Jungkook stood facing the bathroom mirror, resting his hands flat on the cold, marble sink gazing at his reflection. Dark circles under his eyes from exhaustion and the sleepless nights but the uncertainty and hesitation had softened.
He was ready.
He understood that the road ahead was paved with thorns. The emotional rejection from that night at the parking lot hurt and the physical trauma of his miscarriage was a ghost that haunted his steps, his nights, his sleep.
Every morning he woke up to the same hollow pain, a constant reminder of the emptiness inside him and the tiny life that was stripped of the chance to live and became a target of hatred, schemes and pride.
Would the pain ever go away?
He hoped so but at the same time he wished it stayed with him forever.
Plus he hadn't fully forgotten and forgiven Taehyung. Not in the least bit. There were mountains of pain to climb, tears to shed and conversations with things to be laid out in the open.
In spite of everything, his heart and soul weren't ready to walk away. Winning him back felt like a significant task he had to complete in order to keep breathing.
Everything in his head was messed up.
And then there was that woman.
Aespa.
Jungkook needed answers. The wrath inside him was piling up, sharp and vicious, his desire for justice and closure was a ticking bomb on the verge of exploding.
Why?
He wanted to understand why.
Why was her hatred so deep that she had to go to such vile lengths to hurt him? To hire those bastards to assault him in that hotel room and ruin his life?
They had briefly dated. Nothing serious, just a casual fling, a meaningless romance. He had never promised her anything. Never lied to her, told her he loved her because he hadn't.
Then why did she harbor a wickedness so cruel and toxic that practically destroyed him? Because of her, Jungkook lost Taehyung and their baby.
He'd never forgive her for being so mean and punishing her was the first thing on his list. That was why he had asked Yoongi to gather up information about those men, dig up their past, their connections and hunt down every asshole who had touched that hotel key card.
He needed to face all of them,even now on his own terms and discover the root of evil that cost him his happiness.
They had to pay.
He rinsed his face with cold water, brushed his teeth with meticulous care and returned to his bedroom to get dressed. He checked his closet and frowned. Most of his clothes were way too big,even those tight, leather pants he loved wearing.
He let out a sigh of vexation and grabbed a pair of white shorts and a plain grey T-shirt and put them on. His stomach growled from hunger as he rubbed a hand on it and made his way towards the kitchen.
Jumin had spent the night at Yoongi's so he had the place all to himself. It was strangely quiet. No quarreling, no silly jokes and bright ideas. No Jimin lecturing him about pursuing Taehyung, no unnecessary advice that irritated his temples and gave him a headache.
Simply calmness and tranquility.
Let Yoongi handle Jimin's craziness first thing in the morning. He laughed imagining hyung, huffing and puffing, rolling his eyes and nodding in understanding at his boyfriend's blabbering, trying to deal with him with pots of coffee!
__________________
Then came Friday night, two weeks after their last encounter and Jungkook was in his usual place,a shadow in Taehyung's world.
For weeks he didn't send his food. He hadn't bothered him, simply observed him. He sat parked down the busy road on his Harley, opposite the company, blending into the humming and the dust, keeping his attention on the towering, glass skyscraper.
He watched the main entrance, studying Taehyung 's life from a distance, gathering his strength to approach. The city stretched before him wrapped in a cool, early summer breeze that made him breathe easily.
His dark eyes were locked on the entrance and his decision was simmering in his chest for days, a suffocating secret that he could no longer carry alone and needed to be said.
Taehyung had every right to know.
He had to know that the nightmare he had experienced in that room had not only cost him their relationship and contract but also their baby. An innocent life created in secret, a baby of their own flesh and blood until it was savagely taken away from them.
The truth would break Taehyung but it was a truth that belonged to both of them. Jungkook was determined to let it all out.
All of a sudden, the huge glass doors swung open. Jungkook's breath caught up in his throat.
Taehyung's tall figure stepped out of the company into the night breeze, followed by four stone-faced bodyguards dressed in black. Draped in a bespoke, black Italian suit that hugged his broad shoulders and trailed down his long legs, screaming loyalty, Taehyung was a heartbreaker in a human form.
His black hair was neatly styled back, revealing the sharp, lethal cuts of his perfect jawline and cheekbones, radiating power, dominance and an unrestrained arrogance that forced men and women to succumb to his will.
