Daehyun returned to the room several minutes later, carrying a bottle of water.
Seo-yeon raised her head when she heard the door open.
He placed the bottle on a small table beside her.
"Have you thought about what I asked you?"
She looked at him.
"Please, Daehyun. Just let me go."
He sighed.
"You're making this more difficult than it needs to be."
"I don't have anything to do with whatever happened to you. Why can't you just leave me alone?"
He ignored her and pulled her phone out of his pocket.
"I found his number."
Seo-yeon's expression changed.
"What?"
"Your boyfriend. I found his contact."
"Don't call him."
Daehyun smiled.
"Unfortunately, I don't think you get to decide that."
He tapped the screen and placed the phone against his ear.
---
At the Han residence, Yoongi sat in the living room with Mr. Han, Mrs. Han and Kwon Dae-sung.
Nobody had been able to rest properly since Seo-yeon disappeared.
The police had collected CCTV footage from the shopping area where she was last seen. They had also questioned nearby shop owners and examined footage from surrounding streets.
One of the cameras had captured part of the vehicle used by the kidnappers. Although its registration number wasn't completely visible, the investigators had managed to identify a possible vehicle and were checking nearby surveillance cameras.
Yoongi was staring at his phone when it suddenly rang.
An unfamiliar silence fell over the room as he looked at the screen.
"Unknown number," he muttered.
Mr. Han immediately looked up.
"Answer it."
Yoongi accepted the call and put it on speaker.
"Hello?"
A man's voice came through.
"Min Yoongi?"
"Who is this?"
The man chuckled.
"Someone who has something you want."
Yoongi immediately sat upright.
"Where is Seo-yeon?"
"Straight to the point. I like that."
"Where is she?"
"She's with me."
Yoongi's fingers tightened around the phone.
"Let me speak to her."
"Not so fast."
"Who are you? What do you want?"
The man laughed.
"You don't recognise my voice, but I know quite a lot about you. You're a very lucky man, Min Yoongi. You have money, fame, millions of people who adore you, and now you have the woman I once loved."
Yoongi's expression hardened.
"Daehyun."
There was a brief pause.
"So, you've heard about me."
"Listen carefully. If you've touched her..."
"Relax. She's alive. For now."
Mrs. Han covered her mouth.
Yoongi stood up.
"What do you want?"
"Money."
"How much?"
Daehyun mentioned an amount.
Mr. Han exchanged a troubled look with the manager.
Yoongi barely reacted to the figure.
"You'll get your money. But first, let me speak to her."
"You're really desperate to hear her voice, aren't you?"
"Put her on the phone!"
Daehyun laughed before turning towards Seo-yeon.
"Your boyfriend wants to speak to you."
He crouched beside her and held the phone near her face.
"Yoongi?"
Her voice was weak, but the moment Yoongi heard it, his expression changed.
"Seo-yeon! Baby, are you okay? Has he hurt you?"
"I'm scared," she whispered.
"I'm coming for you. Do you hear me? I'm coming. Just hold on."
Daehyun pulled the phone away.
"That's enough."
"Don't you dare hang up!" Yoongi shouted.
Daehyun returned the phone to his ear.
"Remember what I told you. If you want to see her again, you'll do exactly what I say."
The call ended.
Yoongi stared at the screen.
"Call the police," he said immediately.
"They're already listening," Mr. Han replied.
---
At the police station, the investigators had been monitoring the call with the family's permission and the necessary emergency procedures.
The number had provided an important lead.
The technical team began working to establish the approximate location of the device. They examined the call records, available network information and the signal from the phone. At the same time, another team compared the location with the vehicle information and CCTV footage they had collected earlier.
It wasn't an exact address immediately.
The signal placed the phone within a particular area, and investigators narrowed the search using nearby surveillance cameras.
After further checks, they identified an abandoned building on the outskirts of the area.
A patrol team was dispatched to investigate.
When the officers arrived, they kept their distance and observed the building. One officer noticed a vehicle matching the description from the earlier CCTV footage parked near the entrance.
They contacted the investigation team.
The location was confirmed.
Within minutes, additional officers arrived.
Yoongi, who had insisted on accompanying the police, was instructed to remain behind the officers during the operation.
He refused to stay in the vehicle.
"She's inside," he said, his voice tight. "I'm not waiting here."
"Mr. Min, we need you to follow our instructions," one officer warned.
Yoongi nodded impatiently.
The officers approached the building.
---
Inside the room, Seo-yeon was struggling to get comfortable.
Her back hurt, and the babies had been moving frequently.
Daehyun was standing near the door, checking his phone.
"How long are you going to keep me here?" she asked.
"Until I get what I want."
"Please. I'm already nine months pregnant. I need to go to the hospital."
He looked at her.
"You'll go when I'm ready."
"Something could happen to the babies."
"Then your boyfriend should hurry up and pay."
Seo-yeon looked away, trying not to cry.
Suddenly, several loud bangs came from somewhere outside.
Daehyun turned towards the door.
"What was that?"
Another sound followed.
