53

Taehyung

The sight of Byungchan had caused rage to course through my body.

I had tried to stay as calm as I could.

My only thought was to keep Jungkook safe.

Far away from Byungchan.

Byungchang couldn't know that Jungkook was my weakness. However, he looked at Jungkook as if he knew him, he looked at Jungkook like he was something to possess.

I wanted to gouge his eyes out and put a bullet right in the middle of his eyes.

Only because he was looking at Jungkook.

My Jungkook.

My Angel.

What I never expected was the shock that came next, and the pain of betrayal.

I heard Jungkook whimper behind me and felt his nails digging into my skin.

I felt his panic, it was vibrating off him, the air surrounding us growing thick with his fear.

Only Byungchan's words were ringing through my ears, everything else was a blur.

The man you are protecting behind you right now is Jeon Jungkook.

The late Jung-ho's son and only child and also, my very soon-to-be-husband.

The Ganpeh's Crowned Prince.

Your enemy.

Jeon Jungkook.

A fucking Jeon.

He lied to me.

All this time, it had been a lie.

My shoulder ached with the tension but I kept my face as blank as I could.

No weakness, Byungchan didn't need to know how his words affected me and Jungkook didn't need to know what his betrayal was doing to me.

I trusted him.

I let him in.

He was my fvckin Angel.

I felt Hoseok's hand on my arm, making me realize that I had reached for my gun. I was vibrating with the need to end the bastard's life - Slowly and painfully.

That day would come.

Not now.

But soon.

I watched the cars drive away before finally taking the courage to turn toward Jungkook. I saw him bend forward, and started to dry heave, hyperventilating right there in the driveway. His small body was shaking violently, his sobs making my heart clenched tightly.

I wanted to take him in my arms, hold him safely, and tell him everything was going to be okay, but I stopped myself. I knew I would lash out and hurt him, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him… even though he was the reason for my pain right now.

So I walked away from him.

I did it to protect him.

I had been shot before, multiple times but Jungkook's betrayal was more painful than bullets piercing through my body.

Jungkook called out after me, my name on his lips. He begged me to listen but I was numb.

Too numb to care.

Too numb to understand his lies, his betrayal.

I trusted him, but he didn't give me anything in return.

After giving him myself and opening my heart to him, he still lied.

But even though the tides of anger, I understood why.

I hated the Ganpeh.

And he was one of them - The son of the man who killed my mother and sister.

"Fuck!" I swore, punching the wall next to the door.

He must have been scared, so damn scared.

No wonder he never told any of us.

What about those who are innocent?

Will they perish too?

Just because they were doomed to be a Ganpeh - a Jeon?

Jungkook's question rang through my ears and I pulled at my hair in frustration, my fingers digging into my scalp. He wanted to tell me, many times, he wanted to say it, but my hatred for the Ganpeh always stopped him.

I still remembered my words clearly, as if they were said the day before. There is no fucking innocence in that family, they are all the spawn of the devil, they are tainted with my mother's and sister's blood.

How could I have expected Jungkook to tell me the truth when those were the words I fed him?

You said you'd kill anyone in your path. But what about the innocent?

When realization dawned on me, I felt sick, he was talking about himself.

Jungkook was innocent.

I was running away from home when I found you and hid in your car.

That's how we met.

I'm not a spy, Taehyung.

I'm just someone running away from his nightmare, desperately seeking peace.

Everything he said came rushing back to me until my thoughts went wild.

That was when I lost control.

With a roar, I reached for the coffee table and flipped it over, sending it crashing into the wall. Hundreds of glass shards flew everywhere, my hands clenched into fists, I punched the wall again, harder than before.

My skin over my knuckles tore, it wasn't enough, I was panting, fighting for breath, fighting against the monster that wanted to be unleashed.

The sudden rush was of realization made my head spin, my lungs constricted.

"Fuck!" I bellowed.

The man I hated, the man I vowed to kill… my enemy, he was the one who had hurt my Angel.

He was the one who caused Jungkook pain.

The reason for his nightmares.

Byungchan.

He had ruined my Jungkook.

My blood roared with the urge to kill him.

To end his life.

To end Jungkook's nightmare.

Turning around, I saw Namjoon and Hoseok standing there, their faces were impassive as they stared back at me, waiting for me to give them orders.

Something else caught my attention, someone was missing.

My heart accelerated in panic as I glanced around the room almost furiously.

"Where's Yoongi? Where's Jungkook?" I growled, my knuckles aching as I tightened my fists.

Namjoon's eyebrows raised in question, and he looked behind him. "He was right behind me," he grumbled, his face twisting with slight panic.

"You left him alone!"

