From Reluctance to Desire: A Mafia Story [JJK]

✨THE COLD STARE AND THE UNSEEN DANCE✨

The night was suffocating. No matter how much I tossed and turned, sleep refused to come.

The silence in the mansion felt too loud—every creak of the walls, every rustle of the wind outside made me jolt. My body was exhausted, but my mind wouldn't stop replaying the events of the night before.

The break-in. The fight. The blood.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the memories to disappear. But they didn't. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw them. The men who had come for me. The way Jungkook had taken them down without hesitation.

I wasn't naïve—I knew he was dangerous, that his world was built on violence, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely.

I pulled my knees to my chest, curling into myself. My skin still felt raw, even after scrubbing it over and over in the shower. The metallic scent of blood clung to my senses, refusing to fade.

A sigh slipped from my lips. It was going to be another sleepless night. I reached for the bedside lamp, hesitating before turning it on. The dim glow spread across the darkened room, offering a sense of false comfort.

Then, I heard it. A soft knock. My heart lurched into my throat. For a second, I thought I was imagining things. But then, the door creaked open—just slightly, just enough for me to see him.

Jungkook.

He stood in the doorway, half-hidden by shadows, his face unreadable. His usual cold, guarded expression was in place, but there was something else there—something I couldn't quite decipher.

We stared at each other in silence. I expected him to say something—maybe a snarky remark, maybe another reminder that I was just a burden to him.

But he didn't. He just... looked at me. The weight of his gaze was heavy, almost suffocating. It was as if he was trying to read me, to see what was going on inside my head.

And for the first time since I had met him... he looked unsure. I didn't know why he came. Maybe to check if I was still breathing. Maybe to say something but then deciding against it.

But after a few more moments of silence, he simply exhaled sharply, shook his head, and left—closing the door behind him without a word.

And just like that, I was alone again.

----

I must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing I knew, someone was waking me up. A soft, sweet voice pulled me from unconsciousness.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jeon."

My eyes flew open, and I nearly jumped out of bed.

A woman stood beside me, dressed in a neat uniform, her expression warm and poised. She had a calm, confident presence, as if she belonged here—as if she had always been here.

But I had never seen her before.

"Who—who are you?" I stammered, sitting up quickly. My heart was still racing from the shock.

She smiled. "I'm Juliana, the head maid of the household. You can call me Julia."

I blinked. Maid?

Confusion furrowed my brows. "I thought there were no maids here... only a few guards."

The woman chuckled softly, her tone friendly. "Oh no, ma'am. There are ten maids, two cooks, three gardeners, and twenty-seven guards stationed around the property for your protection. Additionally, there are Jungkook's personal guards—Alex Edmund and Luca Wilhelmus. You just haven't seen much of us yet."