In the towering halls of Jeon Enterprises, one rule reigns supreme-perfection or nothing.
Jeon Jungkook is the cold-hearted CEO feared by all. Ruthless, obsessive, and emotionally locked behind walls no one dares to cross, he's fired fifteen secreta...
Taehyung smiled faintly, but inside, he felt cracked open.
He had thought keeping a distance would help.
But Jungkook's silence was almost worse than his intensity.
...
Afternoon – Office Corridor
After lunch, Taehyung passed by the hallway near the creative wing. Yuna was walking ahead with two other employees, but when she spotted him, she slowed her pace.
"Oh look, the golden boy," she said with a smirk. "Running errands today too?"
Taehyung kept his tone neutral. "Just doing my job."
"Well," she said with a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes, "sometimes it's not about skill. It's about being in the right place... or the right bed."
The laughter faded instantly.
Taehyung froze. "I don't think—"
Yuna tilted her head, expression cool. "Don't worry. Just a joke. It's office culture—you'll get used to it."
He gave a tight nod and turned away, face flushed with embarrassment.
But he didn't know that behind the nearby column, Jungkook had heard every word.
...
Public Scolding – Executive Wing, 03:20 p.m.
Jungkook walked into the hallway like a brewing storm. His expression was calm—eerily calm—but every step he took made the air buzz with unease. His employees instinctively stepped aside.
He stopped right in front of Yuna, who was now leaning casually against a wall, sipping her overpriced espresso.
"Yuna," he said, voice smooth like glass just before it shatters.
She straightened, blinking. "Mr. Jeon. I—"
"Who gave you the authority to speak about my assistant?"
The corridor fell silent.
"I—It was a joke," she replied, nervously glancing at the watching employees.
"Do I look like I'm laughing?" Jungkook asked, stepping closer. His voice was low, but it hit like a gunshot. "Do I seem like someone who tolerates slander, especially about someone in my office?"
Yuna swallowed hard. "I didn't mean it like that..."
"I don't care how you meant it. You don't speak about Kim Taehyung again—not like that, not even in your head. Understood?"
She nodded quickly, lips trembling.
"Good," Jungkook hissed. "Now get back to work. And consider this your first and final warning."
She rushed away, face red.
Jungkook turned slowly to the rest of the frozen onlookers. "Anyone else who wants to gossip can join the unemployment list."
The crowd scattered like scared birds.
Taehyung, watching from his desk, felt a rush of heat and dread wash over him. Jungkook's defense of him was... intense. Too intense. Protective. Territorial.
It made his heart thump in confusion.
...
Afternoon – Inside the Lion's Den
Jungkook didn't speak to him for hours. He stayed in his glass office, staring at the skyline, scrolling his phone, scribbling notes. But Taehyung could feel the tension leaking from the room.
It wasn't anger. Not really.
It was restraint.
When Jungkook finally called him in for a document update, the moment the door closed behind them, everything changed.
"I don't want to hear anyone say your name again. Not unless it's in a compliment or a direct report," Jungkook said, still not looking at him.
"Sir... it's not your responsibility to protect me like that."
Jungkook turned then—slowly, eyes dark and unreadable.
"You're wrong," he said quietly. "You're mine to protect."
Taehyung's breath caught. He gripped the file in his hands like a lifeline.
"I can't afford distractions," Jungkook said, taking a step closer. "But with you... I don't know what to do anymore."
"Then don't say things like that," Taehyung whispered. "Because I'm starting to believe you mean them."
Their eyes locked.
But Jungkook said nothing. Just stared at him like a puzzle he couldn't solve—one he was desperate to own but terrified to touch.
...
End of Day – Echoes of Obsession
As the office emptied, Taehyung stayed behind to organize the next morning's reports. The words Yuna had said replayed in his mind—but not as loudly as the way Jungkook had defended him.
You're mine to protect.
It shouldn't matter. It wasn't real. He was just an assistant.
And yet...
Why did those words warm his chest and terrify him at the same time?
Thanks for Reading ><
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