Superficially, Taehyung didn't allow the incident and betrayal from Jungkook as well as the sudden termination of their contract to affect him.
He was a machine in a custom-made suit, moving through his days with outright detachment, securing million dollar corporate deals with the casual indifference of a man pouring a cup of tea.
He stubbornly refused to spare one single, conscious thought on Jungkook and his betrayal because he knew that if he did,his whole sanity would unravel.
However,deep in the back of his troubled mind,he tried to tame the green monster of jealousy. He detested it. He loathed how Jungkook's image,fragile and flushed under another man,was carved into his eyes.
His internal war made him an undeniable monster at the company. He was roughly grumpy, totally unapproachable and savagely arrogant, marching through the corridors like a grim reaper.
His employees were petrified to even look him in the eyes,forced to work under tremendous pressure and the constant threats of being fired on the spot for the slightest mistake.
And Seojoon,the only person who could control his temper and put some sense into his fucked up mind,was in the States supervising the creation of their new branch.
Taehyung's days were a blur of work but his nights? Well his nights were a hell of anxiety, stress and horrible nightmares. His eyes refused to shut and stayed open for hours till dawn and he foolishly blamed workload for it.
To escape the haunting silence of his penthouse that he no longer felt welcomed,more like a guest, Taehyung eventually decided to seek some excitement elsewhere.
One Saturday night,he wore his most lavish custom-made, Italian suit and headed to the club,not to his private room but in the main bar lounge.
His bleak eyes scanned the crowd for an hour before they settled on a pretty,delicate - featured young man who seemed supple enough to help him get rid of the stress and Jungkook's ghost.
Taehyung moved like a ruthless predator feasting on his prey,dancing too close to the man,fingers faintly touching him,buying him expensive champagne and laughing, allowing the bass to drown out his thoughts and feelings.
And yet nothing felt right.
Nothing felt familiar to Taehyung's heart and mind.
All that in the presence of a man that if eyes could kill,Kim Taehyung would already be dead and buried six feet under the ground!
At the main bar,Jimin, who had hesitantly returned to his post just to watch the enemy up close,observed the whole disgusting display unfold with an incensed expression on his delicate features.
His knuckles turned snow - white around the bottle of vodka he was holding and he gritted his teeth so hard they hurt. The arrogance that the bastard had, showing his face into the club,fooling around with another man without a shred of guilt or remorse while Jungkook was lost in an ocean of misery and booze.
Jimin inhaled and exhaled through his nose,the bottle between his harsh fingers ready to break and it would if the other bartender Jung See hadn't snatched it.
" Careful Jimin. You'll break it and hurt yourself." he whispered to his ear and Jimin gave him a timid nod.
His shift was a living nightmare. One that wouldn't end any time soon. Taehyung's body was swaying to the music,his veiny hands slithered across the other man's neck and shoulder and Jimin was very close to exploding.
He had a lot of nerves coming there,even though it was his club, showing off without considering Jungkook's feelings if he found out. Not that Jimin would tell!
Apparently once a playboy, always a playboy!
Jungkook's physical and mental state had hit rock bottom and Taehyung was entertaining himself with the company of a boy toy totally clueless about the baby he had lost because of his unforgivable behaviour.
Jimin was almost certain, up until a few weeks ago, that Taehyung had feelings for Jungkook but was too scared or proud to admit them , however watching him now, making a spectacle of himself,he thought otherwise.
Kim Taehyung could never appreciate Jungkook.
He'd never love Jungkook the way he deserved.
He went back to work and caught a glimpse of Taehyung's figure leaning against the man's ear, whispering something and walking away together.
The second his shift ended,he practically stormed out through the back door, leading to the alley and threw himself into Yoongi's parked car, trembling with raw fury and banging doors behind him.
" I'm gonna fucken kill him. I'll cut off his balls and dick and crash them under my feet! I swear to God I'm gonna rip him apart!" Jimin spatted, slamming his door shut with such force,the dashboard rattled." Or better yet,let Jin hyung do the work!"
Yoongi chuckled." Calling in the calvary?
" I'm bringing out the big guns! How many years do you think we'll get? "
" A lot. So think twice before spending your youth behind bars, listening to hyung barking."Yoongi joked but amusement didn't seem to reach his eyes.
" I've got you to bail us out or plan our getaway."
" Don't count on that, baby. I'll probably be with you in the joint."
Jimin clenched his fists, resting his head back. " I can't believe the nerve of that bastard! He makes me wanna scream!"
Yoongi's eyes didn't even look up from the steering wheel, although his chin was locked." I guess Kim put on a show tonight?"
" A show? More like a full - blown circus." Jimin fired back, throwing his fists in the air." He was burning the dance floor with some cheap boy toy, flashing his black card without a care in the world. Drinking champagne,laughing and guess what!"
