🥀 81. All the Mystery Solved!!!

Note: This is the most important chapter of the whole book. Do read carefully and patiently.

And COMMENT!!!!

Enjoy 🌸

2 Days Later

The morning sun streamed through the windows. The air was fresh, carrying the scent of blooming jasmine from the garden outside.

Standing before the dresser, Jungkook reached for her ring. Her hand hovered briefly before her slender fingers picked it up, poised to slip it onto her finger. But the ring wobbled in her grasp, slipping between her fingers like a mischievous drop of water.

"Ah—" Jungkook gasped softly, her brows knitting in mild annoyance as the ring disappeared beneath the bed. She tsked, placing her hands on her hips for a moment, her lips pressing into a small pout.

"Seriously?" she muttered, crouching down to peer under the bed. Her hair fell forward slightly as she leaned closer, one hand brushing the stubborn strands back behind her ear while the other propped her up.

The dim space beneath the bed greeted her. Her gaze swept across until the faint glimmer of the ring's stone caught her eye.

"There you are," she murmured softly, stretching her arm under the bed to reach for it.

As her fingers grazed the smooth surface of the ring, something else brushed against her skin—a cold, metallic sensation. Jungkook paused, her brow furrowing. "What the..." she whispered, curling her fingers around the unexpected object.

Pulling her hand back, she sat up slowly. The sunlight caught the object now in her hand—a set of metal chains.

They were faintly worn but still sturdy, the cold weight of them sweeping into her palm. Jungkook stared at them, her expression shifting from confusion to curiosity, her brows pinching together.

"What's this?" she asked aloud, the sound of her voice breaking the silence of the room. She held the chains up slightly, the links glinting in the morning light. Her thumb ran over the cool surface, her mind racing as she stood up, brushing her trousers off absently.

Her gaze flicked between the chains and the bed, her lips pressing into a thin line. "Why would these be under here...?" she mused, turning the chains over in her hands.

There was no immediate answer, only the quiet weight of the mystery they carried.

Jungkook didn't register the soft sound of the door opening. She was still lost in her thoughts as her fingers trailed over the cold links of the chains. In her hands they felt heavier than they looked.

Taehyung stepped inside while buckling the strap of his wristwatch, his gaze instinctively sought Jungkook. Her back was to him, her head slightly tilted down as though she were inspecting something.

He frowned, a slight crease forming between his brows. "Mrs Kim?" he called.

Jungkook started slightly at the sound, her grip tightening momentarily on the chains. Slowly, she turned to face him, her expression neutral but her eyes questioning.

The moment Taehyung's gaze fell on the object in her hands, his breath caught, and his eyes widened. The color seemed to drain from his face, leaving behind an ashen hue as he stared at the chains.

"Where... where did you get those?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low, wary tone.

Jungkook's brows knit together at his reaction, her own unease growing. "They were under the bed," she replied simply, holding them up slightly. "I dropped my ring, and when I reached for it, I found these."

Taehyung's jaw tightened, and he took a cautious step forward.

Jungkook tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she searched his face. "Why were they hidden under our bed?"

Taehyung stood frozen for a moment, his sharp eyes locked on the chains in Jungkook's hands. A thousand thoughts swirled in his mind, colliding violently, but his face betrayed none of it. He took a slow breath, his lips pressing into a thin line.

He could feel Jungkook's questioning eyes on him. She deserved answers—truths he'd buried so deeply he sometimes wondered if they'd ever see the light of day again.

Yet, here they were, dragged out by her innocent discovery.

Taehyung's throat bobbed as he swallowed, his mind warring between keeping her in the dark and letting her in—into the shadows that had always lingered around him.

Jungkook wasn't blind. She saw the hesitation flicker across his face, the way his fingers twitched as if resisting the urge to snatch the chains from her hands.

"Tell me what these are. Tell me why they were hidden."

His eyes darkened, his tongue darting out to wet his lips before he spoke, voice measured but laced with something heavier.

"They were mine," he admitted, his tone barely above a whisper. "I used them a long time ago."

Jungkook's gaze flickered down to the chains. "For what?"

Taehyung exhaled through his nose, looking away for a brief second before his gaze snapped back to her, filled with an intensity that made her breath hitch.

"To restrain myself," he murmured. "To keep others safe."

Jungkook's fingers stilled against the metal links, a frown pulling at her lips. "Keep others safe from what?"

Taehyung didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took another step closer, his hand reaching out—not for the chains, but for her wrist. His fingers curled gently around it, thumb brushing against the skin just above where her pulse raced.

"From me," he finally confessed.

Jungkook inhaled sharply. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of his words settled between them like a thick fog, swirling with unanswered questions, with fears unspoken.

But Jungkook didn't pull away. She searched his face, her own emotions warring inside her. Confusion. Worry. A growing ache in her chest because Taehyung looked at her like he was afraid—afraid of himself.

"What do you mean?" she whispered.

Taehyung huffed a soft, almost humorless chuckle, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know how to explain it in a way that won't make me sound insane."

"Try,"

Taehyung's gaze flickered down to the chains still resting in her palm. For years, those chains had been his only certainty, his only safeguard against the part of himself he feared the most. But ever since she came into his life—no, ever since she married him—something had changed.

The restless, suffocating darkness that used to claw at him during every full moon had dulled, replaced by something softer, something warmer.

By her.

Taehyung let out a slow breath, his hands curling into fists at his sides.

"On every full moon, I transform into... a beast. A creature driven by rage and instinct. These chains"—he gestured to the links in her hands—"kept myself from hurting anyone. How I protected my family."

"A beast?" she echoed, her voice wavering.

His gaze dropped, unable to meet her eyes. "A creature with no control, no reason—just wrath."

Jungkook blinked, her eyes widening as she took an involuntary step back. Taehyung's eyes snapped up to hers, a flicker of pain flashing across his face at her reaction. He gestured to himself, his hand trembling slightly.

"It was the only way I could protect my beloved ones."

Jungkook looked down at the chains in her hands, the cold metal now feeling heavier than ever. "But..." she began, her voice trembling, "you haven't... transformed. Not since we've been married."

Taehyung's lips curved into a bittersweet smile. "Because of you," he said softly. "Your presence—your light—it's... it's kept the curse at bay. I don't know how or why, but since you've been by my side, the beast hasn't emerged."

Jungkook's heart clenched at his words, the sincerity in his voice cutting through her confusion and fear.

"I didn't want you to know," Taehyung continued, "I didn't want you to see that side of me. To... to be afraid of me."

Taehyung's shoulders sagged as he finished speaking. His gaze flicked to Jungkook, who stood rooted in place, her expression confessed disbelief, fear, and something else—something he couldn't quite place.

Jungkook's fingers tightened around the cold metal of the chains, her mind reeling. She took a shaky breath, her lips parting as she tried to speak, but her vocals were shut as if they were glued.

Taehyung turned away, pacing toward the window, his hands running through his hair in frustration.

"I knew this would happen," he muttered lowly, his voice laced with bitterness. "I knew you'd look at me differently. That you'd see me as... as a monster."

Jungkook's chest tightened at his words and she took a hesitant step forward. "I don't—"

"You do," he interrupted, his voice sharp. He turned to face her, his charcoal eyes filled with anguish. "I saw it in your eyes the moment I said the word 'beast.' You're afraid of me. And you should be."

