Should Be You | Jikook ✔️

Chapter 23

Yeri sat slumped on the velvet couch in the grand living room, nursing a glass of whiskey in her hand. Her eyes were hollow, her thoughts spiraling as she stared blankly at the amber liquid. She had been trying to drown her nerves in alcohol ever since she heard the news that Jungkook had met with his lawyer. The thought of losing him entirely, of losing everything, was too much to bear.

As the whiskey burned down her throat, the door to the room creaked open. Yeri’s heart leaped in her chest, and for a split second, she thought it was Jungkook, maybe coming back to her. She quickly wiped her face, trying to put on a semblance of composure. But when she looked up, her heart sank.

It wasn’t Jungkook.

It was Hoseok.

Hoseok stepped into the room with an air of casual arrogance, his hands stuffed into his pockets, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. His eyes glinted with something dark and menacing, and it immediately put Yeri on edge.

“Oh, look at you,” Hoseok chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement as he surveyed the sight of her, broken and vulnerable. “How the mighty have fallen.”

Yeri's face twisted in anger, and she snapped, “What the hell are you laughing at?” Her voice was sharp, but there was a tremor beneath it, one that betrayed her growing fear. Hoseok wasn’t someone who came here without reason, and that reason could never be good.

Hoseok just smirked, not bothered by her outburst. He took a step closer, his eyes gleaming with a kind of satisfaction that sent a chill down Yeri’s spine.

"Jungkook finally woke up from the lie," Hoseok said smoothly, his tone light, but the words hit Yeri like a sledgehammer.

Yeri froze, her breath hitching. Her heart raced in her chest, panic beginning to claw at her insides. She tried to mask her fear and tried to play it cool as she set the glass down on the table with shaking hands.

"I-I don’t know what you’re talking about," Yeri said, attempting to sound innocent, but her voice came out strained.

Hoseok’s laugh filled the room, loud and mocking. "Do you really think I’m that stupid, Yeri?" He took another step toward her, and Yeri could feel the walls closing in around her. “You think I don’t know? That I’d just let you get away with everything?”

Yeri’s throat went dry, and she narrowed her eyes, trying to push down the terror rising inside her. “What the hell do you want, Hoseok? I’ve already distanced myself from you, from everything!”

Hoseok’s smirk widened, and his eyes flashed with something cold and calculating. He was enjoying this far too much. "Distanced yourself? Oh, darling," he said, his voice mockingly sweet. "That’s not going to save you now."

Yeri’s nerves frayed even further. She felt like a cornered animal, and Hoseok was circling her, ready to pounce.

"You remember Hyungbin, right?" Hoseok’s voice dropped, and Yeri’s heart nearly stopped. She had known this would come back to haunt her one day, but hearing that name made her blood run cold.

Yeri tried to steady her voice. "Hyungbin? What does he have to do with any of this?" She looked away, her pulse racing, the mere mention of that name bringing up memories she had tried so hard to bury.

Hoseok let out a low, dark laugh. "Don’t play dumb, Yeri. You and I both know what you did." He took another step forward, his eyes never leaving her, his smirk growing more sinister. "You seduced him. My ex. Used my money to take him on all your little dates and played your dirty games behind my back."

Yeri’s lips parted, but no words came out. Her mind was racing, trying to find a way out of this, but every avenue was blocked. She could feel herself slipping, losing control of the situation, and that terrified her.