𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥-𝗜𝗡-𝗟𝗔𝗪

Part 32 :(A shattered peace)

Chapter 32: A Shattered Peace

The air in Russia was cold that morning, but there was a calmness to it that Jennie found almost comforting. She and Taehyung had settled into a quiet routine—one filled with tentative hope, but still laced with the remnants of past scars. Taehyung was trying his best to show her that he had changed, that he was fully committed to her. And though Jennie’s heart had begun to soften, there was always that lingering doubt. Could they really make it this time?

The tension in their relationship was subtle, like an undercurrent that neither of them could fully shake. They didn’t talk about it much—choosing instead to focus on rebuilding their connection—but it was there, hovering in the background. And then, as if fate wasn’t content with leaving them in peace, everything began to unravel.

It started with a phone call.

Taehyung had stepped out to pick up groceries, leaving Jennie alone in the apartment. She had been feeling slightly better lately, but the nausea still hit her unexpectedly, often rendering her unable to focus on anything for long. As she lay on the couch, trying to rest, her phone rang, the sound cutting through the quiet.

She glanced at the screen. An unknown number.

For a moment, she debated whether or not to answer it, but something in her gut told her she should. With a sigh, she picked it up.

“Hello?”

There was a pause on the other end, and then a voice—low, almost menacing—responded.

“Is this Jennie Kim?”

Jennie’s heart skipped a beat. There was something unsettling about the way the voice spoke her name, as if whoever was on the other end knew more about her than they should.

“Yes, this is Jennie,” she replied cautiously. “Who’s calling?”

The voice let out a low chuckle, sending a shiver down her spine. “You should watch your back, Jennie. Not everyone in this city is as friendly as they seem. And not everyone who’s close to you has your best interests at heart.”

Jennie sat up, her pulse quickening. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The line went dead.

Jennie stared at the phone, her mind racing. Was this some kind of sick joke? A prank? But the voice had sounded too deliberate, too calculated to be a mere prank. Fear began to creep in, tightening around her chest like a vice.

She tried calling the number back, but it went straight to voicemail. Frustrated and unnerved, Jennie set her phone down and rubbed her temples. She needed to calm down, to think clearly. Maybe it was nothing—just someone trying to scare her. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was something more, something dangerous.

When Taehyung returned, he immediately noticed the tension in her posture. “Jennie, what’s wrong?” he asked, concern filling his eyes as he set the groceries down.

She looked up at him, her voice trembling as she explained the phone call. “Someone called me. They knew my name, and… and they said I should watch my back.”

Taehyung’s expression darkened, his protective instincts flaring up. “Did they say anything else? Did you recognize the voice?”

Jennie shook her head. “No. It was a man, but I don’t know who he was. He sounded… threatening.”

Taehyung clenched his fists, his mind racing with possibilities. Who could be behind this? Was it someone from his past? Someone connected to Jisoo, perhaps? He had made enemies along the way, but he had never expected any of them to come after Jennie.

“We need to be careful,” Taehyung said, his voice firm. “Don’t go anywhere alone, and if you get another call like that, let me know right away.”

Jennie nodded, but the fear in her eyes remained. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible was looming on the horizon, something that could tear them apart all over again.

---

Back in Seoul, Jisoo’s life had taken a dark turn. After being saved by Hae-in, she had tried to pick up the pieces of her shattered existence, but the emptiness inside her was relentless. Despite Hae-in’s efforts to help her, she felt like a shell of her former self, hollow and lost. The failure of her treatments to conceive had only deepened her despair, and now, she was spiraling out of control.

She had taken to drinking more frequently, using it as a way to numb the pain. Hae-in had noticed the change in her, but he hadn’t yet confronted her about it, unsure of how to approach the subject without pushing her further away.

One night, after a particularly heavy drinking session, Jisoo found herself wandering the streets of Seoul, her mind hazy and her heart aching. She stumbled through the crowded streets, feeling utterly disconnected from the world around her. The noise, the lights, the people—it all felt like a blur, as if she were drifting through a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from.

At some point, she ended up on a bridge, staring down at the dark waters below. The thought crossed her mind—brief, but potent. What if she just… let go? What if she gave in to the void that had been pulling at her for so long?

She took a step closer to the edge, her mind clouded with despair. But before she could take another step, a hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back from the brink.

“Jisoo, stop!”

It was Hae-in. He had been following her, keeping a watchful eye on her ever since she left the apartment. He had seen the way she was spiraling, and he wasn’t about to let her slip away so easily.

Jisoo turned to face him, her eyes filled with tears. “Why won’t you just let me go?” she cried, her voice breaking. “Why are you still here? I’m nothing but a burden. I don’t deserve this… I don’t deserve any of this.”

Hae-in pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as she sobbed against his chest. “You’re not a burden, Jisoo. You’re hurting, and that’s okay. But you can’t give up. Not like this. I won’t let you.”

Jisoo clung to him, her body trembling as the weight of her emotions finally came crashing down. “I don’t know how to do this anymore,” she whispered. “I don’t know how to keep going.”

“You don’t have to do it alone,” Hae-in said softly, his voice steady and reassuring. “I’m here, Jisoo. I’m not going anywhere. We’ll get through this together.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Jisoo allowed herself to lean on someone else, to let go of the pain she had been carrying for so long. And as Hae-in held her close, she realized that maybe—just maybe—there was still hope for her after all.

---

In Russia, the tension between Jennie and Taehyung only grew as the days went on. The mysterious phone call had left them both on edge, and despite their efforts to move forward, there was an unease that neither of them could shake.

One evening, as they sat together in the apartment, Jennie broke the silence.

“Taehyung… do you think we’re in danger?”

Taehyung looked at her, his expression serious. “I don’t know. But I’m not going to take any chances. We’ll be careful, Jennie. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Jennie nodded, but the fear in her heart remained. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was coming—something that could change everything.

And as the night wore on, that sense of dread only grew stronger.