FACE-OFF | PJM

Chapter 21

Jimin watched him with cold, calculating eyes. "When Grandma and Grandpa found out about this, they chose to hide it from you because they didn't want you to bear the pain of betrayal from your most beloved girl. They were ready to accept the blame instead, to protect you. But, Lee Taemin, what did you do?"

Taemin raised his head and let out a bitter laugh. "Do you think that I trust you? Even if it was true, what about the Lee family? When they were on the verge of bankruptcy, they didn't help but made things worse. They took me in but only did it to avoid scandals. They were hypocrites, they made me feel sick! They didn't want me to be with Yoona because they thought she was unsuitable for me!"

The tension in the room was palpable as the two men confronted each other with their deeply ingrained resentments and grievances.

"If that was the truth, then why were they hiding it from you and letting you believe she loved you?" Jimin retorted, his voice laced with an undercurrent of anger.

Taemin, in a fit of irrationality, refused to accept the painful reality. He convinced himself that there must be some mistake, that the girl he had cherished couldn't have betrayed him. As the truth sank in, Taemin's mind became clouded with doubt and disbelief. He couldn't comprehend that the woman he loved had deceived him. He felt a tumult of emotions—anger, confusion, and profound hurt.

He had believed that she had taken her own life because of their child, but now he learned the child wasn't even his. It was a crushing revelation. Taemin struggled to breathe, clutching his chest as he glared at Jimin. "They thought it would create a scandal, so they hid it. It wasn't for my sake; they did it for their reputation!"

With trembling steps, Taemin rose from his seat and unsteadily walked toward the door. He questioned why he had sought out Jimin in the first place, subjecting himself to this agonizing truth. Nevertheless, he clung to the desperate hope that it couldn't be real.

Taemin had his people verify the authenticity of the incriminating pictures, but even without an official investigation, how could he continue to deny the undeniable? The images showed Yoona kissing Park Jae Kyung intimately, leaving no room for doubt.

Every piece of evidence pointed to the painful reality: Yoona was not the person he had believed her to be. She had played with his emotions and deceived him.

Taemin's determination to uncover the truth led him to locate Park Jae Kyung, who had recently been questioned by the police. Jae Kyung had just been released after his lawyer successfully secured his freedom. As he exited the police station, he was met with the sight of Taemin waiting for him. Jae Kyung's face drained of color, and he instinctively took a few steps back, attempting to hide behind his lawyer.

Taemin, however, wasn't willing to let him escape. He reached out and pulled Jae Kyung closer, his voice filled with a cold determination. "Park Jae Kyung, come with me."

Jae Kyung's lawyer interjected, attempting to mediate the situation. "Mr. Lee, let's discuss this civilly."

Taemin's eyes bore into Jae Kyung's. "I am. But if you don't come with me willingly, I can't guarantee that things will remain civil."

"Mr. Lee, we're at the police station." Jae Kyung's lawyer, sensing the gravity of the situation, tried to intervene further.

"So what?" Taemin gazed at the lawyer with a murderous glare, making the lawyer close his mouth, didn't dare to challenge him.

Park Jae Kyung found himself forcibly dragged into a car by Taemin, and as they sped away, he realized the gravity of his situation. The lawyer's attempts to intervene were met with a menacing glare from Taemin, silencing him instantly.

The car eventually arrived at a remote location on the outskirts, far from any witnesses. Jae Kyung felt a growing sense of panic as he realized the severity of the predicament he was in.

Taemin's intense gaze bore into him as he questioned, "Are you afraid?"

Jae Kyung attempted to compose himself, knowing he could no longer evade the truth. "President Lee, why are you looking for me?"

Taemin turned off the car's engine and confronted him directly. "Quit the act. What was your relationship with Yoona?"

Jae Kyung's throat tightened as he realized there was no way to escape the truth any longer. He swallowed hard and began to recount the story.

"She was sixteen when she met me before meeting you during college. I didn't know you two were in a relationship after Madame and Master Park tried to intervene, I didn't want to go against the elders, so I dumped her. She didn't have any objection since she had you," he admitted.

But as he continued, the weight of his confession became heavier. "But then when Madame locked you in the house, she looked for me and said that she was pregnant with my baby..."

Taemin's anger flared at the revelation, and before Jae Kyung could finish his sentence, he was struck by a powerful punch that sent his nose bleeding. The intensity of the blow left Jae Kyung stunned and gasping for air.

As Taemin's anger reached its peak, Jae Kyung's pleas fell on deaf ears. He desperately tried to escape, but Taemin was relentless. He dragged Jae Kyung back to the car and subjected him to a brutal beating, pulling his hair and pounding his head against the car's unforgiving surface.

Jae Kyung's cries for mercy and his attempts to reason with Taemin were met with cold indifference. He felt utterly powerless and on the brink of despair as Taemin's fury showed no signs of abating.

Soon, the situation escalated further as both Taemin's and Jae Kyung's men arrived at the scene. Yoongi intervened to pull Taemin away from his violent outburst, urging him to stop.

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A/N: How are you liking the story? What do you think would happen next?