His expression held a coldness, an unyielding stiffness,eyes brimming with a dismissive authority while casually adjusting his gold cufflinks. He resembled a ruthless king ruling an empire of steel, handsome as hell, utterly untouchable.
And totally void.
Jungkook's heart roughly vibrated in his chest, his gaze scanning him for some sort of crack to find none. But that didn't hold him back. He swung his leg off the Harley,kicked the kickstand down and cautiously crossed the wide street.
The cool wind lashed through his hair, his posture was adamant,his chin lifted up and his eyes scorching with an untainted, wavering resolve.
While Taehyung's figure pranced towards his luxurious,black SUV surrounded by his guards, his Chief caught a glimpse of Jungkook and immediately held a defensive posture, blocking his way.
" Stand down." Taehyung's velvet yet stark voice cut through the air forcing his guard to retreat and stand to the left side. He stood absolutely still, eyes streaked with a bleary redness, fixing on Jungkook. A flash of raw, malicious glee flickered in his dark iris as he tossed his head back, lips coated with a sly leer." You again? I don't expect anything else from you,Jeon even though I made myself perfectly clear."
Jungkook didn't wince but took two steps forward,not far enough as not to see the tiredness in his face yet not close either. His heart ached and the invisible thread that pulled him to Taehyung screamed.
" You made yourself clear but I warned you.. I'm a rebel." Jungkook fired back, voice exceptionally serene despite the storm raging inside him." I'm not here for more games. I'm not here to ask your permission."
The man crossed his arms over his hard chest, letting out a low, bitter laugh." Then why are you standing here? If you're looking for another... session, I'm afraid I must decline. You were just a plaything I got tired of. "
" Perhaps... but it's not what I came here for." Jungkook rasped, closing the distance between them, his big,doe eyes zeroed in on Taehyung's with an intensity that forced the man to hold his breath." Look at me, Tae. Really look at me without hiding behind that billion dollar attitude and custom-made suit."
A muscle feathered in his jaw,his dark eyes blazed with a dangerous heat." You've got five seconds to get the fuck out of my face or..."
" Give us another chance,Tae." Jungkook cut him off impatiently but gently,the emotional weight of the words settled heavily between them.
Taehyung's body froze, his pompous posture wavering for a split second.
" Please give me... give us a chance to talk. Not as a CEO and his contracted lover but as two people who shared a bond... who lived together. I know you still want me. You proved it that night. Your body remembers me even if your mind rejects me. That's a good start."
" Jeon.. you're delusional." Taehyung hissed, his voice dropping into a deadly whisper, gritting his teeth as he slanted over inches apart from the younger's face." You honestly believe one quick fuck in the dark erases what you did? You think I'm gonna forgive and forget? It was a fucken mistake. One I've got no intention of repeating. Go away and leave me alone."
" Tae..."
" It's over,Jeon. We're done."
" Please... Tae... Don't shut me out."
" You're a liar."
" I never lied to you!" Jungkook shouted back, a tear dripping down his cheek, even though his voice never lost its firmness." Everything I told you was true. I was drugged. I was attacked. Nothing of what happened was my choice. And while you were sitting in your penthouses despising me, calling me filthy and unfaithful, I... I..."
The younger paused, he drew a shaky breath, the tormenting pain of a loss that haunted him rippled through his core. His quivering hand reached down, pressing his palm onto his flat belly and instinctively his gaze fixed on the handsome face inches away.
His other hand clenched into a tight fist while his heart was frantically pounding against his ribs.
It was time.
He was ready to tell him the secret he was hiding for months, to lay his soul bare and reveal that he had lost their baby. Their flesh and blood. The result of their love making. Force him to finally face the truth.
So he took a step forward but before the words could slip his lips, the unexpected sound of light, hurried footsteps cracked on the pavement.
" Tata!"
The voice was gentle, soothing and coated in a sweet, unreserved warmth.
Every muscle in Jungkook's body locked in place as a young man ran towards them from the huge entrance. He couldn't have been more than twenty two, a delightful sight of delicate, breathtaking grace.
The boy was wrapped in an oversized, creamy, cashmere sweater that literally swallowed his slim frame, his shiny, light brown hair falling in gentle waves over his forehead.
He was dainty in a profoundly odd, captivating way. The kind of rare, divine, ethereal beauty that instantly made anyone feel a paralysing urge to hold him, cradle him, protect him at all costs from the cruelty of the world.
