𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑛 / 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑔

S2 ch 54

The next following day Jiwon sat in his dimly lit room, staring at the untouched plate of food in front of him. His appetite had vanished the moment he was brought to this unfamiliar place. The room was luxurious but felt more like a prison, the locked doors and barred windows a constant reminder of his captivity. The silence was deafening until a knock on the door shattered it.

Rafayel stepped inside, his presence commanding as always. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Jiwon with an amused expression. "Why aren’t you eating?"

Jiwon hesitated before asking, "Why did you bring me here?"

Rafayel smirked. "Because you belong to me. All of you belong to me."

Jiwon frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," Rafayel replied nonchalantly. "You shouldn't be so surprised."

Jiwon's heart pounded in his chest. "Then why am I not allowed to roam around? Why all the guards?"

Rafayel sighed, stepping closer. "Because even if I know you, I can't trust you enough to let you move freely. I know you'd try to escape. That's why there are so many guards. Also, you’re not allowed any phones or electronics that could let you contact someone."

Jiwon’s frustration bubbled over. "But my parents—Jisung and Minho—they must be worried about me!"

Rafayel scoffed. "Why would they be?"

Jiwon's eyes widened. "Why wouldn't they? You kidnapped me, brought me to who knows where!"

"And a lot more… because I’m the mafia leader’s son," Rafayel added casually.

Jiwon's breath hitched. "What? Wait—you’re the mafia leader’s son?"

"Isn't it obvious? I thought they told you," Rafayel mused.

Jiwon’s head spun. "Who told me what?"

"Minho and Jisung," Rafayel said, his gaze darkening. "They knew all along. And I’m not letting them take you away from me again." He reached out, stroking Jiwon’s black hair, his fingers lingering. His touch was possessive, sending a shiver down Jiwon’s spine.

Jiwon swallowed hard, pulling back slightly. "I guess they didn’t tell you much," Rafayel said, tilting his head. "You don’t even know your own story, do you?"

Jiwon’s hands clenched into fists. "What story?"

Rafayel leaned back, as if preparing to tell a long tale. "Well, some years ago, Jisung and Minho ran away. Jisung was one of the most dangerous criminals in South Korea. Minho broke the rules by falling in love with a prisoner—Jisung—and they got intimate while still in prison. Then they escaped together. Since then, the police have been after them."

Jiwon stared at him in disbelief.

Rafayel continued, his voice steady. "Some time later, a child was kidnapped—stolen from his mother. The kidnappers fled overseas, and the police never found the child. He was presumed dead. They even held a funeral for him."

Jiwon’s stomach churned, a sickening feeling creeping over him.

"When Minho and Jisung were being chased, they managed to kill the people after them. But those people also happened to be the ones who had kidnapped the child. Later, when they searched the hideout, they found a child—alone, terrified. They took him in, thinking it was fate. But they never knew that baby had already been stolen once."

Rafayel’s piercing gaze locked onto Jiwon. "That child was you, Jiwon."

Jiwon's breath caught in his throat. "No…"

"Yes," Rafayel confirmed, his voice unwavering. "Jisung and Minho never adopted you. They couldn’t, not with their crimes. They simply took you in and raised you as their own. But the truth? They weren’t supposed to have you in the first place."

Jiwon’s mind reeled. "Did they lie to me all along?" he whispered. "Or did they keep it a secret to protect me?"

Rafayel leaned forward. "I found out because my father ran a background check on them. Everything pointed to the truth. And now you know."

Jiwon felt like the world around him was collapsing. His parents—no, But had they saved him? The weight of it all pressed down on him, suffocating.

Before he could say another word, the door to the room opened. A man in a dark suit stepped in, his face unreadable. "Sir, your father wishes to see you."

Rafayel’s expression darkened. "Stay here. Don’t try anything stupid."

Jiwon barely heard him. His mind was already spiraling. His life had just been shattered.

To be continued....