GOLDEN HEADLINES

37: First Kiss

"OUT OF NOWHERE"

Alessia fidgeted nervously, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Jungkook stood a few steps away, his posture relaxed, but the sharpness in his gaze hinted at the unspoken tension between them.

"So... we're done now?" Alessia asked, her voice slightly hesitant. "The investigation's over?"

Jungkook's dark eyes slowly shifted to her, his expression unreadable.

"Or are you throwing me out of the house?" he replied coolly, his tone laced with dry sarcasm.

Alessia blinked, flustered. "What? No! I—I wasn't... I just thought you were done here."

She quickly added, her words stumbling over themselves. "I mean, you're free to leave if you want, but you don't have to be so dramatic about it."

Jungkook's lips twitched, almost imperceptibly, but his gaze lingered on hers for a beat too long.

"I'm just trying to understand how I'm being treated as a guest here," he said, his voice low and teasing.

Alessia let out an exasperated sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Before Jungkook could respond, his sharp gaze flicked past her, focusing on something—or someone—behind her.

Marco.

Alessia's father had just entered the room, his face a mask of barely contained suspicion.

His eyes narrowed as they landed on Jungkook, and the weight of unspoken questions hung heavy in the air.

It was late—too late—and Marco's protective instincts were on high alert. Why was Jungkook here, alone with Alessia, in the dead of night?

But instead of speaking, he acted.

Before Alessia could sense the shift in the air, Jungkook stepped closer to her, his hand lifting to cup her cheek.

"Jungk—" she started, confusion flashing in her eyes, but her words were cut off as his lips crashed onto hers.

Her breath hitched in shock, her mind blanking as the kiss took over her senses.

It wasn't soft or hesitant—it was bold and unapologetic, a mix of command and distraction.

But what Alessia didn't see—what she couldn't see—was that Jungkook's eyes weren't closed.

While his lips moved against hers, his gaze was locked firmly on Marco.

Marco froze, his footsteps halting mid-stride. His jaw tightened as he took in the scene before him, his daughter oblivious, Jungkook's sharp, calculating eyes practically glinting with amusement.

A small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of Jungkook's lips, even as he kissed Alessia. He wasn't just distracting Marco—he was taunting him, daring him to say something.

Jungkook finally closed his eyes and felt the kiss.

Alessia, completely unaware of her father's presence, was still reeling from the sudden kiss.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her hands instinctively gripping Jungkook's shirt as she tried to process what was happening.

Marco's fists clenched at his sides, his jaw tightening as anger flashed across his face. He didn't say a word, but the rage in his eyes spoke volumes.

This was no accident. Jungkook knew exactly what he was doing.

Marco turned abruptly and stormed out of the room.