THE ENCOUNTER

CHAPTER 1

The luxury hotel ballroom in Gangnam shimmered under crystal chandeliers, the soft hum of live jazz filling the room. Handsome young man Min Jae-Hyun stood near the back, eyes scanning the elegantly dressed crowd. Tonight’s gala was supposed to be just a routine assignment, a way to keep an eye on the city’s elite—but he couldn’t shake the uneasy excitement curling in his chest.

And then he saw him.

Dmitri Volkov.

He moved through the crowd like he owned it, tall,hot, handsome,rich,broad-shouldered, dressed in a black tailored suit that hugged his form perfectly. His dark gray eyes scanned every corner, every person, with that predatory precision that made people instinctively step aside. The way he carried himself—confident, dangerous, magnetic—made Jae-Hyun instinctively take a half-step back.

Jae-Hyun’s pulse quickened. He hated how his body betrayed him. I’m not interested, he told himself firmly, though every instinct in him screamed the opposite.

Dmitri’s gaze found him immediately. No hesitation, no wandering—just an intense, piercing look that made Jae-Hyun’s stomach flip. Dmitri’s smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, dangerous and teasing at once, as he moved closer.

“Police officer,” Dmitri’s voice cut through the soft chatter, low and smooth. “I’ve heard about you.”

Jae-Hyun stiffened. “And I’ve heard about you too,” he replied, trying to sound indifferent. But his chest felt tight, and his heart skipped—a warning he refused to acknowledge.

Dmitri’s smirk widened. “Even more… defiant in person. I like that.”

Jae-Hyun arched an eyebrow. “Like what? That I don’t know who you are?”

“That fire in your eyes,” Dmitri said, stepping closer, close enough that Jae-Hyun could feel the faint heat radiating from him. “Your stubborn streak. It’s… intoxicating.”

Jae-Hyun’s hands curled into fists. “I’m not interested,” he said, though a flicker of curiosity betrayed him.

“You resist,” Dmitri murmured, brushing a finger lightly against Jae-Hyun’s hand in a touch that was teasing yet possessive. “Every inch of your defiance makes it sweeter when I claim you.”

Jae-Hyun tried to step back, keeping his composure. “You’re insufferable,” he muttered, lips twitching despite himself.

“And you…” Dmitri leaned closer, forehead nearly brushing Jae-Hyun’s. “You’re irresistibly tempting when you fight me.”

For a heartbeat, the gala, the music, even the city streets of Seoul outside—all of it—disappeared. It was just the two of them: the stubborn, teasing officer and the dangerous, possessive Russian mafia man who had already decided he wanted Jae-Hyun.

When Dmitri finally stepped back into the crowd, Jae-Hyun’s pulse still raced. He wanted to scold him, push him away—but he couldn’t deny the pull.

And Dmitri? He already had a plan. To make the stubborn, teasing police officer his, … no matter what it took... he wanted to get what he wanted.

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