Vivaldi's Winter.
A smooth yet persistent rhythm giving life to the gradual fall of snowflakes and a rapid quiver of violins chattering like teeth in the extreme cold.
The shrill movement resonating around the living room was chilling, but it soothed Taehyung's nerves as the rich Malbec melted on his palate.
It was a pleasure to unwind after a day of catching up on business. The earnings from the House of Cards combined with his network of various enterprises brought in a sustainable income, but while money was no object, he was going to need a significant sum to alter the core values of Jimin's club.
Hyun Bin - his latest associate - nurtured a team of broodmares on a vast ranch outside Gwangju, but it was Taehyung's investment that helped the man jump-start his vocation. With the expectation of generating another income himself, of course.
There was a lot of money to be gained in horse racing, and to increase the chance of finding winning champions, the industry depended on breeding a large quantity of thoroughbreds at a high turn-over rate.
Now that he was home, Taehyung was keen to meet their latest prize; a stoutly bred mare proven to be the source of several impressive stallions. The Countess was quite the "catch", and after seeing the fine beauty at the stables this morning, he and Hyun Bin had enjoyed a ride out to discuss upcoming prospects.
A fulfilling endeavour indeed, but being away from Yunhee for hours on end left him eager to return to Pyeongchang-dong to ensure the brazen woman was behaving herself. Keeping his distance last night was a difficult task, and throughout the course of the day, he had to remind himself that there was no rush.
Over time, he would woo Yunhee with gentle caresses and touching gifts that would see her willingly fall into his arms.
A shift in the foyer captured Taehyung's attention, a sharp inhale of breath rushing through gloss-coated lips when his gaze met a pair of startled eyes peering through the ajar door.
My, my. The little minx was spying on him.
Placing his wine aside, Taehyung climbed to his feet and poured Yunhee a helping of vino, smirking like a Cheshire Cat when her slim figure retreated a step.
'Won't you come in?' he asked as he leaned against the drink's cabinet and observed her through the narrow slit in the door.
What a titillating sight to behold.
Yunhee loitered in the hallway like a lost lamb, torn between entering and fleeing back to her bedchamber. He was a man of little patience, but tonight, he was intrigued to see the decision she would make.
To his delight, Yunhee smoothed her shaking palms over her dress and pushed on the door. Nails clinking against her wine glass, Taehyung watched her slip into the living room, but while her gaze was nervously averted, he took the opportunity to soak up her radiant appearance.
Minimalist make-up accentuating her natural beauty, a silky chignon bun resting at the base of her slender nape. But the cold shoulder gown he'd longed to see her in, it hugged her figure and flowed around her peep-toe heels like liquid from a cascading waterfall.
He was also pleased to see her wearing the earrings he'd had delivered today, a pair of diamond drops that complimented her stunning attire.
'Enchanting,' Taehyung complimented as he walked closer and offered her the Malbec. 'Your favourite.'
'Of course, you'd know that.' With an unimpressed glower, Yunhee stared at the blood red drink in his hand before sighing in defeat and accepting it. 'Thanks.'
Fascinating.
Taehyung knew that it was on the tip of her brash tongue to slate the flavour as she tentatively tasted the wine, but there was no escaping the appreciation that washed over her face when it tickled her taste buds, nor the groan of satisfaction when she took a second gulp.
Pleased with the outcome of her reaction, Taehyung swiped up his poison and swept his hand towards the green velvet sofa. 'Why don't you have a seat?'
'Huh?' Yunhee gave pause, the burgundy liquid sloshing around her glass before it could touch her lips again. 'I thought we were having dinner?'
'We are,' Taehyung confirmed as he jerked his head towards the clock above the fireplace, 'but you're fifteen minutes early, precious.'
Yunhee had the most expressive face he'd ever seen. From her soft pout and fluttering lashes as she savoured the quality wine, to the cartoon character broadening of her enormous eyes as she glanced at the time in mortification.
7:45PM.
It seemed the vixen had missed him today.
Cheeks ablaze with crimson embarrassment, Yunhee whirled around and rebelliously took a pew on the wingback chair knowing damn well he would be unable to sit beside her.
Imprudent girl.
With a self-satisfied smirk, Taehyung perched on the armrest as she shuffled to get comfortable. The defiant roll of her eyes as she glared up at him made him kiss his teeth while he confidently held her gaze, but it didn't take long for the woman to find distraction in the elegant furnishings instead.
Following her line of sight, he tried to gauge what was going on in her head until she stopped and observed the vinyl churning out Vivaldi on the record player.
'You like Le Quattro Stagioni?' Taehyung questioned.
'The Four Seasons?' Yunhee translated as she eyed the LP spinning beneath the needle. 'That's an Italian pizza topping, right?'
'Not quite,' Taehyung pursed his lips to stifle a laugh, 'but if Vivaldi were alive and making pizzas for a living, I'd cheerfully order in.'
