The rain was pouring down hard. I pulled my coat tighter around me, shivering. It was late. Too late.

"I need to get home," I whispered to myself. "Just a few more blocks."

I took a shortcut through the alley behind the club. I knew I shouldn't. My mother always told me to stay on the main road. But I was so tired from my part-time job, and my feet hurt.

Bang.

I froze.

That wasn't thunder. That was a gunshot.

I stopped breathing. My heart started beating fast against my ribs. Thump. Thump. Thump.

I peeked around the corner of a dumpster. I saw two men on the ground. And one man standing over them.

He was tall. He wore a black suit that looked expensive. Even in the darkness, he looked terrifying. He wiped a gloved hand on a handkerchief and dropped it on the wet ground.

Then, he turned his head.

He looked straight at me.

His eyes were dark, like the midnight sky. Cold. Empty.

"I found a little mouse," he said. His voice was deep and smooth, like velvet wrapped around a knife.

I gasped and stepped back. My shoe splashed in a puddle. Splash.

"N-No..." I stammered.

I turned to run. I ran as fast as I could towards the street. But I wasn't fast enough.

Strong fingers grabbed my wrist. They were like iron.

"Ah! Let me go!" I screamed.

He pulled me back hard. My back hit his chest. He smelled like rain, expensive cologne, and something metallic—blood.

"Let you go?" He chuckled darkly near my ear. The sound sent shivers down my spine. "You saw my face, little mouse. You don't get to leave."

He spun me around and pinned me against the brick wall. His hand slammed next to my head, trapping me. This is what they call a Kabedon in dramas, but this wasn't romantic. This was deadly.

I looked up at him, trembling. "Please... I won't tell anyone. I promise. I didn't see anything!"

He leaned closer. His face was inches from mine. I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. He was incredibly handsome, which made him even scarier.

"Your eyes are lying," Ryker said softly. He reached out and touched a lock of my wet hair. "You are shaking."

"Because you are scaring me!" I yelled, trying to sound brave.

He smirked. It was a cruel smile. "Good. You should be scared."

He leaned in closer, his nose brushing against mine. My breath hitched.

"What is your name?" he asked.

"I... I won't tell you," I said.

He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His grip was tight, possessive.

"It doesn't matter," he whispered. "I will find out. You walked into my world tonight. And in my world, once I catch something... I never let it go."

"You have to let me go," I cried, tears mixing with the rain on my face. "I have a life! I have college!"

"Not anymore," Ryker said. His eyes dropped to my lips, then back to my eyes. The look was intense. It was hungry. "From tonight, you belong to me."

"You're crazy!" I shouted.

"Maybe," he said.

Suddenly, a black car pulled up to the alley entrance. Two large men in suits got out.

"Boss," one of them said. "We need to move. The police are coming."

Ryker didn't look away from me. "Take her."

"What? No!" I screamed as the other men grabbed my arms.

Ryker straightened his jacket, looking calm and cold again.

"Welcome to your new life, little mouse," he said.

They shoved me into the backseat of the car. Ryker got in next to me. As the car sped away into the dark, rainy night, I knew one thing for sure.

My normal life was over.

My head felt heavy. My eyelids felt like they were glued shut.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

I expected to see the dirty ceiling of my small dorm room. But I didn't.

I saw a crystal chandelier.

I sat up quickly. Too quickly. The room spun around me.

"Where... where am I?" I whispered.

I looked around. The room was huge. It was bigger than my entire apartment. The floor was covered in soft, white carpet. There were heavy velvet curtains covering the windows. I was lying in a massive King-sized bed with silk sheets.

It felt like a hotel. But it felt cold.

Flashbacks hit me hard. The rain. The gunshot. The man with the cold eyes.

"Ryker," I gasped.

I jumped out of bed. I was still wearing my wet clothes from last night, but they had dried and felt uncomfortable.

I ran to the door. I grabbed the handle and twisted it.

Click. Click.

Locked.

"Hello? Is anyone there? let me out!" I banged on the heavy wood. "Help!"

No one answered.

I ran to the windows and pulled back the curtains. My heart sank. We were high up. Maybe the 30th floor of a penthouse. Below me, the city looked like small toy cars. There was no escape.

I was trapped.

Click.

I spun around. The door handle turned.

The door opened, and he walked in.

Ryker.

He looked different today. He wasn't wearing a suit jacket. He wore a black dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, showing strong forearms. He held a silver tray with food.

He looked calm. Like it was normal to kidnap a college student.

"You are awake," he said. His voice was low and rough.

I backed away until my legs hit the bed. "Stay away from me."

Ryker kicked the door shut behind him. He didn't stop walking until he placed the tray on the small table near the bed.

"Eat," he commanded. "You didn't eat dinner last night."

"I don't want your food. I want to go home!" I shouted.

