From Reluctance to Desire: A Mafia Story [JJK]

✨CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE✨

The next morning, I woke up with my heart still pounding from the events of the previous day. The image of Jungkook, so casually pulling the trigger, echoed in my mind. How could he do something so monstrous without even flinching? And yet, here I was, tangled in a web I never chose to be part of, holding onto the one thing that could get me killed.

I walked over to my closet and pulled out the file labeled Mission Z. It felt heavy in my hands like I was carrying the weight of secrets too dangerous for anyone to know. My fingers trembled as I opened it once more, flipping through the pages, reading about Zalgo Chernobog, a mafia leader my father had somehow gotten involved with. The man Jungkook had killed him for.

I glanced at Zalgo's cold, expressionless face, his photograph attached to the top page. His reputation as a ruthless leader preceded him, and a shiver ran down my spine. My mind drifted to Namjoon's words again, the way he had revealed that my father had been planning to marry me off to this man to protect me. But that was before Jungkook stepped in, marrying me under pretenses, only to find out what my father had been hiding. And once he had the information, he ended his life without a second thought.

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, my stomach twisting as the realization settled in deeper. I was nothing but a pawn. A tool Jungkook had used to reach his goal. He had killed my father, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. But what I had now, what was in this file, could be my only chance at taking back control.

My phone buzzed, breaking me out of my thoughts. I took a deep breath and snapped a few photos of the more important documents, capturing as much information as I could about Zalgo's operations, coded messages, and locations. It wasn't much, but it was something—something I could use to my advantage later.

I clutched the file in my hands, my heart hammering in my chest as I left my room. The house was eerily quiet as I made my way to Jungkook's office, hoping no one would catch me. Every footstep felt like a risk, every creak in the floorboards a betrayal of my presence. When I reached the office, I quickly placed the file back in its original position, my fingers still trembling from the tension.

Just as I turned to leave, I heard footsteps approaching. Panic surged through me, my body freezing on the spot. Without thinking, I dropped to the floor and crawled under the large table, curling myself into a small ball. My heart pounded in my chest, each beat louder than the last.

The door swung open, and to my horror, a group of people entered the office. Jungkook was with them.

I could feel his presence before I saw him—his cold, commanding aura filled the room. My breath caught in my throat as he took a seat at the very table I was hiding under. His legs were just inches away from me, and I pressed myself tighter into the shadows, praying no one would notice.

The meeting began, voices filling the room as they discussed business I couldn't fully understand. I held my breath, listening intently, my ears straining to pick up any details that might be useful. My heart skipped a beat when they mentioned Zalgo. They knew he had arrived in Seoul, but his location was still unknown. I filed it away in my mind, knowing I'd need every bit of information I could gather if I wanted to survive this.

The conversation shifted to other matters—trafficking, shipments, weapons deals—but I could barely focus. All I could think about was getting out of here without being caught.

After what felt like an eternity, the attendees began to leave the room. I let out a shaky breath, thinking I had escaped detection. But just as I was about to crawl out from under the table, a voice pierced the silence.

"What brings you to my office, Y/N?"

I froze.

My heart stopped as Jungkook's low, steady voice echoed above me. He knew. He had known all along.

For a moment, I stayed completely still, hoping maybe—just maybe—he wasn't talking to me. But then I heard the soft tap of his foot against the floor, a deliberate rhythm that sent a wave of dread through my body.

Slowly, with trembling hands, I crawled out from my hiding place. Jungkook's dark eyes were already locked onto mine, a predatory gleam in them. His expression was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something dangerous lurking beneath the surface. He wasn't angry—no, this was worse. He was amused.

"I... I was just—" My voice faltered as I tried to come up with an excuse, anything to explain why I was here, but my mind went blank.

He stood, towering over me as he took a slow step forward. "Just what?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. "Sneaking around my office? Listening in on a meeting you had no business hearing? Or maybe..." He took another step, his gaze darkening. "Maybe you're hiding something from me."

Panic surged through me. I couldn't let him find out about the file, about the photos I had taken. If he knew... if he knew, he would kill me without hesitation, just as he had killed my father.

"I... I didn't hear anything important," I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady. "I was just looking for you. I needed to talk, but I didn't want to interrupt."

His eyes narrowed, and he tilted his head, studying me as if he could see right through me. The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating. I could feel my pulse racing, the fear settling deep in my bones.

"Looking for me?" he repeated, his tone mocking. "Strange, you haven't wanted to talk to me for a while now."

My throat tightened as I took a step back, my mind racing for an escape. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. I was trapped.

Jungkook leaned in closer, his lips dangerously close to my ear as he whispered, "What did you hear, Y/N?"

I froze. Every nerve in my body screamed at me to run, but I couldn't. I was paralyzed by fear.

"N-Nothing important," I whispered, barely able to get the words out. "I swear... it was just business talk. I didn't understand most of it."

Jungkook straightened, his expression cold and unreadable. He studied me for a long, excruciating moment, the tension in the room unbearable.

Finally, he turned and walked toward the door, but his words lingered like a death sentence.

"For your sake, I hope you're telling the truth." He paused his hand on the doorframe. "Because if I find out you've been lying to me, Y/N... I'll make sure you regret it."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving me standing there, trembling with fear.

As soon as the door clicked shut, I collapsed onto the floor, my whole body shaking uncontrollably. I had been so close to getting caught. I couldn't let this happen again. Whatever I did next, I had to be careful—more careful than ever. Because now, I wasn't just playing with fire. I was standing in the center of an inferno, and the only way out was through the flames.