Ice-heart

Ch-12 Gala night pt.2

Jungkook's pov

Eun Ilsung looks just like I remember him.

The sly eyes and the cravat, a glass of champagne in hand. No doubt it's his third or fourth already. And he's coming this way.

Asshole. He'd worked me ragged for years, making me compete with the other architects, all of us jockeying for position. I'd slaved over blueprints for him. Put his name on projects I'd designed. And worse than that... The Century Grand Dome. A project he claims complete credit for when he couldn't have designed that structure on his best damn day.

Because who did? Me. Without any recognition.

It takes every ounce of effort I have to lock down my body, to make my expression impassive, to hide the pure loathing I feel for this man.

He stops in front of us, lips pursed in consideration. "Kim Taehyung," he says slowly, "and Jeon Jungkook. Now this I did not expect."

"Eun Ilsung," Taehyung says smoothly. His voice is courteous, but I can hear the layer of ice below. "Mr. Jeon works at my firm."

Ilsung's eyebrows rise, and his eyes turn speculative. "Do you now, Mr. Jeon? How interesting."

"It's an excellent firm."

"Yes, I've heard good things about your little firm, Kim. Located somewhere uptown, right?" Ilsung says with a smile. You're not one of the big ones.

"Upper West Side, yes."

"How's your father? I haven't seen him around much lately, but then, he never liked the Seoul scene."

"He's doing well."

"Did you know that Mr. Jeon here used to work for me?" Eun Ilsung grins at Taehyung before winking at me, as if we share a secret. In some ways, I suppose we do. I've never told anyone about the Dome Project, and how his firm ended up getting it. I may hate this man, but I'm smart enough to be afraid of him, too.

"He knows," I say shortly.

Taehyung's gaze flashes down to mine. "Yes."

"You showed some real promise, Jungkook. It's a shame it didn't work out for you at my company. I'm sure you could have gone far." Eun Ilsung's smile is patronizing, and I feel my cheeks flush with anger. That makes it not once-but twice-I've been spoken down to tonight, and that's entirely two times too many.

"I was the-"

Taehyung cuts me off, and I swallow the insult I was stupidly about to throw at him. "Jungkook is an excellent architect, as I'm sure you know. Thank you for giving him a place to cut his teeth, Eun, and for letting him go. I owe you one."

Eun Ilsung's hooded eyes narrow. If there is one thing I know he doesn't like, it's being outwitted-or worse, outclassed. And it's clear that Taehyung has both in spades.

His smile turns snide. "Glad you see it that way. And you've clearly found him useful. Taking your staff to these events?" He winks at me again. "You would've protested if I'd have asked."

I force myself to remain calm. "Well, it was never really clear at Eun Properties what was work and what was play."

They're his own words-he once said the same to me-and he knows it. I see how amusement drains from his gaze to reveal nothing but pure hatred. I'm dangerous to him, and I've just reminded him of that.

Taehyung sees it too, because he cuts the interaction short.

"Enjoy the rest of your evening, Eun. I trust I'll see you around." He speaks with cool indifference, the kind of dismissal it takes a lifetime to learn how to deliver, barely making eye contact.