Married to a Ruthless Mafia Boss
The start of an Unwanted Journey
When is this going to end?
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Are you listening?
Wait, no. It’s been a couple of hours..
His butt hurts just by sitting on the fucking chair.
Kang Joo-hyun (Tae-rins dad)
Tae-rin. Hey.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
You’ve been staring blankly, dear.
Kang Joo-hyun (Tae-rins dad)
You said you needed to think about it, what’s your answer?
Tae-rin and his family had decided to plan an arranged marriage with his mom’s best friend.
Tae-rin told them that he’d think about it and he’ll give his answer when he does.
Tae-rin
💭God.. I don’t even know that man.. What if he’s mean!?
Chaewon Nikolaev
Please don’t overthink, our son isn’t who you think he is.
Chaewon Nikolaev
He may be cold, but he’ll respect your space.
Viktor Nikolaev
That, I can agree.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
So, your answer?
Tae-rin
💭I have no choice.
Tae-rin
I will accept the marriage.
As he said that, they smiled and thanked Tae-rin for his answer.
Maxim had already accepted it before the dinner.
He couldn’t make it because he was dealing with business.
After dinner, Tae-rin and his parents went home.
He went to his room and slumped on the bed and buried his face on the pillow
Tae-rin
💭what have I gotten myself into?
He turned over and looked at the ceiling
He couldn’t sleep that night.
And he ended up sleeping at midnight.
The sunlight filtered through the window and he sat up.
He walked over and looked at the sunrise
Tae-rin
The smell of salt water..
He stretches his arms over his head and yawns
He hears his mom call him downstairs.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Tae-rin! Breakfast is ready.
Tae-rin
It’s so early, I wonder why..
He then goes downstairs and sees the dining table
Tae-rin
Oh! Sometime delicious.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
I’m sure you’ll like it.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Come on, eat up and get dressed.
He was about to sit down and stops
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Oh?
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Ah..
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Seems like I forgot,
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
You’re going to meet with Maxim.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
To get to know each other for a day.
He then sat down and started to eat..
Tae-rin
💭I should’ve expected it..
Tae-rin
💭Though, can’t say I’m curious.
Tae-rin
💭I must be living under a rock because I don’t know his face.
You continued to eat until your place is finished.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
I’ll go order the maid to clean this up,
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
And I will go to the garden to water the flowers.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Be dressed, the driver will be waiting for you outside.
He goes upstairs to his bedroom to the bathroom.
While showering, thoughts crossed his mind.
Will Maxim be Handsome? Or look kind?
Will he be completely the opposite of what he thinks of him?
He then finishes showering.
He dresses into a suit and finishes it off with his favorite cologne
He goes downstairs and to outside.
Driver.
Young master, over here.
He turns and sees the driver.
Tae-rin
Where are we going exactly?
Driver.
To Maxim Nikolaev’s estate.
Tae-rin
Oh!.. Okay, let’s go then..
To his private estate suddenly?
He steps inside the sleek black car and the driver starts the engine.
Tae-rin
💭Is this a start of an Unwanted Journey?
Rules Written in Water
Driver.
Young master, it seems like we’re going to be a bit late.
Tae-rin
No, there’s still 15 minutes.
Tae-rin
If we’re lucky, we could make it..
Driver.
Ah, they’re moving
Tae-rin
.. Aren’t you still driving?
Driver.
Yes.. But Maxims estate is up on the cliff..
Tae-rin
So, this whole land is his?
Tae-rin
💭I wonder how he feels when he needs to walk to his house. Huh.
The car stops at the entrance.
Driver.
Your father told me to pick you up at 5.
Tae-rin
Oh.. so I’m going to be with him this whole afternoon?
Driver.
Yes, young master.
Tae-rin
Ah.. Okay, thank you.
Tae-rin opens the door and leaves the car,
He sees a butler outside the entrance to the elegant building.
Maxim’s Butler
Hello, Kang Tae-rin. Master is currently waiting for you at the balcony.
Tae-rin
Ah, I must’ve kept him waiting..
Maxim’s Butler
No, no. You’ve arrived right on time.
Maxim’s Butler
Please, follow me.
Tae-rin
💭Why do I feel nervous all the sudden?
Tae-rin follows the old man to the balcony.
