Answer (Love Yourself Tour - Book 3)

Chapter 15

⚠️ Trigger Warning ⚠️
Attempted Sexual Assault
Violence
Mentions of Blood

Adeline's POV:

"It's been so hard to see you these days Adeline what with the constant security." Jihoon said still gripping my arm. "I've only had my pictures and videos of you to suffice which is nothing compared to the real thing." He finished swiveling his head to stare straight at me.

My heart hammered in my chest as fear ran down my spine at his words. I watched frozen as he lifted my arm upward and cradled my bandaged wrist with his other hand. He tsked.

"I'm going to have to punish her again for this. Eunji doesn't know how to listen very well you see."

My eyes widened at his comment.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't hurt her too badly. I never do." He smiled as he patted my arm before lowering it.

So many things were going through my head, and I couldn't make sense of any of it due to the increasing fear taking a firmer hold on me.

"I can see you are confused." He said reaching out towards me as if he were going to caress my face.

Unfreezing I shifted out of his reach away from him not wanting him to touch me any more than he already had. In an instant I realized my mistake. I cried out as pain shot throughout my arm from where he squeezed it hard.

"P-p-please." I stuttered out as my eyes burned with unshed tears.

"Oh Adeline." He sighed loosening his grip around my forearm and looked down at his hand wrapped around it and continued doing so as he began to gently massage the indents he left with his fingers. "Look what you made me do." He spoke in a tone as if he were scolding a child. "Do you think I like hurting you, Adeline?" He asked looking back up at me.

I felt the first tear roll down my cheek as I shook my head no.

"That's right. I never want to hurt you." He reached forward again and this time I didn't move. "I love you, Adeline." He ran his thumb underneath my eye rubbing away the tear that fell from it.

He leaned forward and placed his forehead against mine. I held my breath as I tried my best not to flinch.

"I've loved you from the moment I saw you." He said as he removed his forehead from where it pressed into mine.

When he pulled away, I exhaled a shaky breath as slowly as I could to not show my relief at him doing so.

"That day." He smiled at me. "The day that I first saw you. God, you looked so beautiful. Like you glowed. I remember every single second of the moment I first saw you. How your hair was fluttering all around you as you took pictures of that little girl on the beach in Busan. Oh." He said wistfully. "And the smile you wore as you did. The sun couldn't even compare." He smiled wider. "I knew I had to have you. But you see." His smile disappeared and he scowled. "You vanished. I couldn't find you. You left me." His grip on my face tightened just under painful his tone clipped in resentment. "I looked for you for so long."

I remained silent not responding as his eyes continued to bore into mine but then he smiled.

"But just as I had lost hope thinking I'd lost you forever, there you were. I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw you again. In the very place I worked no less. And you looked just as breathtaking as I'd remembered. You see in that moment I knew. I knew that we were meant to be. Why else would you be taken from me only to be brought right back to me? I was so happy Adeline. So very happy. But then. Do you know what I discovered?" He asked me his smile completely gone again.