𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥-𝗜𝗡-𝗟𝗔𝗪

part 40 (the shocking twist)

Chapter 40: The Shocking Twist

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of emotions. Taehyung and Jennie tried to rebuild their connection, their hands always finding each other in the quiet moments. It wasn’t perfect, but they were both trying, and that was all that mattered—for now.

Taehyung had moved into Jennie’s apartment officially, leaving behind the remnants of his life with Jisoo. It had been hard, painful even, but he was determined to focus on his future with Jennie and their unborn child.

They sat together one evening, curled up on the couch, talking softly about the baby, about their plans. Jennie still looked worried, her fingers absently brushing her belly, as if trying to protect the life growing inside of her.

“I still can’t believe it,” Taehyung said, looking at her with a soft smile. “I’m going to be a father.”

Jennie nodded, but her expression was hesitant. “It feels like everything’s moving too fast. I’m scared, Tae.”

“I’m scared too,” he admitted, his hand resting on her belly. “But we’ll figure this out. We’ll take it one day at a time.”

Jennie leaned into him, her heart warming at his words. But deep down, the fear still gnawed at her. Something didn’t feel right, but she couldn’t place it. She chalked it up to her hormones and exhaustion. After all, the last few months had been a rollercoaster, and her body was still adjusting to the pregnancy.

As they sat in silence, Jennie’s phone buzzed on the coffee table. She frowned and reached for it, her heart skipping a beat when she saw an unknown number. She hesitated before answering.

“Hello?”

There was a brief pause on the other end before a voice spoke, calm yet unnerving. “Miss Jennie Kim?”

“Yes, this is she,” Jennie replied, glancing at Taehyung, who raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“This is Dr. Lee from the hospital. We received your test results from your recent visit, and I’m afraid we’ve uncovered some alarming information.”

Jennie’s blood ran cold. She sat up straight, her heart pounding in her chest. “What… what do you mean? Is something wrong with the baby?”

There was another pause before Dr. Lee responded, his tone serious. “It’s not the baby we’re concerned about. Your blood work showed some unusual levels. We ran further tests, and… Miss Kim, I’m afraid you’ve been poisoned.”

The room spun. Jennie gripped the edge of the couch, her breathing shallow. “Poisoned? That doesn’t make any sense. How—how could that happen?”

Taehyung sat up instantly, his face draining of color. “Jennie, what is it? What’s going on?”

Jennie couldn’t answer. She felt like her world had shattered around her. Poisoned? How? Who would do such a thing?

Dr. Lee’s voice broke through her racing thoughts. “We need you to come in for further testing immediately. The poison is slow-acting, but it’s affecting both you and the baby. We need to determine how much damage has been done and begin treatment right away.”

Jennie’s hand flew to her stomach, panic rising in her chest. “What kind of poison? How… how long?”

“We believe it’s something that has been administered over a period of time, possibly months. You’ve likely ingested it through food or drink, and it’s been building up in your system. You need to come in now, Miss Kim. This is serious.”

Jennie’s mind raced, trying to piece everything together. Who could possibly want to hurt her? Who would have access to her food or drink over such a long period?

Taehyung grabbed the phone from her, his voice shaking with anger. “Doctor, we’ll be there right away. Please do whatever you can.”

As soon as Taehyung hung up, he turned to Jennie, his eyes wide with fear. “Jennie, we need to go to the hospital now.”

Jennie nodded, but her mind was spinning, her thoughts clouded with fear and confusion. “Who would do this, Tae? Who would poison me?”

Taehyung’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, his mind flashed back to Korea. To Jisoo. Could she have done something like this? No, he shook the thought away. Jisoo was broken, but she wasn’t a murderer. She wouldn’t go this far.

But then, the chilling realization hit him—Jimin.

Jimin had been with Jennie every day since she’d arrived in Russia. He had access to her food, her drinks. He had taken care of her when she was sick, and now, it all seemed too coincidental.

“Jennie…” Taehyung’s voice was barely a whisper. “Has Jimin been giving you food or drinks lately?”

Jennie’s eyes widened as she processed his words. “Jimin? No, he’s been taking care of me. He’s my friend, Tae. He wouldn’t—”

But then, she remembered the times Jimin had insisted on cooking for her, on bringing her tea when she felt ill. The moments he had been alone with her food, her drinks.

Her heart dropped. Could it be true? Could Jimin, the sweet and caring landlord, have been poisoning her all along?

“We have to go now,” Taehyung said, grabbing their coats. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

As they rushed to the hospital, Jennie’s mind was filled with dread. How could she have been so blind? The thought of Jimin betraying her in such a horrific way made her stomach churn. And worse, what if the poison had already done irreversible damage to their child?

---

Meanwhile, in Korea...

Jisoo sat alone in her apartment, the pills from her latest treatment scattered across the table. Her hands trembled as she stared at them, her heart aching with the knowledge that she would never be able to have children. The one thing she had hoped would save her relationship with Taehyung was now forever out of reach.

Her mind was a storm of emotions—anger, regret, sorrow. She had lost everything. Taehyung, her future, her dreams of a family. And now, she was alone, completely and utterly alone.

In her desperation, Jisoo reached for the bottle of wine she had been avoiding. She poured herself a glass and downed it in one gulp, hoping it would numb the pain. But no matter how much she drank, the agony only deepened.

As the night wore on, Jisoo’s mind became darker, more dangerous. She couldn’t live like this anymore. She couldn’t live with the knowledge that she had lost everything. Her hands shook as she reached for the pills, her vision blurring as the tears fell freely.

Just as she was about to swallow the handful of pills, a loud knock echoed through the apartment.

Startled, Jisoo dropped the pills, her heart racing as she stumbled to the door. She opened it to find Hae-in standing there, his expression filled with concern.

“What are you doing here?” Jisoo slurred, her words thick with alcohol.

Hae-in didn’t answer. He stepped inside and immediately noticed the scattered pills and empty wine bottle. His eyes darkened with realization.

“You weren’t going to do something stupid, were you?” Hae-in asked, his voice calm but firm.

Jisoo looked away, ashamed. “What do you care?”

Hae-in stepped closer, his gaze softening. “I care because no one deserves to go through this alone. You need help, Jisoo. Let me help you.”

Jisoo’s defenses crumbled as she collapsed into Hae-in’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she let someone else shoulder the weight of her pain.