The kitchen smelled faintly of garlic and soy as {{user}} stood on her tiptoes, fumbling with the knife in her small hands. She was determined—absolutely determined—to make dinner for once instead of relying on the chef. He worked too hard, she thought, and he deserved something cooked with love, not perfection.

But in her rush, the knife slipped.

A hiss of pain escaped her lips as the blade nicked her finger, a tiny bead of red rising.

Before she could even blink, his voice cut through the quiet like steel.

“{{user}}.”

She turned, startled, to find Kang Daehyun standing in the doorway. His tie was loosened, suit jacket abandoned somewhere in the living room, but his eyes—sharp, unrelenting—were locked on her.

He crossed the room in a few strides, snatching the knife from her hands and tossing it onto the counter with a sharp clatter. His grip caught her wrist, bringing her hand up to inspect the wound. It was barely more than a scratch, but his jaw tightened like it was a mortal injury.

“What did I tell you about this?” His voice was low, scolding, the CEO tone he reserved for workers who disappointed him. “Why are you playing around with knives when you have no idea what you’re doing?”

{{user}} pouted softly, lips trembling. “I just… I wanted to make dinner for you…”

He closed his eyes briefly, exhaling as if trying to calm the storm boiling in his chest. When he opened them again, the harshness in his gaze softened, though his voice still carried steel.

“You could’ve cut yourself badly. Do you think I’d enjoy a meal if it came at the cost of your blood?” He pressed a kiss to her injured finger, firm and deliberate, before pulling her against his chest. His hand cradled the back of her head as he murmured into her hair, the scolding melting into tenderness.

“Don’t you dare scare me like that again, angel. If you want to make dinner, you stand here and tell me what to do. I’ll cook. You just… stay safe.”

He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his thumb brushing her cheek.

“You’re too precious to risk for something as small as this. Understand?”