𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 || 𝐉𝐉𝐊

ϐׁׅ֒ꭈׁׅꫀׁׅܻɑׁׅ֮ƙׁׅ֑ꪱׁׅꪀׁׅᧁׁ ℘ᨵׁׅꪱׁׅꪀׁׅtׁׅ

Y/N's heart was racing while the car kept picking up speed down dark and deserted streets. Jungkook was clenching his jaw tightly while his hands grasped onto the steering wheel as if holding onto the last threads of control. The atmosphere in between them was like a tight squeeze, heavy with unspoken words and the aftermath of violence.

The echo of Jaesung's last breath still ringing in the warehouse, the cold finality of Jungkook's blade plunging into him, still echoed in her ears. Y/N knew this world was ruthless, but tonight tore to shreds any illusions she'd ever held. There were no lines Jungkook wouldn't cross. And now, she found herself wrapped in that darkness with him.

"Jungkook," she whispered, her tone indecisive, because God knew she had no idea what to say or how to feel after what she had just seen. "What now?"

Jungkook's knuckles turned white on the wheel, but he didn't say anything for a while. His eyes were set straight ahead of him, and in a second Y/N wasn't even sure he had heard her at all. Then, after what felt like an eternity to her, he spoke, in a voice low, almost a growl.

"Now, we wait," he said, his voice sharp and controlled. "They'll fall back in line. Or I'll make them."
 
Y/N's throat constricted at his words. She had seen, clear as day, how quick he was to kill, how swift he was with the making of those kinds of decisions. Yet, aside from being turned on, she could not shake the feeling akin to a gnawing in her gut. How long did he have to keep this up? How long did she?

"You think they would try again?" Y/N asked, barely above a whisper.

Jungkook's jaw flexed, his gaze flicking to her for a second before he refocused on the road. "Someone always tries. But I won't let them touch you."

It was a promise, but it didn't soothe her, not anymore. She had believed in his strength, in the protection he offered, but tonight had opened her eyes: no one was invincible, not even Jungkook.

They finally arrived at the penthouse, and Jungkook parked the car in the underground garage. The silence was thick, suffocating, as they stepped into the lift. Y/N could feel the weight of his emotions, the storm raging inside him, but he kept it hidden behind that cold, controlled façade.

Upon reaching the top floor, Jungkook wordlessly veered into the living room, his body taut as he poured himself a drink. Y/N leaned against the window, her arms wrapped around herself as she watched the lights of the city below. What once was a beautiful and soothing view felt now detached and cold.

She heard the clink of glass being set down, and the sound of his footsteps as he approached. He stopped just behind her, a dark shadow over her shoulder.

"I didn't want you to see that," he said softly-the voice was softer now, the hardness leached out.

Y/N turned slightly, just enough to see his reflection in the glass. His face was set in a hard line, but there was something different in his something raw and vulnerable that she rarely saw.

"You didn't have a choice," she replied, her voice soft. "It's who you are."

The words fell between them, thick with their weight of truth. Y/N had known from the beginning that being with Jungkook meant stepping into a world of violence and danger. But seeing it firsthand, feeling the coldness of it seep into her bones, was quite another thing altogether.

Jungkook's face clouded as his hand rose to smooth a strand of hair from her face. His touch had been light, but it weighed in with the unspoken consideration between them.

"I'll protect you," he said again, with emotion catching in his voice. "I promised you that.

Y/N's heart felt the ache in his words, the depth of his need to keep her safe. But deep down, she knew the truth; there were some things even Jungkook couldn't protect her from. Not in this world.

"And what about you?" she asked, turning fully to face him. "Who's going to protect you?

The question came as a surprise. Jungkook's eyes softened for one moment before he shook his head, his lips curling into a bitter smile. "I don't need protection. I need control."

It boiled down to one thing: control, over his empire, over the people working for him, over the constant threat of betrayal. But Y/N could see it-he was losing that control, piece by piece, and with that, he was tearing apart.

You can't keep this up forever," she whispered, placing her shaking hand on his chest and feeling the wild thrum of his heart beneath her palm. "Something has to give, Jungkook."

His hand fell atop hers, pressing it to him like he could anchor into her touch. "I won't stop," he said tightly. "Not now. Not with everything on the line.

Y/N searched his eyes, seeing the weight of the world bearing down on him. "Then what happens when you reach your breaking point?"

For a moment, Jungkook didn't answer. His gaze dropped to the floor, his jaw tense as he wrestled with his thoughts. When he finally spoke, his voice was low, haunted.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But if it means keeping you safe, I'll destroy everything."

His words sent a shiver down Y/N's spine. She knew he meant it; for her, he would burn the whole world to ashes. That terrified her as much as it comforted her.

Jungkook's hand closed on hers, the stare of his eyes intensifying as their gazes locked. "You are all that I have left," he whispered, with raw emotion that stole her breath away. "None of this means a thing without you.

Y/N's breath had caught in her throat, realization dawning that she hadn't realized just how much she meant to him, how deeply his feelings ran beneath that cold, hard exterior. And yet, the more she understood, the more she feared what that love might cost them both.

"I don't want to lose you," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm scared, Jungkook. I'm scared of what this is doing to you."

The lines in Jungkook's face softened, and just for a second, he was merely a man in all of his vulnerability, worn out, tired of the burdens his world brought to him. "You won't lose me," he said, pulling her into his arms. "Not ever.

She let herself melt into his embrace, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath her cheek. But even as she held onto him, the fear gnawed at her insides. This world, this life would take everything from them if they weren't careful.

And Y/N wasn't sure if love alone was enough to save them.

At best, Jungkook's grip on his empire is tenuous, and Y/N finds herself directly in the crossfire as his enemies close in. As the stakes rise higher and his enemies close in, Jungkook will be put in a position where he will have to make an impossible decision: protect Y/N at any cost or remain in control of his empire. In the following chapter, treachery will come from a place Jungkook least expects, and he will be thrown back into the depths of the demons he has been running from for years. Y/N finds herself questioning-continually more than ever before whether she can survive Jungkook's world and what she is willing to sacrifice to stay with him.