Beauty and the Broken

11|𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

The morning sun bathed the dining room in a warm glow as Taehyung, Aera, and Jungkook finished their breakfast. The tension from their earlier conversation hung in the air, but determination burned brighter in their eyes.

"We need to find the evidence," Taehyung said, his voice steady and resolute.

"I guess we should get back to our daily routine and then we will try to find the evidence," jungkook said looking stressed.

"I agree with this, as we can't let our company in chaos"

"We'll meet back here tonight and share whatever we've discovered."

Aera nodded, her resolve unwavering. "Agreed. I'll start by going through some old files at the office."

Jungkook glanced at Aera, a soft smile playing on his lips. "I'll come with you. Two pairs of eyes are better than one."

Aera smiled back, grateful for his support. "Alright, let's do this."

~In Office~

As they entered Aera's sleek, modern office, Jungkook lingered by the door, watching her with a mix of admiration and concern.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Aera looked up from her laptop, her eyes meeting his. "I have to be. This is our only chance to uncover the truth."

Jungkook walked over, his steps slow and deliberate. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "You're incredible, you know that? Stronger than anyone I've ever known."

Aera's heart fluttered at his touch, and she leaned into his hand. "I couldn't do this without you, Jungkook."

He smiled, leaning in closer, his breath warm against her cheek. "I'll always be here for you, Aera. No matter what happens."

For a moment, the world outside ceased to exist as they stood there, lost in each other. Then, with a reluctant sigh, Aera pulled away, her resolve hardening once more. "We should get to work."

Hours passed as Aera worked on her laptop, her fingers flying over the keys. She was deep in concentration when her secretary knocked and entered, holding a thick file.

"Ms. Aera, I found these in the archives. They look like old transaction records."

Aera took the file, her eyes scanning the contents. Her heart raced as she recognized the names and dates. These were records of her step-family's transactions, potentially the key to unraveling the mystery.

Just as she was about to delve deeper, the door to her office burst open, and Jungkook's mother stormed in, her face a mask of fury.

Aera, stop this nonsense right now!" she demanded, her voice sharp and cold.

Aera looked up, surprise quickly giving way to defiance. "I have every right to know the truth about my family," she shot back, standing up to face the older woman.

"You don't understand what you're getting yourself into," Jungkook's mother insisted, her eyes flashing with anger. "This is dangerous. You're digging up a past that should stay buried."

Aera clenched her fists, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't care about the danger. I deserve to know what happened to my parents. Your family has controlled my life for too long."

Jungkook's mother took a step closer, her voice lowering but no less intense. "You think you know everything, but you don't. There's more at stake here than you realize."

Aera's eyes narrowed. "Like what? Your husband's secrets? His crimes? How long have you known about all of this and kept it hidden?"

"You don't understand," Jungkook's mother hissed, desperation creeping into her voice. "I'm trying to protect you!"

"Protect me?" Aera laughed bitterly. "You've done nothing but control and manipulate me since the day I entered your family. How is that protection?"

"Because you don't see the bigger picture!" Jungkook's mother snapped, her facade of calm cracking. "If you keep digging, you'll expose things that could destroy all of us. Including Jungkook."

Aera took a step back, her eyes wide with shock. "Jungkook? What does he have to do with this?"

Before Jungkook's mother could respond, the door swung open again, and Jungkook appeared in the doorway, his expression grim. He stepped between them, shielding Aera with his body.

"Mom, enough," he said firmly. "You can't stop her. We need to find out what happened and she is not alone in this."

His mother faltered, her anger wavering. "Jungkook, you don't understand. I'm not against Aera. I just... I can't afford to lose you both."

She turned to Aera, her eyes softening for the first time. "I was never a good mother to you, Aera, but I did it to protect you from your stepfather's evil intentions. Please, be careful."

With that, she left the office, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.