" I don't think I'll like the answer "
" He left with him, Yoongi. He probably took him back to his penthouse to.. to.. Oh shit! I don't wanna ever think about it! "
" Hard not to.." Yoongi's fingers gripped tighter around the wheel.
" And Kook is locked up in his room, bleeding his soul out, drinking himself to death while that arrogant piece of shit is replacing him like a used car, moving to the next one." he growled, unable to hold back his rage. " I was this close to grabbing him by his expensive suit and telling him he not only lost the only person who loved him but his baby as well! His baby!"
" I hope you restrained your urge."
Jimin rolled his eyes." Of course. After what he did, he's got no right to know. But God knows what he'll do with that boy tonight."
Yoongi let out a slow, cynical whistle, turning on the ignition and driving through the alley to the main road, straight to the apartment." He's not replacing him that easily,babe. Trust me on that. He's trying to put out a fire with gasoline."
" I don't give a fuck! I'm so hacked off right now.. GRH!" Jimin roared, wiping tears of frustration and wrath from his cheeks, sniffling."The ultimate hypocrisy! He plays the innocent victim,the judge, the jury and the executioner with Kook. He doesn't even allow him to explain and now he's out there, having a blast! If he touches that idiot tonight... if he dares sleep with him in the same bed where..."
" He won't." Yoongi cut him off with a peculiar certainty in his low voice, shifting gears and pressing the accelerator.
The younger blinked, throwing him a sideways glance." How can you be so damn sure?"
" Mmmm.. probably because ghosts don't give up their space so effortlessly." Yoongi murmured gently,his gaze locked on the street ahead." Kim thinks he's a king ruling an empire but at this precise moment he's a man running scared from a memory he can't escape. He chooses not to think about Jungkook but I get a feeling he runs through his veins like a drug. Mark my words,babe. The penthouse is gonna feel like a tombstone over his head tonight."
Jimin huffed and puffed, slightly stretching his stiff legs." Anyway.. is Kook still inside his room?"
" He hasn't moved a muscle all day."
" Hyung is pressuring me. He wants to come. And I can't blame him."
" Stall him. Kook isn't ready to face anyone yet."
" I'm trying. Thank god Namjoon hyung knows how to steer the ship."
____________________
Yoongi's prediction was accurate as always.
The heavy penthouse door slid open as Taehyung stepped aside to let the man enter. The younger boy named Jack,half Korean half American, excitedly giggled, clearly at awe by the sheer luxury of the house.
He slowly turned to Taehyung,his eyes wide, sparkling and profoundly inviting,looping his arms around the man's neck, seductively whispering." Oh Tae! You've got excellent taste."
" I'm famous for that.. in every aspect.." Taehyung lisped back, holding him by the waist and leaving clear insinuations in which aspects he meant. His head felt dizzy and for some reason his hands were mushy and unable to grip tighter around him.
Jack leaned closer,his lips parting in a provocative invitation." I can't wait to.. find out.." His fingers tangled in the man's hair." Let me help you loosen up." He leaned even closer,just a breath away." Take your stress away.."
Taehyung's eyes looked down at him. Jack was very attractive, extremely willing and carried a scent of vanilla but the moment he touched him,the second he leaned closer to press his lips on Taehyung's chin,an unexpected, violent wave of profound nausea stirred his stomach.
The touch was wrong.
The scent was wrong.
This night was wrong.
The hands on his neck didn't hold the same familiar, electric warmth and sparkle that used to make his heart bounce against his ribs.
It felt empty and wrapped in disgust. Suddenly and unwillingly, Jungkook's image popped up in his head so vividly it suffocated him. His flushed skin trembling for him,his teary eyes blurred from lust,his moans and whimpers while Taehyung was fucking him mercilessly.
Taehyung instantly grabbed Jack's wrists,his grip tight and strong and forcefully tugged him off as he stepped back,steeped in guilt and shame.
Jack widened his eyes in astonishment,his breath hitching in shock." Tae? What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"
" Get out." Taehyung ordered and his tone wasn't raised but carried a cold finality that made the room temperature drop to minus.
" But.. we just got here.. you brought me.."
" I fucken told you to get the hell out!" the man lashed out,his eyes glowing with a dangerous glare. He reached into his pocket,pulled out a thick stash of money and threw them at Jack's face. The bills scattered on the floor." Take a cab. Forgot my address. If I see you anywhere near my house,I'll have security throw you out."
Petrified by the inexplicable shift in the man's mood,Jack kept his mouth shut,slanted over,picked up the money and stormed out of the penthouse, slamming the door behind him.
To Taehyung's ears the door shutting echoed like a gunshot and he was left alone in the still silence. He let out a gasped breath, walking towards the bar in dragging gaits, pouring himself a glass of old whiskey.
He downed it in one gulp,the alcohol burning his throat but unable to melt the ice in his veins. Taehyung started wandering around the empty space like a ghost haunting a castle.
