The room was silent after Yura left, and Jiho could still feel the tension hanging thick in the air. Zoey stood in front of him, her eyes dark with possessiveness. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she were about to speak, but Jiho couldn't find the words to break the silence. He was paralyzed by the weight of what was happening around him.
Zoey closed the distance between them with swift, determined steps. Her hand found his chin once more, lifting his gaze to meet hers.
"You think you can play both sides?" she asked softly, her voice low but filled with an unmistakable edge. "You think you can have both of us and come out unscathed?"
Jiho swallowed, his throat dry. "I'm not playing anyone," he muttered, but his voice lacked conviction. He knew the truth — he was trapped in the middle of this war between two Alphas.
Zoey's smirk deepened. She leaned in close, her lips brushing against his ear. "It doesn't matter. You don't get to choose, Jiho. You're mine, and you'll stay mine."
He could feel the heat of her words, the weight of them. She was marking him in ways he couldn't ignore. It was suffocating, but also intoxicating in its own way.
For a moment, Jiho's mind raced, thinking of Yura, of the way she had kissed him, the way her presence had affected him. It was different with Yura — a different kind of fire. But Zoey... Zoey was the one who had the power. She had made him hers in a way that left no room for escape.
"Zoey, I..." he began, but his words faltered. He didn't know what to say. What could he say? How could he possibly make a decision when both women seemed to hold such a powerful grip on him?
Zoey didn't give him a chance to finish. She captured his lips in a kiss, hard and possessive. He was forced to follow her lead, his hands at his sides as she pressed him against the wall. There was nothing gentle about it. She kissed him as if she were claiming him all over again, and Jiho had no choice but to surrender to it.
When she pulled away, she looked at him with a gleam in her eyes. "You belong to me, Jiho. I won't let anyone take you away."
The words should have felt comforting, but instead, they sent a shiver of unease through his chest. There was no room for freedom, no space to breathe. Just Zoey's control, tightening around him like a noose.
He wanted to say something — anything — to break the tension, but before he could open his mouth, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
Without thinking, Jiho reached for it and checked the screen. It was a message from Yura.
Yura: I'll be waiting for you tonight. Don't forget.
Jiho's heart skipped a beat.
The message was clear: Yura wasn't done with him yet. And neither was Zoey.
"What is it?" Zoey's voice snapped him back to reality. She was standing behind him now, her presence like a shadow looming over his shoulder.
"It's... It's nothing," Jiho mumbled, slipping his phone back into his pocket.
But Zoey's eyes narrowed, sensing his unease. "Don't lie to me. Who is it?"
Jiho hesitated. His mind raced, torn between the truth and the fear of her reaction. He could feel her presence closing in on him, an invisible pressure weighing down on him.
"It's... Yura," he admitted, his voice quiet.
Zoey's expression shifted — it wasn't anger, but something colder. More calculating. "Yura?" she repeated, her voice laced with venom. "She's trying to pull you away from me, isn't she?"
Jiho didn't know how to respond. He had no answers. No clear path forward. All he knew was that both of them had already claimed him in their own ways, and neither one was willing to back down.
Zoey took a step back, her eyes never leaving him. "You have a choice to make, Jiho," she said, her voice even but carrying an undeniable weight. "You can stay with me. I'll take care of everything. Or you can go to her. But know this — if you walk away, there's no going back. You'll be mine no longer."
Jiho's heart pounded in his chest. He could feel the pressure mounting. He didn't know if he could handle this any longer. Zoey's words lingered in the air, suffocating him.
"Make your choice, Jiho," she repeated, her voice colder now. "But know that it won't be easy. Nothing about this will be easy."
And with that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Jiho standing there alone, the weight of her words heavy on his shoulders.
That night, Jiho found himself standing outside the club, staring up at the neon lights. His phone buzzed again, and this time, it was a call from Yura.
He hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Jiho," Yura's voice came through the phone, smooth and confident. "Are you coming?"
"I don't know…" he whispered, feeling the overwhelming pressure of his situation.
"Come to me," she urged. "I'll make it worth your while."
Jiho's hands trembled as he ended the call. The decision was before him — but no matter what he chose, he knew one thing for certain:
This wasn't going to end easily.
{End of Chapter 16}