With absolute certainty and without fear of the bodyguards circling them, the boy threw his arms around Taehyung's neck, nuzzling his face into the sharp lapel of the man's black suit.
Jungkook felt the concrete beneath his feet cracking, his breath clogged in his throat and a pricking pain stung his heart, feeling completely paralysed.
Then, in a single devastating instant, came the blow that tore Jungkook's world apart.
Taehyung didn't pull away.
He didn't flinch, shout or push.
He didn't issue any cruel threats like he had done to Jungkook minutes before. Instead the man's strong arms instinctively raised, securely swathing around the boy's slender waist, pulling him against his chest.
Almost immediately Taehyung's eyes trailed down at him.
It was a look Jungkook had never, in the months they had been together, seen on Taehyung's expression. He had seen his gaze flickering with rage. He had seen his blissful passion, how his eyes glistered from lust when he was fucking him.
But never this.
The wall of ice in his eyes had begun to thaw, replaced by a fierce, unfiltered care.
So Kim Taehyung was capable of being affectionate... Just not to him.
There was a heartening, protective gentleness in Taehyung's dark gaze, a lingering love and an intense, possessive warmth that softened all the hard angles of his handsome face.
He looked at the young boy as if he was the centre of his universe... as if he was the most precious treasure in existence, resting his jaw against the top of the boy's hair.
A sharp, agonising snap echoed in Jungkook's chest. A deep wound cracked open in his soul, bleeding and aching, burning him like hot lava.
Taehyung had never looked at him like that. Not once during their odd relationship, their heated nights. Not during their quiet mornings having breakfast and obviously not during their encounter in the parking lot.
Through all the passion and desire, even in his rage, Taehyung's eyes had always carried shadows of restraint, a careful distance. A calculated defence. But with this boy... his love was loud, effortless and overwhelming.
The stark realization struck Jungkook like a crushing weight, draining the blood from his veins and the air from his lungs.
Taehyn.
The name on Taehyung's lips.
He had come back to him.
Taehyung's only love, his real love, had returned to him. The boy that held his heart before turning into stone. The unforgettable, ultimate love from his past.
Apparently the misunderstandings that had kept them apart were solved and the boy was here to claim him. Take back what was his from the start.
They were back together.
Everything made sense now.
Kim's urgent need to kick him out, his refusal to even listen to his explanations, the absolute disgust when he tried to touch him before that night. None of it was about the hotel and his alleged betrayal.
Taehyung rejected him to clear the path and finish any loose ends because his one true love returned!
Jungkook was merely a plaything, a temporary solution, a convenient backup plan to help him get rid of stress. A simple distraction to fill in the emptiness in his bed until the rightful owner of the man's heart walked back into his life.
A profound wave of jealousy and intense humiliation swept over him, so fierce that forced his knees to buckle. His hands searched around to find something to hold on to but there was just empty space.
He felt like a third wheel. An unwanted intruder, smaller than ever before in his life. Standing there in his black, leather jacket and boots, the piercings, the tattoos, the macho attitude... rough around the edges, shattered and bleeding, compared to the alluring, delicate angel in Taehyung's chest.
Jungkook let out a bitter chuckle and his fists clenched so hard, he could hear his knuckles cracking.
" You left your phone in the office, Tata." the boy hummed softly, tossing his head back, just enough for his dazzling, soulful eyes to gaze at Tae in complete trust." How will I reach you? You're taking me out... you promised."
Taehyung's thumb softly brushed over the boy's cheek, his voice mellowed and dripping honey, a soothing purr that rippled through Jungkook's chest like millions of poisonous,sharp blades."Baby, I would come for you. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
He emphasized every word on purpose. Every movement, every gaze was calculated to strike at Jungkook.
Jungkook's feet took two slow steps back, his chest rising and falling in ragged breaths, his hands quivering so violently that he had to shove them in his pockets. The overwhelming urge to collapse onto the pavement made the world spin around him, his stomach churning from the urgent need to puke.
He wanted nothing more than to die on the spot, to escape the soul-crushing sight of the man he adored beyond words, hugging someone else with the love and affection he was begging for months and was denied under the heavy weight of a contract.
Taehyung had no real intention of giving Jungkook a chance or settling down with him. Come to think about it, he never,not once, made any promises about where they stood. About their relationship. It was Jungkook's fault for falling in love with his sugar daddy.
