"Hello everyone! This fanfiction will have multiple chapters, each with a unique story. Don't worry about waiting for the entire story to conclude - I'll keep creating until my creative well runs dry!
Feel free to jump into any chapter, as each one...
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The air inside the museum was thick with tension. Namjoon's team had split off, each man doing what he did best, and the weight of the missing painting hung over them like a shadow. In the center of the grand hall, Taehyung stood before the now-empty frame that once held The Lady in Blue. His sharp eyes studied the intricate details, the delicate carvings of the frame, and the faint marks on the wall behind it. His fingers hovered just over the edge of the frame, as though they could feel the story hidden in its details.
Namjoon approached, his voice low and serious. "What do you see, Tae?"
Taehyung didn't answer immediately, his brow furrowing. "This frame..." he began, his tone carrying the weight of revelation. "It's too pristine. Look, no scratches, no signs of force. Whoever took the painting didn't just yank it off the wall." He ran his fingers along the frame's edges, then took a step back, his eyes gleaming with understanding. "The painting was swapped. This isn't a fresh heist, Namjoon. The painting was replaced with a replica before the heist even happened."
Taehyung nodded, his gaze unwavering. "Has to be. Whoever did this had time to swap the painting days, maybe even weeks before the theft was 'discovered.' They knew the museum inside out."
Namjoon's eyes narrowed, his mind already working. "Then it's someone with access. Time to talk to the staff."
In the museum's modest staff lounge, Namjoon sat across from the head of security, a stocky man in his fifties with a deep scowl etched on his face. The nametag on his shirt read Richard. Namjoon leaned forward, his voice calm but authoritative.
"Richard, can you walk me through who had access to the gallery in the last week?" Namjoon asked, pulling out his notebook.
Richard sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, aside from myself, there's the curators, the cleaners... and, of course, Mr. Collins, the director. But none of them could've pulled something like this off. They've all been with the museum for years."
Namjoon raised an eyebrow. "Familiarity doesn't mean innocence, Richard. How often do you review the security footage?"
Richard shifted in his seat. "We review it every few days, but we've never had any trouble before. This place has been tight for years."
Namjoon scribbled down some notes. "Have there been any maintenance checks? Any recent hires?"
Richard hesitated. "There was some work done on the cameras a few weeks back, but that was routine. And we did hire a new janitor... What's her name... Molly, I think? But she's harmless. Young, quiet."
"Harmless doesn't mean incapable," Namjoon muttered. "Where can I find Mr. Collins and Molly?"
Meanwhile, Jungkook sat cross-legged on the floor of the security room, his laptop hooked up to the museum's dusty old system. The grainy black-and-white footage flickered on the screen as Jungkook rewound and fast-forwarded, his eyes narrowing in frustration. Taehyung, who had finished examining the frame, joined him, leaning casually against the doorframe.