He ambled without a purpose through the vast living room where they'd cuddle on the couch watching movies. The dining room where they'd share lively, home-made meals. He stood by the doorframe of their shared bedroom,the bed neatly made and every trace of him was gone.
The silence in the house was a bone - shaking bellow that seemed to taunt him and mock his wealth,his power and his pride. Every corner of the penthouse literally screamed Jungkook's name. His presence was spread in the air, the smell of furniture, vibrating the younger's chaotic energy through every wall.
A gnawing, crushing emptiness numbed his chest,a weight he couldn't lift. His fingers gripped tighter on the glass and his knuckles rapidly turned white. His mind was a warzone of guilt, pride and persistent denial.
Taehyung would never admit making mistakes, misjudging people and most certainly ask for forgiveness. He wouldn't allow himself to admit how desperately he missed Jungkook. It wouldn't even let it reach his lips.
He clenched his jaw into a rigid line,suppressing the agonising ache in his heart and shut his eyes,forcing his mind to remember..
Remember the lustful solace in Jungkook's eyes,the scarlet tide of his body from the sheer passion,his whimpers under that beast.
Remember the vulnerability he was tangled in. He returned to the bar, refilled his glass once, twice,three times and each gulp brought him straight to obscurity.
He had no intention of submitting to anyone let alone to a slut hungry for cocks like Jungkook. He could fuck himself anyway and with whoever he liked.
That fucking cunt could sell his body to any bloody bastard and he didn't give a damn!
Standing still - stoned by the window, staring at the vast void before him, he whispered in a raspy, mocking tone." You won't break me Jeon. I'm the king. I'm the boss. So fuck you and your bastards."
He was the king.
A king trapped in a castle of his own intolerance..
___________________
The key card clicked over the smart lock and Jimin's trembling hands pushed the door open. After calling Jungkook four times and getting radio silence, Jimin had a bad feeling and the moment they crossed the threshold,the heavy, alcohol scent had spread through the apartment.
The chilling sight of Jungkook's bedroom door unlocked and wide open made Jimin break out in cold sweat.
" Jungkook? Where are you?" Jimin called out,voice slightly trembling.
His room was empty,the bed was untidy,sheets were tangled and a knocked over bottle on the nightstand was slowly dripping liquid on the floor. Jimin's heart violently flipped.
" Yoongi, he's not here. Where the hell is he?" He checked the bathroom but still no sign of the younger." The bathroom is empty too."
" Check the closets,check everywhere." Yoongi ordered,his usual calmness fractured while rushing to check the kitchen, Jimin's bedroom and the guest room. It was like Jungkook had vanished in thin air.
All of the sudden, Jimin froze mid - step,his eyes shifting towards the door that connected the hallway to the building's rooftop. Jungkook's favourite place when he needed to think. The door was unlatched,a slight cold breeze whistling through the crack.
" On the roof. " Jimin breathed out,face drained of colour." Oh shit Yoongi! He's on the rooftop."
They lunged up the stairs, kicking the heavy, metal door open,the wind roaring across the concrete surface but their gaze instantly locked on an unmoving figure near the edge of the building.
Jungkook's body was laid face down on the rough, concrete like a broken doll. A few inches away from his head was a sour pool of vomit and his scratched fingers were hooked around the neck of a tequila bottle.
" Fuck! Jungkook!" Jimin released a choked, terrified growl, rushing to his side and dropping to his knees. His fingers pressed to the boy's neck and he breathed a sigh of relief when he detected a pulse." He's alive but cold as ice. He fainted from the alcohol, Yoongi. I can't believe it! That idiot!"
Yoongi's fuse had burnt out. His expression hardened into a mask of sheer determination and rage while crunching down, scooping Jungkook's body into his arms.
Jungkook's head tossed back against the older's shoulder,his breath stinking of alcohol and acid." Jimin get the door! Move!"he roared, carrying Jungkook downstairs in quick gaits straight into the bathroom.
Without a moment of hesitation,Yoongi dropped Jungkook right into the shower, fully clothed,reached out and twisted the faucet, blasting the younger with a downpour of cold water.
The unexpected shock of the freezing water shook Jungkook's body like an electrical jolt. His eyes instantly flew open, red rimmed and unfocussed as his chest seized with a visceral gasp.
The abrupt shift from the numbing oblivion of the booze to the sharp,icy reality if the shower left him withered in panic. His survival instincts kicked in, twisted and contorted by the hangover.
" Hey... what the fuck..? Get away.. leave me.." Jungkook wailed,his voice croaky as he started kicking his feet against the shower trap, swinging his fists left and right." Leave me alone! Let me die.. let me go.."
Yoongi watched without flinching with a raw detachment and his arms crossed over his chest." Had enough? Or do you intend to continue the dramatic monologue? Because I've had it!"
Once Jungkook's body got tired and stopped fighting, Yoongi turned the water off and gripped the boy by the back of his neck, practically dragging him to the toilet seat next to a shaky Jimin.
