Author's POV:
You saw the steak in front of you. Currently, you, Taehyung, Jo and Azure were in a restaurant eating steak while Azure ate her premium cat food.
You didn't argue with him at all. Neither did he talk to you much.
It was awkward. It was 9 pm right now and that incident from 2 pm made everything awkward, weirdly.
You couldn't read the look in his eyes. That look of hatred, emptiness and venom. The exact venom from that day. As much as his look changed from time to time, they always had this hatred for you, in such a way, you couldn't explain.
Jo sensed the atmosphere and said, "Umm... I heard we have a meeting tomorrow, sir."
"We do," Taehyung said, unbothered. You glanced at them before looking over at Azure, who was eating. This entire thing with him was so different. You both never really talked, just argued and insulted each other, yet this tension felt different. As if you were attached for the past 2 days. Maybe the hatred attached you both in a constant string of insults and mockery now that this quietness was feeling strange. But whatever — not the point.
2 days is enough to fall in love. And so is 2 days enough to hate someone to death to the point that being quiet about it becomes awkward.
"Umm, we have another party. This one's not like the bar one but an evening ball. Is Miss Y/N going?" Jo asked, trying to make the moment lively. You looked at Taehyung who said, "Yes. She is."
"What evening ball?" You asked, you had no idea about whatever evening event and he straight up went like — 'Yes, she is?' For real?
"It's an event by a businessman. No mafia business involved this time." He said, eating. You nodded and said, "But you never asked for my permission."
"I don't need to. It's not your choice to decide."
"B*stard." You whispered, scoffing. He glanced at you and looked at his food saying, "You can wear the same red gown again and if not, we can go shopping again."
"I'll stick with that gown. And it's burgundy, not red."
"As if it matters." Taehyung sighed and continued eating.
You glared at him before focusing back on your food. This was a typical conversation between you both. And it still felt better than ignoring him. Maybe you had gotten too used to insulting him and hating him that silence was starting to feel different. You couldn't wait for the time he'd just be gone out of your sight, in 2 months and 18 days.
You couldn't believe he had topped your blacklist in a way no one could ever top it ever again.
—After dinner
You sighed and lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Your room was now finally separate. Jo and Taehyung shared a room now, Jo was in your place. Another room was empty so you shifted there and took Azure with you.
Azure was sleeping on the small bed arranged just for her. You glanced at her before looking around the room in the dark. It was quiet now. God, how did you even sleep in the past 2 days? Must've been torture...
—2 days later
2 days passed by... weirdly. You and Taehyung never got along. You could never, that question didn't even exist actually. You always insulted him with every chance you got and Taehyung retorted as well. These 2 days, he seemed more responsive than on other days when he just ignored you. Well, he was also annoyed by the insults, wasn't he?
Jo and Azure just watched the drama. You spent your days with Azure mostly. In the middle, going out to eat with them and maybe walking around the park with Jo and Azure while Taehyung was doing his mafia business... how nice and peaceful!
Right now, you were in front of the dresser in the room, applying lipstick. He did buy you makeup— yeah he did. You were still confused at times. Did the kidnapped get treated that well? Luxurious food, dresses, VIP suite and what not? Yet you hated him. He was using you for his gains so of course— you deserved to be treated well. And he deserved the hate too.
"Stop justifying his acts, Y/N." You scolded yourself, shaking your head. The deep red lipstick made your face glow. That day, you went for a light nude lipstick which wasn't even that visible. But today, your deep and pigmented red lipstick did the work.
Your blue eyes and red lipstick went along so well. You smiled and picked up Azure saying, "Let's go to that annoying party. This time, I'm making sure to grab a coat beforehand."
You said. She meowed at you as you giggled putting on the little locket on her. It was a locket you randomly bought to spend Taehyung's money but seemed like it looked good on her, it was also short actually.
You got out with Azure to see Jo standing there. His bald head was sort of still funny to you. You did get used to him pretty much a lot but still, you didn't like him much other than his bald head which made you laugh at 2 am.
He looked at you, looking amused.
"You look good... wow." He said.
"Red is my colour, you see." You said raising a brow.
He nodded and waved at Azure who meowed at him. Soon, Taehyung came out saying, "Let's go."