'Wow.' Scoffing in incredulity, Yunhee lost focus on the record player and raised her chin to look up at him. 'Was that your attempt at humour?'
Taehyung shrugged, keeping his blistering gaze fixed on the befuddled woman as he took a sip of his wine.
'Where did you go today?' was her next terse question.
'For a ride.'
'In your car?'
When Taehyung shook his head with a diminutive smirk, Yunhee squared her creamy shoulders and pivoted in her seat to challenge him head on.
'Did you kill anyone?'
'Did you?' he countered with a quizzical brow.
Taehyung was surprised to see a whiff of a smile on Yunhee's painted lips, but she instantly concealed her amusement and flopped against the back of the chair with a bewildered expression.
'Hoseok stayed out of sight, so there was no opportunity for me to murder him,' she declared as her face settled into a determined scowl, 'but I broke three of your dinner plates right after you left.'
Taehyung chuckled and braced his elbow on the headrest, the tips of his dangling fingers brushing the top of her silky hair. 'What else did you get up to in my absence?'
'Oh, let me think,' Yunhee mulled it over, squinting at the ceiling as she batted his wandering hand away. 'I paced the bedroom five-hundred times, tried but failed to smash two windows and escape, uprooted a sapling in the garden, and grozzed in the face of the security guard who manhandled me back upstairs.'
'Hmm, I see,' Taehyung drawled as he grappled with the compulsion to march outside and find the man who'd dared touch her. They had four hours before the day came to an end; plenty of time to soak his hands in blood. 'Which guard was it?'
'So, you can string him up and kill him? I don't think so,' Yunhee jeered before restlessly glugging the rest of her wine.
'You're going to spill that if you don't calm down, precious,' Taehyung cautioned when a drop escaped onto her chin.
Before it could drip onto her dress, Taehyung clasped her jaw and swiped the tiny bead away with his thumb.
Yunhee tensed beneath his touch, her fingers gripping her glass stem as her breathing increased and the hushed whispers intensified, but he swore he could hear her heart pounding wildly when their eyes connected.
'My doppelgänger was a fool,' Taehyung whispered as he roved every inch of her beautiful face. 'How could he let you walk away so easily?'
Sliding her palm up the length of his arm, Yunhee wrapped her fingers around his and snatched his hand away. 'Because he knew he'd fucked up and respected my decision to end our relationship.'
'He should have chased you,' Taehyung insisted, displeased that she'd irrationally disregarded his advances. 'If I were him-'
'You're not him, and yet you still came after me,' Yunhee argued as moisture pooled above her faint eyeliner. 'You wanted Tae out of the picture, and you got your wish when Hoseok murdered him.'
'But he's not dead, precious,' Taehyung licked his lips, 'He's sitting right in front of you.'
The skilfully executed statement seemed to hit the mark, for Yunhee gasped and reared away in shock. The woman was upset, and at that moment, perhaps she thought he was crazy, but she would soon realise that they were meant to be.
'Taehyung, please,' Yunhee implored when he rose from the armrest and ambled to the record player, 'let Jinnie go. He doesn't deserve your- this cruelty.'
Taehyung's nostrils flared, the concerto coming to a jarring finish when he clutched the needle and lifted it from the vinyl.
She thought he was cruel. After everything he'd done to bring her home.
Somewhere in the back of his distorted mind, Taehyung became aware of Yunhee's presence as she cautiously tip-toed over to his hunched form. He felt her hot breath fanning his shirt, her warm palm caressing his spine so tenderly that he almost lost the ability to breathe.
'I'm sorry...I...I promise to stay with you if you let him go.'
Damn and blast this cunning woman. Damn and blast the manipulative force that shrouded them like a choking smog.
It was The Dark Energy that was cruel. Cruel for stirring a range of uncontrollable emotions within him when it came to Hahm Yunhee. Had it been some other battle-axe with an alluring face snooping around his club that night, he'd have snapped her neck on site.
And yet, here they were, fifty-seven days later, bound by an unbreakable bond he would not for the world see severed while she blubbered over a bunch of pathetic men.
Could she not see that he was the superior candidate?
The clock on the mantelpiece struck eight, its solemn knell infusing the silence as Taehyung turned to cup Yunhee's cheek.
'Let's eat.'
*
A pizza quattro stagioni on the sofa with Taehyung a thousand miles away would have sufficed.
Instead, Yunhee had been subjected to some Michelin Star recipe she couldn't even pronounce while the oppressive son-of-a-bitch made googly eyes at her across the table.
On the bright side, Taehyung's cranky mood had taken a turn for the better.
Honest to God, for a moment, she was sure that he was going to snap his beloved Vivaldi record in two and send her to the dungeon, but to her astonishment, he'd led her to dinner instead.
Four delicious courses later - although, she'd skipped dessert in fear that Taehyung had placed her on the menu - and she considered their meal to be a success. Mainly because: (a) both parties cleared their plates, (b) both parties refrained from resorting to extreme violence, and (c), both parties abstained from having sex.
