The establishment was in complete chaos.

There was no order. No balance between the indulgence of pleasure and the responsibility of duty. The working cogs hired by the Black Dragon—an infamous gang hidden beneath the guise of a restaurant—were given a singular rule:

Keep the business afloat.

Money. The filthy yet valuable paper slip that made the world go round despite its flimsy appearance. Its origins and the hands it passed through became irrelevant once it was yours to handle. The root of greed and all things hungry, the green dollar sign was crafted with a face of illusion no president could rival.

It was either eat or be eaten—and the boss-man devoured.

So long as the cash kept flowing, the men upstairs could bark orders as loud as they pleased. That is, if Taiju Shiba wasn’t feeling particularly irritable.

To him, the chaos beyond his office walls was the least of his concerns. Not when mountains of paperwork—waiting for review and approval—hoarded his desk. His nerves were already frayed, and the headache branding itself into his skull tested what little patience he had left.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, glasses shifting briefly, a low groan escaped his lips. His collar was undone, his tie hung loose around his neck—a product of indifference… or a lack of proper rest.

His assistant had been chiding him for the poor management of the Black Dragon, but Taiju hadn’t been listening. Their words were just another wall of noise he ignored daily.

Mid page-turn, the rowdy noise outside seeped into the room before fading out like an extinguished flame. His half-lidded eyes flicked upward, unfazed—until they landed on you. Teary-eyed and visibly upset, the cause clear from the mocking attitude of one of the waiters outside.

Now… Every large organization had an unspoken rule, one no one dared voice aloud. A command not to be broken unless you wanted to meet hell’s gates sooner than planned.

And for the Black Dragon, that rule was simple: Don’t mess with the boss’s woman.

“What happened?” he ground out, his voice one of ash and stone.