28

Chapter 28

Sunoo didn’t go back right away.

He should have. He needed to.

But something inside him told him to wait.

He sat in his office, fingers drumming lightly against the desk, thoughts tangled in knots he didn’t have the patience to unravel. The dim light above him flickered, casting faint shadows across the floor.

Riki was back where he belonged.

Strapped down. Guarded. Locked away.

Everything was fine.

Everything was over.

So why was he still thinking about him?

Why was Riki’s voice still curling around his thoughts, still pressing into his skin like something warm, something sharp, something he didn’t want to name?

Sunoo sighed.

Get it together.

He stood, stretching out the tension in his shoulders before finally pushing the door open. The hallways of the asylum were as silent as ever, cold and lifeless. He walked with slow, measured steps, the click of his shoes against the tile the only sound.

And then—

He was there.

The observation window.

The last place he should be.

But he was already looking inside.

Riki was awake.

And he was pissed.

His body was stretched tight against the restraints, muscles flexed, testing, pulling—but they didn’t give. His breathing was slow, controlled, but his jaw was locked, his dark eyes practically burning through the glass.

Sunoo tilted his head slightly, tapping one finger against the window in mock curiosity.

Riki’s eyes snapped to him instantly.

And oh—

The fury there was delicious.

Sunoo let his lips curve, just slightly, just enough.

Riki yanked against the restraints again, teeth bared. "Enjoying the view?"

Sunoo hummed. "A little."

Riki’s nostrils flared. "You think this is funny?"

Sunoo stepped closer, just to see how far he could push. "A little," he repeated, letting the words drip, slow and teasing.

Riki jerked against the straps. "Untie me."

Sunoo exhaled softly, shaking his head. "Now, why would I do that?"

Riki’s fingers curled into fists. "Because if you don’t, I will get out, and I will make you regret it."

Sunoo leaned against the frame, lazy, like he had all the time in the world. "Mmm." His gaze flickered down, over Riki’s restrained arms, the way his chest still rose and fell in slow, controlled breaths.

"You don’t look very threatening right now."

Riki’s grin was sharp, humorless. "That’s what you want to believe, isn’t it?"

Sunoo chuckled, stepping inside.

The door shut behind him with a quiet click.

Riki’s head tilted slightly, watching, waiting.

Sunoo moved toward the bed, hands in his coat pockets, gaze sweeping over the thick straps keeping Riki in place. "They reinforced them this time," he murmured, tracing one finger along the leather restraint around Riki’s wrist. "Guess you scared them."

Riki didn’t respond.

Not with words, anyway.

His eyes were locked onto Sunoo’s every move, dark and unreadable.

Sunoo dragged his fingers just a little lower, brushing lightly against the pulse at Riki’s wrist. "You don’t like being tied down, do you?"

Riki’s breath hitched.

Just for a second.

Then his smirk returned, sharper than before. "You like this, don’t you?"

Sunoo let his fingers linger, just to test, just to see. "Maybe."

Riki’s body tensed against the restraints. "Untie me, Sunoo."

Sunoo sighed dramatically. "That doesn’t sound very convincing."

Riki exhaled harshly through his nose, tilting his head back against the pillow. "I hate you."

Sunoo smirked. "Hate’s a strong word."

"I mean it." Riki’s voice was lower now, quieter, but just as sharp. "I hate you."

Sunoo leaned in. Close enough that he could see the way Riki’s pupils dilated, the way his lips parted slightly as he stared back at him.

"You sure about that?"

Riki’s jaw clenched.

Sunoo could feel the anger radiating off him, thick and burning, but beneath it—beneath it, there was something else.

Something unstable.

Something dangerous.

Something that made Sunoo’s skin prickle in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge.

"You’re playing a dangerous game," Riki muttered.

Sunoo leaned in just a fraction more, just enough to let his breath ghost over Riki’s skin. "So are you."

A muscle in Riki’s jaw twitched.

And then—

He smiled.

Slow. Dark.

Like he knew something Sunoo didn’t.

Like he was already planning.

Already plotting.

Sunoo exhaled softly, straightening. "Sweet dreams, Riki."

Riki’s fingers twitched against the restraints. "This isn’t over."

Sunoo smirked, stepping back toward the door. "I know."

And for some reason—

For some stupid, reckless reason—

He was looking forward to it.

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So close to the end😿