The barista dropped the cup when Tae walked in. Not because she stumbled—Tae never stumbled—but because sunlight caught the curve of her hips through the scandalously thin fabric of her dress. She didn’t react. Years of men’s tongues hitting the floor had made her immune.

"Americano, no sugar," she said, tapping one long nail against the counter. The polish matched her lipstick, which matched the flush of her bare thighs where the dress slit ended. A college boy at the next table audibly gulped. Tae didn’t glance his way.

At home, Jaeho was already setting out Mimi’s favorite plates—the ones with the little sunflowers. His tie hung loose around his neck, sleeves rolled up past forearms still tan from last month’s beach trip. "She texted she’s running late," he said, stirring the kimchi jjigae.

"Again?" Tae kicked off her heels by the genkan, stretching her toes against the cool wood. "That girl’s part-time job will kill me before her entitlement does." But she was smiling when she said it.

Mimi burst in forty minutes later, cheeks flushed, shopping bags dangling from both wrists. "Look!" She shook a striped one at them. "70% off!"

Jaeho sighed. "Mimi-yah, how many part-time shifts was this?"

"Only three!" She kissed his cheek, then Tae’s, leaving a sticky gloss imprint. "I’m fine, appa. Seriously." Her phone buzzed. She flipped it facedown so fast the chopsticks rattled.

Tae caught Jaeho’s raised eyebrow but shrugged. Kids these days.

The doorbell rang at 8:17 PM. Not the cheerful ding-dong of a deliveryman, but three long, impatient bursts.

Jaeho wiped his hands on a towel. "Who—"

The man in the doorway made their cramped apartment hallway look like a luxury hotel lobby. Broad shoulders strained against a tailored black jacket, knuckles resting on the doorframe. His gaze slid past Jaeho to Tae, lingering just a second too long before settling on Mimi.

"Miss Mimi," he said, voice smooth as the ice in his untouched drink. "We need to talk about your debt."

Mimi turned white.

Tae's pink lips parted—not a gasp, more like the slow unfurling of a warning. She stepped forward in her stockinged feet, the silk catching on a loose floorboard. "Debt?" The word tasted like the first sip of bad wine.

Jeon Jungkook reached into his breast pocket. The leather gloves he pulled on creaked. "Forty-three million won," he said, watching Mimi tremble. "Plus interest." He tossed a folded document onto their coffee table. It slid across Jaeho's crossword puzzle.

Jaeho snatched it up. His thumb left a smudge on the highlighted number. "Mimi-yah—" His voice cracked.

"I was going to pay it back!" Mimi's tears dissolved her carefully applied eyeliner into black streaks. "I just needed more time—"

"Time," Jungkook repeated, tilting his head. The gold chain around his neck glinted. "My favorite currency." His eyes flicked to Tae's collarbones, then lower. She didn't cover herself. After all, the dress wasn't the problem.

Jaeho stepped between them, shoulders squaring. Tae noticed the way his work shirt stretched at the elbows. "We'll handle this," he said. "Just—give us two weeks."

Jungkook laughed. It wasn't cruel. That made it worse. "Ahjussi," he said, patting Jaeho's shoulder like a waiter brushing off lint. "Your daughter signed for daily compounding." He leaned in, smelling like sandalwood and something metallic. "Today is day sixty-two."

Mimi choked on a sob.

Jungkook's gaze—dark, calculated—didn't waver. "She comes with me tonight," he said, flexing his gloved fingers. "Or I start breaking things." His thumb brushed the edge of a framed family photo on the shelf, the glass squeaking under the pressure. "Starting with kneecaps."

Jaeho's fists clenched. "You can't just—"

"I can." Jungkook's smirk was a slow blade. "Contract's pretty clear. Collateral stays with the lender until payment." His eyes flicked to Tae's chest, then back up. "But I'm flexible. The mother would do just as well."

Tae's breath hitched. Not from fear—her pulse hammered against her ribs for an entirely different reason. She reached behind her without looking, squeezing Mimi's wrist. "Go to your room," she murmured, voice steady. "Lock the door."