The temporary relief of finding him alive had been replaced by a ferocious, protective rage that was building up for weeks. They had run out of patience!
" Do you think this is a freaking game, Jungkook? Do you find it amusing?" Jimin bellowed,his voice vibrating with wrath and terror." Do you think you're the only one hurting? We have been trying our best to keep you alive and you rush to the rooftop drunk to choke on your own vomit? Is that what you want? To die? To give that arrogant asshole the satisfaction of breaking you? This isn't the Jungkook I know. The badass guy who never gave up.. who never surrendered but kept fighting for his life. What the fuck happened to you?"
Jungkook curled in on himself, pinning his knees to his chest,his stomach coiling uncontrollably,his wet hair sticking on his forehead and his eyes still holding that hollow look." Get off my back, will you? If I wanna die,I will. There's nothing left for me.. nothing. Everything was snatched.. by those bastards and Tae.. he hates me.."
" Shut the fuck up! Shut up! " Yoongi lashed out, stepping forward, towering over Jungkook's trembling body,his eyes flashing with a suppressed rage he was swallowing for days." You listen to me and you listen well. You're acting like a pussy. Yes,Kim kicked you out and broke your heart. Yes, you went through hell. Yes, you're hurting. But throwing away your life because of a man who can't appreciate you and didn't even have the decency to hear you? You should be pissed,not broken. You should man up and find those who hurt you and then rub it to his face. Let Kim kneel and beg like a dog."
Jungkook winced,his eyes fixed on the drenched tiles,fingers curling into fists at the sides.
" We have protected you,have lied to the hyungs for you. We have stayed by your side every fucken night,making sure you're still breathing. " the man continued,his chest rising and falling from the tension." But we can't save a man who has a death wish. You wanna drink yourself to death? Wanna choke in your own puke? Well, buster not in my watch!" He grabbed him by the collar, forcing him to face him." You either pull yourself together and face the music or you find another place to die. I'm done pampering you. I'm done watching you destroy yourself. And I'm sick of watching my boyfriend's heart shattering for you. "
Jimin's back leaned against the steamed wall, wiping the tears from his eyes and despite the harsh words Yoongi said,he had to admit he was right. The situation had gotten out of hand and it was bloody time someone showed Jungkook the stark reality.
" No more searching for that stupid boy who causes nothing but trouble for you. No more grieving for a sick bastard who refused to even spare you a few minutes to explain." He threw a clean towel straight to his face and took a sharp breath.
" Get rid of your wet clothes. Clean yourself up. You stink. If I see you near a bottle again, so help me God, I'll open your head with it and kick you out."
Without sparing him another glance,Jimin grabbed his boyfriend' s hand and stormed out, banging the door behind them
Jungkook didn't move a muscle. He sat there in absolute silence, soaking wet, droplets of water venting on the tiles, trying to control his raging heartbeat and suck in the harsh scolding.
The suffocating reality of what he had become, drained the rest of the colour from his cheeks and stole the air out of his burning lungs. He had turned into a pathetic man. A ghost.
Someone he couldn't recognise.
A fragile, vulnerable creature,dipped in bottles of alcohol to numb his thoughts and feelings.
Of course he still loved Taehyung. That was a reality that wouldn't change.He missed him every second of the day. But destroying himself for him or for his obsession to find Minhun,had utterly consumed him and his will to live.
Yoongi and Jimin had every right to snub and get angry with him. He was behaving like a freaking coward.
Maybe it was time to change...
________________________
Three weeks later.
In that time nothing changed significantly. If anything Taehyung had dug his heels in deeper. He continued to run his empire with perfect efficiency, working himself to exhaustion till his eyes were bloodshot and his temper to the edge, trying to outrun his own mind.
However when the clock struck midnight,his defence mechanism turned from the boardroom to the luxury of the nightclub.
Every night, Taehyung would return to the Black Swan resembling a ruthless, predatory shadow. He'd lose himself in the thumping music and pick up a different man to help him erase Jungkook's ghost.
He'd touch them just enough for Jimin to notice, buying them top quality champagne, whispering empty words and then leaving with them.
Every single night, like a broken record...
Taehyung's mind rejected anything to do with Jungkook. Rage and frustration were equally blurring his thoughts. But what won each time was his wounded pride and jealousy, although he detested admitting it.
His days and nights were a relentless struggle for survival and he wasn't doing a very good job!
His attitude drove Jimin up the wall! Stuck behind the bar,he watched him with a sick,twisted knot in his stomach. He wasn't angry anymore. He had passed that point a long time ago.
It was worse than that.
Jimin was petrified. Taehyung's image of dancing and laughing with different guys without a care in the world, without a hint of remorse,was nerve wracking for his mentality.
His mind snapped to Jungkook sitting in the dark,worn out and drowning in alcohol. Because despite their threats and warnings,his mind was set on destroying himself in a slow, torturous way.
