The Hidden Card || NCT MAFIA

Chapter sixty-six: Rebellious child

As soon as the insult left Park's lips, Taeyong hit him hard with the bottom of his gun, almost breaking his front teeth.

Blood dripped from his brother's mouth as he spat on the floor.

"You bastard," he hissed, wiping his chin with his white shirt.

As Taeyong was about to retort, Iseul's mother spoke up, interrupting them.

"That's enough."

Her voice was clear, demanding, almost as though she was addressing children.

"I'm going to take Iseul with me and leave," she went on, her gaze never leaving them. "You boys will be free to jump down each other's throats once we're gone."

Taeyong froze at her words. Of course she was here to take Iseul away, what did he expect?

He felt as if he was getting stabbed.
A sharp pain spread through his chest.
Iseul was going to be taken away from him. Again.

No, he thought, gripping his gun so hard that his fingers turned white. She isn't going anywhere.

Park's sudden laugh caught their attention.
His bloody smile and crazy eye made him seem like a madman.

He used his right hand to push himself off the floor. The strength of Taeyong's strike had been intense enough to make him fall to the ground.

"Bold of you to assume my men will let you step a foot out of here alive," he spat, dusting his pants as he got up.

It was now Kang's time to laugh. It was sardonic, chilly, and sent shivers down Iseul's spine. It felt as if she was standing in front of her father, all over again. She would never escape it. Her family would always come back for her. 

"Why do you think I called your brother here for?"

Park frowned as Taeyong clenched his jaw.
He was beginning to understand why Iseul's mother had tipped him off.

He had been used; and he hated it.

"Tell him, Taeyong," she encouraged, a cruel smile on her red lips.

"You manipulated me!" He yelled, anger twisting his features.

"Well of course I did," Kang smiled.

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Iseul chimed in.

She was tired of simply being a witness to the scene displaying in front of her eyes. Clearly her mother had a plan -she always did- but Iseul wasn't sure she would like it.

Kang Min-Ju detached her gaze from Taeyong and Park for the first time to focus on her daughter. The look in her eyes instantly changed, shifting from pure ice to warm affection. Even her severe features relaxed a little.

"I'm taking you home, honey. We've been apart for too long, don't you think?"

Iseul scoffed, sudden anger making the blood in her veins boil.

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" she retorted, crossing her arms on her chest.

She had let go of Chaewon's father, who made a point of blending in the background. He was clearly glad not to be the center of attention anymore.

Her daughter's sudden outburst took Kang aback. A quick shadow passed through her dark eyes.

"Iseul-" she began, only for Taeyong to abruptly cut her off.

"You used me to get rid of Park's men, didn't you?"

His loud voice made Iseul's heart beat faster. Taeyong was always impressive, but whenever he raised his voice, she couldn't help but feel bad for the person he was addressing.

"You knew I would come running to get Iseul, so you used it to your advantage," he went on, pointing an accusing finger at Kang.

"And you didn't disappoint," she smiled, revealing white teeth. "I'm glad to see I didn't underestimate your affection for my daughter. Too bad your little love story ends here." She marked a pause. "I'm sure your men cleared the way for my daughter and I downstairs. I'm guessing it's a pretty bloody one, but that will have to do. At least I didn't have to do the dirty work myself."

Her provocative tone was perfectly calculated. Every single one of her actions was premeditated, and Taeyong was only realizing it now.

Regardless of what she pretended; Kang was enjoying it. Her fake compassion made Taeyong sick. He knew that she was doing it on purpose, that she wanted to drive him into a corner. And yet, he couldn't help but behave exactly like she expected him to.

Every single one of his reactions had been meticulously planned. He was a puppet on a string that Kang was controlling. He hated it, he hated her. Even worse than that, he hated himself for letting it happen.

He had reacted exactly as she had planned. Taeyong had been played, and he despised it.

"Bold of you to assume I'll be coming with you."

Iseul had spoken loud and clear, making her voice heard. Her mother turned to face Iseul, her arched eyebrows furrowed.

"Excuse me?" she asked, slowly.

Iseul stood tall, glaring at her mother with daring eyes, as though she was defying her.

"The only person I'm leaving this place with is Taeyong. Not you, not anybody else."

Her back facing him, Iseul could not see Taeyong's face. His expression was blank, but his eyes, however, were shining with pride.

He didn't want to hurt Iseul's mother -she was her only family, after all- but that didn't stop him from enjoying Iseul doing it herself.

"You don't know what you're saying," Kang murmured, looking at her daughter as if she were crazy. "They brainwashed you."

Iseul couldn't help but scoff.

"You left me!" she shouted, letting out her anger.

Iseul had tried to hide her pain for a long time, but seeing her mother come back out of nowhere to take her away made all her feelings come back to the surface at once.

"You have no right to leave and come back into my life as you please and expect me to follow you around like some dog!"

Her mother's calm expression shattered like glass. Kang's breath caught in her throat as she struggled to swallow her daughter's words.

"You heard the girl," Park spat, casually leaning on the edge of his desk. His arms were crossed on his chest, a sly smile on his lips.

Too focused on Iseul, Kang almost forgot about him.

She abruptly pointed her gun at him.

"This is all your fault," she snarled, her bottom lip quivering. "You went after my family, and now look at what you've done! You destroyed everything."

Park sneered in response, his broad shoulders moving up and down as he did so, as though a gun wasn't aimed right at him.

"Oh, please," he cooed with sweet smile, "don't give me all the credit! After all, your family was long fucked before I decided to stick my nose into your business."

That seemed to be the last straw for Iseul's mother, who, with a raging look in her eyes, pulled the trigger.

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