As they got closer, he could see a tall man with his back turned to them.
Maxim’s Butler
Master, Kang Tae-rin has arrived.
The man with his back turned dismissed the butler with a wave of his hand.
The man says, and something about his tone made him sit down on the chair nearby.
Tae-rin
You’re Maxim Nikolaev?..
And Tae-rin could finally see his face.
He has a sharp jaw line, dark eyes, a scar on his eyebrows.. Overall, he’s handsome.
Maxim
You’re late by Forty Five Seconds.
Maxim
Your father told me you’re obedient.
Maxim
And I expect you to follow my rules.
Maxim
That is why I agreed on the marriage.
Maxim
💭..And if you’ve changed.
Tae-rin
And, if I am not that kind?
Maxim
Then you’ll learn my rules.
He stepped behind Tae-rin, leaning down to murmur against his ear.
Maxim
Rule 1. When I speak, you listen.
Maxim
Rule 2. When I’m silent, you still listen.
He presses his thumb on Tae-rins pulse point,
Maxim
Rule 3.. You belong to me now.
He then stood straight, and sat across the table.
Maxim poured a glass of water
And slid it across the table until it stopped in front of tae-rin
Maxim
You look like you need it.
Tae-rin looks at the glass of water..
Tae-rin holds the glass of water and speaks
Tae-rin
So, this is the part where we get to know each other..?
Tae-rin
Do you always interrogate your fiancés on cliff edges?
A muscle in Maxims jaw moved.
Probably the closest thing to a smile he can make.
Maxim
You’re my first fiancé that I haven’t blackmailed or bought.
Maxim
That makes you.. Statistically interesting.
Maxim
Your turn to answer. Why did you agree?
The night before the dinner:
Tae-rin
Father, why did you call me?
Kang Joo-hyun (Tae-rins dad)
Agree on the arranged marriage. You need to.
Tae-rin
And what if I say no?
Kang Joo-hyun (Tae-rins dad)
No. Never, our company will crumble.
Kang Joo-hyun (Tae-rins dad)
This is what we need to do, son.
Tae-rin
Okay. I will, father.
He left his father’s study and saw his mother.
His mother turned and smiled.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Sweetie, you look down.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Care to tell me what happened?
He then tells his motherabout his conversation with his father.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
*sighs*
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
Look.. We’re not forcing you, son.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
But.. As your father says, you need to say yes..
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
For us, okay?
His mother holds his hand.
Kang Kim-won (Tae-rin’s mom)
💭I’m sorry, sweetie..
Tae-rin
Because my father asked nicely.
Tae-rin
And if I refused.. My mother would lose the only friend she has left.
Tae-rin
And I wanted to see if the rumors were true..
Tae-rin
That Maxim Nikolaev never smiles.
Tae-rin
That Maxim Nikolaev never feels anything. That Maxim Nikolaev can watch a man die and check his watch.
Tae-rin
And I wanted to see if I could change that..
Maxim set the untouched glass down with deliberate care.
Maxim
Careful. Kang Tae-rin
Maxim
You’re playing with fire.
The butler never reappeared, lunch came and went,
Tae-rin barely touched his food.
They moved from the terrace to the library..
floor-to-ceiling windows, one long leather couch..
Maxim sat at one end, legs crossed, reading something on a tablet with the kind of focus that made the room feel smaller.
Tae-rin sat at the opposite end, knees drawn up, pretending to scroll on his phone but mostly stealing glances.
Maxim spoke without looking up.
Maxim
You may speak, if you wish.
Tae-rin’s voice came out small.
Maxim set the tablet aside. Stood. And walked over to the window
Tae-rin padded over. Stopping two steps from behind.
He pointed to a tiny yacht far below, cutting white foam across the water.
Maxim
If you ever need to disappear for a day,
Maxim
Tell me. I’ll have it ready.
4:28 p.m. They ended up on the indoor balcony overlooking the pool. The water was black glass under recessed lights
Maxim rolled his sleeves higher, slow and deliberate. Then glanced sideways
Tae-rin hugged his own arms
Maxim shrugged out of his jacket without a word and draped it over Tae-rins shoulders
It smelled like cedar and gun oil and something dangerously clean. The jacket swallowed him.
