Can't Escape 3

Twelve

The soft glow of the morning sun began to creep through the curtains, but Taehyung was already awake. His dark eyes scanned the fragile figure beside him Y/n, curled up so trustingly in his embrace, her fingers lightly clutching the fabric of his shirt. She was still asleep, her face serene, a stark contrast to the turmoil she didn't realize she was surrounded by.

Taehyung's lips twisted into a subtle smirk, though his expression carried no warmth. He lay perfectly still, his sharp gaze taking in every detail of her vulnerability. The tear-streaked cheeks from the night before, the way she unconsciously sought his warmth even in her sleep, the faint marks on her arms marks he'd put there all of it painted a picture that made his chest swell with satisfaction.

Last night had gone exactly as he'd planned.

The tremble in his voice, the carefully crafted confession, the tears he forced to well in his eyes it was all deliberate. A performance meticulously designed to make her believe in the broken man he pretended to be. And just like that, she had fallen into his arms, her empathy becoming his most potent weapon.

Taehyung stared at the ceiling for a moment, his smirk fading into a mask of indifference. He hated the weakness she brought out in him sometimes the moments when her warmth threatened to stir something human inside him, something he couldn't afford to feel. But he shoved that thought away as quickly as it came. Weakness was a luxury he didn't have.

He turned his head slightly, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from Y/n's face. She stirred briefly but didn't wake, her lips parting in a soft sigh.

So easy.

The thought came unbidden, accompanied by a surge of pride. Y/n was his, his to control, his to shape, his to keep silent. She would never betray him, not now. Not after last night. He had carefully woven a web around her, one thread at a time, ensuring that she would never have the strength to cut herself free.

He thought back to the moment she had broken down in his arms, her soft whispers of comfort as she held him like a fragile child. She truly believed he was a victim of his own past, that the shadows of his father had shaped the monster she saw glimpses of. And in a way, she wasn't wrong. His father had been a cruel man, and Taehyung had sworn never to be like him. But as the years went by, he realized something—power came from control, and control came from fear.

Y/n didn't need to fear him, not entirely. No, she needed to pity him, to love him despite the monster lurking beneath the surface. That was the key. That was how he ensured her silence, her compliance. She would never leave, not when she believed she was the one holding him together.

"Foolish girl," he murmured under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

His hand trailed down her arm, his touch deceptively gentle. He knew how to play this game. He had perfected the balance between tenderness and cruelty, the push and pull that kept her tethered to him.

As he watched her sleep, his mind began to wander. He thought of the world outside these walls—the people who admired him, the reputation he had built so carefully. Taehyung was a man of prestige, of power. If the world ever found out what happened behind closed doors, it would all come crashing down. He couldn't let that happen.

That was why Y/n had to stay. That was why she could never speak out, never leave him.

The faint sound of a bird chirping outside broke the silence of the room, and Taehyung's gaze shifted to the window. The morning light was brighter now, casting long shadows across the walls. He let out a quiet sigh, his expression softening into one of feigned sorrow as he turned back to Y/n.

"Everything I do is for us," he whispered, though the words were meant more for himself than for her.

As Y/n stirred again, her eyes fluttering open, Taehyung's mask slipped into place. The smirk was gone, replaced by a gentle smile that he knew would ease the fear in her heart.

"Good morning," he murmured, his voice laced with warmth.

Y/n blinked up at him, her face still clouded with sleep. For a moment, she looked at him with an innocence that made something dark stir within him. She trusted him completely, and that trust was his greatest triumph.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, his hand brushing her hair back in a tender gesture.

She nodded slowly, her lips curving into a faint smile. "I... I did. Thank you, Taehyung."

He pulled her closer, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. "You don't have to thank me, love. I'm here for you. Always."

And just like that, the illusion was complete.

As Y/n nestled against him once more, Taehyung's eyes darkened, though his expression remained soft. He knew the storm would come eventually—another outburst, another moment of anger that he would take out on her. But for now, he was content.

This was the calm before the storm, and Taehyung had never felt more in control.

To be continued....
Will try my best for two chapter update for a week.