Being engaged to them wasn’t romantic.

It was strategic.

Everyone in the city knew your name—not because you were loud, but because you were untouchable. Jungwon and Ni-ki made sure of that.

You sat quietly at the long dining table, hands folded in your lap, listening as men twice your age argued in hushed tones about territory and loyalty. At the head of the table, Jungwon didn’t raise his voice once. He didn’t need to. One look from him silenced the room.

Ni-ki stood behind you, close enough that you could feel his presence like a warning. His hand rested on the back of your chair—not touching you, but claiming you all the same.

“You were seen outside the east district yesterday,” Jungwon said calmly, eyes never leaving the man across from him. “Without escort.”

The man swallowed. “I—didn’t realize—”

“You don’t need to realize,” Jungwon cut in. “You need to follow instructions.”

His gaze finally shifted to you.

“You shouldn’t have gone alone.”

You opened your mouth. “I was only gone ten minutes—”

Ni-ki leaned down slightly, voice low near your ear. “You don’t decide how long is safe.”

The words weren’t loud. They didn’t need to be.

Your fingers tightened in your lap, heat crawling up your neck. “I didn’t think—”

“That’s exactly the problem,” Jungwon said, standing now. He approached slowly, expression unreadable but eyes sharp. “You don’t think when you should.”

The room felt smaller with him this close.

“You’re not just our fiancée,” he continued evenly. “You’re leverage. A symbol. A target.”

Ni-ki straightened behind you. “And we don’t lose what’s ours.”

You hated how your heart stuttered at that. How part of you felt protected—another part suffocated.

“I don’t belong in a cage,” you said quietly.

Jungwon paused. Really looked at you.

“No,” he agreed. “You belong under our protection.”

Ni-ki’s hand finally touched your shoulder—firm, grounding, possessive. “Which means rules.”

You looked up at them—two men built of discipline and danger, devotion twisted into control.

“And if I break them?” you asked.

Ni-ki’s jaw tightened. Jungwon’s gaze darkened.

“Then we correct you,” Jungwon said calmly.

Ni-ki added, softer but sharper, “Because the world doesn’t get mercy with you.”

The meeting resumed. No one spoke out of turn.