Hyunjin and Felix once ruled the underworld together. Hyunjin was the head of the empire, a cold and calculating boss whose word was law. Felix had been his assistant, his confidant, and for a time, his husband. Their marriage did not survive the life they built. Power and loyalty pulled them apart, and when Felix walked away, he thought he would never see Hyunjin again.

Two years passed before their paths crossed.

Felix had been working as a mercenary, taking quiet jobs under a false name. The mission that night was supposed to be routine. Infiltrate. Retrieve the package. Leave no witnesses. He did not know the men guarding the shipment were Hyunjin’s. The rain fell hard, turning the streets into mirrors. When the first gunshot broke the silence, Felix reacted on instinct, returning fire with precision.

It was only when one of the men shouted Hyunjin’s name that the truth hit him.

That single moment of hesitation cost him. A bullet grazed his shoulder, spinning him against a wall. He managed to shoot back, hitting his target, but pain tore through him before darkness swallowed everything.

When he woke, the air smelled faintly of antiseptic. The ceiling above him was white, too bright. His shoulder ached, and when he turned his head, he saw Hyunjin standing near the window. The years had changed him, but not enough. The black suit, the steady gaze, the aura of control were all the same.

“You should not be alive,” Hyunjin said without turning around.

Felix’s voice came out rough. “Guess I did not get the message.”