Mafia's Heartbeat: A Dangerous Love

Chapter - 22

The meeting room felt thick with animosity as Felix sat at the long table, Hyunjin beside him, his unwavering support and shield. Felix's brothers, Minho and Heeseung, sat near him, their expressions unreadable but alert. Jake was leaning back slightly, watching the TXT mafia with cautious eyes, while Sunghoon sat next to Heeseung, casually scanning the room. Felix's cousins—Chan and Seungmin—stood off to the side, their arms crossed, exuding quiet authority. Jisung and Niki stood at the door, vigilant as always.

Across from them, the TXT mafia sat, with Soobin, the leader, in control of the room. He was composed but exuded a quiet, intimidating power. Next to him was Yeonjun, his fiancé and second-in-command, a man as charming as he was dangerous. Taehyun, Beomgyu, and Hueningkai sat on either side of Soobin, their eyes locked on Felix and his family, ready to strike if needed. Behind them, their bodyguards stood at the ready, tension simmering just below the surface.

"We need to settle this," Felix began, his voice calm but firm. His gaze didn't leave Soobin's. "There's no room for misunderstandings. We agree to a ceasefire, and that's it. No tricks."

Soobin raised an eyebrow, leaning forward slightly. "You're demanding quite a lot for someone who's been encroaching on our territory, Felix."

Felix's expression didn't change. "Encroaching? You expanded into our land first."

Yeonjun smirked, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "We were just taking advantage of a gap. You should've secured your assets better."

Hyunjin, who had been silent beside Felix, stiffened at Yeonjun's words, but Felix placed a calming hand on his arm, subtly keeping him in check. This wasn't the time to escalate things—not yet.

Minho's sharp gaze shifted between the TXT members. "This back-and-forth is getting us nowhere. Either we reach an agreement today, or we go back to the way things were."

Taehyun leaned forward, locking eyes with Minho. "And how would that end for you, Minho? More bloodshed? More bodies piling up on both sides? Doesn't seem very productive."

Before Minho could respond, Beomgyu interjected, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe it's what they want. A little action to spice things up."

The tension in the room spiked as Seungmin stepped forward, his voice calm but icy. "No one wants unnecessary bloodshed, Beomgyu. We're here to make sure that doesn't happen."

Soobin's gaze shifted to Hyunjin, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You've been awfully quiet, Hyunjin. Got nothing to say?"

Hyunjin met Soobin's gaze evenly, not backing down. "I'm not here to exchange petty jabs. We're here for business."

Yeonjun's lips curled into a smirk. "I'd expect nothing less from Felix's personal bodyguard... and something more." His eyes flickered with something dark, but he didn't elaborate.

At that moment, Jake shifted uncomfortably in his seat, sensing the tension escalating further. Changbin, standing beside him, was already eyeing the situation with suspicion, his fingers inching toward his holster. "Let's not get off track here," Jake said, his voice steady. "We're here to settle this."

The door opened suddenly, and Jay, Sunghoon's bodyguard, stepped inside, whispering something into Sunghoon's ear. Felix's gaze flicked toward them but stayed focused on Soobin. Sunghoon nodded, indicating that the situation was still under control, but everyone remained on edge.

As they continued to discuss terms, Chan's voice broke through the rising tension. "We need guarantees, Soobin. No more games, no more surprise expansions."

Soobin smiled faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Guarantees? In this business, guarantees are worth nothing."

Felix's patience was wearing thin. "Then we're wasting time here."