Jungkook shook her head quickly, her grip on the chains loosening as they slipped from her hands and fell to the floor creating a sharp noise. But none of them flinched.

"No, I'm not afraid of you."

He froze, his brows furrowing in disbelief. "Don't lie to spare my feelings," he said quietly.

"I'm not lying," Jungkook said, stepping closer. Her hands reached out tentatively, hovering near his before she finally took them in hers. His skin was cold, trembling faintly under her touch.

"Look at me."

He hesitated, his jaw clenching before he finally met her gaze.

"I was shocked," Jungkook admitted. "Yes, I was scared—for a moment—because I didn't understand."

"But I'm not afraid of you. I'm afraid of what you've been going through alone."

Taehyung's lips parted, but no words came out. He stared at her, his eyes searching hers for any hint of deception, of doubt, but all he found was sincerity.

Jungkook stepped closer, her hands tightening around his. "Maybe I don't understand fully. Maybe I can't imagine what it was like for you before. But I know this: you've carried this burden alone for far too long."

Slowly, Jungkook leaned closer, her arms sliding around his waist as she pressed her cheek against his chest. She felt his heart pounding beneath her touch.

"You're not alone anymore," she murmured softly, her voice muffled against him.

Taehyung's arms hovered in the air for a moment, hesitant. But then, with a trembling exhale, he bent down, wrapping his arms around her small frame. His movements were tentative, afraid she might disappear if he held her too tightly. Burying his face into her hair, he inhaled deeply, the faint scent of lavender calming the storm raging inside him.

Jungkook's cheek was pressed against the soft fabric of his shirt.

"You're so smol," Taehyung mumbled against her hair, fondness creeping into his voice despite the moment.

Jungkook stilled for a second, before tilting her head slightly, her cheek brushing against his chest. A scoff escaped her lips.

"And you're huge," Jungkook rolled her eyes but the corners of her lips betrayed her attempt to remain stern. "It's like hugging a tree."

Taehyung chuckled, his body finally relaxing as he pulled her closer. "A tree that sheds its leaves every full moon," he murmured, his voice tinged with self-deprecation.

Jungkook pulled back just enough to look up at him, her chin tipping upward as her wide eyes searched his. The sight of her peering up at him was so earnest. Her petite frame fitting so perfectly against his, tugged at his heartstrings. He could see the love and trust in her gaze, unwavering despite everything he had just told her.

"No," Jungkook said softly, shaking her head. "A tree that stands tall, no matter how strong the storm. A tree that provides shade, even when it's weathered." She reached up, her fingertips brushing against his jaw.

His chest tightened, and he leaned down further, his forehead gently resting against hers. Their breaths mingled and neither of them spoke. Their hearts speaking in a language only they could understand.

"You're too good for me," the husband murmured.

"Be grateful for being stuck with me for lifetime," The wife countered, her lips curving into a small smile.

"Always," Taehyung let out a breathless laugh.

Once again, he buried his face into her hair, his tall frame bending to fit around her like she was the missing piece he didn't know he needed.

Jungkook stood on her tiptoes, her fingers curling into his shirt as she rested her head against his chest. Despite their physical differences, they fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle finally finding their place.

And for the first time in a long time, Taehyung felt... whole.

Taehyung closed his eyes, letting himself bask in the warmth of her embrace. The world outside could crumble, the moon could rise, and the storm inside him could rage again—but right now, in this moment, with Jungkook pressed against him, he felt unstoppable.

Jungkook pulled back slightly, peeking up at him with those doe eyes that had always undone him. "You know..." she started, her voice lilting with fun, "if you really do turn into a beast, I think I'd be the only one who could handle you."

Taehyung raised a brow, intrigued. "Oh?"

She nodded solemnly, though mischief danced in her gaze. "I'd just have to flick your forehead, and you'd sit down like a good boy."

A deep chuckle rumbled from his chest, the kind that made Jungkook's stomach flip. "You think you can tame me that easily, Mrs. Kim?"

Jungkook grinned, tapping his chin with her finger. "I already have, haven't I?"

Taehyung smirked, his arms tightening around her waist. "Careful, darling. That confidence of yours is dangerous."

Jungkook tilted her head. "Oh? Dangerous how?"

He leaned down, his breath ghosting over her lips. "Makes me want to devour you whole."

Jungkook's breath hitched, her fingers curling against his chest. "You wouldn't dare."

His smirk widened. "Wouldn't I?"

Before she could react, Taehyung lifted her effortlessly, spinning her around until a surprised squeal escaped her lips. He laughed, pure and free, as he set her down on the bed, caging her in with his hands on either side of her.

Jungkook blinked up at him, her breath slightly uneven, but her glare was full of fire. "You!" she huffed, swatting at his arm.

Taehyung grinned, tilting his head. "Now you're getting it."

Jungkook rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched with amusement. "And here I was having an emotional moment with you. You ruined it."

Taehyung hummed, lowering himself until their noses brushed. "Hmm. I think I made it better."

Jungkook groaned, pushing his face away. "Get off me, you menace!"

Taehyung only laughed, rolling onto his back beside her. He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. "You're stuck with me, remember?"

Jungkook sighed dramatically, but she didn't let go of his hand. "Unfortunately."

Taehyung smirked, lifting their joined hands to kiss her knuckles. "Fortunately."

Jungkook's cheeks burned, but she huffed, turning her head away. "Whatever, tree boy."

Taehyung laughed, his deep voice filling the room. "I love you too, Mrs. Kim."

And just like that, the storm within him quieted once more.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Next Day

The soft chime of a wall clock echoed through the sunlit room, where Jungkook sat cross-legged on the plush rug near the coffee table. A steaming cup of herbal tea rested beside her, its delicate aroma wafting through the air. She was engrossed in folding freshly laundered linens, her slender fingers moving to remove the faint creases.

As she moved to tidy the cushions on the couch, a gentle knock on the door interrupted her peaceful routine. Pausing, she tilted her head toward the sound, curiosity flickering in her soft eyes.

"Come in," she called her tone light but inviting.

The door opened to reveal Sarah, standing with her hands neatly clasped in front of her.

"Mrs. Kim," she began with a polite bow, "the young master has requested your presence in the living room."

Jungkook blinked, setting the cushion she had been fluffing down, her brows knitting together.

"Mr. Kim? Did he say why?" she asked, her voice carrying that gentle, melodic quality that seemed to make everyone around her feel at ease.

Sarah shook her head softly. "No, Mrs. Kim. He only mentioned that he needs you right away."

With a soft sigh, Jungkook nodded.

"Alright, I'll be there in a moment," she said. She dusted her hands lightly, smoothing the fabric of her blouse before walking.

As Jungkook made her way down the grand staircase, her mind wandered. Taehyung rarely "summoned" her like this—what could he possibly want?

Whatever it was, Jungkook had a feeling it wouldn't be anything simple.

When reached the living room, Jungkook's eyes immediately landed on Taehyung's broad back. He was standing tall, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

Something about his posture was different—more rigid, more commanding. It made Jungkook's steps falter for a brief moment before she quickened her pace and approached him cautiously.

