Starlight Encounters

The Mafia King's Obsession Ⅱ

"My wife," he breathed in wonderment, rising to his full imposing height. "My everything."

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Word Count: 2007

Jungkook paced the penthouse endlessly, running his hands through his tousled hair. The sight of Lisa's prone, unconscious form lying on the couch made his chest feel unaccountably tight.

He'd never intended for things to go that far. The gunshots, the screams...it wasn't supposed to happen that way. All he'd wanted was for Lisa to understand her purposes, her role at his side.

But seeing her defiance, her tormented eyes when her useless parents hit the ground...something primal and feral had been unleashed inside him. An uncontrolled madness he didn't fully recognize.

Jungkook rarely allowed himself to dwell on guilt or regret. In his world of violence and depravity, remorse was a liability. You did what was necessary by any means to survive and rise to power. That simple code had made him the most feared crime boss in Seoul.

Yet as he gazed upon Lisa's peaceful features, her beauty unmarred in repose, Jungkook felt a pang unlike anything he'd experienced before. A gnawing ache that went beyond his selfish desire to possess her.

In that moment, as if sensing his roiling thoughts, Lisa began to stir. Those soft brown eyes fluttered open, instantly filling with trepidation.

Jungkook instinctively rushed to the couch, kneeling beside her. Lisa flinched, trying to recoil, but he caught her wrist with a gentle firmness.

"Don't be afraid," he murmured, surprising himself with the raw sincerity in his words. "I...I never wanted to hurt you that way."

Jungkook trailed off, unaccustomed to feeling so disarmed. He reached out as if to stroke Lisa's cheek, but hesitated with uncharacteristic uncertainty.

"I can't lose you," he finally admitted in a husky rasp. "You mean...everything to me."

Tears shimmered in Lisa's eyes at his unexpected vulnerability. She'd never seen the powerful, fearsome mafia king expose such weakness before. His calloused thumb brushed lightly over the delicate skin under her eye, achingly tender.

"Let me take care of you," Jungkook pleaded hoarsely. "Allow me to cherish you the way you deserve. The way I should have all along."

He ducked his head, almost sheepish. "Just stay with me. Be mine...and I vow to spend every breath making you happy."

Lisa's breath hitched at the desperation, the unmistakable ardor burning in his intense gaze. Was this all an elaborate manipulation? She couldn't be certain. But something in Jungkook's manner resonated with a deeper truth.

Slowly, she reached up to trace the line of his strong jawline with a featherlight caress. She gave the tiniest nod, holding his stare, putting her faith - her life - in the hands of the very man who had shattered her world.

Over the days that followed, Jungkook remained true to his promise to cherish Lisa above all else. Gone were his mercurial rages, his harsh discipline. He lavished her with soft affection, tender words, and a burning need to atone.

Expensive jewels, designer dresses, lavish dates - nothing was too exorbitant to shower upon Lisa as a token of his deepening devotion. More importantly, Jungkook tempered his innate domineering nature and allowed her a sense of independence and personal freedom she'd never experienced before.