Erven woke up early as usual, his body moving according to a routine like clockwork. Coffee, shower, getting dressed, tying his shoes, the same steps, day after day. But lately, his life's rhythm had felt strange. There was a strange weight pressing down on his chest, an uneasy feeling he couldn't shake. It was as if the air itself carried a warning, whispering that something was coming. something he couldn't see or run from.
Night fell, and Erven returned home as usual. But the house greeted him with an abnormal silence. There was no warm light from the window. There was no humming sound from the refrigerator or the sound of his father's TV in the distance. Only darkness.
Erven: "Dad? Why.. didn't you turn on the light?"
He pushed the door wider, stepped inside and his feet hit shards of broken glass, sharp and cold.
Erven: "Argh! Who—who broke this?!"
Panic crept up his skin. His hands trembled as he fumbled for his phone, turning on the light until the surroundings were illuminated in a narrow strip. The scene that appeared made him catch his breath. Drawers were pulled out, torn papers scattered on the floor, furniture overturned as if a violent storm had hit. This was not just a burglary, this was an invasion. Personal. Deliberate.Then the sound he feared most was heard: footsteps, slow and heavy, coming down from upstairs.
A foreign man's voice: "Boss, Juan isn't here either."
Lucas. His name hadn't yet resonated in Erven's mind, but the tone of his voice was cold, cynical enough to make the hairs on his arms stand on end.
Lucas: "Tch. How dare he, huh? Hahaha..."
Erven's instinct screamed at him to hide. He rushed behind the living room cabinet, his heart pounding. But instinct alone couldn't save him, he chose the worst hiding place. The mirror behind him reflected his reflection, his shivering little body clearly visible. A strong, hard, authoritative hand snatched him out, dragging him into the open space.
Erven: "Ah!!"
He fell to the floor, pain shooting through his waist.
Lucas: "Who are you? Where's Juan?"
Erven's lips trembled. Opened. Closed. He shivered silently.
Lucas: "Huh?! I asked you!"
The man's hand grabbed his hair, pulling it up roughly. The pain stabbed his scalp until he groaned a little. Tears filled his eyes, but he held it back, refusing to flow.
Erven: "Aah! It hurts.. I'm sorry! I don't know anything! I just got back from work."
Lucas came closer, his aura engulfing Erven completely. Every breath he took was warm, controlled, brushing Erven's neck, making his body shiver in a way he hated to admit. His heart beat faster, not just out of fear.
Lucas: "What are you, his partner?"
Erven: "No, I, I'm Juan's son."
Lucas' eyes narrowed, sharp as blades.
Lucas: "Really? Or are you lying? You know your father owes you money and dares to kill my people? If he doesn't want to pay, that's fine. But this is what he chose?"
Erven swallowed, his small voice trembling.
Erven: "I.. I don't know what's wrong father, please.. let me go, sir."
Lucas's gaze was fixed on his face, as if judging, examining. His lips lifted slightly, almost like a smirk. There was something dangerous in the way he looked. Something that made Erven's heart beat irregularly, like he was trying to escape.
Lucas: "If I don't get Juan, you'll take his place."
The words were cold, but the way he said them, the closeness of his body, the touch of his fingers on Erven's cheek, his hot breath almost touching the sensitive skin on his neck, made something scary and seductive twist in Erven's chest.
Lucas moved closer, his face almost touching Erven's. His breath touched Erven's skin like embers. Erven held back a trembling sigh of fear and another, more primal instinct. The world around him shrank, his vision blurred, his body reacted without permission.
With orderly, controlled movements, Lucas bound Erven's wrists and ankles. Each knot was made with intent, dominant, careful. Erven's heartbeat raced, his breath short and fast, caught between panic and the profound awareness of how close the man was, how powerful he was.
Lucas: "Hey, pick him up. We'll use him as bait to pull Juan out."
Bodyguard Josh: "Okay, boss."
Erven was lifted, almost effortlessly, his body clinging momentarily to Lucas's as he was pulled out. Fear and adrenaline mixed into something else, something that made his heart pound, as if echoing with the shadow of danger and the touch of the man who controlled him completely.
As the darkness of the night engulfs him, as the car door closes, Erven realizes with a sense of horror mixed with passion that his life has changed. Lucas' dark, intoxicating, menacing presence is now intertwined with his destiny, a dangerous thread that weaves fear, power, and an attraction he cannot escape.