The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

50: Jihoon, Stop!

The apartment was cold and empty, almost like it had never been lived in. Jihoon led Soonyoung inside without saying much, his steps quiet but purposeful. The place was minimalist, sleek, and modern, with large windows that overlooked the city skyline. It was clearly expensive, but it felt like it lacked the warmth of a home, as if no one had ever spent time here.

Jihoon motioned for Soonyoung to sit on the leather couch in the center of the room. Soonyoung complied, feeling the weight of exhaustion settling into his bones. His body was still shaken from the encounter with Yuta, and his mind was swirling with conflicting emotions.

Jihoon disappeared into the kitchen for a moment, returning with a glass of water. He handed it to Soonyoung, his expression calm, though there was something unreadable in his eyes.

"Drink," Jihoon instructed, his voice soft but firm.

Soonyoung obeyed, taking small sips of the water, trying to ground himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that Jihoon had something on his mind he wasn't saying. The silence between them was heavy, thick with unspoken words.

Finally, Jihoon sat down across from him, his hands clasped in front of him. His eyes were sharp, focused, and for a brief moment, Soonyoung felt like he was under a spotlight. Then, Jihoon leaned back and pulled out his phone, his fingers swiping across the screen before he found what he was looking for.

Without a word, Jihoon handed the phone to Soonyoung.

Soonyoung frowned, confused, but took the phone. On the screen was a video, paused at the beginning. He glanced at Jihoon, who gestured for him to play it.

"Just watch," Jihoon said, his tone steady but laced with something deeper, something Soonyoung couldn't quite place.

With a shaky breath, Soonyoung pressed play. The video started to roll, and the scene that unfolded on the screen made his stomach drop.

It was Yuta. And not just Yuta—Taeyong, the CBI officer, was there too. Soonyoung watched in disbelief as the two of them stood close, far too close. Then, as if to hammer the final nail into the coffin, Yuta leaned in and kissed Taeyong, passionately. The camera caught it all—Yuta's hands tangled in Taeyong's hair, Taeyong's arms wrapping around Yuta's waist. It was unmistakable.

Soonyoung's hand trembled as he clutched the phone, his eyes wide in shock, heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He felt his throat tighten, a mix of anger, betrayal, and confusion surging through him. His mind raced to make sense of it, to process what it meant. Yuta had been cheating on him. All this time.

But then why hadn't Jihoon told him sooner? Why now? Why—

Jihoon's voice broke through his spiraling thoughts. "I've had this for a long time."

Soonyoung looked up, meeting Jihoon's steady gaze. There was no anger in Jihoon's expression, just a quiet calm that somehow made the situation even more unsettling.

"I could have shown you this earlier," Jihoon continued, his voice low and measured. "I could have used this to make you leave Yuta. But I didn't."

Soonyoung's voice was barely a whisper when he spoke. "Why... why didn't you?"

Jihoon leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Soonyoung's with an intensity that made it hard to breathe. "Because I didn't want you to come back to me out of anger or hurt. I didn't want you to leave him because of some betrayal."

He paused, his gaze softening, and for the first time in a long time, Soonyoung saw something raw, something vulnerable in Jihoon's eyes.

"I wanted you to come back to me because you loved me. Not because Yuta cheated. Not because of some video." Jihoon's voice was steady, but there was a heaviness to his words, a quiet pain that he had been holding back for far too long. "I wanted it to be real."