Well, forbidden is always attractive!
Kim's eyes gradually shifted over the boy's shoulder, peering at Jungkook. The affection had disappeared and in its place there was that usual coldness and disgust. As if Jungkook's mere existence was a stain he had to remove, an obstacle he had to get rid of so as not to pollute the boy in his arms.
" We were just leaving. " Taehyung announced flatly,his tone lacking in any kind of warmth as if Jungkook was nothing more than an unwelcome stranger blocking their way.
Jungkook wanted to speak but no words came out. His throat constricted, the air in his lungs tasted like ash, choked on tears he didn't want to set free, refusing to break down in their presence and make a fool of himself.
Not that he hadn't already...begging to be seen and loved by the one person who'd never be his.
He stared at the couple. So fitting, so perfect, so utterly wrapped in a world he had no place in and he felt his dignity completely shattered.
His mind was a dreadful, absolute blank, only the deafening roar of his heart cracking, reminded him it was still beating.
Barely.
Like a trapped animal trying to escape a deadly trap.
Hot, furious tears welled up behind his eyelids, pricking him but his jaw tightened so hard, his teeth fiercely rattled. It was a sickening, erratic cocktail of feelings. An agonising mixture of pure heartache and an unexpected, raging anger that boiled through his veins.
He was drowning in his own agony, torn between wanting to drop to his knees and beg and wanting to destroy everything around him.
He had to speak. It was necessary for him to speak and explain. His lips parted but his voice stubbornly refused to come out, choked by grief and rage in equal amounts.
" Tae - Taehyung..." The name grazed out of him, ragged and sterile. Jungkook gulped hard, his sweaty hands shaking in his pockets. "Just... five minutes... give me five minutes..."
The older one remained stiff. His broad shoulders blocking the fragile figure in his arms from the light, night breeze with absolute possessiveness. However, beneath the expensive, flawless cut of his Italian suit, his muscles locked so firmly, he resembled a marble statue." No."
" Please... at least give me that. So that I can tell you what I've been carrying for months. Something you need to know... something you've got every right to know about us.." Jungkook begged, his voice trembling and barely above a whisper.
" There's nothing to talk about. Leave us. Why do you keep insisting? I don't want to use force." Taehyung cut in and to enforce his boundary, his arms hooked tighter around the boy. He pulled him against his hip, bending down to press a soft kiss on his hair
The boy made himself more comfortable in Taehyung's arms, his small, slender hand resting against the slick fabric of the man's lapel and tossed his head up, glancing at Jungkook with a mixture of innocent confusion and genuine concern.
" Tata? he asked tenderly." Who's that man?"
Taehyung didn't look at the boy as his red rimmed eyes were focused on Jungkook's pain - filled expression.
For a brief moment something resembling ache flashed across his face, a blade of sheer, self destructive agony that made his heart shatter into pieces as he uttered the lie.
It broke him to say it. Bled his very soul but his massive pride, his blinding grief and his steel defiance refused to back down.
" Nobody." the older man responded with a lifeless, scornful tone. " He's nobody."
It broke him but he couldn't take it back now.
Nobody.
Jungkook's presence was diminished to nobody.
The reply didn't simply hurt. It stung and ached even more than actually being stabbed multiple times with a billion blades. Jungkook's right hand flew over his chest in a desperate attempt to ease the piercing pain of rejection but left him only bleeding inside.
In that single, agonising moment, the thick fog in Jungkook's brain cleared, melting into a razor sharp clarity. Silent tears rolled down his pale cheeks, gliding on his leather jacket.
He shut his eyes and when he opened them, he saw everything crystal clear.
It was over.
Fully, to the point of no return ever.
There was no future between them.
No amount of wishing, praying, begging, no amount of proof and definitely no amount of persistence would ever change Taehyung's mind.
Kim Taehyung didn't care about the truth. He didn't want to understand. He had easily turned him down and replaced him as soon as his first true love showed up.
Jungkook was Taehyn's stand - in. A substitute. A toy used and tossed into the gutter like garbage.
The suffocating grief inside Jungkook unexpectedly lashed out, fading into a brutal, raw, untamed rage.
In an instant, before Taehyung's guards got the chance to react and seize him, Jungkook lunged forward, his hand shot out, fingers violently snatching and twitching into Taehyung's notches.
