Arranged marriage

✨Chapter 34✨

Y/N's chest heaved as she struggled to catch her breath. The metal rod shook in her hand, the weight of what she'd just done settling heavily on her shoulders. Minho staggered back, his face twisted in pain and rage, clutching his injured arm. But his eyes never left hers.

The room was still chaotic—Jungkook was fending off the remaining intruder, his movements sharp and precise despite the cuts and bruises marring his body. Taehyung, panting heavily, kept his stance ready, eyes darting between Minho and Y/N. Everything felt like it was spiraling out of control, and Y/N's mind raced to find a way out.

Minho straightened, his composure returning far too quickly for her liking. A dark smile crept back onto his lips, his voice low and dangerous. "You've got spirit, Y/N. I'll give you that. But this isn't over."

Her grip tightened on the rod, but fear crept up her spine as Minho took a slow step toward her again. His earlier calm demeanor was gone, replaced by something far more sinister. She could feel the shift in the room—this wasn't just about control anymore. Minho wanted to hurt her, to break her in every possible way.

Before she could react, Jungkook lunged forward, throwing the last intruder off-balance with a swift kick. His eyes immediately locked onto Minho, and without hesitation, he moved to stand between Y/N and her pursuer once more. Blood dripped from a cut on his brow, but his expression was set in stone—cold, determined, and lethal.

"Touch her again," Jungkook snarled, his voice like gravel, "and I'll make sure you never walk out of here."

Minho laughed bitterly, his hand still clutching his injured arm. "Protective now, are we?" His gaze flickered to Y/N, a cruel glint in his eyes. "It's funny... You didn't seem to care this much before."

Jungkook's jaw clenched, his fists tight at his sides. The tension in his body was palpable, like a coiled spring ready to snap at any moment. Y/N could see the storm brewing inside him, the inner conflict he was desperately trying to control. He had been so distant, so cold for so long, and now he was fighting with everything he had to protect her.

But Minho's words were a knife to the gut, twisting in the wound that had been festering between them all along. Jungkook hadn't cared—at least not outwardly. He had treated her like an inconvenience, ignored her, and even belittled her at times. But now, seeing the way he was willing to fight for her, Y/N's mind whirled with confusion. Was this all an act, or had something changed?

"You never deserved her," Jungkook spat, his voice dripping with venom. His eyes, dark with fury, bored into Minho. "You don't deserve to even look at her."

Minho sneered, taking a step closer, though still keeping his distance. "And what makes you think you do? You've treated her like trash since the beginning. At least I was honest about what I wanted."

Jungkook froze, his muscles visibly tensing at Minho's words. His breath came out in harsh bursts, but he didn't speak. The silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.

Y/N swallowed hard, her gaze darting between the two men. Minho's manipulative words cut deep, and the truth in them stung more than she wanted to admit. Jungkook had been cruel, distant, and unapproachable from the start. She had been nothing but a pawn in his plan to keep the marriage going, a burden he didn't ask for.

But now... something was different. There was a shift in the way he looked at her, in the way he positioned himself between her and Minho. It wasn't the cold, calculated Jungkook she had known before. It was something rawer, more desperate.

"I won't let you take her," Jungkook finally said, his voice quieter but laced with finality.

Minho scoffed, but the cockiness in his demeanor faltered just slightly. "You can't stop me."

Before another word could be exchanged, Taehyung moved forward, stepping in beside Jungkook, his eyes hard. "Leave, Minho. Now. Before things get worse for you."

Minho's gaze flicked to Taehyung, then back to Jungkook. He took a deep breath, weighing his options. His ego was bruised, his plan foiled, and now he was outnumbered. Still, the dark satisfaction never left his eyes.

"You think you've won?" Minho's voice was low and dangerous, his smirk returning. "This isn't the end. I'll be back, and next time, she won't have either of you to hide behind."

Y/N's breath caught as Minho turned and left, his footsteps echoing ominously as he disappeared into the night. The door slammed shut behind him, and for a moment, the room was eerily silent.

Y/N's heart pounded in her chest, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. She felt weak, like she might collapse at any second, but she forced herself to stay standing.

Jungkook stood still, his back to her, his shoulders rising and falling with each heavy breath. Taehyung glanced between them, his brow furrowed in concern, but he said nothing, quietly moving to check the house for any more potential threats.

Now, it was just Y/N and Jungkook.

"Jungkook..." she started, her voice barely above a whisper. She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to process everything that had just happened.

But Jungkook didn't turn around. He didn't move. Instead, he let out a shaky breath and said, "I told you I'd protect you."

His voice was softer than she'd ever heard it, and something about it made her chest tighten. She wanted to believe him, wanted to trust in the shift she had seen tonight. But the walls between them were still so high, and the weight of everything that had come before was too heavy to ignore.

"I didn't ask for this," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I didn't ask for any of this."

Finally, Jungkook turned to face her, his expression unreadable. His eyes, however, were filled with something she hadn't seen before—vulnerability. "I know."

The tension between them was thick, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. Y/N's mind raced with questions, with confusion, with emotions she couldn't even begin to untangle.

Why was he doing this? Why now? After everything, why was he suddenly protecting her like this?

"I never wanted to hurt you," Jungkook said, breaking the silence. His voice was quiet, almost too quiet. "But I did. And I don't know how to fix it."

Y/N's breath hitched, her heart aching at the rawness in his words. She had been angry with him, so angry for so long. But hearing him admit it, seeing the conflict in his eyes, made it harder to hold on to that anger.

Still, the hurt was there, buried deep beneath the surface. "You did hurt me," she said, her voice wavering. "You acted like I didn't matter. Like I was nothing to you."

Jungkook flinched at her words, the guilt plain on his face. "I know. I was wrong." His voice cracked, and for the first time, Y/N saw the real Jungkook—the one who wasn't hiding behind a mask of indifference.

"But you matter, Y/N," he continued, stepping closer. "You matter more than you'll ever know."

Her heart skipped a beat at his words, and she felt her defenses begin to crumble, but before she could respond, Taehyung burst back into the room, his expression grim.

"We need to leave. Now," he said urgently. "Minho's men are coming back. We don't have much time."

Y/N's stomach dropped as the reality of their situation came crashing back down. They weren't safe—not yet.

Jungkook nodded, his expression hardening once more. "Let's go."

Without another word, he grabbed Y/N's hand, pulling her close as they hurried out of the house and into the night. The danger was far from over, but something had shifted between them.

As they ran through the darkness, her heart pounding in her chest, Y/N couldn't help but wonder—had they reached a turning point? Or was this just another moment of false hope in the twisted game they were all caught in?

As they flee into the night, the walls between Y/N and Jungkook seem to crumble... but will their bond be enough to withstand the danger still chasing them?

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