Then a voice shouted.
"Police! Open the door!"
His face changed.
Seo-yeon's heart began pounding.
Daehyun quickly moved towards the door, but before he could reach it, the door burst open.
"Police! Put your hands where we can see them!"
Several officers rushed into the room.
Daehyun stepped backwards.
Yoongi appeared behind them.
The moment his eyes landed on Seo-yeon, he froze.
"Seo-yeon!"
She looked up.
"Yoongi!"
He tried to move towards her, but an officer held out an arm to keep him back while the others secured the room.
Daehyun stared at Yoongi.
"So you came."
"Stay away from her!" Yoongi shouted.
Daehyun suddenly lunged at him.
The two men collided, knocking a chair over.
Yoongi grabbed Daehyun's jacket, pushing him away from the direction of Seo-yeon.
"You bastard!"
Daehyun swung at him.
Yoongi stumbled but quickly regained his balance. He grabbed Daehyun again, and they struggled against the wall.
"Get off me!" Daehyun yelled.
"Where is the key? Untie her!"
Daehyun managed to shove him backwards.
An officer moved closer.
"Stop resisting!"
But Daehyun wasn't listening.
He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a gun.
"Don't move!"
Everyone froze.
Yoongi stopped immediately.
The officers raised their weapons.
"Drop the gun!"
Daehyun pointed it directly at Yoongi.
Seo-yeon's eyes widened.
"Daehyun, no!"
Yoongi stared at the weapon, his chest rising and falling.
"Put it down," he said carefully.
Daehyun's hand trembled.
"You think you can just take everything from me?"
"I don't want anything from you. Just let her go."
"Shut up!"
Daehyun moved the gun closer to Yoongi's head.
Seo-yeon began struggling against the ropes.
"Please! Daehyun, don't do this!"
"Stay out of it!"
"Please, I beg you! Don't hurt him!"
Yoongi kept his eyes on Daehyun.
"Look at me. You don't have to do this."
Daehyun's face twisted with anger.
"You have everything!"
"And shooting me won't change that."
For a brief moment, Daehyun seemed to hesitate.
Then his finger moved towards the trigger.
"NO!"
Seo-yeon squeezed her eyes shut.
A gunshot rang through the room.
She screamed.
"YOONGI!"
She had heard the gunshot and immediately believed that Daehyun had shot him.
She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes.
"Yoongi! Please!"
But nobody answered her.
An officer had fired from behind Daehyun, striking him in the leg.
The gun fell from his hand.
He cried out and collapsed onto the floor, clutching his injured leg.
"Secure the weapon!" an officer shouted.
Two officers quickly moved in, kicked the gun away and restrained him.
Yoongi stood still for a second, breathing heavily.
Then he looked towards Seo-yeon.
"Seo-yeon!"
She was still crying with her eyes closed.
"Please, somebody help him! Please don't let him die!"
"Baby, look at me. I'm okay."
She shook her head.
"Don't lie to me! I heard the gunshot!"
"Seo-yeon, I'm right here."
He rushed to her side as soon as the officers secured the room.
When she finally opened her eyes, she saw him standing in front of her.
There was no blood on him.
He was alive.
"Yoongi..."
"I'm here."
He knelt beside her and gently touched her face.
"I'm okay. He didn't shoot me."
She stared at him, then broke down in tears.
" I thought you were dead."
He pulled her into his arms as carefully as he could.
"I'm here, sweetheart. I'm right here."
But before he could say anything else, Seo-yeon suddenly gasped.
"Yoongi..."
He immediately pulled back.
"What is it? Are you hurt?"
She looked down.
Her dress was wet.
For a moment, she couldn't understand what was happening.
Then she felt another wave of fluid.
"Yoongi..."
His eyes followed hers.
An officer nearby noticed it too.
"She's in labour!"
Yoongi's face went pale.
"What?"
Seo-yeon grabbed his hand tightly.
"My water... I think my water just broke."
"Get an ambulance!" one of the officers shouted.
Another officer immediately called for emergency medical assistance.
Yoongi looked at Seo-yeon, who was now breathing unevenly.
"Baby, stay with me. The ambulance is coming."
She squeezed his hand.
"The babies..."
"We'll get you to the hospital. You and the babies will be okay."
She shook her head, frightened.
"Yoongi, I'm scared."
He brushed the tears from her cheeks.
"I know. I'm here. I'm not leaving you."
Nearby, officers were taking Daehyun away for medical treatment under police custody. He was still shouting, but Yoongi paid him no attention.
His entire focus was on Seo-yeon.
When the paramedics arrived, they quickly assessed her condition and prepared to move her.
"How far along is she?" one of them asked.
"Nine months. She's expecting twins," Yoongi answered.
The paramedic nodded and continued checking her.
"We need to get her to the hospital immediately."
Yoongi held Seo-yeon's hand as they carefully transferred her onto the stretcher.
She looked up at him.
"Please don't leave me."
"I won't."
He followed them out as the paramedics wheeled her towards the waiting ambulance.