Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

35. Lust and Desires

⚝──⭒─⭑─⭒──⚝

He looks just like a dream,
The prettiest boy I've ever seen.

(no, but fr, he's majestic)

Time slipped away, marked by days that stretched into a full week since Nabi's return to the penthouse. Most of the members were relieved that Nabi didn't have to stay in the dark basement anymore and could now stay in the guest room.

Yet, not everyone shared the same enthusiasm. A handful, including Seungcheol, Wonwoo, Woozi, Jun, and even Vernon, remained indifferent to this decision. For some, the idea of moving her to the guest room seemed trivial, while others simply didn't find it compelling enough to have an opinion.

Nevertheless, one thing was universally significant - uncovering Min's murderer.

Jeonghan, out of all of them, was the one who couldn't bear the idea. For the entire week, he made every effort to avoid acknowledging Nabi's presence in the guest room.

But there he stood, right outside her room. Why? Even he couldn't quite grasp the answer.

Stepping into the room, his eyes landed on Nabi, who was in the midst of gazing into her bag of pills. As her gaze swiftly lifted, it locked onto Jeonghan.

As he examined the bag, he noticed that Nabi's medication was nearly finished. Meanwhile, Nabi regarded him with a perplexed expression, clearly puzzled by his unexpected presence in her room.

A smirk tugged at his lips as his attention shifted from the medicine to Nabi's eyes. "Running low on drugs?" he quipped.

Nabi, unfazed by his remark, let out a sigh and retorted, "Could you please leave my room?"

"Why should I?" he retorted, his steps bringing him closer to her. "This is my house," he declared, his gaze locked onto hers, unyielding. "You're the unwelcome guest here," he added with a hint of venom in his tone.

Nabi remained motionless on the edge of the bed , her gaze fixed on him as he advanced. Gradually, a sense of panic started to grip her. In that moment, it became clear to her that his feelings toward her were rooted in intense hostility, and a creeping realization took hold – he was capable of anything.

"I'm not exactly happy to be here either," she stated, her attempt to conceal her fear evident. "But your friend seems to have trouble grasping that," she added, her voice quivering slightly. "I never requested you or him to abduct me," she went on, her words carrying a mixture of assertion and vulnerability.

Coming to a halt right in front of her, he lowered his gaze to meet hers, his voice firm but low as he declared, "Don't overestimate your importance here. If you became useless to us, we would've abandoned you on the streets without hesitation." His voice took on a darker, huskier tone as he lowered himself to her eye level, their faces mere inches apart. "But," he continued, "you still serve a purpose. And don't think for a second that your innocent facade sways me. I remain unconvinced that you're innocent in Min's death."

She attempted to shift her face away from his, pressing her hands against the bed to create some space by arching her back. However, he inched closer once more. Torn between her escalating fear and Jeonghan's unsettling words, she responded, her voice tinged with anxiety, "Purpose? What purpose could I possibly serve? I've already shared everything I know about my father with him."

Jeonghan planted his hands on either side of the bed, effectively trapping her. Nabi's fear intensified. He continued with a sardonic tone, "Pretty thing..Did you actually believe Minghao is keeping you around out of pity? Or did you delude yourself into thinking you had a shot with him?" He let out a mocking laugh, directed right at her, as she stood there, paralyzed by fear.