Arranged marriage

Chapter 24

The message left Y/N with a sinking feeling in her stomach. As they stood in the quiet alley, the glow from her phone seemed almost ominous. She knew Jungkook was watching her closely, sensing the shift in her mood. His expression hardened, and his hand gripped her wrist, turning her to face him.

"Who sent that message?" His voice was sharp, demanding.

Y/N swallowed the lump in her throat and handed him her phone. Jungkook's eyes scanned the screen, his brows knitting together in frustration. He pocketed her phone before she could protest, his jaw clenched in anger.

"Do you think it's Minho?" Y/N whispered, her voice trembling. The thought of being watched sent shivers down her spine. She glanced nervously around the dark street, half-expecting a figure to emerge from the shadows.

Jungkook didn't answer immediately. His gaze was fixed ahead, as if he were calculating their next move. The tension between them crackled like static, and Y/N could feel the emotional wall he was building between them.

"We can't take any chances," Jungkook finally said, his tone cold and distant. He turned on his heel, starting to walk away. "We'll deal with Taeyang first. Then, we'll figure out who sent that message."

Y/N hesitated, her heart sinking. She had hoped for some kind of reassurance, but instead, Jungkook was retreating again, shutting her out. The warmth she had felt just hours ago, when he gently brushed the hair from her face, now seemed like a distant memory.

She hurried to catch up with him, her mind racing. There was something about that message—about the warning—that felt different. It wasn't just a threat. It felt like a reminder. A reminder that in this world, no one could be trusted. Not even those closest to her.

The tension between Y/N and Jungkook only grew as they arrived back at the safe house. They were supposed to meet Taeyang the following night for the warehouse break-in, but now everything felt uncertain. Y/N paced the room, her thoughts tangled in fear and suspicion.

Jungkook sat across from her, his eyes glued to his laptop screen as he reviewed the warehouse plans. His jaw was set in a tight line, and he hadn't said a word to her since they left the alley. The silence was suffocating, heavy with the weight of their unresolved tension.

Finally, Y/N couldn't take it anymore. She stopped pacing and crossed her arms, glaring at Jungkook. "Are you going to keep ignoring me? We need to talk about what's happening."

Jungkook didn't look up, his fingers continuing to type on the keyboard. "There's nothing to talk about."

Y/N's frustration boiled over. "Nothing to talk about? We're getting anonymous warnings, planning to break into a warehouse with someone we don't trust, and you're acting like everything's fine!"

Jungkook's fingers paused, but he still didn't look at her. "I'm handling it."

"Handling it?!" Y/N's voice cracked with anger. "This isn't just about you, Jungkook! I'm involved too! My life is on the line just as much as yours."

His eyes finally lifted to meet hers, dark and unreadable. "I know that. And that's why I need you to stay out of it."

The words hit her like a slap. "Stay out of it? How can you say that? I'm the one Minho's after! I have a right to know what's going on."

Jungkook stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "I'm doing what I need to do to protect you."

Y/N took a step forward, her heart pounding with frustration and hurt. "Protect me? Or push me away? Because right now, it feels like you're just building a wall between us."

Jungkook's eyes flashed with something—guilt? Anger? She couldn't tell. But then, just as quickly, his face hardened again, his defenses snapping back into place.

"You don't understand," he said coldly. "This isn't a game, Y/N. People like Taeyang, people like Minho—they're dangerous. You think you can handle it, but you don't know what you're up against."

Y/N shook her head, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. "I'm not some helpless bystander, Jungkook. I can handle myself. But I can't handle you shutting me out every time things get hard."

The air between them crackled with tension, but Jungkook said nothing. His silence was louder than words, a clear message that he wasn't willing to let her in.

Y/N felt her heart ache, the distance between them growing wider with every passing second. She took a shaky breath and turned away, her voice quiet and full of hurt. "Fine. If you don't want to trust me, then I guess I'll have to do this on my own."

The following night, they met Taeyang outside the warehouse as planned, but the strain between Y/N and Jungkook was palpable. Jungkook barely looked at her, his focus entirely on the task at hand. Taeyang, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to the tension, his usual cocky grin firmly in place.

"Ready for some fun?" Taeyang asked, flashing them a knowing smile.

Y/N forced a nod, though her mind was miles away, lost in the growing rift between her and Jungkook. She followed them silently as they approached the warehouse, her stomach churning with unease.

The plan was simple. They would enter through the back, avoid the guards, and retrieve the item Taeyang needed before making a clean exit. But nothing ever went according to plan.

As they slipped inside, the warehouse was eerily quiet, the only sound being the soft hum of the generators keeping the building dimly lit. Y/N kept close to Jungkook, her heart pounding in her chest. Despite their argument, she found herself instinctively drawn to him, seeking his presence in the midst of the danger.

Taeyang led the way, his movements confident and precise as they weaved through the maze of crates and equipment. But then, as they reached the center of the warehouse, something went wrong.

A sharp sound echoed through the space—a metallic clink, followed by a low hum. Y/N's heart dropped as she realized what it was.

"Run!" Jungkook shouted, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind a stack of crates just as a series of red lights flickered on, signaling the activation of the security system.

Alarms blared, and the warehouse was flooded with flashing lights. Y/N's breath came in ragged gasps as she crouched beside Jungkook, her back pressed against the cold metal of the crates.

Taeyang swore under his breath, darting into the shadows as guards flooded the building. Jungkook's grip on her arm tightened as they huddled together, the danger closing in around them.

"We need to get out of here," Jungkook whispered urgently, his eyes scanning the warehouse for an escape route. But the guards were closing in, their heavy boots echoing off the concrete floor.

Y/N's heart raced, her mind spinning with panic. This was a disaster. And worst of all, she knew it could've been avoided if they had just trusted each other.

A sudden explosion rocked the warehouse, sending crates flying and knocking Y/N off her feet. She hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her as debris rained down around them.

"Y/N!" Jungkook's voice was frantic as he scrambled toward her, his eyes wide with fear.

But before he could reach her, a figure emerged from the smoke—a shadowy silhouette that made Y/N's blood run cold.

It was Minho.

And he was smiling.