The Legacy (Underworld 1) JC

6: Subin As Sacrifice

The atmosphere in Seungcheol's office was tense as Rubina stood before him, her expression a mix of anger, hurt, and betrayal. She had finally mustered the courage to confront him about what she had overheard him and Hansol discussing the other day – their breakup.

Seungcheol could sense the tension in the air as Rubina stared at him with accusing eyes, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. He knew that this conversation had been a long time coming, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at the thought of facing the consequences of his actions.

"Ruby, I..." Seungcheol began, his voice faltering as he searched for the right words to say.

But before he could continue, Rubina cut him off, her voice sharp with anger. "Don't," she spat, her words laced with bitterness. "Don't even try to pretend like everything's okay, Seungcheol. I heard what you and Hansol were talking about. I heard you discussing our breakup as if it were nothing."

Seungcheol winced at the accusatory tone in Rubina's voice, his heart heavy with guilt. He had known that keeping their relationship a secret from their families would eventually come back to haunt him, but he had never imagined that it would lead to this – a confrontation with the woman he had once thought he would spend the rest of his life with.

"Ruby, I..." Seungcheol tried again, his voice choked with emotion. "I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

Rubina's eyes narrowed at his apology, her anger boiling over as she took a step closer to him. "Sorry isn't going to cut it, Seungcheol," she snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. "You made a promise to me, to us. You promised that we would face whatever challenges came our way together. And now you're just throwing it all away for the sake of some alliance with another gang?"

Seungcheol flinched at the mention of the alliance with the Amber gang, knowing that it was the root cause of their current predicament. He had never intended to betray Rubina's trust, but the pressure from their families and the lure of power and influence had clouded his judgment.

"Ruby, please," Seungcheol pleaded, his voice desperate. "I never wanted any of this to happen. I love you, you know that. But I can't ignore the realities of our situation. Our families have been planning our marriage since we were children. I can't just go against their wishes."

Rubina's eyes filled with tears at Seungcheol's words, her heart breaking at the realization that the man she loved was willing to sacrifice their relationship for the sake of his own ambitions. "So that's it, then?" she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're just going to give up on us?"

Seungcheol hung his head in shame, unable to meet Rubina's gaze. "I don't know what else to do, Ruby," he admitted, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own guilt. "I wish things were different, but... I don't see any other way out of this mess."

For a long moment, there was silence between them, the weight of their words hanging heavily in the air. Rubina struggled to compose herself, her heart torn between love and anger, hurt and betrayal.

Finally, she spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. "Fine," she said, her words filled with a quiet determination. "If that's what you want, then so be it. But just know that you've lost more than just me, Seungcheol. You've lost the best thing that ever happened to you."

With that, Rubina turned and walked out of Seungcheol's office, her heart heavy with sorrow but her spirit unbroken. And as Seungcheol watched her go, a sense of regret washed over him, knowing that he had let the love of his life slip through his fingers in pursuit of his own selfish desires.

As Joshua overheard the heated exchange between Seungcheol and Rubina, his heart sank with disappointment and concern. He had always admired Seungcheol's determination and leadership, but seeing him willing to sacrifice his relationship with Rubina for the sake of his ambitions filled him with a sense of disillusionment.