CHAEYOUNG

"You destroyed my underwear," she hissed at me as she put her white shoes back on.

Straightening my tie, I tried not to smile, but I couldn't help it. "Next time, don't wear any at all and we won't have this problem."

My beautiful wife stalked up to me, slowly glaring at me with daggers in her eyes, and yet, it only made me want her more. I wanted to reach out and touch her.

What the fuck is wrong with me? No matter how many times I had her, it only made me want her even more.

"I don't have a problem with that," she said, glaring. "I'm not the one who has to sit through dinner thinking about how I have nothing under this dress, about how you could easily slip your hand underneath it and reach in me. But I think I will sit opposite you tonight."

She backed away so quickly it felt like I'd been awakened with cold water from the loss of her warmth. That, and the fact that all the blood in my body was rushing to another part of my anatomy. Damn her.

"You're going to sit next to me," I demanded as she walked toward the door and, my eyes went straight to her ass.

"No, I'm not. I would rather shoot you, but since I can't, I will sexually frustrate you instead. Do not rip my clothing," she snapped, leaving me aching for her.

"Bitch is going to kill me," I muttered, trying my best to calm myself down.

Staring at the file on the desk, I wanted nothing more than to destroy Vance now. I wanted to stare into his eyes as I lit his world on fire. However, I would wait. First I . . . we needed to fix the idiots under us.

The moment I stepped out of the study, Dahyun was already waiting.

"How long have you been out here?"

She smirked. "Long enough. I apologize because I would have waited, had I realized. She told me to calm down, it was just fucking sex. That woman scares and bewilders me all at the same time."

Just fucking sex.

I frowned. "Try being married to her. One minute she kisses you and the next she has a letter opener to your throat."

Dahyun's eyes widened at me before she broke out laughing. "One day she may just kill you Chaeyoung, I swear it."

"One day, she just may." I sighed. Truthfully, I wasn't even sure if she liked me for any other reason than the fact that we were married. I was 'just sex' to her, and it shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she wasn't going to change . . . that she would never care.

"So, I'm guessing you both handled the Superintendent? Or is there something I can do?" she asked, right as we stopped outside the door. I could see it in her eyes. Her own bloodlust.

Dahyun wasn't as much of a killer as Jeongyeon or me. She had always been, and would always be, the woman behind the computer, where I needed her to be. But when it came to the police, Dahyun wanted blood. It was, after all, an officer who had taken both her parents. She hated them and the code they lived by.

"If things get messy, you can personally clean it up, Dahyun," I answered. "But until then, just keep a watch on our Superintendent. If he buys a home near anything Son, let me know."

She nodded, and the dark look in her eyes disappeared the moment she stepped into the dining room. She stopped for a moment, noticing my wife sitting in her position next to Momo. She raised an eyebrow at me before smirking as if she already knew the reason why. Saying nothing, I walked over to my Mina, kissing her on the cheek softly. She flinched as if I had slapped her instead.

"Evening, wife," I said, trying to be polite while being just loud enough for everyone to hear. I knew full well it would tick her off as I took my seat across from her and to the right of my father. But I didn't care.

She was pushing me and I was close to snapping.

Dongwoon was and would always sit at the head of the table. I didn't care. It was a prop chair. It held no real power other than carving a turkey. I sat at the true head of the table. My mother sat on the opposite side and as always, they were speaking another language with their eyes. I tried to focus my attention on Mina. However, she seemed lost in her own mind. A mind I would give anything to read.

"Mina, is there a reason why you are not sitting next to Chaeyoung?" my mother asked kindly as I reached for my glass of brandy.

Mina frowned. "I swear she's trying to get me pregnant. She can't keep her hands to herself. It's kind of annoying, actually."

I felt the liquid rush back up my throat as I coughed. I glared at her. Of course she would bring up sex at the dinner table, of fucking course. She was my Mina and didn't give a damn about decorum. She lived to make me fear for my life, horny, or uncomfortable.