Jungkook gently reached out and touched his arm, her voice soft as she murmured, "Mr. Kim."

Taehyung turned at her touch, his dark eyes locking with hers. His expression was unreadable, calm authority and something heavier—something that made Jungkook's stomach twist with unease.

That's when she noticed they weren't alone. Standing a few feet away were two unfamiliar men, their faces serious, their postures stiff.

"What's going on?" Jungkook asked as her eyes flickered between Taehyung and the strangers.

Taehyung's gaze softened for a moment as he looked at her, but it quickly hardened again when he turned back to the men.

"Nothing, Mrs. Kim," he said, his tone calm but firm. "I'll explain everything once we're done here."

Jungkook's heart raced but she nodded, trusting him.

The tension in the living room didn't last long.

Soon, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the silence as the rest of the family began gathering. Grandma appeared first, her sharp eyes scanning the room with an inquisitive gaze.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" she said, her voice cutting through the thick air.

Soomin followed closely behind, her expression neutral but her steps hesitant as she lingered near the edge of the room. Yeonjun who on his way to the kitchen, paused mid-stride. His curiosity clearly piqued, he leaned casually against the doorway, his arms crossed as he observed the growing gathering.

Taehyung's jaw tightened slightly as he acknowledged their presence, but his focus didn't waver from Jungkook. Her wide, questioning eyes searched his face, silently begging for some hint of what was happening, of what was to come.

With a subtle nod, Taehyung turned toward the lawyer standing nearby. The man, dressed in a tailored suit, stepped forward and handed Taehyung a sleek leather folder. Taehyung accepted it with a slight incline of his head before looking back at Jungkook.

"Mrs Kim," Taehyung began.

Jungkook's brows furrowed in confusion, her gaze darting from the folder in his hands to his face. "What is this?" she asked softly.

Taehyung didn't answer right away.

Instead, he reached out with his free hand, gently taking hers. His fingers wrapped around hers, guiding her hand to hold the folder. He lingered for just a moment, making sure she was holding it securely before he released her hand with the faint squeezes.

"This," he said, his voice low but clear enough for everyone in the room to hear, "is your rightful property. Something that has always been yours but was kept from you."

His words hung in the air, and a hush fell over the room.  All eyes shifted to Jungkook, her fingers tightening around the folder.

She looked down at the folder in her hands, then back at Taehyung's intense gaze, her heart beginning to race as she tried to understand.

"I... I don't understand," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly as she looked between him and the folder, seeking some kind of clarity in his eyes.

Taehyung's gaze softened slightly, though his tone remained resolute. "You will," he assured her. "But first, open it. Everything will be clear."

Jungkook hesitated for a moment before carefully flipping open the folder. Her eyes scanned the documents, her brows furrowing in confusion as she tried to make sense of it.

Rows of legal texts and official seals stared back at her, their implications not yet sinking in.

Before Jungkook could fully comprehend the documents, the lawyer stepped forward, his polished voice filling the room.

"Mrs. Kim," he began respectfully, "the documents in your hand detail the transfer of several properties that were originally owned by your family—

The Jeons."

"Jeon?" Jungkook whispered under her breath, a slight tremor in her voice. "My family... my real family?"

Jungkook's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't breathe. The words felt foreign, like they didn't belong to her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her vision blurred. She couldn't comprehend it—Jeon?

"These properties, along with their substantial assets, were originally the Jeon family's. But due to unfortunate circumstances, they were transferred under the Kim name—under the control of Kim Taesung."

Jungkook's pulse quickened. "What do you mean 'transferred'? How... why?"

The lawyer's voice softened, his next words hanging in the air like a grim reality.

"Kim Taesung took the properties from the Jeon family. He manipulated the system, used deceit to strip away everything from your parents. And, when the Jeons were no longer in the picture, he made sure their legacy stayed under the Kim name."

Jungkook's breath hitched as she looked up at Taehyung, his stoic expression betraying nothing. "M-My parents?" Her voice was raw with confusion and disbelief.

Taehyung's gaze softened and then he gave a small nod. His hand moved to gently rest on her arm, offering a quiet assurance without needing to speak.

"Yes, Jungkook. These belonged to your parents—Jeon Hyunbin and Jeon Jisoo. Everything they built, everything they stood for. It was taken from them... and from you."

Jungkook clutched the folder tighter, her knuckles whitening, but her hands felt weak, trembling from what she was learning.

The lawyer continued, his tone professional yet tinged with sympathy.

"As per the agreement, everything that belonged to the Jeons was to return to you, their rightful heir. It is now officially yours."

The words hit her like a physical blow, leaving her winded. "It's mine?" Jungkook gasped, looking at the folder in her hands. The realization began to sink in slowly, painfully. "But I never knew any of this... I never knew who I really was. I—"

Her voice cracked and despite herself, the tears she had been holding back began to fall, hot and silent, tracing a path down her cheeks.

"I... I've been living a lie. All this time..."

The leather folder felt like a lifeline in her hands, her grip tightening as though she might lose it—or herself—if she let go.

"This... this can't be real," she stammered. "I don't... how...?"

"It is real, Jungkook." Taehyung stepped closer. His hands gently rested on her shoulders as he spoke.

"Everything was stolen from your family by my father. But no more. It's time for you to have what is rightfully yours."

Jungkook looked at the paper in her hands, her heart pounding in her ears. For so long, she had lived in the shadows, unaware of the world that was hers by birthright.

"It's time you know everything, Jungkook. Everything about your past, your family and what was stolen from you."

Jungkook's heart raced. Her gaze darted to Taehyung's face, searching for answers. Before Jungkook could process the enormity of what was happening, Taehyung gave a subtle nod to the butler standing at the door. The man bowed and disappeared into the hall.

Moments later, the heavy sound of approaching footsteps echoed, and a figure emerged, stepping cautiously into the room.

Jungkook froze as a familiar figure stepped inside—the woman she had known all her life as her mother.

Jeon Kara.

Jungkook's breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight of the woman who had always been a shadow in her life.

Kara's posture was tense, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, the vulnerability in her eyes at odds with the confident woman Jungkook had always known. She hesitated in the doorway, her gaze shifting nervously but before she could take another step, Soomin's sharp voice cut through the air like a blade.

"You?" Soomin spat, her eyes narrowing into slits. "How dare you step inside this house after everything you've done?"

Kara flinched, faltering under Soomin's wrath. She looked worn down by time, but her beauty still carried mystery. Her gaze shifted nervously between Taehyung and Soomin.

But before Soomin could launch another verbal assault, Taehyung stepped in.

"Mother," Taehyung interjected firmly. "Please, calm down. I called her here."

Soomin's eyes widened at her son's words. "You... called her? Have you lost your mind, Taehyung?" she demanded, her tone rising.

"Mother," he said again, his voice hardening slightly.

"We need to hear the truth. All of it."

Jungkook's legs felt like they might give out beneath her. Her knees wobbled as the overwhelming reality of the situation crashed down on her. She clutched the folder in her hands, her knuckles white from the tightness of her grip.

It felt like the only thing tethering her to the present, the only thing keeping her from unraveling entirely.