If Jungkook ever discovered that the man he loved had bounced back to his old habits, playing the playboy predator,it would be the final blow. Jungkook would literally drink himself to death.
Jimin shrunk into a corner of the bar, crossing his arms over his throbbing chest and shutting his eyes to the bustling noise and Taehyung's irritating presence.
He knew the countdown of his departure from the club had begun. He had no reason to stay anymore. The search for Minhun had stopped, Jungkook needed his undivided attention and care and a change of scenery would do wonders on them.
Perhaps spending a few days with the hyungs back home would help Jungkook stand on his feet again.
Five,long days later,the truth finally came to light and shattered Taehyung's flawless facade.
It was a rainy Friday night and the club was clearing out. Yoongi had finished his shift and was inside his car which was parked in the alley behind the club,boredly staring at the wet, bumpy pavement through his windshield, waiting for Jimin to come.
He didn't pay attention at first but the metal back door opened and Kim stepped out,his arm slung loosely around the waist of a handsome,young model who had monopolised him all night.
They got inside the black limo,the door shut closed and the car pulled away from the club into the night.
Yoongi cursed through gritted teeth,his fingers tapping mercilessly on his right knee,eyes furrowed and a cynical smirk curled up on his lips." Here we go again. You never learn, you bastard."
To his surprise,the limo didn't even make it to the corner. About forty metres down the dark road,the break lights flashed a sudden red.
The passenger door snapped open and the young model's feet literally hit the damp road,his face filled with shock and wounded pride. Before the man could get the chance to pull himself together or even scream into the rain,the car door slammed shut and the limo drove off, kicking up a blast of murky water.
Yoongi leaned back into his seat, whistling slowly. So it was all an act. A well planned performance. Taehyung wasn't moving on,he was actually sinking deeper. And the confirmation came directly from the source.
Kim Taehyung himself!
He cared for Jungkook more than he admitted and the proof was right there. His own body was brutally rejecting anyone else.
Anyone that wasn't Jungkook!
He shook his head. Young people nowadays are hopeless! Instead of talking to clear misunderstandings,they spent all their energy in breaking each other's hearts.
When Jimin opened the passenger's door and climbed in five minutes later,his face was crimson red with anger, huffing and puffing and his shoulders tensed from exhaustion and vexation.
" I'm gonna quit. I'm telling you,baby! I can't do this anymore! I'm done! I'm over!"
Yoongi's eyes darted from the empty road to his irritated boyfriend, without talking. He knew that if Jimin was so angry,he needed his time to get rid of it.
" I watched that asshole dance with a guy barely twenty. I wanted to throw every bottle from the bar to his head. I'm up to here! "
Yoongi's hand shifted the car into gear, clicking his tongue and a witty glint in his eyes." Save your breath,love. The asshole is already melting from the inside out."
Jimin slowly rubbed his forehead,letting out an irked groan." What's that supposed to mean? Don't give me riddles tonight. I'm at the end of my rope. "
" Well, I just witnessed something extremely interesting."
" Really? "
" Yeap! I saw Kim getting into his limo with tonight's trophy and right by the corner he threw him out into the rain and drove off.. alone." Yoongi revealed with an unbothered undertone, wiggling his eyebrows.
Jimin sluggishly shifted his head towards his boyfriend in utter disbelief ." Wait.. come again? He kicked him out? For real?"
" Bought it stock,lock and barrel." Yoongi nodded, turning the wheel with one hand." Kim is putting on a hell of a show just for us to see and believe he's over Jungkook. That he's completely unbothered but the second we turn, reality sets in. He can't go through with this. I bet he can't bear the thought of another man taking over Jungkook's space in his house or his life. He's hooked on the man he threw out."
Jimin shrunk to his seat and narrowed his brows, trying to digest the information. The rage in his chest slightly softened,not entirely, in a mixture of pity and satisfaction." So, he's miserable. Serves him right! I hope he drowns on his own venom."
" I know you're getting a kick out of this but the man is in absolute agony. He's fighting his own feelings and wants to hate Jungkook. He desperately needs to believe he's a liar and a cheater because anger is a lot easier than handling the truth. And his heart is resisting so he's trying to wipe Jungkook's memory out of his skin with different men."
" And each time it blows up in his face." Jimin added,his lips forming a sly smirk. He leaned his head against the cold window, watching the heavy rain thrashing the streets and the blur of the city lights. " Good. Let him stew in his own hell. But if he cares so deeply for Kook why doesn't he solve the matter? Why does he refuse to learn the truth?"
Yoongi chuckled." Because men like Kim would rather sink in misery than admit they made mistakes or that they have feelings. "He reached over and held Jimin's hand." Don't forget they had a contract not a real relationship. Or so he thinks. Now he's choking himself but a person can only hold his breath for so long before he has to gasp for air."
" Then I hope he finds out the truth and crawls on his knees for forgiveness."
" I'd love to see that. Kim on his knees,begging."