He yanked the man down towards him with a furious, explosive power, pulling him so close their noses were nearly touching. The young boy let out a low, frightened gasp, reeling back a few steps while the guards swiftly moved but Taehyung raised two fingers signaling them to halt.
" I... Tata..." the boy exclaimed softly clearly in shock at the unbelievable scene unfolding before his eyes as if he wasn't accustomed to such brutal behaviour.
Taehyung glanced down at his ex lover, his face pale, his chest gasping, waiting for one more tearful plea he assumed was coming. However, Jungkook shot his right band up and delivered a hard slap across his cheek with every ounce of strength he had.
The sharp impact rang through the concrete plaza like a gunshot. Taehyung's head snapped to the side from the violence of the slap and the result was immediate, a clear - cut, red handprint bloomed across his cheek bone, the corner of his lip slightly splitting and a string of blood gushing down his jaw.
His guards were waiting for a signal to step in and dispose of the intruder. A signal that never came. So their presence was reduced to that of simple spectators.
Kim didn't roar, didn't retaliate. His head turned slowly, his stormy, darkened eyes wide in shock, staring deep into the teary eyes of the boy he had so effortlessly broken.
Jungkook's fingers gripped tighter around the suit for one last agonising second. His once sparkling eyes were now brimming with a deep - soul anguish and fury, his tears overflowing and trailing hot paths down his flaming cheeks but his expression was bent on blood.
The biggest mistake of his life was falling in love with Kim and losing himself and his baby in the process. He didn't owe him anything. Not a damn thing.
The baby he had lost was his and only his! Taehyung wasn't part of it, he had nothing to do with his pain and loss so it would remain that way.
" You don't deserve to know." Jungkook's throat - scraped voice gurgled and vibrated through every bone in Taehyung's body." You don't deserve a single piece of my truth. Not anymore. I'm done begging for scraps and attention.. I'm done trying to fix what's already broken... I'm done!"
The younger hurled him away, letting go of the expensive suit line it was on fire. Taehyung reeled half a step, his fingers instinctively touching his burning, bruised cheek then wiped the blood with his thumb while locking onto Jungkook in shock.
" Jung..."
The younger gave him a menacing glare, his lips tightly pressed together as he stepped back. His body was trembling, his chest throbbing from an overwhelming pain, he no longer wanted but surprisingly, just to maintain what was left of his dignity, his posture remained straight and his head up high.
He defied Kim with his gaze and for the first time he saw right through him, his tailored suit, his deep pockets and that miserable shell of the man standing before him.
" Kim Taehyung." Jungkook said, his voice dropping into a razor sharp whisper that in the man's ears echoed like a deadly finality.
He paused, allowing the silence to settle between them till it was unbearable.
" Never again."
Without waiting for a second, without giving Tae one more second of his attention and life, Jungkook didn't just walk away. He bolted.
He sprinted across the vast road towards his bike, his heavy boots vibrating against the asphalt, biting his lips to swallow his tears. He wouldn't shed one more tear for that man.
He threw a leg over the saddle, put on his helmet and slammed his foot on the ignition. The engine sprung to life with a heavy, deafening scream that echoed in the bustling noise of the city like he needed to declare his presence.
Jungkook kicked the Harley into a gear, twisted the throttle and the rear tire shrieked against the side of the pavement as he charged into the darkness, leaving the mighty Kim Taehyung standing outside his company with a burning cheek, a split, bleeding lip and a horrible, crushing weight of the damage he had caused on purpose.
____________________
The thunderous roar of the engine faded into the vast city and only the smell of burnt tires, cool breeze and the earsplitting silence of his empty heart remained.
Taehyung's figure stood still on the huge pavement. The sting on his face was a throbbing lava and the metallic taste of the blood on his tongue a dreadful reminder of reality.
But the pain from the slap was nothing compared to the storm in his mind. That terrifying, chaotic mess and the desperate feeling of losing something more precious than life itself.
'Run! Run after him you stupid asshole! Chase after him till your feet give in and your lungs burn out. Scream his name till your voice breaks. Run! Don't lose him.' That was the only thought in his troubled mind.
He wanted to toss aside his idiotic pride, his empire, his whole damn life, grab Jungkook by the shoulders,hug and kiss him, scream that none of it mattered. He didn't give a rat's ass about the hotel, the stupid contract and his bruised ego.