Her eyes flickered to Taehyung, who turned toward her. Before Jungkook could speak, Taehyung reached out and gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing across her cheek tenderly. He leaned in slightly, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

She closed her eyes for a moment, leaning into his touch, feeling his palm against her skin. It was the only thing that felt real in that moment—his presence as everything around her began to spin.

When Taehyung pulled away, his hand stayed back just a fraction of a second longer on her cheek, she opened her eyes to find his gaze locked on hers—firm, but soft.

As if he was trying to offer her everything he could without saying a word. His hand slid down to rest on hers, a silent promise that she wouldn't face this alone, that he would be with her every step of the way.

He turned his gaze to Kara, his voice ice cold. "Tell her everything. No lies, no omissions."

Kara hesitated, her eyes darting between Taehyung and Jungkook, but Taehyung's unyielding stare left no room for defiance. Taking a deep breath, Kara stepped forward.

Kara turned her gaze to Jungkook, her expression softening. "Jeon Jungkook," she said quietly, her voice laced with regret.

Jungkook stiffened at the name. Kara only used her full name when speaking about something serious—something that was meant to leave an impact.

"You've always believed that I found you by the river. That you were abandoned, left to fate, and I saved you. That four birds circled you, as if protecting you. You've held onto that story your whole life, haven't you?"

Jungkook swallowed, her fingers twitching. "Yes."

A pause.

Kara's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. "But that's not the whole truth."

The room suddenly felt too small, the walls too close. Jungkook's breath caught in her throat, her hands clammy despite the cold. Her stomach twisted.

The first crack in her reality.

"What... do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kara swallowed hard, glancing briefly at Taehyung before continuing.

"Kim Taesung—your father-in-law—was my lover."

Silence.

A thick silence that crushed Jungkook's lungs. For a moment, she thought she had misheard. She stared at Kara, her mind scrambling to grasp the words, to make sense of them—but they slipped through her fingers like grains of sand.

"What?"

She heard her own voice, but it sounded far away. Her heart pounded, a heavy, erratic rhythm that drowned out everything else.

Kim Taesung. Taehyung's father. Soomin's husband.

A cheating father. A lying husband.

And Kara... Kara, the woman she had trusted.

A lover?

Jungkook blinked, but the world remained the same—cracked and distorted.

Kara's gaze flickered to Soomin, as if searching for a reaction. But Soomin remained silent, her expression carved in ice. Only her clenched fists exhibited the storm raging beneath.

Jungkook, however, couldn't stay still. Her breath hitched, her pulse wild beneath her skin. Taehyung's hand in hers was the only thing keeping her tethered to reality.

Kara exhaled shakily, eyes misting with memories long buried.

"It started when I met Taesung," she murmured, her voice lost in the vast room. "He wasn't just any man—he was charming, magnetic, and he knew exactly how to make you feel like the centre of his world."

A bitter smile curled at her lips, laced with something dangerously close to nostalgia.

Jungkook felt her stomach turn.

Kara's voice lowered, her fingers twitching at her sides. "He would come to me at night—always at night. Slipping into my world, whispering words dipped in honey."

She let out a shaky laugh. "Taesung was a master at illusions. He spun them so beautifully that even I started to believe them."

Jungkook's fingers curled. "You knew he was married," she said, her voice sharper than before.

Kara didn't flinch.

"Yes," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I knew about Soomin."

Her eyes flickered toward the woman in question. Soomin's face remained unreadable, but there was a quiet anger burning beneath her cold gaze.

"He would talk about her often," Kara continued, bitter now. "About their life together. How trapped he felt. How suffocated he was."

Jungkook could feel Taehyung's hold on her tighten.

Kara's eyes darkened. "He despised her," she said quietly. "Called her cold. A woman unfit to be his wife."

Soomin inhaled sharply. Jungkook's throat tightened.

"And then," Kara whispered, almost as if speaking to herself, "he would turn to me. Look at me with those eyes—filled with promises."

She closed her eyes for a second, as if reliving those nights.

"'You could be the real Mrs. Kim,' he would tell me. Night after night."

Jungkook's breath stilled.

"'You could have everything you've ever wanted—a family, wealth, power.'" Kara laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "And I believed him. I let myself believe him."

A sharp breath sliced through the air. Soomin shifted, her hands clenched into tight fists on her lap.

Kara didn't stop, "It wasn't just empty words. He planned it."

Jungkook swallowed hard, a sick feeling twisting in her gut.

"Taesung painted such a clear picture," Kara whispered. "A life of luxury, a home where I would stand by his side—not in the shadows, but in the light. We would be envied by everyone around us."

Kara paused, her hands shaking at her sides.

"But to achieve that life, he chose a twisted path—a path that led to betrayal. And to make it all work, he needed a family to manipulate. The Jeons. Your parents, Jungkook." Her voice cracked, but she forced herself to go on.

Jungkook's world tilted, everything spinning as the truth hit her like a cold gust of wind. She felt the ground beneath her feet tremble, her knees going weak as her head spun with disbelief.

"My... my parents?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Kara nodded, her eyes downcast, unable to meet Jungkook's gaze.

"Yes, Jeon Jisoo and Jeon hyunbin. Your parents. Taesung used them... destroyed them... all for the sake of his own greed."

"The Jeons were the billionaire of that times. They were everything Taesung wasn't—successful, respected, and impossibly rich," Kara said, her gaze distant as though she were replaying the events in her mind.

Her voice broke at the end, her bitterness turning into a fragile sadness. Her hands trembled as she continued her story. Her voice broke the silence in the room, each word a dagger that dug deeper into Jungkook's heart.

"Taesung hated them for it. He hated Hyunbin for his integrity, his business acumen, and the way people admired him. He was everything Taesung could never be—and Taesung despised him for it."

"He told me we would need to bring them down piece by piece," Kara said, her voice low and laced with shame. She looked down, unable to face the room anymore.

"And I... I helped him. After all, I was Hyunbin's step sister,"

Jungkook stood frozen, her pulse hammering in her ears. The room was spinning, but it wasn't the space around her—it was her world, her past, her very existence unravelling thread by thread.

Kara was Hyunbin's step-sister.

Jungkook's lips parted, but no sound came out. It was like her lungs had forgotten how to breathe. Jungkook's mind struggled to process it.

"You were his family," Jungkook whispered, her voice trembling. It wasn't a question. It was a fact, a bitter truth that burned like acid on her tongue.

Kara flinched.

"Yes," she admitted, shame carving deep lines into her face. "I was Hyunbin's step-sister. We shared the same father, but different mothers. Our relationship was... complicated."

Jungkook's nails dug into her palms. "Complicated?" she repeated, disbelief cracking her voice. "You betrayed him. You ruined him. You sold him to a man who wanted him destroyed!"

Tears welled up in Kara's eyes, but Jungkook didn't care. She couldn't.

Kara inhaled shakily. "I didn't hate him, Jungkook. I swear it. I loved Hyunbin in my own way. But I was—" She clenched her fists, her voice breaking. "I was jealous."

Jungkook's breath hitched.

"I was the forgotten child," Kara admitted, her eyes red-rimmed. "The step that no one acknowledged. My father doted on Hyunbin, praised him, gave him everything—while I was nothing more than an afterthought. Do you know what that feels like? To watch your brother rise to greatness while you remain in the shadows?"

Jungkook did not speak. She simply stared.

