Taehyung was already sitting in the corner.

He stood up and she ignored him as she slid into the seat opposite him. His face remained composed, a slight smirk playing on his lips, his eyes following her every move. "You know it's not proper, for me to meet you alone."

"It's not proper for a girl to have a kill record, so I think we can let this slide as well." His smirk widened, his eyes glinting with amusement.

She nodded her head, her lips pressing into a thin line, her eyes avoiding his.The waitress came over, and she ordered a tea and a cream biscuit. She hadn't eaten much in the past week. Food didn't hold any appeal. All she wanted to do was lie in bed and cry. Each day she got up and worked was a small victory. The main file her father had left her scared the shit out of her. Businessmen, politicians, family men, and even some of the capos, all of them her father had dirt on.

With dirt came a lot of risks. There would be men, close men who'd want her dead if they knew she was aware of their ... betrayals.

"How did you sleep last night?" Taehyung asked, his eyes narrowing slightly, searching her face.

"You brought me here to talk about sleep?" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes cold and skeptical.

"I know what it's like to suffer after you lose someone." His voice softened, a fleeting look of empathy crossing his features.

She thought about his potential wives. Dropping her gaze to the table, she shook her head. "No, I didn't sleep well." Her voice was quiet, her eyes filled with a sadness she tried to hide."One day, you will." His voice was gentle, his expression almost tender.

"Is that what happened to you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing, trying to gauge his sincerity.

"You learn not to care." His face hardened, a mask of indifference slipping into place.

"I've had my mother, brother, and now my father die on me. I'm sure I can handle it." She didn't want to appear weak, her eyes flashing with determination.

Taehyung smiled, a bitter twist to his lips. "As I'm sure you know, I've had cousins, family, and even potential wives die, some at their own hand. I'm more experienced with this." His eyes darkened, a shadow of pain flickering briefly.

"I know what you've been through. It's why I'm curious why you would ever want to spend any time with me," she said, her voice softer, her eyes curious but guarded. Taehyung sat back. He lifted up his coffee cup and took a sip, his eyes never leaving hers. She hated waiting, her fingers tapping impatiently on the table.

"Your father, what he did, it goes against every single Family code. You know that. Training a woman to take a man's job. Your brother should be sitting here right now, negotiating your marriage. I see the look in your eye. It's one that means you know things you really didn't want to know." His voice was matter-of-fact, his eyes penetrating, his expression unreadable."Look, I don't know what it is you want from me—" Her voice was frustrated, her brows furrowing.

"I want everything, Isabella. You're not a fool. An alliance between the two of us will make us unbreakable. I can protect you." His eyes locked onto hers, intense and unwavering.

"the fuck you call me? Did not I mention you to call me Miss Y/n and I don't need protecting." Her eyes blazed with anger, her jaw clenched tightly.

"No? Then tell me why I know for a fact that there's a meeting right now between the capos and the Boss to see you married?" he asked, his voice calm but insistent, his eyes boring into hers."I would know that. There's no way they're organizing a marriage or who should take me." Her voice wavered slightly, uncertainty creeping in, her eyes darting away.

"You're nothing but a woman. They don't need to ask for your permission. You're the property of them. Nothing more. I'm a man. I know what they want." His voice was firm, his eyes cold and unyielding, his lips set in a thin line.

Rage filled her, her cheeks flushing, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Get angry," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It's good."

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice trembling with suppressed fury, her eyes blazing."Your father knows I'm not like other men. I've had my share of losses and I need an heir." He locked his fingers together, his expression serious, his eyes piercing. "I know about your training. You're strong. A fighter. I don't want a submissive woman who's terrified of me. I've been near them my whole life and as you can see, it never ends well for me."

She didn't know why he was telling her all of these things. "What do you want?" she repeated, her voice softer, her eyes searching his.

"Your hand in marriage. That's all I want. In return, I won't stop your involvement with the business. You'll be by my side in every single decision and when the time is right, we'll have a child together." His voice was calm, his eyes steady, his expression sincere.

She looked away, her eyes distant, her mind racing. Once her father had made her watch one of his soldiers and a whore have sex. She had to keep her virginity intact, but she also had to see what would be expected of her. It was one of the single most embarrassing moments of her life. That and getting her first menstrual cycle.

If she hadn't been training and hurting, she really believed she'd be scarred for life. There was just a lot of crap to take in.

"And so you're proposing a marriage even though I can own and run my family's business on my own, without your help." Her voice was challenging, her eyes flashing with defiance.

"You clearly don't understand what they're going to do to you, do you?" Taehyung asked, his voice gentle but insistent, his eyes filled with concern. "You're a woman. You mean nothing to them. You're a pawn to be sold off and that's exactly what they will do to you."

"And you think this is going to help your cause?" she asked, her voice rising with anger. 

Damn it, she wanted to hit him.

How dare he!

Her father had taught her many things in life, and it wasn't to be told how worthless she was."If you want me to color this up in rainbows and flowers, it's not going to happen. You've got to understand, in our world, you're nothing." His voice was harsh, his eyes cold, his expression unyielding.

"I don't have to listen to this." Her voice was trembling with rage, her eyes flashing dangerously."You're right, you don't, but you don't think they're already working out who's going to tame you?" His eyes bore into hers, intense and unyielding, as if challenging her to deny the truth.

Y/n's fists clenched on the table, her knuckles turning white.

 Her jaw tightened as she fought to keep her composure, her eyes burning with a mixture of anger and defiance. "I can take care of myself," she said, her voice low and trembling with barely contained rage.

Taehyung leaned forward, his expression softening just a fraction. "I'm not saying you can't," he said quietly, his eyes searching hers for any sign of understanding. "But you need allies. You need someone who understands this world as well as you do. Someone who can stand by your side and fight with you, not against you."

She looked away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Why should I trust you?" she whispered, her voice raw with emotion.

"Because I have nothing to gain by betraying you," Taehyung said, his voice firm but gentle. "And everything to lose."

Y/n met his gaze again, her eyes hard and scrutinizing, searching for any sign of deceit. She saw none. "Fine," she said finally, her voice steadying. "I'll meet with you again. But don't think for a second that this means I trust you."Taehyung nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "That's all I ask," he said softly. "For now."