You Never Know [JIKOOK]

23. Still

"You?!"Jimin's eyes widened in surprise as he came face to face with his boss. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Are you not going to greet me?" the boss chuckled, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.

Rolling his eyes, Jimin reluctantly walked towards his boss and gave him a quick hug. The boss hugged him back, but it was a brief embrace before they pulled away.

"Why didn't you inform me that you came back here already?" Jimin asked, curiosity evident in his voice as he looked at his boss.

The boss chuckled again and gestured towards the couch, silently suggesting that they sit down first. They settled on the couch, facing each other, with mugs of coffee on the coffee table between them.

Taking a sip of his coffee, the boss cleared his throat. "Well, my dad made me come back," he explained, blowing on his coffee to cool it down.

Jimin couldn't help but be surprised. "I thought you were just an investigator in Italy?" he asked, his eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, but dad needed my help here in our company," the boss clarified.

"Wow, I didn't even know that the one and only Jackson Wang was this rich," Jimin chuckled, finding it hard to believe.

Jackson laughed along with him. But then, a thought crossed his mind. "How about you?" he asked, his tone becoming more serious.

"What about me?" Jimin replied, curiosity piqued as he took a sip of his hot caramel coffee.

Jackson hesitated for a moment before finding the right words. "Well... you know?" he trailed off, not wanting to be too direct.

Jimin paused, realizing what Jackson was trying to ask. He set aside his cup of coffee on the table and looked down at his lap. "They still don't know," he admitted quietly.

"Why?" Jackson's concern was evident in his voice. "Even your mother?" he asked, surprised.

Jimin lifted his head and looked at Jackson with sad eyes before shaking his head. "They don't need to know anyway," he replied, his voice tinged with sadness.

"What do you mean they don't need to know?" Jackson's frustration was starting to show.

"Let's say they did know, then what? Nathalie would go to jail," Jimin explained, his voice filled with a mix of emotions.

"Yeah, as she should," Jackson agreed, his tone firm.

"What about their son?" Jimin questioned, his voice trembling.

"Can you not include their son in their wrongdoings?" Jackson's frustration was evident, his voice slightly raised.

Jimin fell silent, his fingers fidgeting nervously. He couldn't find the words to respond.

Jackson sighed and massaged his temples, trying to calm himself. "Jimin," he called softly, but Jimin kept his head down, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, okay? As your friend, I'm just worried about you. What if Nathalie does something to you again? Something even worse? Nathalie deserves to be punished for what she did to you!" Jackson pleaded, his words filled with urgency.

Wiping away his tears, Jimin mustered a small smile. "I-I just couldn't bear to see their son suffer because of me," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"It's not your fault if their child becomes lonely. It's their karma," Jackson reassured him, his voice gentle.

Jimin remained silent, his fingers still fidgeting. This conversation was not what he had expected when he walked into work earlier. He had anticipated a demanding boss, not a friend who cared deeply about his well-being.