**Chapter 2: The Unexpected Alliance**

In the weeks that followed, Taeyung and Maria found themselves in a dangerous dance. Their families remained rivals, yet their private encounters grew more frequent, each one loaded with unspoken tension. Both knew the risks, but they couldn't stay away from each other.

Their first kiss came one night when they were forced to work together, caught in a truce to fend off an enemy gang trying to destroy both their families. They stood side by side, bloodied and bruised, but in that moment, the world seemed to disappear. Their lips met, and for the first time, they allowed themselves to surrender to the emotions that had been building between them.

But the passion between them wasn't enough to keep their families from pulling them in opposite directions. Maria's loyalty to her family was tested, and Taeyung's was pushed to the edge. They both knew that choosing each other meant betraying everything they had fought for.

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