Heart Strings | Jungkook ff

Chap 7• Caught in the Web

I tossed and turned in bed that night, my mind racing with thoughts of gold smuggling, Jungkook’s serious face, and the crushing weight of the lie I was living. It felt like a ticking time bomb, one wrong move, and everything would blow up in my face—my career, this “relationship,” and the trust Jungkook had placed in me.

*Trust*, I kept hearing that word. I didn’t deserve it. I wasn’t *Madeline*. I wasn’t the girl Jungkook thought I was. I was Seo-jin, the journalist with a deadline, and I was neck-deep in a game that was spiraling out of control.

By the time the sun peeked through my curtains, I hadn’t slept a wink. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a message from Chae-young.

**Chae-young:** *Coffee? I have news, and I need my bestie stat!*

I groaned, rubbing my eyes. Normally, I’d jump at the chance to catch up with Chae-young over coffee, but with everything going on, I felt like I didn’t have the energy for a normal conversation. Still, maybe seeing her would take my mind off this whole mess, even if just for a little while.

---

At our usual café, Chae-young was already waiting, waving at me excitedly from a corner table. She looked impossibly bright, like a ray of sunshine in my otherwise gloomy world. Her blonde hair was styled in loose waves, and she wore a flowy dress that made her look like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine, not in a casual coffee shop.

“Seo-jin!” she squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. “You look tired, what’s going on?”

“Oh, you know, work,” I mumbled, trying to muster a smile as I sat down. “Crazy deadlines.”

She nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I heard about your two-month deadline. But you’ll figure something out! You always do.”

If only she knew what “figuring it out” really meant this time. But I couldn’t tell her—not yet, at least. I had to keep the Madeline act under wraps until I had something concrete.

“Anyway,” she continued, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You’re never going to believe what happened to me last night.”

I raised an eyebrow, leaning in. “What? Spill.”

She grinned. “Okay, so you know how I’ve been going to that new Pilates class? Well, guess who I ran into after class last night?”

I blinked. “Who?”

“Jimin,” she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

My eyes widened. “Wait, *Jimin*? Jungkook’s secretary and best friend Jimin?”

“Yep!” she said, biting her lip to hide her excitement. “And girl, he was looking fine. Like, beyond fine.”

I blinked, trying to process the fact that Chae-young, my best friend, had casually run into Jimin of all people. This was the same Jimin who knew everything about Jungkook’s life, and therefore could potentially know everything about me—*Madeline*, I mean.

“And?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “What happened?”

“Well,” she said, drawing out the suspense, “we talked for a bit. He’s super charming, by the way. And we’re going out for dinner tonight!”

“Dinner?” I blurted out, trying not to sound panicked. “With Jimin?”

She laughed. “Yeah, why are you acting so shocked? It’s just dinner.”

My mind was reeling. If Chae-young started seeing Jimin, how long would it be before he mentioned Jungkook’s “girlfriend”? How long before my entire cover was blown?

“That’s great,” I said, trying to sound genuinely happy for her. “Just, uh… be careful, okay?”

“Careful?” she tilted her head, confused. “Why?”

I hesitated. “It’s just… Jimin works for Jungkook, right? And they’re really close. Just don’t get too tangled up in whatever corporate drama they might have going on.”

Chae-young gave me a look, her brow furrowed. “You sound weird. What’s going on? Do you know something about Jungkook and Jimin that I don’t?”

I waved it off, laughing awkwardly. “No, no! I’m just saying… you know, rich people, their problems, drama. You don’t want to get involved.”

She shrugged, not looking too concerned. “It’s just dinner. I’m not marrying the guy. But thanks for the heads-up, I guess?”

I forced a smile, even though I was already imagining worst-case scenarios where Jimin figured out who I really was because of something Chae-young let slip over dessert.

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Later that day, I was back in my tiny apartment, pacing back and forth while the weight of everything crushed down on me. I had just settled onto the couch with my laptop when another message pinged on my phone.

It was from Jungkook. *“Can we meet tonight? I have something important to tell you.”*

I stared at the message, my heart skipping a beat. *Something important*? Was it about the gold smuggling? Or had he figured out something about me? My mind raced as I typed a quick reply agreeing to meet.

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I arrived at the fancy restaurant Jungkook had chosen, nerves eating away at me. The restaurant was dimly lit and filled with high-end clientele. I spotted him instantly—he always stood out, not just because of his wealth but because of the quiet, commanding presence he exuded.

He gave me a slight nod as I sat down, and I could tell right away that something was off. His usual calm, cold demeanor was replaced with something else—something more intense.

“I need you to listen carefully,” he said quietly, leaning in. “Things are moving fast. I’m close to finding the proof I need, but it’s getting dangerous. I don’t know who I can trust.”

I swallowed, my palms sweaty. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve heard rumors,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “My father and grandfather are onto me. They know I’m looking into their activities. If I don’t move fast, they’ll shut everything down before I can expose them.”

I stared at him, feeling the weight of his words. This was real. This wasn’t just some story anymore—this was life or death. And I was caught in the middle of it.

“I need you, Madeline,” Jungkook said, his eyes locking onto mine. “I need you to help me finish this.”

My heart pounded in my chest. I nodded, even though every instinct screamed at me to run.

Because now, there was no going back.

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