The Innocent and The King

Chapter Twenty - The Betrayal Unraveled

The air inside the warehouse was thick with tension, every breath feeling heavier than the last. Reva’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched the standoff unfold between Jungkook and Yoongi. The years of friendship, the bond they had shared, seemed to dissipate in the cold silence that hung between them. Yoongi’s betrayal was not just a wound to Jungkook—it was a deep cut to the heart of everything they had built together.

Jungkook’s jaw tightened as he stepped forward, his eyes locked on Yoongi with a mix of disbelief and anger. Reva stood frozen beside him, her hands trembling, but she didn’t dare to look away. Yoongi had been part of their family—Jungkook’s right-hand man, his confidant. Now, he was standing in front of them, the one who had turned his back on everything.

“You really think you can just walk away from this?” Jungkook’s voice was low, controlled, but the rage simmering beneath the surface was undeniable.

Yoongi took a step forward, his expression unreadable. His eyes, once full of loyalty and friendship, were now empty, distant. “I didn’t walk away, Jungkook. I chose a side. The Kangs offered me something you never could.”

Reva felt a chill run down her spine. The Kangs? They were the very ones who had been hunting them, who had torn apart their world. Yoongi had aligned himself with their enemies? It didn’t make sense. He had always been about loyalty, about family. How could he betray them like this?

Jungkook’s voice cracked slightly, though he quickly masked it with a cold determination. “You were family, Yoongi. You are family. How could you do this to us? To me?”

For a moment, Yoongi hesitated. His eyes flickered with something—regret, guilt? But it was gone as quickly as it appeared. He straightened his posture, his resolve hardening. “Family? You don’t get it, do you? I never asked for this life, Jungkook. I never asked for the bloodshed, the power games. But you—you made it all about loyalty. About control. And that’s where you’re wrong.”

Jungkook took another step forward, his fists clenched. “You’re wrong, Yoongi. Loyalty was never about control. It was about trust.”

Yoongi chuckled darkly, the sound hollow and bitter. “Trust? You never trusted me, Jungkook. You used me. You made me a pawn in your game, just like everyone else. And now, I’m done. The Kangs offered me freedom. Power. Everything I’ve ever wanted.”

The words stung, each one a shard of glass cutting deeper into the already broken bond between them. Reva’s mind raced, her thoughts a chaotic mess of disbelief and confusion. Yoongi, the man who had been like an older brother to Jungkook, the one who had always had his back—was now the enemy. It felt surreal, as if the world had tilted on its axis.

Jungkook’s face was stone now, his emotions carefully hidden behind a mask of anger. “You’ve made your choice, Yoongi. But it doesn’t have to end like this.”

Yoongi’s lips twisted into a wry smile, but it held no warmth. “You’ve made your own choice too, Jungkook. And now you’ll pay the price for it.”

A chill ran through Reva’s body. She knew the situation was dangerous, but seeing Yoongi in this state, so cold, so detached from the person he once was, made it all the more real. This wasn’t just a fight—it was a war, and the stakes were higher than ever.

Jungkook took another step forward, his eyes locked on Yoongi with a fierce intensity. “You don’t have to do this, Yoongi. Walk away. We can fix this.”

Yoongi’s eyes darkened. “It’s too late for that.”

The next moments happened in a blur. Yoongi pulled out a gun, aiming it directly at Jungkook. Reva’s breath caught in her throat, and her body moved before her mind could even process what was happening. She stepped in front of Jungkook, her arms raised as if to shield him from the impending danger.

“Reva, no!” Jungkook’s voice was sharp, full of panic as he grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back, but she stood her ground.

“I won’t let you hurt him,” she said, her voice steady despite the fear coursing through her veins. “Not like this.”

Yoongi’s eyes flickered toward her, his expression unreadable. There was a brief moment of silence, the weight of the gun in his hand hanging heavily in the air. But then, he lowered it, his shoulders slumping slightly. “You’re still so naive, Reva,” he muttered, almost regretfully.

“I’m not naive,” she shot back, her voice firm. “I know what’s at stake. But I won’t let you destroy everything we’ve built, Yoongi. Not like this.”

Yoongi sighed, his gaze flickering between her and Jungkook. The gun lowered completely, and he let it fall to his side. “You’ll regret this, Reva. You can’t save him from this world.”

Jungkook’s voice was sharp as he stepped forward again, his anger resurfacing. “We’ll see about that.”

Reva’s heart raced as she watched the interaction unfold, the battle of wills between the two men. She could see the flicker of hesitation in Yoongi’s eyes, but it was gone before it could fully take root. The betrayal had taken too deep a hold on him. There was no turning back now.

“Yoongi,” Jungkook said, his voice low, dangerous. “This is your last chance. Walk away from the Kangs. This doesn’t have to end in bloodshed.”

But Yoongi shook his head slowly. “It’s already too late, Jungkook. You should’ve realized that sooner.”

Without another word, Yoongi turned and began to walk away, his footsteps echoing in the vast emptiness of the warehouse. Reva felt a strange mix of relief and sorrow wash over her. The confrontation hadn’t ended with violence, but the wound of betrayal remained open, raw.

Jungkook stood motionless for a moment, his fists clenched at his sides. Then, with a sharp exhale, he lowered his head, his shoulders sagging slightly as if the weight of the world had just become a little too much to bear.

Reva stepped toward him, her heart aching for him. She had seen him go through so much already, and this—this betrayal—cut deeper than anything that had come before. He had trusted Yoongi like a brother, and now that trust had been shattered beyond repair.

Without a word, she reached out to him, her hand gently resting on his arm. Jungkook flinched slightly, but then, as if he couldn’t resist any longer, he pulled her into his arms. She felt the tension in his body, the anger still simmering beneath the surface, but his grip on her tightened, as though he needed her to ground him, to remind him of what was still worth fighting for.

“I never thought it would be him,” Jungkook whispered into her hair, his voice thick with emotion.

Reva didn’t know what to say. There were no words that could fix this, no words that could undo the pain. But she knew this much: they had each other. And in this world that was full of betrayal and bloodshed, that was all they could rely on.

“I’m here, Jungkook,” she said softly, her voice steady, though her own heart ached with the weight of it all. “We’re in this together.”

And for the first time since the storm had begun, she felt a flicker of hope. Maybe it wouldn’t be easy. Maybe the road ahead would be filled with more betrayal, more bloodshed. But for now, they had each other—and that was enough.

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The battle had just begun, and they would have to fight together to survive. Reva knew that much. But no matter the odds, no matter the dangers, she would stand by Jungkook’s side. She had no choice. This was their world now, and she wasn’t going to let it tear them apart.