Shattered Empress|kth

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟴

Taehyung

I straightened the cuffs of my shirt as the elevator doors opened and Y/n's best friend stepped out, her expression telling me that she was not at all surprised to see me standing there. "I guess you aren't my Uber driver," she muttered.

"I just want to let you know that if you do decide to help us, I will protect you," I told her, clearing my throat. I knew that June was not my biggest supporter, and likely if she had her way, I would be six feet under for what I had done to Y/n.

She let out a little laugh. "That's what Y/n told me. Tell me, Taehyung, what are your intentions with my best friend? Do you plan to be there for her? Do you plan to protect her?"

"She's my fucking wife," I growled. I had told myself that I was going to keep my emotions in check with her, that I wasn't going to get involved, but I felt like I needed to say something on my behalf.

Clearly I should have just stayed in my office.

"I know that," June snapped, her nostrils flaring. "But she needs to be much more than that. Surely you know how she feels about you."

I did know, before I took our children, however. Now I wasn't so sure what she felt, but she was willing to attempt to save me from this war, and I was letting her have this one moment. If June didn't come through, then I was moving forward with my plans. "I will take care of her and our children."

She arched her brow. "But do you love her?"

"I would appreciate any sort of support that you can give us," I said instead, ignoring her question.

June laughed, shaking her head. "You can't even say the words, can you? I swear to God, Y/n deserves so much better than you."

"I couldn't agree more," I told her honestly.

June eyed me before she brushed past me and out the door, leaving me standing in the lobby. I raked a hand through my hair and blew out a breath. Well, that had gone shittily.

I punched at the elevator button, stepping inside the elevator when the doors opened. June had been right about one thing. Y/n could do so much better than me, but she was my wife, the mother of my children, and I had to protect them all. If she didn't come through with this campaign against Baekhyun, I would have to step in, and Y/n would likely hate me for that too.

Y/n was standing by the windows in the living room when I walked into the penthouse, my hands in my pockets. When she turned toward me, I saw tears in her eyes. "I don't think it went well."

I clenched my hands into fists in my pockets. "Give her some time. Maybe she will come around."

Y/n shook her head. "I know June. She had already made her decision before she left this penthouse."

Y/n looked so desolate that I couldn't help it. I drew her into my arms, resting my chin on the top of her head. "I'm so fucking sorry." I knew that she was just trying to save me from doing something stupid, and I couldn't fault her for that. After all, her involvement in my world told me that she was not pushing it aside but trying to make it better.

"I just want it to stop," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "I just want this to all end so we can live in peace."

I wanted to tell her that there was no peace in my life. My father had always lived in this violence, and I had always imagined I would, too, one day staring down the end of a barrel or worse.

But Y/n was making me want something different. I wanted both my organisation and my family. Was that so hard to believe?

Y/n made a noise and pulled away, wiping her tears away. "I'm not going to cry over this anymore. I'm done crying. It doesn't solve anything."