SKYFALL ↠ Haechan ✔

XXVI

CHAPTER XXVI : Unspoken Hurt

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Haechan entered the room to see a sleeping Areum. He walked to her with unsure steps and sat beside her, admiring her.

He scoffed "You betrayed me and yet i'm still here. I can't seem to let you go Areum... even if that means that I have to hurt you"

Haechan caressed her long luscious black hair. Love and hate both seen in his eyes as he admire Areum sleeping.

"I've missed you so much" Haechan then leans in towards her and was about to kiss her when a phone call came and he immediately pulled away and answered his phone.

"Yeah, i'll be there" He gave one last look to Areum before exiting the room.

-

As consciousness returned, Areum woke up to an excruciating pain radiating from her arm. Blinking against the dim light, her eyes settled on a coffee table where a cotton swab lay.

Her instincts took over as she gritted her teeth against the pain and immediately reached for the cotton swab.

"Fuck! This hurts like a bitch" She winced at the contact between the alcohol and her skin. Areum carefully treated her shot wound.

Just then, the sound of keys juggling outside of the door alerted her. Finally, after some time the door opened and it revealed Hanni. A glimmer of concern in her eyes, while she's bringing a tray of food with her.

"Unnie, it's me. I brought you something to eat" Hanni placed the food on the coffee table infront of her.

"Thank you, Hanni. I appreciate it" Areum thanked.

Hanni gave her a small smile before Areum started to talk again.

"Hanni, I need you to hear me out"

Hanni, torn between being Haechan's sister and the emotional connection she shared with Areum, hesitated.

"Unnie, you know I can't. Haechan oppa will kill me. He didn't even want me to bring this food to you, I had to sneak in"

"I'm not asking you to choose sides, Hanni. Just listen to what I have to say"

The plea in Areum's eyes mirrored the intensity of her emotions. Hanni, faced with the undeniable pain etched on her face.

Hanni sighed and finally gave in "Okay fine" She sat beside Areum and came face to face with her.

"I was forced, Hanni. My dad was going to kill Haechan if I didn't agree to join the attack. So I thought if I had Haechan for myself, I could atleast protect him. Shooting him was my only option," Areum's voice cracked before she continued.

"Our marriage? It was never a marriage of convenience. It was his trap. My dad wanted to take over Lee Syndicate. Hanni, you have to help me figure this out"

Hanni frowned, thinking if she should believe Areum "How do I know you're not lying, unnie?"

"I can prove it to you, I just need to get out of here and talk to my dad. You guys caught him already. I can make him talk, Hanni. I need to make things right again"

Hanni sighed "Okay.. they just arrived from Spain. I guess I can try to talk to Haechan oppa about this"

Areum took both of Hanni's hands and squeezed it "Thank you for believing in me, Hanni.

"But.. it might be hard to talk to him," Hanni trailed off. Hanni took a deep breath, sensing the weight of the news he was about to deliver to Areum.

"Unnie, there's something you need to know. During the attack, Mark oppa... he didn't make it"

The words hung in the air, heavy with the somber truth that now linked Areum's actions to a tragic consequence. The room, already steeped in tension, seemed to contract with the weight of the revelation.

"No.." Areum's voice cracked at the news "I didn't... I didn't know" Areum's gaze fell, the weight of guilt settling on her shoulders.

Hanni gave her a hug of comfort as Areum sobbed on her shoulders "Don't worry, unnie. I'm sure he'll forgive you"

-

Hanni took a deep breath before opening the topic with Haechan. The air hung heavy with unspoken tension.

"Oppa, there's something you need to know. Areum... she didn't willingly betray you"

Haechan, typically composed, registered a flicker of surprise on his face.

"What the fuck are you talking about?! You're siding with her too?" Haechan raised his voice, annoyed at his sister.

"No, i'm not siding with anyone but i'm asking you to think about it. I mean.. why would she hold back when she had you during the attack? She could've just killed you, but she didn't"

Hanni's words hit a sense of realisation into Haechan and it made him think of what she said. Hanni placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Look, oppa. I'm just as scared as you are but what if she's telling the truth? We need to consider the possibility that she might not be the enemy that we think she is"

Haechan sighed "I really don't know what to believe anymore"

"She said she'll prove it to us. She just needs to meet her dad"

As Haechan delved further into his thoughts, the room remained silent, witnessing the internal turmoil stirred by the intricate dynamics of loyalty, betrayal, and the nuanced shades that blurred the defining lines between them.

"Fine"

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