SHATTERED INNOCENCE

chapter 5

The darkness of the basement seemed to swallow Taehyung whole. Hours passed, marked only by the faint, distant sounds of footsteps and muffled voices that occasionally pierced the oppressive silence.

Fear clung to him like a second skin as he hugged his knees, rocking slightly, the cold concrete floor beneath him offering no comfort. His mind raced with thoughts of his family, imagining his father’s warm embrace and his brother’s reassuring smile.

Where were they? Were they looking for him? Would they find him in time?Meanwhile, at Jungkook’s Mansion...Jungkook sat in his private office, the dim light of his desk lamp casting long shadows across the room. He was surrounded by plans, maps, and surveillance footage—each detail meticulously crafted to bring his revenge to fruition.

As he reviewed the footage of Taehyung sitting alone, his thoughts briefly wavered. There was something almost pitiable about the way the boy trembled in the darkness, but he quickly dismissed the thought. This wasn’t about pity; it was about retribution.His mind drifted back to his mother, Haejin, and the betrayal that led to her death. The image of Mr. Kim, the man who had ruined his family, fueled the fire in his chest.

This was the only way to make him pay. But the thought of Taehyung, that innocent boy, caused a flicker of doubt in his resolve—a flicker he quickly extinguished.Back in the Basement...Hours later, the heavy door creaked open, and Taehyung looked up with wide, tear-stained eyes. Two of Jungkook’s men entered, carrying a tray of food and water. They placed it on the ground before him without a word and stepped back. Taehyung just stared at the tray, his mind a fog of confusion and fear.The men exchanged puzzled glances as Taehyung made no move to eat.

He simply sat there, his hands trembling in his lap, unsure of what to do. Through the hidden cameras, Jungkook watched this scene unfold with increasing irritation. Why wasn’t the boy eating?Frustrated, he grabbed his phone and barked an order to his men.

“Ask him why he’s not eating.”One of the men approached Taehyung cautiously, kneeling beside him. “Why aren’t you eating?” he asked, his voice gruff but tinged with confusion.Taehyung looked up at him with large, innocent eyes, his lower lip trembling. “I-I don’t know how to eat,” he whispered, pouting slightly as his fingers fidgeted with the hem of his shirt.

The man blinked, utterly stunned by the boy’s response. He had expected defiance or fear, but this—this was something else entirely.The man quickly stepped out of the room, pulling out his phone to report to Jungkook. “Boss, he… he says he doesn’t know how to eat.”Jungkook paused, the words echoing in his mind. For a moment, he felt a strange mix of emotions—confusion, annoyance, and an unexpected pang of sympathy. But he shoved it aside. “Leave him. If he doesn’t want to eat, that’s his problem.”The men retreated, leaving Taehyung alone once more. Taehyung’s stomach growled, but he was too scared to do anything about it.

He glanced at the tray of food every now and then but couldn’t bring himself to touch it. Instead, he sat quietly, trying to keep his fear at bay, playing with his fingers and humming softly to calm himself down.Later that Night...

Jungkook returned to his surveillance footage, expecting to see Taehyung still sitting there. Instead, he saw the boy slumped over, unmoving.

Panic seized him, his heart racing as he leaned closer to the screen. Was he just sleeping, or…?“Check on him!” Jungkook’s voice cracked with urgency as he ordered his men into the basement.

They rushed in, finding Taehyung unresponsive, his breathing shallow. The men tried to rouse him, but there was no response.

Fear gripped Jungkook like a vice. This wasn’t part of the plan—Taehyung was supposed to suffer, yes, but not like this.

Not to the point of losing consciousness.“Bring him to the mansion. Now,” Jungkook ordered, his voice cold but laced with a hint of fear he refused to acknowledge.

Kim Mansion - Late NightMr. Kim was pacing the floor, his eyes wild with fear and desperation. The usually composed and powerful politician was now a father, terrified for his son's safety. His phone was glued to his ear as he barked orders at the police.

"How could you lose him? My son has been missing for hours, and you have no leads?" he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.The officer on the other end tried to calm him, but Mr. Kim was beyond reason.

"I don't care about protocol! I want every resource you have out there searching for him. My precious son is out there, and if anything happens to him, it will be on your heads!"He slammed the phone down, his hands trembling. The usually unshakeable Mr. Kim was a mess of nerves and fear. "Find him," he muttered under his breath, "Bring my baby back to me."