" And I'd love Kook not to forgive him so easily." Jimin admitted, despite his doubts about it. His friend was way too infatuated and obsessed with Kim to torture him for everything he had done when or if the misunderstanding was resolved.
" We'll see,baby.. we'll have to wait and see."
___________________
The glass walls of Kim's central office were rattling with a suffocating tension. Taehyung was sitting behind his huge desk,his eyes fixed on the glowing screen,his fingers clicking the mouse with aggressive precision.
The heavy, mahogany door opened with a crisp click and Seojoon stormed in, deprived of his usual relaxed grin. As his best friend Seojoon could see right through his flawless expression and at that moment he looked incredibly fragile.
" I can't even leave you for a month without you creating chaos inside and outside the company.*
Taehyung's gaze never left the screen and simply hummed. He was certain Seojoon was up for another of his usual lectures and he wasn't in the mood.
" You're making the secretaries cry again,Tae." Seojoon noted, shutting the door behind him, walking towards the desk and taking a seat in one of the chairs." Three of them are down in HR writing their resignation letters. Care to tell me why you are acting like an asshole?"
Taehyung didn't even glance up from the screen. " They're useless. If they can't handle some pressure,then they can pack their bags and leave my company. I don't pay them to cry in the break room. I pay them to be efficient at their job."
" Right.. right. So very professional of you." Seojoon replied, resting his arm on the shiny surface and abruptly turning the screen around, blocking Taehyung's view." I'm gone for a month and hell breaks loose. Where is Jungkook? What did you do to him? Don't try to deny it. I know you fucked up."
Taehyung's fingers froze over the keyboard at the mere mention of Jungkook's name. Jealousy,the ghost of betrayal and rage blended together, coiling his guts and turning his veins into ice.
He forced his face into a mask of unbothered arrogance, slowly tilting his jaw up to glance at Seojoon." Jungkook is no longer my concern. " His voice sounded flat and chilling." Our contract has been terminated and he's not part of my life anymore. Plus my personal life is none of your business.Now, if you have finished playing the therapist,brief me about the States and the branch."
Taehyung attempted to shift the screen back to its original place but met Seojoon's strong resistance." None of my business?" The man scoffed, releasing an incredulous laugh." Do not try to give me the brush - off and tell me what the fuck did you do. Did you two have a fight? Did you send him away because of the one threatening you?"
" I got bored of him. End of story."
" You? Bored of Jungkook? No.. I ain't buying it." His brows creased.
" Suit yourself, Seojoon."
" Tae, you're gonna tell me the truth even if I have to drag it out of you." Seojoon insisted and had absolutely no intention of quitting.
Taehyung's lips let out a broken chuckle, slumping back to his leather chair,his eyes were now holding anger." Drop it. And I'm serious, Seojoon."
The man stretched his legs and folded his arms over his chest, clearly indicating he wasn't going anywhere till he found out why Tae had screwed up his life.. again! " So am I, buddy. You won't get rid of me that easily. You're gonna tell me and I'm not leaving until you do."
Taehyung's self-control was gradually being shattered and he hated the feeling of losing his control. He hadn't forgotten what had happened,his mind kept going back, repeating the same picture over and over and over to the point he was losing his mind.
Under Seojoon's relentless pressure and his own rage bubbling up, his eyes glistening with a volatile, oppressive wrath,he eventually snapped as he slammed both hands on the desk,the cracking thud echoing through the glass office."He broke the rules. He made a fool out of me. I walked into a hotel room and found him naked, sprawling in bed under another man and five more naked assholes jerking off,waiting for their turn. He sold himself in some cheap room while being with me. He's nothing more than a filthy whore who craves cocks. So I terminated the contract,threw him out, fired him from the club and told him to stay the fuck out of my life. "
Taehyung's chest rose and fell, heaving under his black shirt,fists clenching tightly on the desk. His eyes were nothing more than two thin lines of aggressive rage and his lips were slightly shaking from anger.
He expected Seojoon to look horrified and disgusted,to reassuringly pat his shoulder, and validate the unbearable weight of betrayal crashing his chest.
Instead Seojoon only stared at him. The man's expression slipped from curiosity into ineffable disbelief. He breathed out and gave a hopeless shake of his head.
" You fucken idiot!" Seojoon hissed under his breath,knitting his lips together.
Taehyung was taken aback,his jaw locked and eyes popped out in total astonishment." What did you say to me?"
" Well.. you heard me. You're a fucking moron. A total jerk. An asshole." Seojoon snapped back, voice gradually rising as he hunched forward, utterly unbothered by his friend's deadly glare. Tae was gonna hear it this time as his jealousy and possessiveness had crossed the limits." You take pride in thinking you're the smartest man. A master tactician who reads people for a living,who believes he's a perfect judge of characters and you handled this like a brainless, insecure, jealous teenager. Good job Kim! I have met idiots before but you surpass them all. You're the master of idiots!"