He simply wanted him back. He needed to touch every inch of his body, dive into his warmness, hold him so tight so that nobody would steal him away from him until hell consumed them whole.
He wanted to drop on his knees and beg for forgiveness. Beg him to come back to him without contracts, rules and forbidden feelings.
He instinctively took two steps forward, his leather shoes clicked against the curb and stretched out his right hand as if calling him back, as if he could somehow catch the trailing smoke of the Harley... "Jungkook... baby... please don't go.. I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."
The plea sounded like a broken glass in his dry throat. The weight on his chest felt insufferable and so heavy that it was impossible to breathe. His lungs were burning and his heart was shredding into microscopic pieces that no money and no power could put back together.
Taehyung's hand warily fell to his side, fingers shaking and heavy tears gathered at the corners of his blurry eyes. The Alpha king of the Kim empire was standing on the public sidewalk like a commoner, chest shuddering as he corked a choked sob.
A gentle, hesitant touch landed on his elbow."Uncle Tae? Are you ok?"The voice was tender and laced with mounting unease.
When he arrived in Seoul last night to visit his uncle and submit his transferred papers to the university, he had no clue he'd bear witness to such a heartbreaking scene.
The young boy walked closer, wrapping his sleeves tightly around his wrists and took one good look on his uncle's face. His eyebrows narrowed, his soft gaze wide open and staring at the red handprint on his cheek with sheer worry.
" Who was that man? Why did he slap you?"
The man had no answers. How could he possibly explain the catastrophic war of his life into a twenty-year- old boy?
How could he explain the betrayal,the obsession, the bleeding love and the horrible hollow that consumed him?
His mind, his entire life, was a chaotic mess. He couldn't even explain the stupid contract, the hotel room or the anguish tormenting his soul without looking like a total jerk.
He shut his eyes, tears slipping down his bruised face, freely now.
" Jungkook." Taehyung hummed softly like a prayer. " That... was Jungkook."
The young boy, Jaejoon, gently tilted his head scanning Taehyung's tearful face once again. He might have been young but he was neither naive nor blind.
On the contrary, he had inherited his mother's sensitive and observative nature and sometimes he was far too perceptive for his own good.
" Mmmm.. Jungkook." he repeated quietly and a tiny, dad smile tugged on his lips as he put the pieces of the puzzle together. " So... that's the famous Jungkook everyone is talking about. The man you look for in every empty room."
Taehyung didn't respond. What was there to say?
" Uncle," Jaejoon started saying, his voice now shifted from soft to remarkably grounded, stepping right in front of him." What's the deal with you two?"
" Nothing." Taehyung's reply was immediate.
" Oh come on,uncle! Be honest!"
" Got nothing to say."
Jaejoon was not about to quit. " It's not what your eyes are saying."
Taehyung's lips split and a deep sigh escaped. " My eyes don't talk, brat. So give it up."
" Wrong! Of course,they do. And in your case they speak volume!You don't look at someone like he's the centre of your universe unless you're hopelessly in love. He was hurting. And for goodness sake uncle Tae, Jungkook looked at you like you had just ripped his heart out of his chest with your bare hands. So did you! "
" Jaejoon please don't." The man tried to hold up his hand and stop the conversation but his nephew grabbed his hand and cut him off with a firm shake of his head.
" Don't give me that!" Jaejoon insisted in a scolding tone." I'm young, not dumb, deaf and blind uncle! I saw the look on his face when I hugged you. It wasn't just jealousy. He was devastated, ready to fall apart and what did you do? You let him think I was someone else, didn't you? A boyfriend. A rival. You deliberately played the villain because you're too stubborn for your own good."
The older swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat." It's complicated. Too complicated. You have no idea what he did."
" I don't care what he did or didn't do, uncle! " The boy challenged him openly, his eyes glowing with profound intensity." Just look at yourself! You're in the middle of the street, bleeding, crying and staring at the emptiness like a fucking lost puppy!"
" Jaejoon, language please!"
The boy scrunched his lips together, taking in a deep breath. For a ruthless businessman who ruled a financial empire,he sure was an idiot! "I've got more if you don't wise up! Is that how you handle problems? You run? You turn a blind eye to the truth? Is that what victory looks like to Kim Taehyung? Because from where I am standing, you look like a man who threw his salvation into the trash!"
Taehyung cringed, the cruel truth of his nephew's words hitting harder than the slap on his cheek.
