RDM | MW [✔]

02. Wonwoo

He called me sweetheart.

Twice.

There was an ache in my chest, an ever-present throb that appeared the moment I opened my door. I'd known he was coming, I had six hours and a Xanax to prepare, and still, each breath felt like a fight.

Daddy was here.

In.

My.

House.

I almost didn't answer the door. Chaos became me when I heard him enter the building, and I stood behind my front door, anxiety clawing at my insides while he pounded up fifteen flights of stairs.

I whispered to myself, twisting my sleeves in my hands while I cursed out Mr. Choi but it wasn't his fault some lowly fucker threatened his life and Daddy was the best man to send him to hell.

I just... wasn't ready.

Not yet.

"Wonwoo?" Mingyu's gaze was heavy, nearly suffocating, and I wasn't in any way prepared for the way I'd feel when I finally saw his eyes in person.

There were hundreds of photos saved on my computer—screenshots of those little blue flames yet not a single one did them true justice.

They were as bright as I knew they'd be, but what lingered around them was a cloud of darkness. It felt like a stark representation of the two sides of him—the falsified version and the real deal.

There was nothing fictitious about the Kim Mingyu that now stood beside my desk. This man was the real him—untethered, armed, and undeniably gorgeous.

"Wonwoo?"

My cheeks heated. He's been trying to ask me something. "Uhm, sorry. Can you say that again?"

His lips twitched. "I was asking about that processor? Would you like me to get it for you?"

I had to forcibly stop myself from swooning. Even though he was just doing his job, the idea that he would get me anything made my heart feel like a melted ice cream cone.

"No, uhm." My hands shook as I retrieved a USB from the top of my desk. "That processor is the size of a compact car. It can't be stolen."

His head cocked, and the action caused a lock of hair to escape his ponytail. The strands swayed across his cheek, and I wanted to drag my fingers through it.

"I don't fucking care if I need to drop a couple of security guards and rent a goddamn semi truck. You want that processor? I'll get it for you."

Do.

Not.

Swoon.

"I actually, uhm." I held out my hand. "I just need you to insert this into it."

He plucked the USB from my palm. "This is going to help you hack into that thing?"

"Yeah, I can do it remotely but a direct link will save us a lot of time."

"Consider it done."

"I'll hack into the security system, turn off the cameras and unlock the doors so it's easier for you to get in and out."

He slipped the USB into the front pocket of his jeans. "How much time do you need to do that?"

"Hack their security? A couple of minutes."

"I'll go tomorrow night then. Let's exchange numbers. I'll shoot you a text when I'm headed that way so you'll know when to pop the locks."

This was why I wasn't ready to meet him yet. How was I supposed to explain that I didn't need his number? That he didn't need to shoot me a text because I knew where he was every minute of every day?