The rain poured heavily over Seoul that night, painting the city in silver and gold beneath the streetlights. Lily ran through the crosswalk, holding a book over her head. She had just finished working late at the university — tired, but determined. Her full scholarship was her only way to chase her dreams.
But fate had other plans that night. A black car screeched to a stop near the corner. From inside, a tall man stepped out — his shirt soaked in rain and blood.
Without hesitation, Lily ran toward him.
“You’re hurt! You need a hospital!”
The man’s gaze was sharp, almost cold.
“Don’t meddle in grown-up matters, little girl.”
His voice was low, firm… yet his eyes said something else. And when he gave her a faint, tired smile, something inside Lily froze — a warmth that shouldn’t have been there.
A few days later, Lily sat quietly in a small café near campus. The bell above the door chimed, and she looked up.
Her heart stopped.
It was him. But now he looked… different — neat suit, polished shoes, calm aura, a faint scent of expensive cologne.
“We’ve met before,” he said smoothly. “Leo Varez.”
“L-Lily,” she stammered.
“I know,” Leo smiled. “My company funds the scholarship program you’re in.”
The world seemed to pause. The mysterious man she helped that night… was a well-known businessman.
After that, Leo began appearing around campus more often. Always with an excuse — “research collaboration,” “meeting the dean” — but everyone could see it: his eyes were always searching for Lily.
He found himself drawn to her — to her laughter, to her honesty, to the way she tilted her head when confused. For the first time in years, Leo felt… human.
But behind the suit and the smile was a truth he could never share. Midnight phone calls, secret meetings, blood that never washed away.
Lily had no idea that the man she was falling for was the leader of an international mafia — hidden behind the mask of a corporate empire.
One quiet night, after dinner at Lily’s tiny apartment, Leo finally spoke.
“Lily,” his voice trembled, “I’m not a good man.”
Lily chuckled softly.
“Then you’re the kindest bad man I’ve ever met.”
Leo looked at her — the only person who ever made his heart unguarded. And for the first time, he was afraid — not of enemies, not of death, but of losing the light that somehow reached into his darkness.
Outside, the rain began to fall again, as if repeating the night they met. And Leo made a silent promise: even if his world burned down… he would protect her until his last breath.