Jaejoon's face softened as he reached out and touched his uncle's wrist." Five minutes. He begged you for five minutes. A man doesn't stand on the pavement, swallow his pride, beg and fight through so much pain unless he's feeling something real. He loves you Taehyung. He truly loves you! It was written all over his face... in his tears, in his eyes. And you... you look completely miserable without him. And don't even try to convince me that's not the case!"
He squeezed his wrist, forcing his uncle to look straight into his eyes. " Pride isn't the best advisor! In situations like these where love is at stake,you should follow your heart, not your logic. Go after him. Tear down the road, remove all obstacles and spill your guts out! Fix this. Because I'm afraid if you let him go, you'll spend the rest of your life regretting it. " Jaejoon murmured gently out of gnawing worry.
SeoJoon hyung had given him the heads-up about his uncle's relationship with Jungkook during his last visit home. Not in detail but enough for him to grasp the seriousness of the situation and how Taehyung had mishandled it.
And today his uncle had used him to drive away the only person he had ever loved and Jaejoon was feeling guilty and responsible for not setting the record straight but everything happened so fast, he wasn't given time to react.
Taehyung pinned Jaejoon with his gaze, the thick fog in his messed up brain gradually beginning to crack under the sheer honesty of his nephew's words. Everyone was telling him the exact same thing. They were certain about Jungkook's innocence, scolding him every chance they got for his uncharacteristic behaviour.
Was it possible he was wrong?
He had condemned him without giving him the chance to hear his side of the story with an open mind.
Plus he hadn't received any news from Jaehyn's investigation and he was on tenterhooks, thinking the worst possible outcome.
He drilled his gaze into the bustling street where Jungkook had vanished, his heart frantically beating against his ribs with a twisted pain he couldn't erase or ignore and a question crept into his mind.
Had he lost Jungkook forever?
___________________
The jam - packed streets blurred into a chaotic stream of obscured neon lights and towering shadows as Jungkook drove his Harley to its absolute limit.
The chill midnight breeze ripped past his helmet, growling like a wounded animal but it wasn't fast enough to outrun the blizzard spreading through his chest.
He felt helpless and devastated, consumed by a deep, suffocating agony that tore up his soul. The pain wasn't just mental, it was physical like a heavy, iron anchor lodged in his throat, turning each breath into a battle.
He needed to scream till his lungs burnt and his vocal cords tore. He wanted to ride his bike straight into the depths of the river, sink himself in the blinding darkness and drown every trace of Taehyung's presence from his soul.
He wanted to obliterate everything. Scrub his flesh until it bled only to wash away the memory of Taehyung's touches, his hands, the addictive scent of his skin and cologne, the hoarse rumble of his voice and the haunting, alluring curve of his mouth.
He never wanted to hear the name Kim Taehyung again for the rest of his life!
A sharp, roaring and rather hysterical laugh escaped Jungkook's lips under his helmet, fading into a choked sob. ' Thank God... thank god he hadn't opened his big mouth to tell him about the baby. ' he thought, his knuckles gripping tighter on the handlebars going stark white.
Because even if had confessed the truth - his most agonising wound in him, that asshole would most likely believe he was trying to pin somebody else's baby on him, using the child to extract money or accuse him of sleeping around behind his back.
That would have killed him on the spot. The rejection was already a death sentence and his words would have been the executioner's final blow.
If you thought about it, it was hilarious! The difference between Jungkook and that boy in Taehyung's arms was gigantic. A hard - edged, iron - fisted Jungkook smeared in large tattoos and piercings, rebellious and independent, disobedient and a troublemaker couldn't compare to that slender, graceful figure with the porcelain skin.
That boy was desperately seeking a protector to guard him and fight his battles. Unlike Jungkook who relied on his own hands and had learnt to weather the storm on his own.
That image... that image twisted his heart. Taehyung's strong arms shielding Taehyn from the big, bad wolf.
The harrowing thought made his stomach coil in anguish and the hollow grew stronger. He had to come up with a way to wipe out the despair and pain rooted in his heart, even a temporary solution.
He'd drink himself to oblivion. Drink till his heart stopped beating for that ungrateful bastard, till his vision blurred into nothingness, till Taehyung's image and name no longer felt like a holy prayer and a sin in his lips.