I threw my fist, and it connected with his fa, a crack resonated around the room, but I didn't care. "I left him with you. You were supposed to bring him inside."

"I thought he would follow. He's probably outside. Calm the fuck down, And where is Yoongi?!" Namjoon stated, holding his bleeding mouth.

Hoseok came to stand beside me. "I'll get him, Boss."

I nodded, pulling away from Namjoon. "Bring him inside," I ordered.

Hoseok nodded and left without a glance, the need to protect him, shield him away from any suffering, was overwhelming.

Byungchan wasn't getting anywhere near Jungkook.

My head tilted to the side, and I speared Namjoon with a glare. He glared back.

"Are you done? Because you can't act like that when Jungkook comes inside. You'll scare him to death."

I didn't say anything, only because I knew he was right.

I had to get out of here, think clearly, away from Jungkook so I couldn't hurt him.

Even though he was my Angel, Jungkook still betrayed me.

My heart and mind were in a constant battle.

At that moment, I realized that I was more hurt that he lied to me than the fact that he was a Jeon.

Jungkook might have been a Ganpeh but he was innocent.

He was another victim and I couldn't hurt him for that.

I shook my head at that thought - That was exactly why I had to be heartless.

Ruthless.

That was why I never wanted to get close to him in the first place.

The human heart was a strange thing, it was treacherous and weak.

It made us weak.

It was easy for me to forget my revenge, only because what I felt for Jungkook was more powerful.

What we had was more powerful than my need for vengeance.

I sank on the couch and rubbed my forehead tiredly.

How did this happen?

One minute everything was perfect, and now… it was ruined.

What concerned me more was Jungkook's feelings.

How scared and worried he must have been.

"What are you going to do?" Namjoon asked, sitting down on the sofa facing me. He regarded me with curious yet suspicious eyes.

"With Jungkook?" I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees. "Is that even a question?" I hissed. "Do you think I will hurt him?"

Namjoon stared at me in silence and then shook his head. "I know you won't hurt him."

"And what if I did?"

I needed to know his answer, I needed to know where Jungkook stood with my men, how much he meant to everyone.

I needed to know that when the time came, they would all stand in front of him, protecting Jungkook.

Even from me.

"I would have had to go against you," he replied simply, shrugging his shoulders as if it meant nothing but his eyes were intense and told me everything I needed to know.

"We can't let you hurt him, Boss."

I felt a sense of relief, they were Jungkook's champions. If something happened, they would protect him.

But the relief was short-lived.

I saw Yoongi standing in the doorway - Alone. His face was forlorn and when he caught my eyes, he looked down, shaking his head.

"Where's Jungkook?" I growled, standing up.

"Boss..." he replied, keeping his head bowed.

"Where. Is. Jungkook?" I asked through gritted teeth, punctuating each word as my heart accelerated almost painful.

"I tried to stop to him, I did, but he left with that fucking bastard. I couldn't believe my eyes, either."

"No!" I bellowed, rushing past him.

Panic rushed through me as I ran down the steps and into the driveway.

The gates were closed, and I tore them open, I was too late.

There was no sign of Byungchan.

No sign of Jungkook.

My Angel.

He was nowhere to be seen.

I heard Namjoon, Hoseok, and Yoongi behind me, the air crackled with tension.

"That little bitch," Yoongi said in disgust. "Jungkook was just playing with you this whole time. He lied to us."

Turning around, I grabbed Yoongi by the collar. "You are lying!"

It was impossible.

Jungkook couldn't betray me.

He wouldn't betray me… not like that.

Yoongi winced as I pressed my fingers around his neck. "Don't ever call him a bitch! Where is he?"

"Boss, I saw Jungkook going to him. He was in his arms," he wheezed as I pressed my fingers tighter around his throat.

I wanted to scream, to hit someone.

I wanted to kill… I needed to kill.

"He betrayed you, Boss," Yoongi said.

And that was when I lost it.

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!"

Taking my gun from my waistband, I pointed it under Yoongi's chin. His head tilted up in surprise, his eyes shone with sudden fear.

"You are lying!" I growled, pushing the barrel into his throat.

My fingers itched to pull the trigger and end his life, he gulped hard and shook his head slightly.

I almost pulled the trigger, if it wasn't for Namjoon pulling me away, Yoongi would have been dead.

"Taehyung! Damn it!" Namjoon hissed in my ears. I glared at Yoongi as he coughed for air.

"Have you lost your mind? Pointing your gun atYoongi? We are a brotherhood, Taehyung," he tried to reason with me but I barely heard Namjoon.

The only words that rang through my ears were Yoongi's.

That little bitch.

Jungkook was just playing with you this whole time.

He lied to us.

He betrayed you, Boss.

"No!" I gripped my hair in frustration, in denial. "Jungkook wasn't lying!"