Way to go for resisting The Dark Energy this evening.
Taehyung watched her like a hawk now, pretending to be gallant as he held the door open and allowed her to leave the dining room first. Yunhee couldn't scurry out fast enough, relieved to be out of the stifling atmosphere after an hour of listening to the deranged turd prattling shit.
Literally shit.
Discussing all the things they'd done together as a couple as if he'd been the one dating her for eleven months. Discussing all the things they would soon do together as if she was going to spend the rest of her life by his side.
The level of delusion implanted in Taehyung's mind was alarming, and being around him while tempted by The Dark Energy was so frightening that Yunhee couldn't wait to retreat to her room and breathe.
Granted, she'd lost her cool in the gardens this afternoon and taken her frustration out on that poor sapling before wrestling with an agitated security guard blinded by her saliva, it was still a relief to roam the grounds without the fanatical freak panting down her neck.
At least that's what she'd thought until the bouncer tossed her back into her bedroom.
Taehyung may have left her to her own devices this morning, but during his absence, he'd still managed to creep his way into her day-to-day life.
Yunhee had been tempted to burn the red velvet box sitting on the bed. She probably would have if not for the handwritten note resting beneath it.
Burn the red hoodie instead ;-)
What a talented man Taehyung was, reading her mind while tending to business.
Pissed off for being held prisoner and on a mission to outsmart her captor, Yunhee decided to doll herself up and to try and catch him off guard.
The en suite shower was a bitch to work, and she was rubbish at applying make-up or achieving any sort of an updo with her flyaway locks, but the finishing result was surprisingly pleasing once she applied the diamond earrings and stepped into the navy dress Taehyung had asked her to wear.
Yunhee felt like a new woman, imagining she was meeting her grumpily adorable boyfriend for dinner as she floated down the staircase like a graceful swan.
It was Jimin she pictured as she heard Vivaldi's masterpiece sweeping from the living room, Jimin smiling at her as she peeked through the crack in the door.
Won't you come in...
And just like that, Yuhee's heart had deflated like a balloon. Fifteen minutes early and caught in the act because of The Dark Energy?
A fantastic start to her "women empowering women" plan.
Sensing Taehyung's presence behind her now, Yunhee hurried through the foyer before the horny devil got any ideas and decided to take their evening to second base. She was nearing the stairs when his palm slipped under her elbow and pulled her into the west wing.
'Oh, come on!' Yunhee whined as Taehyung wordlessly drew her along. 'Where are you taking me now?'
It seemed their evening was far from over. The persistent man was on a mission of his own, striding through the lamplit hall until he reached the only wooden door in the household capable of giving Yunhee heart failure.
'But I've been good!' she gasped, desperately trying to pry Taehyung's fingers off her arm as he opened the entrance to the basement.
'Relax,' he sighed as he tugged on the string of a swinging light bulb, 'I just want to show you something.'
Distastefully wrinkling her nose, Yunhee peered into the gloomy stairwell before suspiciously catching his eye. 'Is it a red room of pain?'
'Hmm, that would depend,' Taehyung said while playfully swilling his tongue. 'Did you pack the handcuffs and blindfold that were in the top drawer?'
Oh no, he did not.
Furious beyond belief, Yunhee made a second attempt to yank her elbow free, but Taehyung merely laughed at her effort, sliding his hand along her forearm and straight into her palm as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Yunhee wobbled in her heels when he began to lead her down the steps, so much so that she instinctively grasped the back of his shirt to stop herself from tumbling to her death.
'You better not scream at me if I fall on top of you,' she warned as they descended.
'Believe me,' Taehyung husked over his shoulder, 'if you fall on top of me, you'll be the one screaming.'
Oh, Jesus. Perhaps it was in her best interest to keep her mouth shut. Everything she said seemed to add a gallon of fuel to his impish fire.
Upon reaching the bottom of the dusty staircase, Taehyung guided her along a dismal corridor, her skittish eyes darting between the bolted doors on either side until they came to a halt at the end.
This was it. He was going to kill her because she refused to put out.
'Taehyung, what-?'
'You wanted to see your friend.'
Yunhee frowned, her perplexed gaze skipping over his shaggy black hair and scar, his Kingsman shirt and trousers, then back up to search his powerful eyes as they shimmered in the murky light.
Taehyung had done nothing but dismiss her pleas to release Jinnie since arriving, but he was releasing her hand to unlock the door with an old-fashioned key and slide the hefty bolt across.
'Five minutes,' he grunted as twitched his head into the pitch black room. 'Not a second more.'
Yunhee could hardly believe it. She had to force her sore feet to carry her inside, terrified of what she would discover once her dilated pupils adjusted to the darkness.
One hesitant step, another, and then another until a huddled form with broad shoulders took shape in the corner and a burst of emotion ruptured her soul.
'Jinnie!'
***
*gasps* Cliffhanger!
God, how I love Mafia Kim Taehyung...
27th June 2022