" I saw it with my own eyes! He was fucking around with other men! And then he'd crawl into my bed and touch me with his dirty hands." Taehyung roared, standing up from his chair so abruptly,the chair thrashed against the wall."He was under him,flushed and needy, shivering from lust.. he was literally begging to be fucked.."
" Did you hear Jungkook say he wanted that? Did you hear him beg?" Seo Joon asked with an unyielding register that cut through Taehyung 's shouting like a blade." When you saw him there,did he look like a man who wanted that? Did he tell you ' Tae,glad you came to the party? Or ' It's not what it looks like?' Or maybe he looked petrified and trembling with fear? "
Seojoon stopped for a second, studying the faint disbelief appearing in Taehyung's eyes,the cracks in his well-formed verdict and continued." Do you honestly believe that Jungkook would jump from one bed to another as if he was changing clothes? That he'd arrange an orgy in a cheap hotel room with total strangers and then come back to you like nothing happened? That he'd risk losing you by spreading his legs to a bunch of sleazbags? I've known him less than you and I have seen how kind and caring he is, how he looks at you. How his gaze follows you everywhere when you're not paying attention. How his eyes fill with affection and.. love the moment you walk into the room.. No,you don't know him at all. You're blinded by jealousy and your immense ego."
SeoJoon scoffed." The boy would fly to Thailand just to find you. Dig through wrecks to get you out alive and you condemned him without giving him a chance to explain. Yeap! You're an asshole."
Taehyung's mouth opened to argue but the words,the things he wanted to get out of his chest were choked in his throat. Involuntarily,his mind trailed back to that day,to that room.
He remembered the way Jungkook's eyes glazed with something he couldn't pinpoint and had taken it as lust. The way his body jerked violently with an unnatural, feverish heat and how his voice shook with desperation when he was begging for Taehyung to listen.
' Aespa drugged me.. '
" He gave me some pathetic excuses.. that he had gone to that hotel to meet someone who had information about a friend of his and instead he met Aespa and she.. she drugged him.. " Taehyung murmured,his tone losing a fraction of his rage and venom, replaced by an unexpected creeping unease he loathed.
He wanted to stay mad.
He needed to believe that Jungkook was a cheap whore who tricked him for sex and money..
Otherwise, he'd have to come face to face with his own mistakes and feelings.
He'd have to admit he had misjudged him and had wrongly kicked him out.
" And of course you didn't believe him. Did it occur to you to investigate? To search deeper?" SeoJoon continued, rubbing his fingers on his temples,his gaze practically drilling holes into Taehyung's." No! You faced a situation that triggered your trust issues and your fucking pride and destroyed his life without asking questions. And I repeat that boy you judged so harshly, worships the ground you walk on. Anyone with an ounce of brain can see that he's hopelessly in love with you. Do you actually think a man who looks at you like you're the centre of his entire universe just casually decides to have an orgy with six random guys? Use your fucken head for once! It's not that hard,you know!"
" You don't know the whole, fucken story. He lied to me about where he was."
" Did you ask him directly and he lied to your face?"
Taehyung gulped down hard." No.. but he should have told me." Taehyung rasped,his knuckles whitening from the tight grip on his chair. His heart began flogging against his ribs in a chaotic, panicked pace.
He was fighting tooth and nail against Seojoon's logic for a lost cause. The faint yet visible cracks in the narrative he had created in his mind were sluggishly crumbling down and his cynical, egotistical self couldn't cope with that.
" He was keeping secrets."
" Newsflash, buddy. So did you." Seojoon struck back with an ' I'm done' kind of look."You never told him about your enemies,about your nephew or what the fuck is happening into that damn club of yours. You left him in the dark. You didn't lie but didn't share the truth either."
" I had his best interest at heart. I was foolishly trying to protect him."
" What a fascinating definition of protection!" SeoJoon cynically exclaimed.
" Screw you Seojoon !" Taehyung growled."You damn well know whatever I did was to protect him!"
" What makes you think he didn't? Perhaps he was frightened if you knew, you'd sent him away.. which apparently you did! Everyone has secrets,you arrogant bastard! But there's a huge difference between keeping secrets and being a cheater or a traitor. You didn't simply break a contract. You broke him, Taehyung, when you were supposed to protect him. You fed him to the wolves,to disgusting, bloodthirsty predators."
He abruptly stood up, adjusted his blue suit,took a calming,deep breath and gave him a pity look." You jumped to conclusions, condemned and punished an innocent man whose only mistake was he had feelings for you instead of going after your wallet and you lost him."
" That boy can't feel affection for anyone. He's got only one thing in mind. Cocks. Sluts do that." Taehyung barked back at his friend in a raw, condescending voice, banging his fists on the desk.
" Save that for someone who's afraid of you. However I'll tell you one thing. They wanted to hurt him. To break him. " He sucked in a long, sharp inhale." They were gonna rape him, you freaking asshole! Rape him and I bet my fortune on that."