Kara exhaled a ragged breath. "Taesung saw that. He saw the resentment I tried to bury. And he used it. He whispered to me, night after night, feeding my insecurities. 'Why should Hyunbin have it all?' he would say. 'Why should he be the one the world worships, while you are nothing more than a footnote in his story?'"

Jungkook clenched her jaw, fury bubbling beneath the devastation in her heart.

"So you betrayed him."

Kara let out a bitter laugh, one filled with self-loathing. "Yes. I did."

The confession was quiet, yet it crashed over Jungkook like a storm.

"I told Taesung everything about Hyunbin," Kara continued, each word soaked in regret. "His business strategies, his alliances, even his weaknesses. I knew it all because Hyunbin trusted me, because I was his sister. And I... I handed all of that to Taesung on a silver platter."

Jungkook's chest ached, her nails biting into her palms.

"You gave him the tools to destroy my father," she whispered.

Kara squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling. "I did."

The room remained deathly silent. Everyone in the room held their breath, afraid to break the silence, Kara's confession had stunned them into stillness.

Soomin stood rigid. Yeonjun looked almost as shocked as Jungkook, the anger simmering in his eyes. Jimin gripped Jungkook's arm offering what little comfort she could.

Jungkook's world had been shattered by every word Kara spoke.

The pain of losing her parents was now coupled with the hard truth that the woman she had once called her mother was responsible for the destruction of the life she had known.

The loss was suffocating and she couldn't tell if the tears she felt welling up were for the parents she had lost or the truth that had been so cruelly hidden from her.

"We started small," Kara confessed.

"Spreading rumors, tarnishing Jeons reputation. Then, Taesung began forging documents, framing Hyunbin for fraud. It wasn't long before his business began to crumble. But that wasn't enough for Taesung. He wanted them gone—completely."

Jungkook's vision blurred with unshed tears, her throat burning.

Her father had been powerful, respected, adored by many. And yet, he had been betrayed by his own blood.

By the woman who had kissed Jungkook's forehead every night and whispered that she loved her.

"The night it happened..." Kara began, and then she broke.

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed onto the floor. Her sobs tore through the silence like a blade, raw and gut-wrenching. Her body convulsed with grief, but Jungkook felt nothing.

She had nothing left to feel.

"I'll never forget it," Kara wept. "Taesung was so cold. So cold. I had always thought... thought that maybe, somewhere inside, he had limits. That he had a conscience. But I was wrong. I was so wrong."

Jungkook's breathing grew shallow.

Kara lifted her tear-streaked face. "He told me to lure them to a remote location—your father, your mother. He told me to get them there alone, away from anyone who could intervene. He said it was just one last meeting. That if I did this, everything would finally be over."

Jungkook's nails dug into her palms, pain levelling her against the storm inside.

"I didn't want to do it," Kara whispered, her voice barely audible. "I swear I didn't. But by then, I was already too deep. I was afraid of him. I knew what he was capable of. So, I did as he asked. I told Hyunbin that we needed to talk, that I had information that could save his business. He believed me. Of course he did. He trusted me."

Jungkook felt bile rise in her throat. Her father had gone to that meeting thinking he could save everything.

Instead, he walked into his death.

"He killed them, Jungkook. Your father tried to fight back but he wasn't strong enough. Your mother begged for life, but he didn't care. He left their bodies there like they were nothing, and we walked away. I've never stopped hearing their screams."

Jungkook's breath hitched, her chest constricting as if a sin had been placed around her heart. The images Kara painted were too vivid, too real.

Her parents—her loving parents—taken in such a brutal, heartless way.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You..." Jungkook's voice broke as she struggled to speak through the sobs that wracked her body. "You helped him kill them? My parents?"

Kara flinched at the accusation, but the truth was undeniable. She nodded, her face pale, her features twisted in agony.

"It was for the plan," she said, her voice almost defensive, as though justifying her actions. "Taesung wanted everything, and I... I wanted him. I thought once the Jeons were gone, we'd have it all. But there was still one problem. You."

"You were just a one month baby," Kara said, her tone almost indifferent.

"A thorn in Taesung's plans. He didn't want you to be a threat in the future, so we decided to get rid of you. But..." Her voice faltered, a hint of guilt finally breaking through.

"I couldn't bring myself to kill you. So he suggested we abandon you by the river. I agreed. He believed it would be enough to ensure his future."

Jungkook's legs buckled, her body shaking violently with the force of the truth crashing down on her. She couldn't hold herself up anymore.

But before she could fall further into the abyss, Taehyung was there, pulling her close, shielding her from the unbearable truth. He moved quickly, his strong arms wrapping around her. She buried her face in his chest, seeking the comfort she so desperately needed, but even his touch couldn't chase away the crushing truth.

Taehyung held her tightly, his hand gently stroking her hair, trying to calm the storm raging inside her. But Jungkook's body shook with the force of her sobs, her heart breaking with every painful breath she took.

"But then," Kara said, her tone almost regretful, "I saw you lying there, helpless and crying. I realized I could use you. So I pretended to rescue you, to be the savior. It gave me the perfect story, 'the water granted me a baby'."

Jungkook could barely comprehend what she was hearing. The words echoed in her mind like a cruel joke. She had heard them her whole life.

"I picked you up from the river."
"You were a blessing."
"The water gave you to me."

Lies. Every word.

Kara had raised her, had been there for her all this time, yet it had all been a lie. Kara had never truly loved her; she had only seen her as a tool to further her own selfish desires.

Jungkook's world was collapsing around her, the foundation of everything she had known crumbling into nothing but dust and deceit.

She clutched at Taehyung's shirt, her trembling fingers gripping the fabric as if it were the only thing tethering her to reality. She didn't dare lift her head from his chest. She couldn't. Because if she did—if she looked up and faced Kara again—she wasn't sure she would survive the truth.

The scent of Taehyung's cologne, the rise and fall of his chest, the protective cage of his arms around her—those were the only things keeping her from shattering completely.

But Kara's words still pierced through her.

"How could you?" Jungkook whispered, "You were my father's step-sister. How could you kill him? You were part of the family. You were supposed to protect us! How could you do that to him—to my father?"

For the first time, Kara had nothing to say.

The tears that had been flowing freely down her face now seemed frozen, her lips parting slightly, but no words came out. Her usual defenses, the cold justifications she had clung to, had finally abandoned her.

And in the hollow silence that followed, there was no escaping the truth.

Kara exhaled shakily, a bitter, broken sound.

"I was blinded," she murmured, the words tasting like ash on her tongue.

Jungkook's fingers curled tighter around Taehyung's shirt.

"Blinded by him. Blinded by the dream, the promises he painted of wealth, power... a life I had always wanted. He told me we could have it all. That we deserved it all. And when he spoke of taking down Hyunbin, of making the Jeons disappear—he made it sound so simple. So easy."

Her voice cracked.

Jungkook squeezed her eyes shut.

"He promised me everything," Kara whispered. "And I believed him. I let him make a monster out of me because I wanted him. Because I wanted that life. I thought if I helped him, if I did what he wanted, I'd finally have the life I always dreamed of."

Jungkook could feel her breath shortening, her chest constricting so tightly she thought it might cave in.

