GOLDEN HEADLINES ✓

14: ID Card

WHAT WAS THAT?

Days passed, and the weight of the conversation with Mabel hung heavily over Alessia's thoughts. She tried to push it aside, but every time she thought about Jungkook, doubt crept into her mind.

Was he really the hero he appeared to be? Or was he playing some deeper game, just like Mabel had said?

Her instincts told her to trust him, but Mabel's words had planted a seed of caution, one that kept growing, threatening to overshadow her initial feelings for him.

She stayed away from Jungkook, not because she wanted to, but because she had to. She couldn't afford to make any mistakes, couldn't be afford to let her heart lead her down a dangerous path.

Mabel's warning echoed in her head, "He's dangerous in a way you can't even imagine."

The last thing Alessia wanted was to find herself tangled in something she couldn't escape.

Meanwhile, Jungkook was wrestling with his own demons. He'd stayed away from Alessia deliberately, telling himself it was for the best.

He couldn't afford to let his feelings get the best of him, not when he knew the truth about his life.

He was too broken, too complicated for anyone to understand. He had his own battles to fight, his own demons to silence.

And he knew that getting too close to someone like Alessia would only end in heartbreak his, or hers.

"I'm not made for relationships," he told himself late one night, the darkness in his room echoing his thoughts.

"I've never been good at this. I'm better off alone. I'll only hurt her. It's better this way."

It wasn't just a thought; it was a firm, cold resolution. He convinced himself that he wasn't meant to have anyone especially not someone like Alessia, who had a light about her that he could never touch.

He had no place in her world, no right to keep her close. The feelings he had for her, the way she made him feel more alive than he had in years, had to be buried.

Stay away, Jungkook. It's for the best.

But no matter how many times he repeated those words, no matter how much he tried to distance himself, Alessia remained in his thoughts, in the very core of his being.

And no matter how hard he tried to control it, the ache in his chest grew every time he saw her name or heard her voice, even from afar.

In the silence of his solitude, Jungkook realized something he had long avoided admitting: he wanted her. But sometimes, wanting something was the most dangerous thing of all.

+

Alessia was standing in the kitchen, focused on preparing a quick meal.

The soft clinking of utensils and the sizzling of food on the stove were the only sounds that filled the room.

She had her mind on many things, It had been days since she last saw him, and maybe it was for the best. She needed to focus on herself, on her work.

Just as she was about to flip the pan, the sound of the front door opening reached her ears. She froze.

It was too early for anyone else to be home, and she wasn't expecting any visitors. But then, she heard the unmistakable sound of voices. Low, familiar voices.

Her heart stopped as the voices grew louder, a mix of her father's deep tone and her mother's lilting accent. They were speaking in Italian.

Her breath caught in her throat as she quickly turned off the stove, abandoning the meal. She dashed out of the kitchen, her heart pounding in her chest.