You noticed him. His suit was different. It was navy blue this time.
He noticed you and a slight frown appeared on his face seeing your red lipstick.
"Why is this douche judging me?" You muttered under your breath. You saw his lips parting as if he was about to say something but as you looked at him with your sharp eyes, he closed his mouth. Shaking his head, he again spoke, "Let's go."
You smiled and continued chatting with Azure whose only response was: Meow.
But okay, you didn't mind.
—At the venue, 7 pm
"Give her to me now, miss," Jo said as you slightly hesitated. You didn't want to give her away to him.
"Give her to him," Taehyung said as you sighed, handing Azure to Jo. He smiled and walked away as you asked, "What are we doing now?"
He looked at you for a few seconds before saying, "At this party, you have to act as my fiancee."
"What the f*ck." That was all you could say. That was the only thing you could form.
He just stared at you blankly before saying, "As I said, this party is not any mafia-related business. This is for people in business who are rich and successful. Also, I'm not only a mafia but also a businessman. An honest businessman. That's why we're here at this formal party because I got the invitation."
"You're a what-? Honest businessman? Do I look like a kindergarten student to you?! Even a 5-year-old kid won't buy that." You scoffed. He shook his head and said, "You need to act like my fiancee regardless of what you believe."
"Why am I getting told about these now?! In front of the venue? You didn't even tell these to me before. I can't act like your fiancee! And, you could've come by yourself! Why did you bring me? Is this your way of bugging me?" You were irritated. He could sense it in your voice.
"I need to make sure we're seen together so your uncle knows that you're not in peace." He clarified. Yeah— for the first time, he said something more than just ordering you around. But it wasn't enough.
"You never tell me a thing. Why are you-"
"Because it's not okay to mess up this party. No one knows that I'm a mafia and this party is important. The information and pictures of this party will be of my gain."
"I don't care about your gain."
"I know. But you should care about your uncle. And you should know that he is related to every single thing I tell you to do. Every party and every situation we're in, he's a reason too. So don't go against me, not here."
His voice wasn't threatening at all. He sounded calm, somehow indirectly requesting you. He didn't want to use force, you could sense it. You opened your mouth to say something but he backed away saying, "Let's go. You're safe and sound as long as you listen to me. Someday, you'll get to know the reasons yourself. Don't force it out now."
He walked ahead as you just stood there— dumbfounded.
He didn't just tell you a ton of weird stuff and spilt some secrets and then convinced you to listen to him because your uncle was related and just left.
You were annoyed— very annoyed. At him. In his words. At everything which existed at this moment.
Huffing, you stomped behind him saying, "All I agree with is being called your fake fiancee. Don't even act like it or I'll kill you!"
"You're the one who is at the stake of being killed, not me." He said. Right— you were the kidnapped one, not him. But whatever— not the point.
—Time skip
"Yeah, she's my fiancee, Choi Y/N."
"I'm not."
"They don't understand Korean, sweetheart."
"That's why I'm clarifying it. At least I'm not lying unlike you."
"Sure, okay."
Every time Taehyung said that you were his fiancee, you muttered in Korean that you weren't. But these Americans had no idea about that. There were some other Asian businessmen too. Everyone seemed to be respectful to Taehyung. This place was a thousand— no, a million times better than that lounge. Everyone here seemed to have a partner. A few old businessmen were exceptions.
'Woah, maybe he wanted to fit in so he brought me. Hah, b*stard.' You thought. Even in your thoughts, you couldn't stop cursing him.
A few moments later, you were near the counter eating food. Taehyung sighed seeing you but didn't mind at all. A few more people came by and you saw how he was busy talking to others. Not like you cared. You were eating, yeah. Your gaze only went to him a few times. Yeah, all because you hated him and made sure he wasn't abandoning you in the middle of nowhere— nothing else.
You smiled finding the food yummy. There was a small snack which tasted good.
"American food ain't bad." You spoke to yourself. You could feel a stare at you but every time you looked behind, you saw that Taehyung was standing there, looking somewhere else or talking to someone else.
"He won't stare at me... gosh, my instincts are going weird." You said to yourself, shaking your head.
But suddenly, an announcement made your eyes go wide,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, let's all take our partners and come to the middle section for a ball dance!"