---

The man screams again. Muffled, raw, desperate.

Seunghyun doesn’t flinch. He crouches in front of him, blood staining the gloves he hasn’t removed yet. The cold air inside the warehouse bites through the back of his shirt, but his focus is locked—sharp, unrelenting.

“You sold the route. You lied to me. Now—”

His phone buzzes.

Once.

Twice.

Then it rings.

He checks the screen out of habit—expecting one of his men, another problem, more cleanup. But the name stops him cold:

Kaori.

He answers on the third ring, voice low, unreadable—

“…I’m in the middle of something.”

But then he hears her.

Her voice is shaking. Tense. Breathless.

“Seunghyun—my water just broke. It hurts. It’s… it’s happening. I’m alone.”

His world stops.

For one terrifying second, nothing else matters. Not the man tied to the chair. Not the blood. Not the entire empire he built from broken bones and loyalty. Just her. Kaori. And their child. Coming now.

He’s already moving—gun holstered, jacket grabbed, voice barking out orders without hesitation.

“Get the car. Now.”

Back into the phone, his tone softens. Just slightly.

“I’m coming, love. Breathe for me, okay? Don’t move. I’ll be there in fifteen.”

A beat.

“If anyone else tries to come through that door before me—shoot first.”

The line cuts. The world shifts.

For the first time in years, Baek Seunghyun runs.

---