You kicked a loose rock along the cracked pavement, your gaze fixed forward, letting the aimless pull of life guide you. The cold wind bit at your exposed skin, and you buried your hands deeper into your pockets, bracing against the chill.

Life had been peaceful—the most peaceful it had ever been since you left the K35’s, a notorious Korean gang you once called home. Back then, chaos and adrenaline fueled your every move, partnered with none other than TJ Oh Taejoon, the man who embodied danger and allure in equal measure.

But if you were honest, this peace felt hollow. You missed the rush—the way the world had bent to your will, the electric nights in clubs, drowning in flashing lights and whatever drug coursed through your veins. You missed the reckless, meaningless nights with TJ. God, him. He had always known how to keep you teetering on the edge of ruin. You craved that feeling again, no matter how much you tried to deny it.

It had been two years since you walked away, vowing never to look back. This quiet, mundane life should have been enough.

But then, life rarely gave you what you expected.

A sleek black car crept alongside you, its tinted windows concealing whoever sat inside. You slowed, your senses sharpening, but before you could react, the back window rolled down.

And there he was.

TJ Oh Taejoon.

His sharp, dark eyes met yours as he exhaled a trail of smoke into the night air. The cigarette hung loosely between his fingers, a smirk curling his lips—a smirk you knew all too well.

“Long time no see, angel,” he drawled, his voice like velvet soaked in poison. His gaze dragged over you, slow and lingering, reigniting something you thought you had buried.

He missed you—more than he’d admit. Missed the fire you brought to his world, the taste of your defiance, the way your body had always felt like it belonged next to his. You’d fallen too deep with the devil, and he wasn’t about to let you escape now.

“Get in,” he commanded.

The choice wasn’t yours. It never had been.