Ryker turned to me. His expression darkened. In two long strides, he crossed the room and stood right in front of me. He towered over me.

"This is your home now, Hana," he said.

"How... how do you know my name?" I asked, my voice shaking.

He smirked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out my student ID card. "I know everything about you, Hana. I know you study Arts. I know you work at a convenience store. I know you have no family here."

He tossed the ID onto the bed.

"You are all alone," he whispered, stepping closer. "Except for me."

"You are a psycho," I spat out.

I tried to push past him to get to the door. But he was too fast.

He grabbed my waist and pulled me flush against his body. His grip was tight. I could feel the hard muscles of his chest.

"Let me go!" I struggled, pushing at his chest.

"Stop moving," he growled.

He didn't let go. Instead, he hugged me tighter. It wasn't a nice hug. It was a cage. He buried his face in the crook of my neck. I froze.

He inhaled deeply, smelling my scent.

"You smell sweet," he mumbled against my skin. "But you still smell like that dirty alley."

He pulled back slightly to look at my face. His thumb brushed over my lower lip. His eyes were focused on my mouth.

"I prepared a bath for you," he said. "And new clothes. Go wash."

"And if I refuse?" I challenged him, glaring up at him.

Ryker’s eyes narrowed. The air in the room felt heavy.

"I don't like disobedience, Hana," he said dangerously. "If you don't wash yourself... I will wash you myself."

My face burned hot. I knew he wasn't joking.

"You wouldn't," I said weakly.

He leaned down, his lips brushing my ear. "Try me."

I shivered. He was terrifying, but my heart was racing for a different reason. He was too close. Too overwhelming.

He let go of my waist and pointed to a door on the left.

"Bathroom. Now."

I didn't wait. I ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I leaned against the door, breathing hard.

Outside, I heard his deep chuckle.

"Don't take too long, little mouse," he called out through the door. "I get lonely easily."

The hot water felt good, but it couldn't wash away the fear. I scrubbed my skin until it was red.

When I finally stepped out of the shower, I looked for my old clothes. They were gone.

In their place, hanging on the door, was a dress.

It was stunning. A deep, blood-red silk dress. It had thin straps and a slit that went high up the leg. On the floor, there was a pair of black high heels.

"I am not wearing this," I whispered. It looked too expensive. It looked like something a mistress would wear.

But I had no choice. I couldn't go out naked.

I put on the dress. It fit perfectly. Too perfectly. How did he know my size? The thought made me shiver. The silk felt like cool water against my skin.

I took a deep breath and unlocked the bathroom door.

Ryker was waiting.

He was sitting in a velvet armchair, holding a glass of whiskey. When I stepped out, he stopped drinking.

The room went silent.

His dark eyes traveled slowly from my bare feet, up my legs, to my waist, and finally to my face. His gaze felt physical, like a touch. It made my skin burn.

He stood up and walked towards me. He didn't smile. He looked satisfied. Like a predator looking at a caught rabbit.

"Perfect," he said.

"Where are my clothes?" I asked, crossing my arms to cover my chest. "Why am I wearing this?"

"Because you have a job to do," Ryker said calmly.

"A... job?"

He took a step closer. "Tonight, I have a meeting with a rival family. They think I am weak because I have no one. They think I am just a cold machine."

He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers lingered on my earlobe.

"Tonight, you will be my weakness," he said. "You will pretend to be my lover. My obsession. You will make them look at you, so they don't see the knife in my other hand."

My eyes widened. "You want to use me as bait?"

"I want to use you as a distraction," he corrected. "If you play the part well, I won't hurt you. If you try to run... well, my men will shoot you before you reach the elevator."

He turned around and picked up a small black velvet box from the table.

"Turn around," he commanded.

I hesitated.

"Hana. Turn around." His voice dropped an octave. It wasn't a request.

I slowly turned my back to him. I swept my hair to one side, exposing my neck.

I felt his presence behind me. He was so tall, his body heat radiated onto my back.

"This is to make sure everyone knows who you belong to," he whispered.

He placed a necklace around my neck. It felt heavy and cold. I looked down. It was a diamond choker with a large ruby in the center. It was beautiful, but it felt like a dog collar.

He didn't move away. His hands rested on my shoulders, his thumbs rubbing circles into my skin. He was standing too close. His chest was pressing against my back.

"You are tense," he murmured.

He lowered his head. I felt his lips brush against the sensitive skin of my shoulder. Just a ghost of a kiss.

I gasped. "Don't."

"Relax," he said against my skin. "We have to make it look convincing, don't we?"

He spun me around to face him. He grabbed my hand and interlaced his fingers with mine. His hand was large and rough; mine looked small and fragile in his grip.

"Remember," Ryker said, his eyes locking onto mine. "Tonight, you love me. You are obsessed with me. Do not break character."

He pulled me towards the door.

"Let's go, little mouse. It's showtime."