"What's wrong with getting pregnant?" Nayeon asked, glaring as she drank her wine while the servants brought our food.

"Nothing," Mina said, glaring back. "Nothing at all, especially when you do nothing else other than make yourself look pretty and shop."

Dahyun kicked my foot, but I said nothing, simply cutting into my steak. This was not my battle, and I was definitely not taking a bullet for Nayeon.

"You think you're better than us?" Nayeon snapped, causing Mina to laugh and me to stuff my mouth with meat.

"Barbie, I know I'm better than you," Mina said, sipping her red wine. It was basically a food group for her. "All my parts are original and not made in China."

It took all my might not to laugh, but I did grin like a fool, and in the corner of my eye, I could see my father smiling as well behind his glass.

"You bitch," Nayeon spat, rising from her seat.

Glaring over at her, I met Jeongyeon's eyes. "Control her, Jeong, or else she will need new parts. No one calls my wife a bitch . . . with the exception of me."

"No one calls me a bitch, period. You aren't special, Chaeyoung," Mina said, and it felt like she had stabbed me.

"Maybe you should tell her we don't attack family," Jeongyeon said as Nayeon sat back down.

"Yeah, we simply fail to defend them," I replied, knowing full well it would shut her up. However, she simply turned to me.

"How long are we going to do this Chaeyoung? It's been almost two decades!"

"When I said I would never forgive you"—I took another bite—"I meant not in ten, twenty, or even eighty years. We share DNA, nothing more."

"Chaeyoung!" Evelyn shouted. "I'm not sure what happened between you two, but Jeongyeon is right. It's time to make peace."

"Jeong, would you like to tell our mother what happened between us?" I asked her, waiting. The coward had never told either of our parents what she had done to me as a child. Part of me believed Dongwoon knew, even though he had never let on.

Jeongyeon nodded slowly to herself before standing up and walking to the door.

"Jeongyeon," Mina said, calling after her. Her back straightened before she turned to her.

"Pack your bag. I have something planned for the week. We leave tomorrow after mass," she said, not bothering to look at her.

She left quickly, causing Nayeon to stand up as well.

"Are you happy?" Nayeon asked.

I turned to Mina. "Well, love, are you happy?"

"No." She frowned at my use of love. "I would be happier if you passed the peas," she said, pretending not to even notice Nayeon.

Momo, who had kept her head down and mouth shut this whole time, surprisingly reached over and handed them to her. I looked over to Dahyun to find her glaring at her, and I knew that look. Momo had most likely gone through another credit card saving the hungry children of fill in the blank . . . it had only been two weeks. People were going to start questioning where all this money was coming from. At least we looked good. She was pissed. Maybe I would let her kill the police officer just to release some stress.

"You all sicken me," Nayeon hissed.

"You're still here?" Mina asked, acting confused as she added peas to her plate. Nayeon stormed out, and I was fucking grateful. I was already in a small battle with my wife, the police, and Vance. The last thing I needed was Nayeon and Jeongyeon drama.

"What are you two planning?" my father asked, simply.

"Camp," Mina and I said at the same time.

"Camp?" Momo's head popped up. If I remembered correctly, Momo actually liked the outdoors.

"No women," I said without thinking, causing her to look at Mina. Mina's eyes narrowed.

"Only those who are part of the job, Momo."

"So this camp?" Evelyn asked, unsure. If it was criminal, she didn't want to know, but she was interested.

"Basically, it's bonding for the men, or I plan on killing them all." Mina smiled, which only made her threat more deadly and sexy. The fact that I knew she would made me want her, made me want to give her the gun and pull the trigger alongside her. However, she just rolled her eyes at my lust.

"Camp," Dongwoon repeated. "Maybe I should—"

"Sorry, Dongwoon, but that invitation isn't for you either. You are the past, and as much as I respect it, and you, my men need to walk forward as one." My jaw almost came off as I stared between Mina and my father, who glared at her with fire in his eyes. However, they were no match for hers and only made her seem even stronger. Dongwoon shook his head and sighed.

