"Jennie, this arrangement was never about what we want for ourselves. It's about what's expected of us."
"I understand the duty, Taehyung, but it's hard to ignore the silence between us. It feels like we're bound by an agreement we both hesitate to...
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The dinner had ended smoothly, with both families exchanging warm goodbyes. Jennie was still reeling from the shock of Taehyung’s unexpected acceptance of the engagement, her mind spinning as they headed toward the car. Mr. and Mrs. Park walked ahead, engrossed in conversation with the Kims, leaving Jennie a few steps behind, still processing everything.
As they approached their sleek black car, Jennie hesitated for a moment. She couldn't stop replaying the moment in her head, Taehyung’s calm, almost casual agreement to the engagement had caught her off guard. The way he had smiled and nodded, warm-heartedly, had seemed so genuine in front of both families. But Jennie knew better. The slight tension in his jaw, the way his eyes had flickered briefly, he was holding something back.
She was jolted out of her thoughts as her father called her name. “Jennie, get in. It’s getting late.”
Nodding quickly, she slipped into the back seat, staring out the window as the car rolled out of the Kim estate.
✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧
The silence in the car was thick. Mr. and Mrs. Park seemed satisfied, their voices low as they discussed how well the dinner had gone.
Jennie, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Taehyung had played his part so perfectly during dinner—laughing at jokes, complimenting her when the conversation drifted toward their future. He had even agreed to push the engagement until after Jisoo and Jin’s wedding, making it all sound like a mutual decision.
But when she had looked into his eyes, even for a brief second, Jennie had seen something unsettling. It wasn’t relief or happiness—it was something darker. A sense of control, perhaps even a hint of malice, hiding behind the polite mask he wore in front of their parents.
As Jennie stared out the window of her own car, her chest tightened with anxiety. She knew Taehyung had been caught off guard when he first learned about her family’s financial troubles, but now it seemed like he was setting a trap, and she had fallen right into it.
The worst part was, Jennie hadn’t even wanted this. She hadn’t asked for any of it. But her parents had been clear, this marriage was their way out, their solution to everything. And she was the key.
✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧
As the group walked back to their home, Lia and Jisoo chatted lightly about the evening. Mr. and Mrs. Kim exchanged a look of satisfaction, clearly pleased with how things had turned out. Taehyung, however, stayed silent, a calm expression on his face that masked the storm brewing inside him.