The Harley shrieking to a stop at the edge the road, the engine still running as Jungkook pulled his phone out of his inner pocket and sent a hurried message to Jimin.
' I didn't tell him about the baby. Taehyn is back. They're together. I saw them. Don't wait up. I'm gonna get wasted. Don't scold me. See you tomorrow.'
For some reason he didn't wait for an answer. The phone was stuffed in the back pocket of his pants and his bike roared to life again.
The imposing,wide boulevards of central Seoul slowly gave way to the industrial district, a web of narrow lanes, poorly lit backstreets lined with huge warehouses, underground bars and twinkling, overhead lamps.
The air was damp, reeking of the thick scent of wet pavement and motor oil.
Suddenly, tires screeched violently ahead of him and Jungkook's eyes widened behind his visor as three black, tinted - window vans appeared from an alleyway.
The first two vans swung sideways, totally blocking the narrow street on both sides. The third one blocked the road in front of him, leaving him no route to escape.
Jungkook instinctively slammed on his brakes, the Harley's rear tire fishtailing against the road, coming to an abrupt, smoking halt only a few feet from the black, metal bumper.
And before he could throw the bike into reverse, the van from his left swerved around the corner behind him, pinning him in the dim alley like a trapped mouse.
The side doors of the two vans blew open with a harsh slide. Six hulky, imposing men poured out into the alley, marching towards with deadly, military precision.
They were draped in black, tactical gear, faces hidden behind racing masks. In the dark flicker of the lights, Jungkook caught the terrifying view of heavy firearms drawn and kept low at their sides.
Jungkook's heart bounced into his dry throat. He just wanted a fucking drink and somehow ended up in a crossfire! He drew trouble like a fly in honey!
His damn luck!
" Shit! Shit!" he murmured through bare teeth, clenching his fists as surges of adrenaline rushed through his veins.
Every instinct in him screamed at him to fight. He throttled the engine, spotting the slight gap between the front van and the brick wall ahead, weighing his options and mentally preparing to ram his way through.
Even if he failed, he wouldn't go down without a fight.
" Don't even think about it, kid. You've got nowhere to run, little rat." a gravely voice rumbled from the shadows.
Jungkook's body went stiff. His gaze fretted around for a way to foil and his breathing got fast and shallow inside his helmet.
Six bulky,armed men.
An enclosed space.
No visible exit.
His mind went through every martial art lesson, every street fight he had been in over the years but the math was indisputable.
One against six? And he bet his ass there were at least six more inside the vans.
If he fought back, if he tried to be a hero, they'd definitely put a bullet through his head and dump his body into the river for the police to fish it out.
It was a battle he couldn't win.
His only alternative was to play along, do what they asked and find the right time and way to escape. Plus, if he was gone for days, Jimin and Yoongi would suspect something was wrong and search for him.
Therefore for the time being, his remaining option was to stay alive. Survive. Even though, was scared out of his wits! And frankly he wasn't the type of man to be easily intimidated.
His boots touched the concrete, his hands lifting off the handlebars in a silent surrender."Who sent you? What the fuck do you want?" He wasn't expecting an answer but he asked anyway, voice raspy and tight with adrenaline." Is it Arspa? Fucking tel..."
He never got to finish the sentence.
From the pitch black darkness behind his right shoulder, a thick, rigid metal pipe whipped through the air.
Thud.
The heavy blow smashed the back of his helmet with an unimaginable force, causing the fiberglass to crack. A white - hot explosion of light ignited behind his eyes, a loud buzzing leapt in his head before the world around him dissolved into an absolute, terrifying darkness.
Jungkook's lifeless body went utterly limp, slumping sideways off the leather seat and crumpling onto the wet pavement like a broken doll.
The men moved silently with surgical precision as they had repeated the same action a million times. One of them kicked the bike's kickstand up, the expensive Harley falling onto the right side of the pavement,its headlight uselessly glowing against the brick wall.
Two others snatched Jungkook from the armpits and ankles, dragging his unconscious body off the street and dumping him like s sack into the floorboard of one of the vans.
The black, heavy sliding door clapped shut with a definite, earsplitting bang.
The engines thundered, tires grinding against the concrete and within seconds the three vans vanished into the haze of the city, leaving behind an abandoned motorbike bleeding oil on the curb and Jungkook's phone that had accidentally slipped through his back pocket.
And that was the last time Kim Taehyung and everyone else saw Jeon Jungkook.