He marched towards the door but before his hand reached the knob,he slightly shifted his head." Who kindly tipped you off about the hotel?"
" I got a message on my phone." he replied casually but his heartbeat was thumping against his temples and Seojoon's words were ringing in his head.
" Of course! The usual anonymous text at the right moment. How convenient. And you freaking fell for it after everything that happened." He turned the knob and bitterly smiled." Congratulations! You wanted to protect your pride but you completely lost the only real thing you ever had. "
Then Seojoon walked out but as the door clicked shut, his words hung in the silence of the empty room, crushing the delicate balance he had fought hard to maintain.
Taehyung fiercely rubbed his jaw as his palm landed on his throat as he couldn't breathe. His nails dug into his flesh, scraping the burning skin with a ferocity that scared him deep into the core of his existence.
He couldn't doubt his own eyes.
He knew exactly what he saw.
SeoJoon didn't face the same repulsive scene.
He foolishly concluded that Jungkook was incapable of such deviant acts based solely on his impression for the goodness of his character.
Taehyung wouldn't fall for that. He was resilient to lies and deception and wasn't about to let a cockslut like Jungkook deceive or take advantage of him.
His expression unfolded from rageful into sedation in an instant as he leaned over the documents on his desk,poring over them with peerless concentration.
He was remarkably exceptional in bottling up his emotions,having years of practice behind him, but in reality he was barely scraping through.
At around two,he threw his upper body back on the leather chair, stretching his arms and legs that had gone numbed from stillness and swirled his head around.
The coffee next to the screen had gone cold hours ago but he kept gulping down the bitter liquid as if it'd simmer down his emotions. SeoJoon's arguments had found their place in the back of his troubled mind however he chose to dismiss them as irrational.
He warily got up,ambled towards the grand window and stood there, gazing at the city without actually looking. A deep sigh slipped through his lips,one he was suppressing for hours and rested his forehead on the glass.
As much as he wanted to believe the past events were a huge misunderstanding,the facts indicated otherwise.
Jungkook was unfaithful.
A cheater.
Breaking the most fundamental rule in their contract meant the termination of their bond.
Apparently because of his upbringing,tough childhood and adulthood,he had serious trust issues and his faith in people was questionable.
Most men and women were after his wealth and name. They fed on his power, tried to exploit his kindness and benefit from his prestigious life.
The Kim name was the absolute, most prominent aphrodisiac.
A blessing and a curse.
He couldn't tell who actually liked him for who he was,for Taehyung and who was turned on by his name. And after that one time back in his college days, still unsuspected of people's wickedness,where he had allowed himself to trust and have his first and last affair with a junior only to discover he was sleeping around with richer boys on campus to benefit.
Right then and there,he swore to himself,he wouldn't allow anyone to take advantage of him and treat him like a fool.
It hurt but not as much as seeing Jungkook under that bastard.
That was a different kind of pain. Sharpen, deeper, leading straight to the gates of hell.
Over the past few days he had managed to get rid of everything that reminded him of his existence from his penthouse. His coffee machine,his gaming equipment,the rest of his clothes were neatly placed in carton boxes and a suitcase,stored in the basement and waited to be delivered.
But Jungkook's scent,that warm, familiar smell of vanilla and strawberry still lingered in the air no matter how much he attempted to freshen the house.
The worst part,the most agitated one, was that despite his efforts,Taehyung couldn't get hard with anyone else. He couldn't function, couldn't perform. Hell,he couldn't even touch a guy without feeling dirty and guilty.
Without feeling like a bloody cheater when he shouldn't. Jungkook had been unfaithful, not him. He had respected their deal and hadn't even gazed at another man,let alone touch one.
He shut his weary eyes and the glass before him fogged by his ragged breaths. He so badly needed a drink and a smoke.
Just as he was about to head to the mini bar and get himself that drink,the intercom rang so he walked back to his desk and pressed the black button.
" Mr. Kim you have an appointment with Mr. Winston from W.Corporation in fifteen minutes." his secretary Mrs Joon announced in her usual professional tone. " Should I escort him to the conference room when he arrives and notify Mr. Park?"
" Yes. Let me know the moment he comes. And please contact the Legal Department." Taehyung replied flatly and cut off the connection before the woman got the chance to answer back.
He took a seat on his chair again,flung open his third drawer and pulled out a stack of files. As he flicked through them,he realised, much to his surprise,that his fingers were trembling.
That familiar, unwanted weight he had for the last three weeks was getting heavier and heavier with each passing second. That bitter sense of vulnerability he carried for weeks was crashing his mentality and often interfered with his work, making him unable to focus on work.
Taehyung couldn't afford that.
He ought to stay focused on maintaining his empire and reinforcing it.
He had no time to consume himself in trivial things like sparing a single thought on Jeon Jungkook.
Because Jeon was an insignificant part of his past he had no wish to repeat.
A liability he couldn't afford.
Jeon Jungkook was dead to him.