If Taehyung hadn't been holding her—if his arms weren't wrapped around her, keeping her whole—she would have crumpled to the floor.

Kara let out a choked sob, her body trembling with her own sins. "I didn't think it would end like this," she whispered.

Jungkook heard her, but she didn't react. She couldn't.

Not when every inch of her body felt paralyzed with pain.

Kara's voice was thick with regret, raw and unfiltered. "I lost it all," she continued, her breaths uneven. "I lost him. I lost the dream. And now I have nothing."

Jungkook felt Taehyung's grip on her tighten, his hand sliding up to cradle the back of her head, shielding her further from the ugliness of Kara's words.

Kara was crying now. Crying as if she was the one who had lost everything. As if she had been the victim. But Jungkook She had nothing left to give her. Not even hatred.

Jungkook did not move. She remained pressed against Taehyung, her breathing unsteady, her body trembling—but her lips stayed sealed. Her chest was hollow, emptied of everything but raw torment, the kind that did not allow room for anger or grief. The kind that left only silence.

A silence so deep that it echoed louder than any of Kara's sobs.

For years, Jungkook had believed she was saved. That Kara had rescued her. That she had been blessed with a second chance at life.

"I picked you up from the river."

A story that had followed her like a shadow. A story whispered in warmth, repeated with love. A story she had cherished.

But now—now she knew the truth.

"Jungkook—" Kara spoke, looking at Jungkook hidden in Taehyung's arms.

"Don't say my name," Jungkook finally spoke. The words came out hoarse, but sharp. So sharp that Kara flinched.

Jungkook did not lift her head. She did not loosen her grip on Taehyung. She did not even look at the woman who had destroyed her life before it had even begun.

But the ice in her tone was undeniable.

Kara swallowed, her hands shaking at her sides. "I—I never wanted to kill you," she tried again, as if that meant anything now. "I couldn't do it. I—I saved you, Jungkook. I took you in. I—"

"Do not," Jungkook cut in.

Kara's breath hitched.

"Do not stand here and tell me you saved me," Jungkook whispered. "Not after this. Not after everything you've done."

Kara opened her mouth—but nothing came out because she knew. She knew Jungkook was right.

For twenty years, Jungkook had lived with a faked past, believing she had been given a new life out of kindness. But there had never been kindness in Kara's actions.

Only guilt.
Only selfishness.
Only lies.

The realization made Jungkook's stomach churn. She felt sick.

"Do you know what hurts the most?" she murmured.

Kara hesitated, barely able to meet her eyes. Jungkook swallowed the lump in her throat, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I loved you."

The confession was quiet. Soft. But it hit Kara like a blade to the chest.

Jungkook's vision blurred with tears, her fingers tightening in Taehyung's shirt.

"I loved you," she repeated, her voice cracking. "I looked at you and thought, 'This is my mother. This is the woman who gave me a home. Who gave me a name.'"

A shaky breath.

"But it was all a lie."

Kara's own sobs grew heavier, but Jungkook no longer cared. She felt nothing for her anymore. But the moment Kara went silent, another voice rose.

"Now you know." Grandma Kim sat still, her wrinkled hands clasped over her lap. But there was no mistaking the storm raging in her eyes.

"You destroyed her family," she said, her voice even. "But he destroyed his own."

"Taesung was my son," Grandma Kim continued, her voice slow, deliberate. "And yet I watched him become a monster."

A shudder passed through the room.

"You think you suffered under him?" she murmured. "You think he used you?"

She finally looked up. Her eyes met Kara's. Sharp. Cold.

"He used all of us."

Kara shrank back, unable to hold her gaze. But Grandma Kim wasn't finished.

"I remember that night," she whispered, her voice brittle. "The night. The one I can never forget. The one I will never forgive."

"I begged him," Grandma Kim murmured, her fingers tightening in her lap. "I begged him not to do it. I told him he was making a mistake. That power wasn't worth it. That he was tearing apart his own blood. But he didn't listen."

Jungkook's hands clenched into fists.

"He destroyed his family for greed. He betrayed Soomin," Grandma Kim continued, her voice like steel. "He threw her onto the streets in the middle of the night—with her children."

Jungkook's stomach lurched.

Jimin was frozen beside her. Yeonjun's jaw clenched so hard it looked painful.

"It was raining that night," Grandma Kim murmured, her voice now distant, as if she were watching it happen all over again. "Jimin was barely a few months old. Yeonjun could hardly walk. And he... he left them there."

A shaky breath left her lips.

"He took their home. He erased their names. As if they never mattered at all."

Jungkook's chest ached.

Her parents.

Soomin and her children.

Two families—two bloodlines—all burned to the ground for one man's greed.

The past had a cruel way of refusing to stay buried. Kara's breath hitched, her hands trembling at her sides. She had spent years trying to forget. Trying to erase the memory of that night.

But now, with Grandma Kim's voice slicing through the suffocating silence—low, heavy, unshakable—the memory crashed over her like a tidal wave.

The cries of a mother and her children.

Kara could still see it. Even now after all these years.

She had been standing by the window, watching it unfold. Beside her, Taesung had stood with his arms crossed, unmoving, unbothered.

He had planned this. And now, he was watching it play out like a scene from a script he had written himself.

Soomin was on her knees, her hair soaked, her clothes clinging to her trembling frame as she held her three young children close.

A mother, thrown onto the streets in the dead of night.

A wife, abandoned by the man who had once sworn to protect her.

A woman, robbed of her home, her security—her everything.

Jimin was only a baby, barely old enough to understand why his mother was sobbing, why the cold was biting at their skin.

Yeonjun, just a toddler, was gripping Soomin's dress with tiny hands, his lips trembling as he shivered.

And then Taehyung. He had been older enough to understand.

Kara had turned to Taesung then, her own stomach churning with unease.

"You're really going to do this?" she had whispered, though she already knew the answer.

Taesung had merely scoffed.

"They're dead weight," he had said, his voice utterly void of emotion. "She's not my wife anymore. They're not my problem anymore."

Kara had swallowed hard, watching as Soomin tried to shield her children from the relentless downpour.

"But they're your family."

At that, Taesung had turned to her.

"Were my family," he corrected. "Not anymore."

And then, as if it meant nothing, he had turned away.

Just like that.

Just like he had turned away from the Jeons.

Just like he had turned away from every life he had destroyed.

And Kara had stood there, watching the destruction, and doing nothing. She had told herself it wasn't her place. That it wasn't her burden to carry. That it was between Taesung and them. But the truth was, she had made her choice a long time ago. She had chosen him.

Kara's vision blurred as the past and present overlapped, colliding in a cruel contrast.

She saw him—small, fragile Taehyung, drenched in the rain, clutching Soomin's skirt with trembling hands. His terrified eyes had held so much hurt, so much confusion.

And now, she saw him again.

No longer a helpless boy but a man—towering, strong, determined. A man who did not clutch at skirts but instead held his wife with a grip so firm, so protective, as if he would never let go.

Jungkook couldn't breathe.

The walls of the grand hall pressed in around her, suffocating her with the truths she had never wanted to hear. Her heart was no longer a part of her body—it was a raw, bleeding wound, the pain unbearable, the betrayal too vast to comprehend.