Maxim checked the slim watch on his wrist
Maxim
5 o’ clock. Your driver is waiting.
Tae-rin nodded, clutching the lapels of the borrowed jacket. He started for the door, then stopped
Tae-rin
Ah.. Your jacket..
Maxim
The jacket looks better on you.
Tae-rin’s cheeks went pink, but he didn’t argue.
The door closed behind Tae-rin at exactly 5:00 p.m.
Maxim stood alone on the balcony, watching the car wind down the cliff road until it vanished.
Then, for the first time all day, he exhaled.
Screwed.
Starting from today, I will start writing characters POV’s.
I wake up gasping because I just dreamed Maxim Nikolaev was kissing my neck while calling me “baby” in that stupid velvet voice.
Great start. Zero dignity left.
Seems like I’m in a good mood today..
I roll out of bed and immediately trip over the shoes I swore I put away.
Face-plant on the carpet.
Five stars, would recommend
I stood up and rub my face
I go to the bathroom and turned on the shower
I drop the soap. It ricochets off the wall like it’s auditioning for the Olympics.
I giggle without even realizing.
While I’m bent over picking it up, I catch my reflection in the glass door and actually say out loud..
Tae-rin
Looking good, future Mrs. Nikolaev.
After showering and changing my clothes.
I go downstairs and see a note on the table.
Tae-rin
“Board meeting 9. Prenup 2. Try not to look like a hostage in the engagement photos..”
I eat cereal standing up, milk dripping down my chin, and mutter..
I’m supposed to present the quarterly numbers. I stand up, open my mouth, and my brain blue-screens.
All I can think about is Maxim’s hand on my lower back last night when he “accidentally” guided me through the door
Tae-rin
Revenue is… uh… very healthy. Like his forearms.
Dad pinches the bridge of his nose so hard I’m scared it’ll snap off.
Cousin
So, is he actually scary?
Tae-rin
Both, simultaneously..
The lawyer slides a clause across the table:
Lawyer
In the event of infidelity, the offending party forfeits all assets and one kneecap.
I raise my hand like I’m in school.
Tae-rin
Does emotional damage count? Because I’m already losing brain cells every time he looks at me.
Kang Joo-hyun (Tae-rins dad)
Sign the damn thing, Tae-rin.
Back home. I practice my “cool and unbothered” face in the mirror.
It lasts exactly 0.4 seconds before I’m grinning like an idiot because my phone buzzes.
Tae-rin
“Tomorrow. 7 p.m. Wear something you can ruin.”
I stare so hard the screen should crack.
My brain short-circuits and does a full Windows-error noise.
The spoon I was using for my ice cream drops.
Ice cream splatters on my bare foot like a crime scene.
So high-pitched, I’m pretty sure the dolphins only heard it,
I type back with chocolate fingers.
Maxim
“You’ll find out. Bring a spare shirt. Or don’t.”💬
I throw the phone across the couch like it’s radioactive
then dive after it because what if he texts again??
Maxim
“Stop panicking, I can hear you from here.”💬
I scream into a pillow for a solid thirty seconds.
The pillow now has a perfect imprint of my face in melted vanilla.
I pace the living room in circles, muttering
Tae-rin
Okay, cool, cool, cool.
Tae-rin
Just my future husband telling me to dress for destruction.
I open my closet like I’m defusing a bomb.
White shirt? Too “virgin sacrifice”
I grab the navy one I wore the night he looked at me like he was calculating exactly how many sins he could commit before dinner.
I hold it up, and whisper to it.
Tae-rin
You’re coming with me, buddy. If we die, we die together.
It’s a single black tie draped over what is very obviously a headboard.
Maxim
“This one’s for later.”💬
I actually drop to the floor
Legitimately sit on the carpet and wheeze.
Tae-rin
I’m gonna combust before tomorrow even gets here.
I text back the only thing my brain can produce
Bury face in pillow again.
I just lie in bed staring at the ceiling, repeating tomorrow’s game plan like a prayer
Do not call him “sir” out loud unless he asks
Tae-rin
Okay, maybe if he asks..
I spend the rest of the night stress-eating ice cream straight from the tub while googling “how to not moan when your mafia fiancé breathes near you.”
Tae-rin
Tomorrow I see Maxim again..
And I still haven’t figured out how to form sentences around him..
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