The Shadows (Underworld 4) JH

26: Return of Joshua

Back in Korea, the Midnight Gang's headquarters was quieter than usual. The corridors echoed with the hushed conversations of members who were still adjusting to the recent upheavals within the gang. In Seungcheol's office, the atmosphere was particularly tense. The dim lighting and the quiet hum of the air conditioner only amplified the heavy emotions that hung in the air.

Seungcheol sat behind his desk, his hands clasped together as he studied the man sitting across from him. Joshua, once a trusted member of the gang and a close friend, now seemed like a shadow of his former self. His usually bright eyes were dulled with sadness, and his posture was slumped as though the weight of his troubles was too much to bear.

Jeonghan, standing by the window with his arms crossed, was the first to break the silence. "Shua, you asked to speak with us. What's going on?" His voice was calm but laced with concern. He had always been perceptive, and he could see the pain etched into Joshua's features.

Joshua hesitated for a moment, his gaze dropping to the floor as he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he looked up, his voice shaky but determined. "I wanted to tell you both in person. Seokmin and I... we've separated."

The announcement hit Seungcheol and Jeonghan like a punch to the gut. Seungcheol's eyes widened in shock, and Jeonghan's usual composed expression faltered. "Separated?" Seungcheol repeated, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing.

Joshua nodded, his throat tightening as he spoke. "Yes. It's... it's over. Seokmin left me."

Jeonghan uncrossed his arms and took a step closer, his voice softening. "Why, Joshuji? What happened?"

Joshua exhaled a shaky breath, the emotions he had been holding back threatening to spill over. "He received a letter, an anonymous one, claiming that I was responsible for Jisoo's death. The letter said that I killed him because Jisoo was Seokmin's crush, and I wanted him out of my way so that I could disguise myself as him."

Seungcheol's brow furrowed in disbelief. "But that's not true. We both know what happened to Jisoo. He and his brother Heesung moved to a different country, and we gave them a lot of money to disappear."

"I know," Joshua replied, his voice trembling. "But Seokmin believed it. He looked at me like I was a monster, and no matter how much I tried to explain, he couldn't see past the lies in that letter. It tore us apart, Cheol. He left because he thought I was capable of something so... so evil. I am in mafia but you know Cheol how much I hate killing and all and that's the reason why I only worked as a spy in Midnight gang as well."

Jeonghan's heart ached at the sight of Joshua's pain. He had never seen him so broken, so vulnerable. "Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Jeonghan asked gently, his tone filled with sympathy.

Joshua's shoulders slumped further as he shook his head. "I didn't want to burden you with my problems, not when everything else was already falling apart. And honestly, I was ashamed. Ashamed that I couldn't keep Seokmin, ashamed that he believed I was capable of murder. I conspired against y'all, helped him to kidnap Hansol.... I was really guilty, Hannie."

Seungcheol clenched his fists, anger simmering beneath the surface. "Whoever sent that letter knew exactly what they were doing. They wanted to destroy you, Joshua. But why? Why target you now?"

Joshua's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "I don't know. But what I do know is that I lost the love of my life because of a lie. And I don't know how to fix it."

Jeonghan walked over and placed a comforting hand on Joshua's shoulder. "We'll figure this out, Joshuji. We'll find out who's behind this and why they did it. But you have to stay strong."