FATAL TROUBLE | JAY

21 - Depths of A Nightmare

Y/N'S POV

"He used a burner phone to contact me," Jinyoung says and I sit across from him, watching as he avoids my gaze. His hands tremble as they rest on the table, fingers twitching nervously. He looks smaller than I remember, like the weight of his decisions has finally crushed him. It's hard to reconcile the man I once knew with the person slumped in front of me now, broken and bruised. I used to think he was strong and reliable. Now all I see is fear. "I never met him or knew who he was. He simply asked me to... infiltrate her life and lure her to him, otherwise my sister... he would have killed her." 

My heart clenches painfully when I remember how he called me his sister, how he said he would protect me no matter what. The words feel like poison now, a sick reminder of how deep the betrayal goes. I look at Jinyoung, but I can't see the person I once trusted. All I see is the lies, the manipulation, and the fear.

"And the money they sent?" Jay asks, crossing his legs while leaning back in his chair, his gaze cold and calculated as he studies Jinyoung. The tension in the room thickens, and I can feel his anger like a weight pressed against my heart. I can't breathe, afraid that the slightest movement might shatter the fragile control Jay has over his rage. His eyes lock onto Jinyoung's, unyielding and unforgiving, as if waiting for the truth to slip out, or for Jinyoung to crumble under the pressure.

Jinyoung flinches, unable to meet Jay's eyes. His voice is barely above a whisper when he answers, "It wasn't for me. It was for her... for my sister. Medical bills, living expenses. He paid everything, and in return, I had to—"

"In return, you sold Y/N out," Jay finishes, his voice sharp as a blade. "You took the money and betrayed her, just like that." His eyes narrow, the disgust evident. "You're pathetic, but that's not the point. When you were given the money, who handled the transactions?" He presses, his tone lethal as he leans in, closing the distance between him and Jinyoung.

"He put the money in a bag and put it in my gym's locker," Jingyoung admits and only then do I remember that one time when I caught him coming back from the gym, looking like a deer under the spotlight. So, money is what he hid in that bag. The realization is a big hammer hitting me over and over until I feel numb. "I never met him nor did I ever see his face. He just... game me the money and the orders." 

"Gym locker?" Jay raises his eyebrow, pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek, making me gulp and quickly look away. And then he lets out a low chuckle, shaking his head as if he's discovered a darkly amusing twist in an otherwise grim tale. "A gym locker. How fittingly mundane," he says, his voice dripping with sardonic humor. "A place where one might expect to find nothing more than a forgotten towel or a gym bag, not a stash of money used to betray someone."

Jinyoung flinches at Jay's words, his eyes darting nervously between Jay and me. His hands tremble, and he looks utterly defeated. But what he says next leaves me cold. "You don't know what family would make you do," He mumbles, his voice barely audible as he turns to me. "You'll never understand me when you have no family." 

My nails dig into the palms of my hands as they rest on my lap, my eyes starting to sting. His words are like shards of glass, cutting through the fragile defenses I've built around myself. The pain is immediate and raw, searing through my heart as if he's reached inside and twisted it. He doesn't know how close to the truth he is. The void where my family should be is a chasm that never fully heals, no matter how hard I try to fill it with something—anything—else.

The room feels suddenly too small, suffocating. I glance at Jay, whose expression has hardened, and look away the moment our eyes meet. "And yet, here we are," Jay says, standing up before he grabs Jinyoung by the back of his hair, jerking his head back. "You wanted to protect your sister, but you threw someone else under the bus to do it. You think that makes you noble? Only those who cannot stomach their own weakness hide behind excuses," His voice drips with venom, his fingers tightening in Jinyoung's hair as he yanks him higher, forcing him to look at him.