UNTAMED DESIRES | SVT | JEONGCHEOL

15 - As It Was

<Rose Quartz HQ>

"What is it, Seokmin?" Joshua asked as he sat across the desk in the younger's cabin.

"Hyung, first of all, I'm really sorry for what happened that day." Seokmin paused, "But now I've a solid reason for what I did. It- it wasn't me who behaved like that. Please listen to me once and believe me."

Joshua lowkey knew where it was going, "Yeah, go on."

"These pills-" Seokmin held them up to show the older, "They are not for curing anxiety or trauma."

"Then what are these for?" Joshua hesitantly asked.

"I don't know exactly but they are manipulating me with this. Each time I say or do something aggressive or stupid, it's not me, it's the pills." Seokmin replied.

"They?" Joshua questioned.

"Yeah, Dr. Hails!" Seokmin retorted, "The one who was supposed to treat me but instead of that, he's playing really dirty! I wonder if uncle and aunt know about this. I need to talk-"

"Seokmin!" Joshua stood up and walked around the desk as he poured some water for the younger, "Have this and listen to me very carefully."

Seokmin gulped down the glass of water as he nodded.

"Your uncle and aunt know." Joshua revealed, "In fact they are the ones who are behind all this."

"W-what?" Seokmin stuttered, his stomach dropping. "My uncle and aunt... They're behind all this?! But... but why?! And how do you know about this?"

Joshua pulled a chair to sit in front of the younger after turning his chair, "At first, even I felt like Mr. Choi, your brother, is just putting up an act to get rid of his sentence but I should now break it to you, he's actually innocent.

It's all Choi Sunwoo's masterplan and he has everyone in his strong hold. It's not just a dispute over property, Seokmin, it's much more than that. The pills which you were consuming are not even something the world is aware of. They are just some lab tests, being carried out on Sunwoo's demands.

They are using you as a bait, to test their experiments as well as to threaten your brother. It's all too complicated. When Jeonghan tried to report the unusual things going on in the mansion, Sunwoo threatened him as well and even trapped him to stay in the mansion. Jeonghan told me that Sunwoo just wants Seungcheol to be in control soon so that he can continue his experiments on him.

As for me, I'm still pretending that I'm against Seungcheol but secretly helping Jeonghan and Woozi in this case. Hoshi also knows all of this. All we needed was your support to make our team stronger."

Seokmin sat in stunned silence, his mind reeling from the barrage of information that Joshua had just dropped on him. As the truth of the situation sunk in, his stomach twisted into knots and his heart pounded in his chest. The sense of betrayal and anger was overwhelming, and the thought of being used as a pawn in his uncle's ruthless games made him feel sick to his stomach.

"Why..." he whispered, his voice shaky. "Why would my uncle do this? And my aunt... How could they manipulate me like this?"

Joshua inhaled a deep breath, "There's another thing you need to know. The ones who died were neither Seungcheol's real parents nor the ones who adopted you. They were just substitutes who had to face a brutal murder because they went against all this."

Seokmin's eyes widened even further, his jaw dropping open in shock. "What...?" he gasped, the words nearly failing him. "They... They were just substitutes? They weren't even my real parents? And they were killed because they opposed all of this?"