Tangeled in shadows | Min Yoongi

Chapter 23: A Tipping Point

A few days later

The night had settled into an uneasy calm. Yoongi sat at his desk, his fingers tracing the edge of a whiskey glass as he stared out of the window. The city below pulsed with life, but here, in the heart of his domain, there was nothing but silence—and tension. The peace between him and Yoona’s crew was fragile, and recent attacks had them both on edge.

But there was more. Always more.

Yoongi couldn’t stop thinking about their conversation, the raw vulnerability in Yoona’s voice when she had told him she didn’t know if she could hate him anymore. He had felt something shift between them that night—a pull he couldn’t ignore.

Now, with every passing moment, the weight of those words sat heavier on his chest. He could no longer deny that whatever was happening between them wasn’t something he could control.

Suddenly, the door to his office burst open, and Namjoon stepped in, his face grim. “We have a problem,” he announced, his voice low but urgent.

Yoongi immediately stood up, the calm slipping from his face. “What is it?”

Namjoon tossed a folder onto the desk. “The other families. They’re planning something big. They’re coming for the both of you.”

Yoongi’s eyes darkened as he opened the folder. Inside were photographs, surveillance reports, and details about several key players in the rival families—men who had been biding their time, waiting for a chance to take down not just Yoongi, but also Yoona.

“They’ve been watching,” Namjoon continued. “Waiting for you two to show any weakness. They know about the alliance, and they’re using it against you.”

Yoongi’s mind raced. He had expected pushback, but this was worse than he’d anticipated. A full-scale attack, aimed not just at him but at Yoona too. And if they knew about the alliance, they also knew how precarious it was.

“I have to tell her,” Yoongi said, his voice flat, determined. He grabbed his phone, but before he could dial, Namjoon placed a hand on his arm.

“There’s something else,” Namjoon said, his expression hardening. “One of the families has placed a hit on Yoona. And not just a normal hit. They’ve hired a ghost—someone we can’t trace. If they find her before we do…”

Yoongi’s heart pounded in his chest, his mind flashing back to Yoona lying in that hospital bed, still recovering from her injuries. She was strong, but in her condition, she was vulnerable.

“I’ll go to her,” Yoongi said, already moving towards the door.

---

Across town, Yoona stood on the balcony of her penthouse, staring out into the night. The city lights glittered below, but her thoughts were elsewhere—on Yoongi. On the conversation they had shared.

She had spent so long hating him, blaming him for everything that had gone wrong in her life. But now… now things were different. He had been there for her, saved her life, and for the first time in a long time, she didn’t feel alone.

But that terrified her. She couldn’t afford to trust him. Not in their world. Not with their history.

“Smoke.”

Yoona turned sharply at the sound of her nickname, surprised to see Seulgi standing in the doorway. “What is it?” Yoona asked, her tone sharper than she intended.

Seulgi hesitated before stepping forward. “We’ve got a problem. Word on the street is that someone’s coming for you. A hit’s been put out.”

Yoona’s blood ran cold, though she masked it well. “Who?”

Seulgi shook her head. “We don’t know yet. But it’s serious. They’re not just coming after you because of Agust. This is personal.”

Yoona swallowed hard, her mind racing. She had made a lot of enemies over the years, but someone willing to go this far meant only one thing—this was about her family. And her past.

Just as Yoona was about to respond, the door to her penthouse burst open, and in strode Yoongi, his eyes dark with fury and worry.

“You’re in danger,” he said bluntly, crossing the room in a few long strides.

Yoona’s eyes narrowed. “I know. But what the hell are you doing here?”

“Saving your life,” Yoongi shot back. “Again.”

Before she could argue, he continued, “There’s a hit out on you. And it’s not just anyone. They’ve hired someone dangerous—someone who won’t stop until you’re dead.”

Yoona’s fists clenched at her sides, a mixture of fear and anger rising in her chest. She hated feeling vulnerable, hated the idea of someone coming after her and her people. But more than that, she hated the fact that Yoongi was the one who had to deliver this news.

“Why do you care so much?” she demanded, her voice rising. “Why are you so determined to protect me?”

Yoongi paused, his gaze locking with hers. “Because I care about you, Yoona,” he said, his voice raw, almost broken. “Because I can’t let you die.”

Yoona stared at him, the weight of his words hitting her harder than any bullet could. She had never expected to hear those words from him—her enemy, her rival, the man she had sworn to hate.

But before she could respond, the sound of gunshots shattered the air, the glass of the balcony door exploding inward as bullets tore through the room.

Yoongi was on her in an instant, pulling her to the ground as more shots rang out. The two of them crawled behind the sofa, using it as cover as the gunfire continued.

“They found you,” Yoongi growled, his eyes scanning the room for any signs of their attackers.

Yoona’s heart pounded in her chest as she reached for her gun, her mind racing. “We need to get out of here,” she said, her voice steady despite the chaos around them.

Yoongi nodded, his jaw clenched. “There’s a car waiting downstairs. Stay close.”

The two of them moved as one, their backs pressed together as they fought their way out of the penthouse. Yoona’s injuries screamed in protest, but she pushed through the pain, determined to survive.

As they reached the street, Yoongi’s men were already there, waiting to cover their escape. But the attackers were relentless, closing in from all sides.

Yoongi grabbed Yoona’s arm, pulling her toward the waiting car. “Get in!” he shouted, shoving her inside before diving in after her.

The car peeled away from the curb, bullets still flying as they sped through the city streets.

As they finally gained some distance from the attackers, Yoona turned to Yoongi, her chest heaving with adrenaline. “What now?” she asked, her voice breathless.

Yoongi looked at her, his expression hard but determined. “Now we figure out who’s behind this. And then we take them down. Together.”

Yoona blinked, taken aback by his words. “Together?”

Yoongi nodded, his gaze fierce. “I’m not letting you do this alone. Not anymore.”

For the first time, Yoona felt a flicker of something she hadn’t felt in years—hope. She didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time, she wasn’t facing it alone.

As the car disappeared into the night, the city behind them still in chaos, one thing was clear: whatever was coming next, they would face it together.