Shattered Empress|kth

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟭

Y/n

Jungkook was dead.

I wrapped my arms around my waist and stared out into the night, not even the biting cold bothering me tonight. I had seen the devastation in Taehyung's eyes at the news, how he had longed to reach out to someone before he had shuttered the look and stormed out of the penthouse.

His closest friend was dead.

Not only that, but I was also grieving for Jungkook. He had rapidly become one of my favorite persons as of late, and to know that I would walk into that workout room and not see him there hurt my heart.

Oh God, what would I tell Hyun Ki? Not that Hyun Ki would understand what was happening, but none of us had expected Jungkook to die.

Tears threatened my eyes again, and I sucked a deep breath, letting the cold settle in my lungs. Now Taheyung would genuinely want revenge, and since June had failed me, failed my family, I was helpless to stop him.

He was going to do something that was going to jeopardize our family, and our future.

This was a nightmare.

I wrapped the cardigan around my body tightly and made my way to the elevator. Taehyung would be back soon, and he would need me. I wasn't sure how Taehyung dealt with his grief, but if it were anything like the way he had been when I first met him, I couldn't go through that again.

The ride down to the main level was silent, and as the doors opened, I found Taehyung standing by the bay of windows, a drink in his hand. The lines of tension vibrated from his body as I approached, and he didn't bother to look in my direction when I moved next to him. "I've made sure that his body goes back to his mother," he said softly, the anguish evident in his voice. "She won't recognize her own son."

Emotion built up in my throat, but I forced it away, laying a hand on his arm. His body stiffened and my heart shuddered, wondering if he thought it was best to keep it all bottled up inside. It wasn't healthy to do so, nor was it going to benefit our future. "Jungkook was a part of our family and I will miss him."

Taehyung threw back the contents of his glass before letting it fall to the floor, where the fragile crystal shattered on impact. "I don't give a shit about how much he will be missed. It's my fucking fault he's dead."

He was telling the truth, after all. It had been his plan that had sent Jungkook into danger. "Taehyung," I said gently, not removing my hand from his arm. "If nothing else, this should show you that something bad is going to happen if we continue down this path. What if next time it's our children?"

Taehyung turned on me and backed me up against the glass, his hand braced above my head. "Are you saying I can't protect you?" he asked in a deadly calm voice. "That I can't protect my own fucking children?"

His expression was filled with rage and I swallowed. I knew that Taehyung would never physically hurt me, but emotionally, he had hurt me repeatedly. I couldn't take another lashing like that. So, I reached out and touched his unshaven cheek, feeling the tightness there. "I'm so sorry about Jungkook, but I'm still here, Taehyung. I'm still here."

Some unmarked emotion flickered across his face. "Are you really, Y/n? Are you willing to stay for what is to come?"

"It doesn't have to be that way," I urged him. "Please, don't push me away again."

Taehyung leaned close, until I could see the gold flecks in his eyes. "Whatever you are thinking isn't going to fucking work, Y/n. And if you interfere with my plans, I will make you a distant memory to your children and to me."