She said my not ours.

Dahyun leaned into me. "When she wakes up in the morning, the devil curses."

"We both do," I muttered. How the fuck did she do it? How the fuck was she able to call forth hell and heaven in her eyes? I was in awe of her so often it pissed me off. I could hear Akira's words in the back of my mind. You won't find a woman who needs to be taught anything. He was right. She could rule without me. She wanted to rule without me. She didn't need me, and it ticked me off. She ticked me off, and once again, because of her, I always needed to think. She confused the fuck out of my goddamn emotions and me. I felt like a teenager again—unsure if I wanted to fuck her or punch a wall.

"Well then, daughter, I wouldn't want to get in your way. After all, you will rule the world one day," Dongwoon joked, though I'm sure he partially believed it.

She smirked. "One day soon, hopefully. I have placed all the pieces in order. Nothing will stand in my way. I've worked too hard for that."

"Don't overwork." Evelyn frowned. "I still think you and Chaeyoung should have taken a honeymoon."

"That would have been pointless. Chaeyoung and I got married for the company. A honeymoon would have wasted time." She frowned at the idea of it. She frowned at the idea of me.

Running my hands through my hair, I sighed before rising from my seat.

"I'm not feeling well. Goodnight," I told them all, walking away. I needed to remember I was just a piece to her.

MINA

I watched her leave in shock. She looked like she was so lost in her thoughts that she made herself sick. I wasn't sure if I should stay or follow after her. What did wives do in these situations? Maybe she needed a moment. Evelyn met my eyes, and I could almost feel her pushing me to the door. Sighing, I stood and wished them all a good night before walking out as well. What the hell was I supposed to say to her?

Honey, are you okay? Fuck no.

Chaeyoung, what the fuck was that? Then we would fight.

Chaeyoung, are you okay? She would try to have sex.

"Mina?"

Turning around quickly, I came face to face with Momo.

"Yes?" I shouted, causing her to jump. She was so sweet, I almost felt sorry for her, but she needed a spine and quickly.

"Umm . . . I was wondering . . . umm . . . "

"Ahh, I hate when people waste words. What's wrong with you?" The Momo I met was living high off glue and unicorns. This one seemed liked she had been roundhouse kicked off cloud nine.

She took a deep breath and stood straighter, which was still quite short.

"I'm losing Dahyun," she stated directly.

"That sucks," I replied. "Evelyn is the other way for couples counseling."

She glared at me before shaking her head. "I don't need Evelyn's help, I need yours. Ever since you came, Dahyun has been looking at me differently . . . like an annoyance."

"That could be the constant giving, you're rarely with her. So again, Evelyn . . ."

"Mina—and I am going to call you Mina because we are family and you can't kill me."

"Are you sure?" Dahyun was going to have to get a new wife if she didn't get to the point soon.

"Only in this family would charity work be deemed a flaw." She sighed. "But they notice me. They see me. Every time I write a check, help rebuild a house or a community center, you should see their faces. It's like I'm an angel to them, I'm important, needed. Do you know what that feels like? How it feels to be praised like that?"

She didn't give me a chance to speak before laughing to herself. "Of course you do, you're the great Myoui Mina."

"Momo get to your point."

"I love Dahyun, and I don't want to lose her. But I see the way she looks at you," she muttered, and I really hoped this conversation wasn't going where I thought.

"There is nothing—"

"No, I know," she said quickly, her eyes wide. "I know Dahyun would never cheat on me even if . . . I want her to look at me the way those kids do when I hand over a check. I want her to light up like she once did. So I need to be more like you. I need you to help me be more like you."

"Not gonna happen," I replied. "There is only one Myoui Mina, and there will be no second edition."