Kara's words echoed in her head, each one like a hammer striking against fragile glass. I wanted him. I wanted the life he promised me. We could have had it all.

Her stomach twisted violently, nausea clawing up her throat.

She couldn't bear to look at Kara, at the woman who had raised her with hands tainted in the blood of her family. She couldn't bear to stand in the same space as Taesung's memory, the man who had not only destroyed the Jeons but had done the same to his own flesh and blood.

And she couldn't—she wouldn't—stay long enough to see the pity in their eyes.

Without a word, without a single glance back, Jungkook turned and ran.

Her vision blurred with tears, her feet barely touching the ground as she bolted past the stunned faces of everyone in the room. Her breath was uneven, her chest heaving with the force of her emotions. The grand corridors stretched endlessly before her, yet she felt like she was running in circles—running from ghosts that had always been there, lurking beneath the surface of her life.

The weight of it all was crushing her.

Lies.
Deceit.
Murder.

Kara hadn't saved her. She had never saved her. She had stolen her. Used her. Let her grow up in the dark, feeding her lies while her real parents lay in their graves, murdered by the very people she had trusted.

She barely realized where she was going until her trembling hands pushed open the door to their room. The moment it shut behind her, the dam broke.

Jungkook collapsed against the door, her body shaking violently as sobs ripped through her.

Her sobs echoed in the quiet room, each one more gut-wrenching than the last. Jungkook pressed her hands to her chest, as if trying to hold herself together, but it was useless. The truth, the betrayal—it all hurt too much.

How could they?

How could Kara, her step-aunt, the woman who had raised her, the one she thought had saved her, be the mastermind behind such cruelty?

And Taesung... Taehyung's father... He wasn't just a villain in her story; he was a monster who had destroyed her family, leaving her to grow up with lies and emptiness.

She cried for the parents she had never truly known.

She cried for the years she had spent in blindness.

She cried for the love that had been stolen from her before she had even understood what it meant.

She pressed her forehead against the wood, her nails digging into the fabric of her dress, clenching, gripping, as if trying to pull the pain out of her body. But it was too deep, too deeply rooted in the very core of her being.

It hurt. It hurt so much.

Jungkook gasped between sobs, shaking her head violently. She wanted to rip Kara's words from her memory, erase them from existence. But they wouldn't leave her alone. They twisted inside her mind, a cruel reminder that her entire life had been built on a foundation of corpses and lies.

Every revelation was like a dagger to her heart.

And on the other hand, standing frozen in the aftermath of her breakdown, was Taehyung.

His fists clenched tightly at his sides, his jaw taut, his entire body rigid with unspoken fury. He had expected anger. He had expected pain. But watching Jungkook break like that—watching her fall apart—was a wound he had never prepared himself for.

It cut him deeper than anything Kara had said.

His entire world had shattered the moment she turned away from him.

Kara still knelt on the floor, her sobs quiet now, her body trembling. But Taehyung no longer had the patience to acknowledge her grief.

He turned his burning gaze to her, his voice slicing through the silence like a dagger.

"Leave."

Kara flinched, lifting her tear-streaked face. "Taehyung, I—"

"I said, leave."

His voice was sharp. Final. His hands curled into fists, his nails biting into his skin as he took a step closer, looming over her. "You've done enough damage for one lifetime. Get out of this house. And don't ever come back."

Kara's lip quivered. "I never meant—"

"I don't care what you meant," Taehyung cut her off coldly. His gaze was devoid of mercy, of sympathy. "Whatever regrets or excuses you have, they mean nothing now. You lost the right to speak the moment you betrayed her."

Kara let out a broken breath. She looked around the room, her eyes searching—perhaps for forgiveness, perhaps for something she would never find.

Grandma Kim stood motionless, her expression carved from stone, yet her eyes carried a storm of sorrow and fury. Soomin's hands were balled into fists, her knuckles white from how tightly she clenched them. Even Yeonjun, usually indifferent to emotion, looked visibly shaken.

There was nothing left for Kara here. She swallowed thickly, her body moving stiffly as she pushed herself to her feet. With one last glance at the family she had destroyed, she staggered toward the door.

She didn't look back.

As soon as she was gone, a heavy silence settled over the room. It was suffocating, thick with grief and anger that no one could put into words.

Taehyung exhaled slowly, his shoulders rising and falling with the effort to control the storm inside him. His head was pounding, his chest tight—but nothing, nothing compared to the image of Jungkook running from him, her entire world crumbling before his eyes.

He didn't meet anyone's gaze.

"Excuse me," he muttered.

Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and strode out of the living room. His footsteps were heavy, his body moving on instinct as he stepped out into the cool night air.

He needed to breathe, to think.

But all he could hear was the sound of Jungkook's sobs echoing in his mind.

A heavy silence filled the room, thick with the weight of revelations too cruel to bear.

Grandma and Soomin exchanged a look, their eyes wide as the final pieces of a long-unsolved puzzle clicked into place. For years, the truth had been shrouded in lies. For years, they had tried to make sense of the missing fragments, of the puzzling gaps in their family's history.

But now—now, the picture was clear.

Soomin swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper.

"So, all this time... the baby left by the river..." She exhaled sharply, as if saying it out loud made it all the more unbearable. "That was Jungkook?"

Grandma's expression softened, her aged eyes filling with unspeakable sorrow.

"A one-month-old child," she murmured, her voice trembling. "Abandoned like that, left to die because of greed... and that child was her."

The weight of it settled deep in their chests, pressing down until it was almost suffocating.

Soomin shook her head, her body sagging as she sank onto the couch. Her hands clenched tightly in her lap, her nails pressing into her skin as if the pain could ground her.

"A single person," she muttered, her voice barely above a breath, "caused all of this chaos. Just for wealth. For power."

Grandma said nothing, only watching her with quiet understanding, her hands folded in her lap.

"Kim Taesung."

The name dripped with venom.

"He tainted everything—our family, our lives, even his own legacy. He cheated on me with that woman—as if his betrayal wasn't enough. Then he had the audacity to ask favors from a Djinn, thinking he could cheat the universe and escape the consequences."

A bitter, humorless laugh escaped her lips.

"And who paid the price?" she asked, her voice cracking. "Not him. No, never him. It was Taehyung who bore the curse, my son who suffered. And Jungkook..."

She trailed off, shaking her head as fresh pain surged through her.

"He left her. A baby—a one-month-old baby—alone by the riverside. He didn't just abandon her. He destroyed her family, killed her parents in cold blood, and then carried on as if nothing had happened."

Grandma, silent all this time, finally reached out. Her wrinkled hand rested gently on Soomin's shoulder, her grip steady despite the sorrow in her eyes.

"His greed consumed him, Soomin," she said softly. "And now, all we can do is make sure the ones who suffered the most—Jungkook and Taehyung—find their way back to peace. They deserve that, even if he never did."

Soomin closed her eyes for a moment, the fight in her simmering down into something quieter, something deeper.

She nodded.

The silence that followed wasn't empty—it was filled with an unspoken promise.

No matter how deep the scars Taesung had left, no matter how much damage had been done, they would do everything in their power to heal what was broken.

Soomin wrung her hands together, the tremor in her fingers betraying the storm still brewing inside her. She dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to meet anyone's eyes.