It was a lie.

Jungkook wouldn't betray me.

I didn't believe it.

I couldn't believe it.

I was sixteen when I was raped.

He raped me on my sixteen birthday, he continued to do so every single night for seven years.

My father never did anything.

He never even paid attention to me.

I was a loner, never allowed to leave the house.

And then he handed me over to him.

A cruel man who destroyed me.

He used to beat me.

He would chain me to our bed and then whipped me if I did something wrong or what he perceived wrong.

Every word, every moment rushed back to me until I was blinded with grief.

My lungs constricted as I fought for breath, my heart aching most painfully.

When Jungkook was telling his past, I heard the truth in his words.

His pain-filled eyes, his nightmares, they weren't lies.

They were real.

Jungkook's suffering was real.

But why would he leave?

With him… the same monster who destroyed him?

It didn't make sense.

None of it made sense.

I refused to believe it.

Because I believed him.

I believed in us.

"He didn't leave," I said, staring at the gates. Jungkook wouldn't go back to Byungchan."

"I agree," Namjoon said beside me. "There's no way he would leave of his own will. I saw how scared Jungkook was of him."

There was only one conclusion.

Byungchan took him.

Snatched Jungkook away right under my nose.

My eyes widened, a sudden pain went through my chest and I almost doubled over, my stomach lurched and my hands shook beside me.

I shuddered as I thought of the things Byungchan had done to him and now he was with him again - At his mercy.

Jungkook had been thrust back into the darkness he'd been running from.

And it was all my fault.

I had one simple job to do - Protect Jungkook but I failed.

I failed my Angel.

"Are you sure you saw him leave with Byungchan?" I heard Hoseok ask Yoongi behind me.

"I saw him getting in his car," Yoongi replied.

"It's possible Byungchan had threatened him," Namjoon added.

It didn't matter.

None of it mattered.

How or why it happened.

The only thing that mattered was getting Jungkook back safely and making sure Byungchan was no longer a threat.

At that moment, my vengeance was forgotten.

The reason why I needed to finish the Ganpeh was forgotten.

It was replaced with another purpose.

Getting rid of every single person who had hurt my Angel - Slowly and painfully.

Until they wished they had never laid eyes on Jungkook.

I swivelled around and stalked back inside, my men followed close behind me.

"Boss, I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I thought-" Yoongi started but then quickly broke off.

I faced him and he went to his knees, bowing his head, his gun placed in front of him, a posture of submission.

"I have failed you and Jungkook. You have every right to take my life."

Bending down, I took his gun in my hand. "You are right. I can take your life right now. Only because you called my man a bitch. You made a mistake but that will be your last mistake."

I stood up to my full height, instead of pointing my gun to his head, I gave him an order. "Stand up."

He stood up, facing me with his head still bowed down. "You have one more chance. Protect Jungkook with your life and you will be forgiven."

I couldn't condemn him for thinking what any of us would have thought.

It was easier to think that Jungkook had betrayed us.

But I knew… my Angel would never do such a thing.

"Namjoon, track his phone," I ordered. He nodded and took his phone out.

I rubbed a hand tiredly over my face as I looked around the room. "Hoseok, call in the other men. We are leaving as soon as we have Jungkook's location."

I was still talking when I caught a glimpse of the cake Jungkook baked for me the night before.

Walking over to the dining table, my chest tightened with an unyielding pressure.

All I could see was his sweet smiles. I heard his laughter, his angelic melodious voice and I felt his soft kisses.

When I reached the table, I froze, my eyes going to the item next to the cake. I heard Namjoon swear behind me before he spoke.

"Taehyung, Jungkook's pho-"

I couldn't breathe, I clenched my fists together as my heart fell.

Screaming out in rage, I took Jungkook's phone and threw it at the wall. Without thinking I threw the cake, too, splattering against the wall.

I couldn't stop, my anger was fueled further with the thought of my Angel being with Byungchan and having no way to find him.

The thought of him hurting Jungkook drove me insane.

My vision was covered with a red layer as I seethed.

I destroyed everything around me and nobody stopped me, because they knew I would destroy them too.

My body trembled with the need to kill.

I was caught in the bloodlust, there would be bloodshed.

People were going to die, there was only death for those who would be in my path.

"This is war," I growled, my voice as sharp as razors.

My chest was heaving, my breathing ragged as I imagined blood around me.

I wanted to watch Byungchan's blood pour out his body as he breathed his last breath.

I needed it.

My blood boiled under my skin, fiery with a searing burn, prompting me to kill.

Death.

The monster roared, and this time I unleashed it.

I embraced the darkness inside of me.

Because this was war.

Byungchan started it.

And I was going to end it.