"Mina. I don't want to be you. I want to be like you. I want to be able to shoot a gun. I want to learn how to fight. I've always wanted to learn, but it was never our place. But then you came in shattering glass ceilings and literally breaking down walls. I want to see if you could train me. I don't need to become the best, but I want to be able to feel in control, and I want Dahyun to see me more than just a—"

"A good old housewife," I finished for her.

She frowned, her nose flaring. "Yeah. I want to get into the ring and show him there is so much more to me."

"Why not ask her yourself?" Dahyun was a great fighter, she and Chaeyoung boxed every morning.

"Because she has stopped seeing me. Everyone has stopped seeing me! I know what that means for our future. If I don't do this, Dahyun and I will only grow further apart and she will resent me. I would rather die than have that happen." She looked so scared that I almost wanted to help her.

"Momo, you have to train for yourself, not Dahyun, or any man for that matter," I replied, and she looked at me as though I was the one who was crazy.

"Dahyun is me, Mina. We have always been in sync, and then somewhere down the line, the music changed for one of us, and now I'm looking for the right station to get back to her. She would do the same for me. She has done the same for me. It's what married couples do. So, please, help me," she begged, and I wasn't sure what to say.

"I'm busy, Momo." The look of disappointment in her eyes bothered me. "However, Jihyo can stay behind and work with you while we are gone for the week. Then after that, I will see. Be prepared for months of bruises and pain."

Momo grinned, pulling me into a large hug.

"Thank you!"

"You're touching me."

"Sorry," she said, letting go quickly. "Thank you."

"Yeah, goodnight," I told her before leaving. Momo was good at getting what she wanted from me, and the last thing I wanted was to agree to anything else.

When I entered Chaeyoung's and my room, I could hear her in the shower. Stepping toward the door, I watched her as she stood under the stream of water. The drops rolled off every part of her body. She was so beautiful. She looked like a statue chiseled out of finest stone.

"Is there something you needed, Myoui Mina?" she asked me, not bothering to look up.

Myoui Mina? She hadn't called me that since the first time we had sex, and for some reason, hearing her call me that now bothered me.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Mina. I will be out in a moment," she replied, emotionless, but even I could hear the lie in that.

She was ticking me off. We do not lie to each other. Taking off my shoes, I walked straight into the shower, not even bothering to take off my dress. Flinching at the coolness of the water, I glared into her eyes, grabbing the side of her face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Myo—"

"Call me Myoui Mina again and I will knee you in the balls." I was not going to let her lie to me.

She brushed back my wet hair before pulling it and my head back. Pushing me against the wall, I glared into her eyes, they no longer seem light, instead they were filled with fire burning with passion and rage.

She snapped at me. "You do not own me. You do not own us. I am not your pawn."

"I never called you a pawn!"

"In my mind, I thought I was getting closer to you. But then tonight I realized all you do is play everyone around you, including me. I bend at your will. Since when did I start bending? You do not own me! I'm not another piece, I am your wife."

"Stop bitching at me. You're mad over my words? Why are you so fucking emotional?"

"Because I'm human, and therefore I have emotions!" Her volume made my eyes widen. "Do you even like me, Mina? As just Chaeyoung?"

Where the fuck was this coming from?

She smirked sadly, shaking her head as she turned off the water. Stepping forward, she kissed my forehead. "The fact that you can't answer that question is enough."

"You make it seem like we were high school sweethearts who eloped. This is business, Chaeyoung. I told you I could rule beside you, but I can't handle your emotional shit."

She knew this! Why the fuck was she being such an idiot?

"I made a mistake. I thought you didn't understand love. But you do. You love the blood and the power, as do I. However, I was making room for you, and it has made me soft. You're surpassing me because you don't give a fuck. You wouldn't take a bullet for me or even shed a tear if I died. I'm the guy to staunch your need and then you're off. I'm just sex. This whole night was nothing but Mina. This whole marriage has been about Mina. I won't waste my time. You want business? You will get business," she answered, leaving me standing in the shower. I was shocked and confused.

