Forbidden Longings | Seulrene AU

Chapter XXV (✓)

Seulgi, Seungwan, and Moonbyul were still processing what they had gone through when they heard the front door open with a loud bang. In a rush their parents, frantic and disheveled. Mr. Kang's eyes immediately scanned the room and landed on Seulgi. He sprinted towards her, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Seulgi, thank God you're alright.", Mr. Kang whispered, his voice trembling.

Seulgi reciprocated the hug, tears stinging her eyes. After everything she'd been through, the comfort of her father's arms was a balm to her frayed nerves.

But Mr. Son's eyes widened at the sight of Seungwan's bloodstained wrists and face. Immediately, he went towards her and cupped her face.

"What happened to you? What happened to all of you?", Mr. Son questioned, quickly checking that she wasn't hurt anymore so Seungwan, embarrassed by the amount of attention she was getting, assured her father she was okay.

"Dad, I'm fine. I'm not a baby.", Seungwan responded and got a hold of his hands to assure him that she was alive (partially) and Moonbyul cleared her throat.

"We were suddenly taken by some men and brought in front of the board. They tortured Seulgi and Seungwan to get information about our progress here in town.", Moonbyul explained after a deep exhale, but Mr. Kang's face darkened with anger.

"Tortured? Who did this?", Mr. Kang asked in fury.

"That's the thing, the person torturing her looked exactly like you, uncle. It was probably a spell they used to induce fear and make Seulgi talk.", Moonbyul honestly answered.

"I mean it worked, they got what they were looking for.", Seungwan bitterly commented and Mr. Kang's blood boiled at this revelation.

"I'm going down there to confront them!", Mr. Kang declared, turning towards the door.

"No, Dad. I'm okay now.", Seulgi said, stopping him with a hand on his arm. Mr. Kang took a deep breath, his anger barely contained.

"Well, what if you weren't okay? What if they'd have killed off my only child and left me and your mother to think you ran away like they had attempted with Krystal?", Mr. Kang spat, but the trio looked at each other in confusion.

"What do you mean as they attempted with Krystal?", Seulgi asked for clarification and Mr. Kang briefly paused, knowing he had messed up. But Mr. Son and Mr. Moon looked just as guilty.

"Dad, what does uncle mean by that?", Seungwan repeated as their fathers looked at each other.

"Krystal was a good kid, troublesome at times, but good. Yet she was the one who paid for her father's wrongdoings since he wasn't alive to pay for them himself.", Mr. Son answered.

"So they sent to kill her?", Moonbyul inquired, her fists balling up.

"They did. However, with our connections to the board, we could tell Krystal about the order to have her killed and managed to help her flee and keep her under the radar.", Mr. Moon added.

"I don't get it. If she was exiled, why was she allowed back? Wouldn't they have killed her if they knew where she was?", Seulgi questioned in confusion.