"I..." She hesitated, her throat tightening. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she confessed,

"I was wrong. So wrong."

She took a deep breath, as if gathering the courage to say the next words.

"From the very beginning... I judged her."

Her lips quivered as the memories flooded back. The sharp words she had thrown at Jungkook. The cold, dismissive stares. The mistrust, the distance—everything she had done to push her away.

Words she could never take back.
Actions she could never undo.

And yet, despite it all... Jungkook had never deserved it.

Soomin's lips quivered as the memories flooded back—sharp, cruel words she could never take back.

"When Jungkook married into this family," she whispered, her voice cracking under the weight of guilt, "I saw her as... less. Not because of who she was, but because of who her mother was."

Her throat tightened, and she forced the words out, even though they burned like acid.

"Kara. A courtesan. I used that as a weapon, a reason to belittle her, to tear her down. I called her..."

She faltered, shame pressing against her ribs.

"I called her a characterless courtesan's daughter. Over and over."

The words hung in the air, venomous and cruel, even now.

Grandma inhaled sharply, her disapproval clear in the way her lips pressed into a thin line. But she said nothing—because there was nothing she could say. This was Soomin's guilt to bear.

Soomin swallowed, her throat dry and aching.

"I thought I was protecting Taehyung. Protecting this family." Her words came faster now, as if saying them aloud might lessen the ache in her chest. "But all I was doing was projecting my own anger, my own hurt."

Her fingers clenched into fists, nails biting into her palms.

"Taesung's betrayal—his infidelity with Kara—made me hate her. And I let that hatred poison the way I treated Jungkook."

Her voice wavered, thick with emotion.

"I should have seen her for who she really is—kind, strong, resilient. She married my son, became a part of this family, and I repaid her with cruelty, suspicion, and hatred."

Her face crumpled, and she covered it with trembling hands.

"And now, knowing the truth—knowing what she went through, what Taesung and Kara did to her and her family—"

Her shoulders shook as sobs wracked through her, raw and unrestrained.

"I can't forgive myself."

Soomin gasped between her tears, her body curling in on itself as if she could shrink away from her guilt. "I was blind. So blind."

Grandma remained silent for a long moment, her gaze heavy with quiet understanding. Then, she sighed, reaching out to clasp Soomin's hand in her own.

"We cannot change the past, Soomin," she murmured. "But we can choose what we do with the time we have left."

Soomin let out a shaky breath, but it did nothing to quell the storm inside her.

"I don't deserve forgiveness."

"No, you don't," Grandma said honestly.

Soomin flinched, but Grandma's grip on her hand remained firm.

"But what matters now is what you do with this guilt," Grandma continued, her voice gentler now. "Jungkook—she has spent her life being abandoned, being used, being unloved. You can't erase what you did to her, but you can make sure she never feels that way again."

Soomin swallowed down the lump in her throat, her chest aching with the weight of it all.

"Do you think... do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

Grandma's expression softened.

"That's not something you should expect from her," she said carefully. "Forgiveness isn't something owed—it's something given. If she chooses to give it, it will be her choice, in her own time."

Soomin nodded slowly, wiping at her damp cheeks.

She wasn't sure if she deserved forgiveness.

But she would spend the rest of her life trying to be worthy of it.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

The silent house was deafening as Taehyung stood outside their room, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

With a deep breath, he knocked softly, his knuckles brushing against the wood hesitantly.

"Jungkook," he called, his voice low but with an edge of pain he couldn't hide.

"Please... open the door."

There was no answer. Not even the soft shuffle of footsteps or the faint rustle of movement inside. The silence was suffocating and it gnawed at his insides, making his chest feel tighter with each passing second.

His heart ached for Jungkook, for the person he loved, who was on the other side of that door—suffering in ways he couldn't fully understand.

"Jungkook," Taehyung called softly, his voice barely a whisper. "Please... let me in."

The pain in his chest tightened, but he remained standing, his heart aching with every moment of silence.

He knocked again, this time more urgently, but still, nothing. The cold wood door felt like an impossible barrier between them, separating him from the only person who could make the hurt in his heart fade.

"Jungkook, please... I just want to be here with you," he said again, this time his voice more fragile, pleading.

Still, no reply came.

Except the stillness that felt unnatural.

He reached out again, his fingers lightly brushing the wood, as if hoping the barrier between them would somehow soften, allowing him to reach her.

Taehyung's breath caught in his throat as he slid down the door, his back resting against it, his body sinking slowly to the floor. The wood pressed against him, offering no comfort, no answers. He sat there for a moment, hands resting in his lap, as he listened intently, straining to hear the faintest sound that might tell him Jungkook was there.

But there was nothing. The quietness was suffocating.

Inside, Jungkook was curled up against the door, her back pressed firmly against it as if she could block out the world. The tears had slowed, leaving trails of salt on her cheeks, but the emptiness remained.

It was as if a part of her had shattered—no, all of her had shattered—and she was unsure how to put herself back together.

Her back pressed against the door, the cool wood offering no comfort. She could feel Taehyung's presence on the other side, though. His warmth, his proximity, even though they were separated by just a thin piece of wood, seeped through the door and into her.

Jungkook's breath was shaky, she wished she could erase the words Kara had spoken, wished she could undo the flood of revelations that had torn apart the very foundation of her life.

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, wishing for it all to disappear. But she couldn't escape it. She couldn't escape him.

Taehyung's father, Kara—all of them, intertwined in a twisted fate that she had no control over. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She was drowning.

Her hands gripped the folds of her dress, feeling the delicate fabric between her fingers, but it wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. Not even the sound of his breath outside the door, his waiting, his heartache, could ease the suffocating sense of betrayal.

The door separating them was the only thing holding her together, the only barrier between her broken heart and the man she trust so completely.

Outside, Taehyung's hands rested on his knees, his fingers digging into the fabric of his pants as he sat with his back pressed against the door. His eyes were fixed on the nothingness in front of him, his mind swirling with thoughts he couldn't sort through.

He wanted to break the silence, wanted to say something—anything—to ease the tension, to bridge the gap between them. But what words could he offer that could possibly take away the pain, the betrayal that he knew was tearing her apart inside?

There was so much he wished he could undo, so much he wanted to change. His father's actions, Kara's manipulation—it all felt like a cruel twist of fate, one that had set them on a path that led to this moment.

Taehyung heard the faintest sound—a choked sob. His hands tightened on his knees, the only action he could control. He didn't know how to make things right. He didn't know how to fix the damage done.

But he would wait.

He would wait for her—for however long it took—until she was ready.

Until Jungkook could trust him again.

The silence stretched on, both of them stuck in their own pain, their own fear. Taehyung could feel the distance between them, an abyss that seemed too wide to cross.

But still, he waited. He couldn't leave her. Not when she needed him the most.

And so, they sat there. Her face buried in her knees, the door a fragile barrier between them. His back against the wood, his body aching with the desire to hold her, to tell her that he was here, that he wouldn't leave her, no matter what.

But the words didn't come.

There was nothing more to say—only the understanding that they were both broken, but still holding on.

And so they waited—Jungkook, on the inside, holding her broken heart together with trembling hands, and Taehyung, on the outside, his heart heavy with regret and sorrow, but with a determination to be there for her, no matter how long it took.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───