Mimi hesitated, tears dripping onto Tae's bare shoulder. "Eomma—"

"Now." The command left no room for argument. The moment Mimi's footsteps faded down the hall, Tae stepped forward. The slit of her dress parted, revealing a flash of thigh. "There must be another way. We'll liquidate assets—"

"Assets?" Jungkook laughed, plucking a loose thread from Jaeho's collar. "Your husband's salary wouldn't even cover the interest." He traced the thread down to Tae's waist, hovering just above the silk. "But you... you're tempting. Walk away with me now, and the debt disappears."

Jaeho lunged. Jungkook caught his wrist mid-swing, twisting until tendons popped.

"Don’t hurt my hubby!" Tae's cry made Jungkook pause.

She didn't touch him. Instead, she peeled off one dangly earring, then the other. Gold plink-plinked onto the table.

"You like jewelry," she murmured, rolling her neck with a dancer's grace. "Take these. My wedding ring too." The band made a duller sound when she dropped it. "The appraisal papers are in our safe."

Jungkook didn't even glance at the glittering pile. His leather glove skimmed the inside of her elbow. "No receipts, no value." His breath smelled faintly of mint. "Only guaranteed collateral."

Tae exhaled through her nose. Her pulse fluttered visibly at her throat. "You're not taking my daughter." She unclasped her necklace—the one Jaeho gifted her after Mimi's birth—letting it slither onto the table. "But I'll go."

Jaeho's head snapped up. His split lip trembled. "Tae-yah—"

Tae silenced him with two fingers pressed to his mouth. His stubble scratched her skin. "It's okay," she whispered, thumb swiping blood from his chin. "It's for Mimi." She tasted salt when she kissed him—his tears or hers, she couldn't tell. His hands clutched her waist so tight the silk dress ripped at the seams with a sound like peeling fruit.

Jungkook watched them with the bored patience of a cat eyeing trapped mice. He rolled one wrist, checking his platinum watch. "Thirty seconds," he said, tapping the crystal face. "Then I revoke the offer."

Tae turned to Jaeho, cupping his face between her palms. His stubble scratched her skin, grounding her. "Promise me," she whispered, pressing their foreheads together. "No police. No stupid heroics. Just take care of our girl." His rapid breaths smelled of kimchi and fear. She kissed him once—hard—then pulled back before he could deepen it. "I'll be home tomorrow."

Jungkook chuckled. The sound coiled around them like smoke. "Optimistic." His gloved hand came down on Tae's ass with a sharp smack that made the dishes rattle. The sting bloomed hot through the thin silk. Tae's lips parted on a gasp she refused to voice, but her traitorous nipples tightened visibly against the dress.

"Oh?" Jungkook's thumb dug into the cheek he'd just struck, kneading the flesh through the fabric. "We'll see if I'm satisfied by then."

Jaeho lunged again, but Tae caught his wrist. "Don't," she hissed. The raw helplessness in his eyes made her stomach twist.

Jungkook didn't wait. He gripped Tae's hip with one hand, yanking her back against his chest while the other slid down to squeeze her ass again—harder this time. The silk stretched dangerously under his fingers. "Walk," he ordered against her ear, breath hot on her neck.

Tae obeyed, heels clicking on the linoleum. Jungkook's hand never left her ass, groping and kneading with every step like she was already his property. She could feel Jaeho's gaze burning into her back, but she didn't turn around. Couldn't.

The hallway light flickered as they reached the elevator. Jungkook trapped her against the mirrored wall, his thigh slotting between hers. His knee pressed deliberately high. "No underwear?" he murmured, scraping his teeth along her shoulder where Jaeho's tears had dampened her skin.

Tae stared at their reflection—her flushed face, his possessive grip on her waist—and swallowed hard. The elevator dinged.

Behind them, muffled through the apartment door, came the sound of Jaeho punching a wall and Mimi's choked sobs. Jungkook's chuckle vibrated against Tae's spine. He shoved her into the elevator just as the doors closed.