The skies of H City hung low and heavy, thick with gray as if mourning something that hadn't yet happened. The air was humid, charged, and strangely quiet. Days had passed since the engagement ceremony, yet Seren Ming's heart still beat with unease. Her fingers still twitched at the memory of her sister's slap. Her cheek still ached when the wind grazed it. But what lingered more than pain was the sound of his voice—calm, lethal, and cold.
"Touch her again, and I'll show you what curse really means."
That voice hadn't left her mind. Nor had he.
No one in the Ming household spoke of Ares Sung's dramatic choice. No one looked Seren in the eye anymore. Lady Ming resumed her usual aloofness. Lianhua returned to her pampered routines, her disdain radiating like perfume. Seren had always known she was the invisible daughter, but now, her existence had shifted. She was no longer a shadow—they all just wanted her gone.
And perhaps that was why no one asked questions when the package arrived.
It came silently, delivered by a man in black who never said a word. Inside the midnight box was a note, sharp and elegant in its handwriting.
"You're coming with me." – A
Beneath it lay a dress. Midnight blue, stitched with silver thread, soft to the touch yet oddly structured—as if it were built not only to flatter, but to shield. Seren stared at it for a long time, her mind blank.
When she dressed, the fabric hugged her frame gently. She felt like someone else. Someone who deserved to be seen.
No one bid her farewell as she walked out of the estate.
A sleek, silent helicopter was waiting for her atop a private helipad. Its blades spun slowly, waiting. No markings on its sides—only a silver dragon crest. She stepped in, heart pounding.
The man beside her—stiff, expressionless, dressed in black—simply nodded and gestured for her to take a seat. Once airborne, the city of H disappeared beneath them, swallowed by clouds and blinking lights. Skyscrapers turned into shadows. The city's familiar map faded into the unknown.
Fifteen minutes later, they landed atop a building that didn't appear on any official city plans.
A towering, steel-clad behemoth cloaked in shadows and lightning. The world knew nothing of it. But its heartbeat buzzed beneath her feet.
The elevator opened without a sound.
Seren stepped into a world of muted colors, polished obsidian, and quiet power.
It wasn't a home. It wasn't even a fortress. It was something else entirely—a kingdom born of silence and control. Walls of glass framed the night sky like a painting, and every inch of the interior pulsed with sleek, futuristic intelligence. Blue veins of soft light ran through the walls, like the place itself was alive.
She stepped further in, her heels clicking faintly on the marble floor.
"You're late."
His voice came from the balcony.
Ares stood against the railing, hands in his pockets, the wind tugging at his raven-black hair. He turned slightly to look at her, and her breath caught.
Twin violet eyes pierced through the shadows—unearthly, intense. His expression was unreadable, yet so striking that she found herself unable to look away. The man was carved like art—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in a black turtleneck and matching slacks. Even dressed simply, he looked like sin wrapped in silk.
"You kept me waiting," he said.
"I didn't know I was expected," Seren replied, surprised by the evenness of her voice.
"You were. And you came."
He stepped toward her, his movements graceful, his gaze steady. When he was close enough that she could feel his presence on her skin, he looked down at her—not with cruelty, but with quiet analysis.
"You're thinking you don't belong here," he said.
Seren didn't answer.
He tilted his head. "You breathe like someone waiting to be punished."
Still, she said nothing.
"I didn't bring you here to punish you," he added softly. "I brought you here to show you my world."
He led her through a hall so silent it hummed. The walls shifted subtly as they walked—responding, sensing.
They passed rooms with glowing data displays, holograms flickering like ghosts, encrypted codes spinning mid-air. In one chamber, enormous black servers pulsed behind glass panels. On the screens, live feeds of bank systems, drones, security schematics, and government firewalls danced like toys in a child's hands.
Seren stopped.
"What is all this?" she asked, her voice small.
"My empire," Ares said simply. "The world is built on tech. But beneath tech… there's me."
He lifted a hand and the walls rippled. A 3D model of the entire city burst into the air, glowing blue and red. Countless threads ran underneath it, connected like veins.
"I own half the city's data flow," he continued. "The other half rents from me."
She stared in disbelief.
"You're not just… mafia."
"No." He smiled faintly. "I'm the thing mafia fears."
Seren swallowed hard, unsure whether to be afraid… or amazed.
"You're not just marrying a man with a curse, Seren," he said, stepping closer again. "You're marrying the devil in the machine."
She wandered later, alone, trying to absorb it all. That's when she heard it—sharp breathing, the sound of fists colliding with leather.
She followed the noise.
Through a window, she saw him.
Ares stood in a wide, padded chamber, shirtless. Muscles coiled beneath his pale skin as he struck a heavy sandbag again and again. Scars adorned his back—some jagged, others faded. He moved with the fluid grace of a predator, his long black hair damp with sweat.
He turned without warning.
Their eyes met.
He didn't flinch. Didn't cover up. Just walked toward her, grabbing a towel from the bench. His chest rose and fell with each breath.
"You train like you're at war," she murmured.
He wiped his neck slowly, eyes never leaving hers. "That's because I am war."
A faint smile tugged at her lips. "You're dramatic."
He paused. Then smirked, just slightly. "Don't let my enemies hear that. They'd agree too easily."
Later, he took her to the rooftop.
The city sparkled beneath them, a sea of glowing lights. A table sat beneath a glass awning, draped in soft lights and silverware. Drones hovered in silence around the perimeter, barely visible.
"This is unreal," Seren whispered, settling into her seat.
"It is," he replied.
She looked at him—really looked at him. The way his violet eyes watched everything, the sharp line of his jaw, the way he sat like he ruled the entire sky.
"You're not like them," he said suddenly.
"Like who?"
"Your family. My world. Everyone I deal with. You don't pretend."
"Maybe I was never taught how," she said softly.
He stared at her a long moment.
"Do you want to leave?"
Her throat tightened. "Would you let me?"
"No."
A silence settled between them, deep and thick with something neither of them could name.
Then—
A boom.
Flames lit the distant skyline. A drone, patrolling above them, spiraled and exploded in the air. Ares was on his feet before the debris even hit the ground.
Seren's blood turned cold.
"What was that?"
Ares' jaw was clenched. His fingers twitched.
"Rael," he muttered.
"Your brother?"
"He wants to ruin everything. And now he knows you're here."
Inside, alarms were going off.
The main screen blinked red with a message.
"How precious. You brought her into the lion's den. I wonder what the world would think if your bride went missing?"
Seren's chest constricted.
"Is he going to come for me?" she asked, voice breaking.
Ares didn't reply at first.
Then he turned to her, violet eyes glowing brighter than before.
"Let him," he said coldly.
He took a step forward, close enough for her to see the shift in his expression.
"You are not a pawn," he said. "You're not disposable."
He lifted her chin gently with his fingers. His touch was cold, but his gaze burned.
"You're mine. And no one touches what's mine."
And for the first time… Seren believed it.