Did I even like Chaeyoung?

She was amazing in bed and beautiful, funny . . . sometimes. I didn't hate her.

When I stepped into the room, it was pitch black, making the hair on the back of my neck rise as I made it onto the bed.

She turned off her light. She never turned off the light. Ever since she found out about my . . . fear. The nights we didn't have sex—which were rare—she read until I fell asleep and each night she said goodnight, love. She tried not to make it obvious, but I knew the reason. If she was going to be cold, I was going to be colder. She was such a dick. But part of me felt like she was right. I hadn't really put in much effort since our second night together when I'd told her about the white shoes. She had looked so happy then, as if knowing that little detail about me was going to make her day.

So what if I had called her a pawn or a piece tonight? We were both pawns. We both knew that when we got married. Why was he trying to complicate the relationship? We fucked. We worked. Simple. But now that motherfucking asshole had to make sure I cared.

Groaning in frustration, I sat up quickly. She was awake, staring up at me with no emotion. I wanted to scream at her! Because of her fucking shit, I couldn't sleep.

"Let me guess, you need to have the last insult?" she asked, sitting up to prepare herself.

I raised my arms ready to strangle her, but pulled back. I was going to kill her. I wasn't clear about the reason yet, but I was going to kill her. There was so much I wanted to yell at her, but nothing was coming out.

"What the fuck do you want from me, Chaeyoung?"

"Go to sleep, Mina. You're going to wake the house."

"I don't give a fuck," I snapped. "What happened? One moment we are fine and the next you're . . . what the fuck Chaeyoung?"

She yawned and it ticked me off to no end. "I'm going to war, Mina. Everyone is coming for me . . . coming for my family, but the most dangerous woman in the world is sleeping next to me. I care for her, but she doesn't give a shit about me or anything."

"That's why I'm the most dangerous woman in the world!"

She smirked. "It's also why you're alone. You can trust me in work, but with you personally, you won't let me get close."

"I don't know you!" I yelled. "How long have we been married? Ten fucking days, Chaeyoung? Who falls in love in ten fucking days? Who feels anything in ten fucking days! That isn't normal!"

"I do." She glared at the ceiling. "We aren't normal. Normal people don't shoot other people almost daily. Normal people don't sell drugs nor are they at risk of dying every day. I don't have any time to waste going through the motions. Either I like it or I don't. Either I'm in or I'm out. I do not walk in the middle."

"Not everyone is like you."

"You're like me," she whispered. "But you would rather lock everything out. Joy, pain, love. You work on anger and lust."

"I don't hate you, Chaeyoung. Goodnight." I frowned, turning onto my side.

CHAEYOUNG

And just like that, I wanted to smirk. I knew I had her. Step one, smother her with love. Step two, take that love away. Step three, drag the raw emotions out of her kicking and screaming. The moment I left the dining hall, I knew it was time for step two. I planned step three for the morning, but she just had to talk it out now.

I knew who she was, and most of the time I loved it. But I didn't have time to take down her walls, brick by brick. I needed to find a weak point and then blow it up. I would keep going, keep being cold to her until she admitted the truth to herself. We weren't just sex anymore. Even now as she drifted to sleep, I could feel her leaning back for my warmth. She cared. She wanted to care more, but she was afraid.

Waiting until she was deeply asleep and muttering to herself, I reached over and hugged her against me. She smelled amazing. Kissing her lips softly, I watched as she rolled into my arms.

She wanted this. She wanted me. I was going to break her out of bitch mode . . . for me. I enjoyed her bitching at Nayeon.

"My sweet Mina. You're going to admit you love me, even if you have to pull your hair out to say it," I whispered, kissing her forehead.

After all, everything between us was a game of chess, and the key to winning when the game changes is to switch tactics. I had, and now checkmate was only one more play away.

All I had to do was complete Step four and she would have to say it. Once she did, we could be what we needed to be. However, I was going to need help, and sadly, that meant Jeongyeon.