Chapter 10: A Bullet Between Love and Loyalty.
POV: Kang Ji-ah (FL)
The moment my mother pulled out the gun, the world slowed down.
I should've expected it.
I should've known that she wouldn't let me go that easily.
But what I didn't expect—was Ahn Jae-hyun stepping in front of me.
His body became my shield.
His heartbeat was the only thing I could hear.
And for the first time, I felt real fear.
Not for myself.
For him.
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A Mother's Threat
"Move, Jae-hyun," I whispered, gripping his sleeve.
He didn't budge.
His eyes were locked on my mother's.
She cocked her head, amused.
"You would die for her?" she asked, tilting the gun slightly.
Jae-hyun's jaw tightened. "Without hesitation."
My chest clenched.
She laughed.
"Then you're more foolish than I thought."
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A Shot Fired
She pulled the trigger.
I sucked in a sharp breath.
Bang!
Everything happened at once.
Jae-hyun moved.
The bullet missed his chest by inches.
It grazed his arm—a flash of red.
Pain flickered across his face, but he didn't back down.
Instead, he lunged forward.
Before my mother could react, he knocked the gun from her hand.
It clattered to the ground.
I grabbed it first.
Now, the tables had turned.
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Facing the Past
My mother stared at me, unfazed.
"Are you going to shoot me, Ji-ah?" she asked softly.
My hands trembled.
I had spent my entire life searching for her.
I had imagined a hundred different reunions.
But in none of them did I ever think I'd be pointing a gun at her.
A war raged inside me.
Anger.
Betrayal.
Pain.
And yet… I couldn't pull the trigger.
Because no matter what she did—she was still my mother.
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The Choice That Changed Everything
Jae-hyun stepped beside me, pressing his uninjured hand over his bleeding arm.
"You don't have to do this," he said softly.
I exhaled shakily.
And then—I dropped the gun.
It hit the floor with a dull thud.
My mother smirked.
"You're weak."
I met her gaze, steel in my voice.
"No," I said. "I'm strong enough not to become like you."
For the first time, something flickered in her expression.
Regret?
Guilt?
I'd never know.
Because at that moment, the police stormed in.
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The End of a War
Her men were already defeated.
Seo-ah stood frozen, torn between loyalty and fear.
And my mother—she didn't fight.
She simply smiled as the officers surrounded her.
As if she had been expecting this all along.
As if she had planned something even bigger.
A chill ran down my spine.
This wasn't over.
Not yet.
But for now—I was free.
And I had Jae-hyun by my side.
That was enough.
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