PRECIOUS - PARK SEONGHWA

40

Y/n stirred slowly, her eyelids fluttering open to the dim, familiar glow of the bedroom. The air was thick with the scent of aged wood and faint lavender from the sheets. The sheets that had become both your prison and her reluctant sanctuary over the past week. Her head throbbed faintly, a remnant of whatever had knocked her out, but as consciousness fully returned, panic clawed at her chest. This was the same room: the heavy oak door bolted from the outside, the barred window letting in slivers of moonlight, the four walls that had witnessed her tears, her rage, and her deepest secrets.

Last week? It felt like an eternity. She'd been caught in a web of deception that had started as a job but spiraled into something far more dangerous. Ravi's orders echoed in your mind like a curse-spy on Seonghwa, gather intel, report back. But now, as she pushed herself up on the bed, the silk nightgown clinging to her skin, regret burned hotter than any fear.

"Seonghwa?" Her voice came out hoarse, tentative, as if testing the silence. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, feet meeting the cold floor.

"Seonghwa, are you there? Please... I need to talk to you."

No response. The door loomed before her, unyielding. Y/n approached it, pressing her palms against the wood, leaning her forehead on its surface. He had to be out there somewhere. He'd been the one to lock her in, after all-his eyes cold with betrayal when he'd discovered everything. But beneath that ice, she'd seen the flicker of something else: hurt, confusion, maybe even the remnants of the affection you'd shared before everything shattered.

"Seonghwa, if you're listening... I can't do this anymore." Her words tumbled out, soft at first, then gaining strength as the dam broke. Tears welled up, hot and unbidden.

"I was wrong. So wrong. Working for Ravi it was a mistake from the start. He promised me protection, a way out of my mess, but all it did was pull me deeper into lies. I regret it all, every whispered report, every stolen glance meant to deceive you. I thought I was just surviving, but I was destroying us."

Y/n slid down to her knees, fingers tracing the grain of the door as if you could reach through it.

"But my love for you... that's real. It always has been. Even when I was pretending, it wasn't an act. You make me feel seen, alive, like I matter beyond the shadows I hide in. Please, believe me-it's not too late. We can fix this. I can make it right. Just... come back. Talk to me."

Silence stretched on the other side, thick and impenetrable. Unbeknownst to her, Seonghwa stood there, his back against the wall, one hand clenched into a fist at his side. His dark eyes were fixed on the door, every word piercing him like a blade. He had come to check on her, to ensure she was still secure, but now he couldn't move. Love, regret, betrayal-they swirled in his mind, warring with the trust she'd shattered. He listened, heart pounding, as her sobs echoed faintly through the wood, wondering if forgiveness was a path he could still walk.

Seonghwa's boots echoed softly against the stone floor as he forced himself to turn away from the door. Each step felt heavier than the last, her words-raw, desperate, and achingly sincere-clinging to him like damp mist. *I love you. It's not too late.* The confession burned in his chest, a spark that threatened to ignite the feelings he'd tried so hard to bury. But he couldn't afford to trust her again. Not after the sting of her betrayal, the way her loyalty to Ravi had unraveled everything he'd thought she was. Sweet words could be poison, and he'd tasted that venom before.

He moved swiftly down the shadowed corridor, the flickering torchlight casting jagged patterns across the walls. His jaw was tight, his hands still balled into fists, as he fought the urge to turn back, to fling open the door and demand answers-or worse, to believe her. The memory of her tear-streaked voice haunted him, but he steeled himself. Trust was a luxury he could no longer afford.

Unbeknownst to Seonghwa, a figure lingered in the darkness, watching his every move. Siyeon, his mother, had followed him silently, her steps as light as a whisper. Her sharp eyes, framed by silver-streaked hair, tracked her son's rigid posture, the tension radiating from him like heat from a forge. She had suspected something was amiss when he'd returned from the last confrontation with her, his face a mask of conflict. Now, standing just out of sight, she pieced together the fragments of what she'd overheard her confession, her regret, and Seonghwa's silence.

Siyeon's lips pressed into a thin line. She knew the weight of betrayal; she'd seen it fracture their family before. But she also knew her son, knew the way his heart warred with his mind. As he disappeared around the corner, she stepped closer to the door, her gaze lingering on the heavy bolt. Whatever she was spy, lover, or both-she would uncover the truth herself. For Seonghwa's sake, and perhaps for Y/n's, she would not let this end in ruin.

Siyeon's fingers hesitated only a moment before sliding the heavy bolt free. The door creaked open, revealing Y/n crouched on the floor, eyes wide with shock and tear tracks still glistening on her cheeks. She scrambled to her feet, heart racing as she took in the sight of Seonghwa's mother-her stern face softened by something unreadable, perhaps pity or calculation.

"Come with me," Siyeon said, her voice low but commanding, leaving no room for argument.

"Quickly, before I change my mind."

Y/n blinked, confusion warring with instinct.

"Why... why are you helping me?"

Siyeon's gaze sharpened, piercing through her.

"I'm not helping you. I'm protecting my son. Whatever you are to him-truth or lie-I'll find out myself. Now move."

Y/n didn't trust her motives, but the open door was a chance she couldn't refuse. She followed her, bare feet silent on the cold stone as she led her through a maze of back passages, her cloak billowing like a shadow. The night air hit Y/n like a slap when she emerged outside, the forest beyond the estate looming dark and endless. Siyeon didn't look back, and Y/n didn't dare ask where she was going. Freedom, even under her watchful eye, was better than that suffocating room.

______________________________

Hours later, Seonghwa returned, his mind still tangled with Y/n's words and the ache they'd left behind. He'd meant to confront her, to demand clarity, but as he approached the door, his stomach dropped. The bolt hung loose, the room empty. Her absence hit him like a physical blow, and for a moment, he stood frozen, staring at the rumpled sheets where she'd been.

"No..." The word slipped out, a whisper of disbelief that spiraled into rage. His fist slammed against the doorframe, splintering wood. Madness clawed at him-had she played him again? Convinced someone to free her with more of her honeyed lies? Or had something worse taken her? The uncertainty tore at him, but he couldn't let her slip away, not like this.

He stormed to the guardhouse, barking orders with a voice that trembled with fury.

"Find her. Now. Search every inch of the grounds, the forest, the roads-bring her back!"

His men scattered, their lanterns flickering to life as they fanned out into the night. Seonghwa stood alone, chest heaving, haunted by the echo of her voice and the fear that he'd lost her not just to betrayal, but to something far darker.

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Well, hello again! I'm finally back to finish this book 😔 sorry for the long wait. I lost a parent and it was hard for me to even survive my days. But thank God I'm doing better. Sorry to tell you that there's one chapter left for the storyline to end. Take care!