"PRICE OF OBEDIENCE"

The first night

Y/N’s chest tightened as the door to her new room slammed shut, the sound of it echoing through the vast, cold mansion. The weight of Jungkook’s presence still lingered in the air, as though he had carved his dominance into every corner of this place—into her. She exhaled a shaky breath, feeling the pressure mounting in her lungs, her skin prickling with a sense of dread that was impossible to shake.

The opulence of the room, with its dark velvet drapes and gold-edged furniture, only served to mock her. It was a cage. No, worse than that—she was the prize displayed within it, a possession bought and paid for with the promise of her obedience.

Her fingers trembled as she ran them across the edge of the bed, the silk sheets soft under her touch but ice cold against her skin. The bed loomed large in the center of the room, a silent reminder of the unspoken demands Jungkook had yet to voice. The uncertainty gnawed at her insides. Would he come to claim her tonight? Was that what he had meant when he’d spoken of submission?

Her heart hammered in her chest, the silence of the room unbearable as the seconds dragged on, each one heavier than the last. She could still feel his eyes on her—those cold, dark eyes that had stripped her down to her core, dissecting her like she was nothing more than a specimen under a microscope. His voice had been calm, deliberate, as if her fear was nothing but an insignificant detail in his grand design.

“You belong to me now,” he had said, the words cutting through her like a blade. And he had meant every single word.

Panic began to rise within her, sharp and suffocating. She couldn’t stay here. Not like this, not under his control. Her mind raced, searching for an escape, any escape—but she knew, deep down, there was none. Jungkook had made sure of that. He was the kind of man who left no doors unlocked, no windows unguarded. This mansion, for all its luxury, was a fortress.

And she was trapped.

A knock at the door broke through the suffocating silence, and Y/N flinched, her breath catching in her throat. The handle turned slowly, and for a split second, terror gripped her so tightly she thought she might pass out. She half-expected to see him, towering and cold, stepping into the room to make good on his threats.

But it wasn’t Jungkook. A woman entered—older, quiet, with sharp eyes that missed nothing. She carried a tray, and as she set it down on the table near the window, she avoided making eye contact.

“Your dinner,” she said curtly, her voice low, almost mechanical. “Mr. Jeon insists you eat.”

Y/N stared at the tray, her stomach churning. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now, but the thought of eating made her feel sick. Every bite would be another form of submission—another silent acknowledgment of Jungkook’s control over her. Even the act of nourishing herself wasn’t hers to decide anymore. He had dictated it.

The woman left just as quickly as she had come, and Y/N found herself alone again, the air in the room thick with tension. The untouched tray seemed to mock her from across the room, a small reminder of her complete and utter powerlessness.

Her mind spiraled, thoughts rushing through her at a dizzying pace. How had her life come to this? How had she ended up being sold like property, nothing more than a tool for someone else’s will? Her aunt and uncle—the only family she had left—had discarded her so easily, like she was nothing more than a worthless object. Seven million dollars. Was that all her life was worth to them?

Tears burned at the back of her eyes, but she refused to cry. Not here. Not now. She couldn’t afford to break down. Not yet. She had to stay strong, even though everything in her life had been ripped away.

The soft click of the door startled her again, and this time, her entire body tensed. Her breath caught in her throat, her pulse racing wildly. The door opened, but it was only the wind, a slight breeze from an open window somewhere far down the hall.

For a moment, she allowed herself to believe that maybe—just maybe—she could leave. She could run. Escape before Jungkook’s control over her became even more suffocating. But no. She couldn’t. The mansion was a labyrinth, and every exit was surely guarded. And even if she did manage to slip past, Jungkook’s reach extended far beyond these walls. He owned people, connections. There would be no place safe for her.

“This is your world now.”

His words played over and over in her mind, haunting her, mocking her. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms so hard it hurt, but the pain was grounding. It was real. It was the only thing she had left to hold onto.

Hours passed. The night grew darker, the shadows in the room lengthening, creeping closer. The oppressive weight of the silence threatened to crush her, but still, she couldn’t sleep. How could she, knowing that at any moment, the door might open again—and this time, it would be him?

Her thoughts were consumed by him—by the man who now held her fate in his hands. There was something about him, something far more dangerous than his power or his wealth. It was the way he had looked at her, the way he had spoken to her with such cold, calculated cruelty. And yet… there had been something else. Something hidden beneath the surface, just out of reach.

A flicker of darkness she couldn’t quite place.

She hated him. She had to hate him. But deep down, in some twisted, terrifying way, there was a pull she couldn’t deny. A magnetic force that drew her toward him, even as every instinct screamed for her to run as far away as possible. The thought made her stomach churn with revulsion, and yet…

She couldn’t stop thinking about him.

The hours dragged on, and the weight of exhaustion finally began to settle over her. She curled up on the bed, pulling the thick blankets over her like a shield, trying to block out the reality of her situation. But even as her eyelids grew heavy and her body succumbed to fatigue, she couldn’t escape the feeling of being watched.

Even in the darkness, Jungkook’s presence was everywhere.