, and several gardens, as well as a swimming pool, a gym, and of course a basement for all torturing needs.

His father, the desperate bastard, nodded toward him, eyes gleaming with ambition.The Kim name was one to be feared, but like most men, his father craved power. Uniting the Min and Kim Families would put them on top. Everyone here knew Min Yoongi was the wealthiest, a most respected man among the capos. He was the only one close to the Boss, and so was Y/n. Now with her being the only remaining heir, his father had begged him to speak with her father, which he had done.

He liked Min Yo-Jai, Y/n's appa. Always had. A fierce leader and fair. He thought back to his meeting with Min. The old man had been sharp, calculating, yet there was a softness when he spoke of his daughter. Taehyung respected strength, and Min Y/N had plenty of it. He knew she was different, that she wouldn't be an easy conquest. And that intrigued him.

As he made his way through the mansion, he could feel the eyes of the servants on him, wary and respectful. He was used to it. Fear was a familiar companion, one he wore like a second skin.Glancing around the room, he spotted Y/n and wasn't surprised to see Hoseok there as well. The outcast soldier was like a loyal dog.

Y/n's Appa had told him everything. Quite shocking for the elderly, dying man to entrust his plan with him, but also his desire to see his daughter married to him. It would seem Y/n's Appa had been keeping a keen eye on him for the past ten years. When he'd refused to offer his hand in marriage to Y/n, he'd learned the truth about this woman.

Five women had died, two of whom committed suicide rather than be married to him, a monster or a beast. Both nicknames followed him everywhere, and he'd earned those titles. He'd decided against marriage. There were whores out there to satisfy his needs, and well, at the time he didn't need to worry about an heir.

Of course, all his life, he'd been ordered to pay attention, to consider an heir, a male who would need to be trained. His father's demands were increasing, day by day, driving him mad with it.He watched Y/n now, her cold glare sending every single male off who dared try to talk to her. The ice queen. He smiled, a slow, almost predatory grin.

Her father had shown him the tapes of her training, of exactly what she was capable of. The men here had no idea of the killing machine standing in a simple black designer dress and killer heels.

She didn't have his body count, but her father had put her on his radar. Y/n was a beautiful woman. Long raven hair, soft pale skin, honey brown eyes. Her nose wasn't perfect, from being broken. He'd been made aware she had a nasty fall during training that had snapped it. He believed one of her sparring lessons had gotten out of hand.

Watching her now, those curves... Some might say she was fat, but not him. The black dress didn't hide those hips, the shape of her ass. 

He wanted her.

In fact, ever since her father had shown him every little detail, he'd found his obsession with her rivaled everything else going on in his life.

He wanted her. Simple as that.

The only way to have her was to put a ring on her finger. The minutes ticked by, turning into hours. One by one, people left, and he allowed himself to walk through the shadows, going undetected.

Even though he was large and tall, he'd learned the trick of hiding. It had saved his neck so many times, it was like second nature.

With the door finally shut, he watched her shoulders slump. Hoseok took a step toward her."No," she said. Her voice sounded a little broken, and her eyes glistened, but she blinked back the tears.

"Bella... don't cry, please." Hoseok's face was etched with worry, his brows furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line.

"I'm not going to cry. I just need some time alone. You know they won't give me what I need." She took a deep breath, her expression a mask of determination, though her eyes were shadowed with grief. "I'm going to the gym. I'll be there if you need me."

"If you don't pick a husband, they'll try to take all of this from you," Hoseok said, his voice urgent, eyes wide with concern. "Your father warned you."

She stopped and he watched as she took a deep breath and shook her head. "I will pick a husband when I'm good and ready. No one is taking this from me, and if they think just because I'm a woman, they can, let them try. I'll show them who they're really dealing with." Her jaw was set, her eyes blazing with fierce resolve.

His cock hardened.

She was a fierce warrior.

Her spine ramrod straight, she made her way down the long hall, going toward the gym. This time, he stepped out of the darkness.

Hoseok went for his gun and stopped, eyes widening in recognition. "It's you," he said, his voice a mix of surprise and resignation. "You need to take more care in protecting her." Taehyung's voice was low, his gaze hard and unyielding, a challenge in his eyes.

"I do what I can. Why are you still here?" Hoseok's eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in their depths. "You know why." Taehyung's expression was calm, almost cold, but there was an edge of determination in his voice.

"Does this mean you've accepted Min's offer?" Hoseok's voice was tense, his posture stiffening."I accepted his offer but I wonder if his daughter will agree." Taehyung's eyes softened slightly, a hint of amusement curling his lips.

"Be careful, she's ... she's hurting and when that happens, she tends to deal more in pain," Hoseok said, his voice heavy with caution, his eyes filled with a mixture of sympathy and worry.

"You're not going to take care of it?" Taehyung's voice was taunting, a slight smirk playing on his lips.

Hoseok shook his head, his expression turning solemn. "I've caused that woman enough pain in the past ten years. Not tonight."

Taehyung watched as Hoseok left, his eyes following the man's retreating figure. Alone in Min's house, he could go hunting for all the necessary blackmail material he could use to put the Kim name on top and to keep Y/n down. Instead, he went in search of the woman.