Beauty and the Broken

22|𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤

The ride to the police station was tense, the silence between them filled with unspoken fears and unresolved questions. Aera leaned her head against the cool window, watching the city lights blur past, her thoughts a tangled mess. Everything had spiraled out of control so quickly-one moment, they were searching for answers, and the next, they were fighting for their lives.She glanced at Jungkook beside her, his face set in a grim expression. He hadn't said a word since they left the warehouse, his mind preoccupied.
Taehyung sat on the other side, his hand resting on the seat, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the leather. The normally confident and composed investor now seemed lost in thought, his gaze distant.As they pulled up to the station, the officer escorted them inside, leading them to a small, dimly lit room. "You'll need to stay here for a while. We'll take your statements shortly," he said before leaving them alone.Aera sat down, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling in her bones. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in on her as the reality of their situation pressed down on her.Jungkook remained standing, pacing back and forth with a restless energy. "We need to figure out what's going on. Those men weren't just after us-they were after something specific."Taehyung nodded, though his expression was still clouded with uncertainty.
"It's the documents Aera found. They must have something to do with it."Aera's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the documents. She reached into her bag, pulling out the old, weathered folder she had hastily shoved inside before they fled the office. "These," she whispered, placing the folder on the table. "I didn't get a chance to look at them before everything happened."Jungkook and Taehyung exchanged a glance, and then Jungkook carefully opened the folder, revealing a stack of aged papers. The handwriting was neat but faded, the ink smudged in places, making some words difficult to decipher.
Taehyung leaned in, his eyes scanning the pages. "It looks like some kind of financial records... but these are decades old. Why would they be important now?"Jungkook's brow furrowed as he flipped through the documents, his eyes narrowing as he came across a name that sent a jolt of recognition through him. "Look at this," he said, pointing to a line on one of the pages.
Aera and Taehyung peered closer, reading the name Jungkook had pointed out: *Kang Hyun-Soo.* Aera's breath caught in her throat. "That's... our stepfather."Jungkook nodded, his expression grim. "It looks like these are records of illegal transactions-bribes, money laundering, things our stepfather was involved in. But why would they still be important now? He's been dead for years.""Maybe someone's trying to clean up the loose ends," Taehyung suggested, his voice low. "If these documents were to come to light, they could ruin everything for whoever's involved now."Aera's mind raced as she tried to make sense of it all. The jet crash, their step-parents' illegal activities, the men who attacked them-it was all connected, but the pieces weren't fitting together yet.
"But who's behind all this now? And why come after us?"Before anyone could answer, the door to the room creaked open, and the officer returned, holding a clipboard. "We'll take your statements now. One by one."Jungkook glanced at Aera and Taehyung, a silent understanding passing between them. "I'll go first," he said, stepping forward.As Jungkook left the room with the officer, Aera sat back down, her nerves on edge.
She and Taehyung exchanged a worried glance, both of them aware that their situation was far from resolved.Taehyung leaned closer, his voice barely above a whisper. "We need to be careful about what we say. We don't know who we can trust."Aera nodded, her heart pounding. "You're right. But we can't stop now. We're too close to the truth."As Taehyung was about to respond, the door suddenly burst open, and another officer rushed in, his face pale. "We need to get you out of here, now!" he said urgently.Aera's stomach dropped. "What's going on?""The station's been compromised," the officer said, his eyes wide with fear. "We just received a threat-there's a group coming to take you out. We need to move you to a safe location immediately.

"Panic surged through Aera as she realized the gravity of the situation. "Where's Jungkook?""He's with the other officer," the man said, grabbing Taehyung by the arm. "We'll meet them outside. But we need to go, now!"Without waiting for further explanation, the officer led them through the winding corridors of the station, his pace hurried and his movements tense. They burst out of a side exit into the cold night air, where a black SUV was waiting with its engine running."Get in!" the officer shouted, pushing them toward the vehicle.Aera scrambled into the backseat, Taehyung following close behind.

As soon as they were inside, the driver hit the gas, speeding away from the station."Where are we going?" Aera asked, her voice trembling with fear."Somewhere safe," the officer replied, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. "You'll be briefed once we're secure."Aera's mind was racing, her thoughts a blur as they sped through the city. She glanced at Taehyung, who was staring out the window with a tense expression.

They were in deeper than they had ever imagined, and there was no turning back now.As the SUV took a sharp turn, Aera's phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Jungkook's name on the screen."Aera," his voice came through, urgent and strained. "They've separated us on purpose. I don't know where they're taking me, but it's not safe."Aera's blood ran cold. "What do you mean? We're on our way to a safe house.""Listen to me," Jungkook said, his voice shaking. "The officer with me-he's not who he says he is.

I overheard him on the phone. They're planning something, Aera. You and Taehyung need to get out of there, now!"Aera's heart pounded in her chest as she looked at Taehyung, who was already watching her with concern. "Jungkook says we're in danger. We need to get out of this car."Taehyung didn't hesitate. "Driver, stop the car!"The driver ignored him, pressing down harder on the accelerator."Stop the car!" Taehyung demanded, his voice rising in anger as he grabbed the back of the driver's seat.

The driver turned, revealing a cruel smile. "You're not going anywhere."Before Aera could react, Taehyung lunged forward, grabbing the steering wheel and yanking it to the side. The SUV swerved violently, tires screeching as it careened toward the side of the road."Hold on!" Taehyung shouted, just as the vehicle slammed into a guardrail and came to a jarring halt.The impact sent Aera and Taehyung crashing against the seats, but there was no time to recover. Taehyung scrambled to open the door, pulling Aera out with him as the driver groaned, dazed from the crash

.They stumbled out of the wrecked SUV, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they looked around, trying to get their bearings."Where are we?" Aera asked, panic rising in her throat as she scanned the dark, deserted road."Doesn't matter," Taehyung said, pulling her toward the trees that lined the road. "We need to hide, now."As they disappeared into the dense foliage, Aera's mind was racing, the weight of their situation pressing down on her. They had been betrayed, and Jungkook was in danger. But as they ran deeper into the woods, one thought stood out above all others: they couldn't trust anyone, and the game was far from over.Little did they know, their enemies were already closing in, their every move watched by unseen eyes.