FACE-OFF | PJM

Chapter 65

Taehyung asked, "What?"

"I was thinking about how sorry I am for my parents. And for you. I owe you so much in this lifetime, and I might never be able to repay it. But perhaps in the next life..."

Taehyung interrupted, "Krystal, I don't want the next life. It's too long. I want this lifetime."

Krystal looked at him, her eyes welling up with tears. She hadn't realized when her feelings for him had started to develop. At the beginning, her love for Taemin had been all-consuming, making it impossible to consider anyone else. However, gradually, she had come to realize just how much she cared for Taehyung.

Taemin found himself in what seemed like a never-ending dream. It felt as though someone had a tight grip on his neck, and he was surrounded by people who just watched without helping him. He felt utterly alone.

Finally, he woke up, jolting into a sitting position. His brows furrowed as he glanced at the IV drip connected to him.

"Mr. Lee, you shouldn't sit up now. You need to lie down and rest," the nurse advised as she entered the room. Taemin, however, ignored her and attempted to pull out his IV. The nurse rushed over to stop him.

"What about the woman who was brought in with me?" Taemin inquired urgently.

"You mean Ms. Jung?" The nurse nodded. "She's doing okay."

Taemin noticed the nurse was about to leave his room, so he urgently grasped her arm and asked, "What about the baby?"

The nurse was taken aback. "Mr. Lee, I don't know..."

"Min Yoongi, Min Yoongi!" Taemin shouted loudly. The nurse frowned, trying to calm him down. "Mr. Lee, this is the hospital. Please be calm. There's no one outside."

Taemin's concern for his baby overwhelmed him. In his haste, he pulled out his IV and attempted to stand. However, his injuries were much worse than Krystal's, and he couldn't even manage to stand, collapsing back onto the bed.

The nurse cried out in fear and rushed to help him. "Mr. Lee, are you okay? You shouldn't be standing up, and you can't pull out the IV. You're in a serious condition!"

"Go away!" Taemin waved his hand dismissively, determined to stand up and check on Krystal's condition.

"Mr. Lee, if you continue, I'll have to call the doctor!" the nurse warned.

Just then, Yoongi entered the room and assisted Taemin. "President Lee, how are you feeling?"

Taemin urgently asked him, "How's the baby?"

"The baby is gone," Yoongi replied.

Taemin's fury erupted, and he began to yell and struggle, desperately wanting to leave the room. The nurse and Yoongi struggled to restrain him while calling for the doctor.

Ultimately, Taemin was administered a tranquilizer to calm him down.

His child was gone.

When Taemin woke up, he urgently requested a wheelchair because he wanted to see Krystal. Upon spotting him, Krystal's mother positioned herself protectively in front of her daughter, with Taehyung standing by her side.

Taemin chuckled coldly and directed a question to Krystal: "Is our baby still alive?"

Krystal gazed back at him and replied firmly, "Lee Taemin, you should probably know by now that it's gone. Do you realize how relieved I felt when I found out? Bringing your child into this world is the most disgusting idea to me!"

Krystal's mother wasn't taken aback by the fact that Taemin had received the news of Krystal losing the baby. When she had decided to fabricate the story, she had sought Jimin's assistance in persuading the doctor to cooperate with her deception.

Despite being in a weakened state, Taemin insisted on coming. He had learned from Yoongi that his baby was dead, but he initially couldn't bring himself to believe it. Therefore, he had decided to come and hear the news directly from Krystal herself.

As he listened to Krystal's words, a wave of heartbreak washed over him. It was a devastating blow, causing his legs to weaken and his body to tremble. If he hadn't been in the wheelchair, he might have collapsed to the floor right then and there.

Yoongi noticed that Taemin was struggling to catch his breath and immediately asked, "President Lee, are you alright?"

Turning to the nurse, Yoongi urgently said, "Call the doctor."

Taemin vehemently refused, gasping for breath as he pointed accusingly at Krystal. "No need!" he yelled. "You killed my child. I will make you pay."

Krystal's mother, growing increasingly concerned, asked, "What do you intend to do?"

Taemin responded with a cold smile and signaled for them to take him back to his room.

Krystal, deeply worried, pleaded, "Lee Taemin, please return my father!" But Taemin didn't halt his departure.

Krystal's mother shared her daughter's concern, fearing for her husband's safety.

Krystal was deeply concerned. She pushed her blanket aside and tried to stand up from her bed. Taehyung immediately intervened, saying, "Where are you going? Your leg is injured; you shouldn't be walking around."

Ignoring his pleas, Krystal insisted, "Get me a wheelchair. I need to find Taemin."

"No!" Her mother rushed to stop her. "Don't go after him. I won't allow it. Every time you see him, you come back hurt. How can I let you go after him?"

"But Mom, Dad, he..."

Her mother's eyes welled up with tears. "We'll find a way. Taemin doesn't hate your father. He won't harm him..."

In reality, Krystal's mother was trying to console herself as well. Deep down, she knew she was deceiving herself. She understood that Taemin was ruthless, devoid of empathy. Despite his claims of love and care for Krystal, he had drugged her and remained unperturbed during her withdrawal.

Describing him as a devil was not an exaggeration.