𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑛 / 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑢𝑛𝑔

S2 ch 55

Jisung rushed over, his heart pounding as he heard Jeongin’s words.

“They found something?” Jisung asked, his voice tense with anticipation.

Jeongin nodded, handing over a file filled with hastily collected information. Jisung’s eyes scanned the pages frantically until he saw the name written in bold letters—Rafayel.

“I knew it,” Jisung muttered, running a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “Of course, it would be him of all people.” His fingers clenched the edge of the file, knuckles whitening. “We need to find out where he is. We can’t waste any more time.”

Jeongin exhaled sharply. “That’s the problem. We don’t know where he’s keeping Jiwon.” He hesitated before adding, “Seungmin suggested we could just follow Rafayel’s men and barge in.”

Felix immediately shook his head, arms crossing over his chest. “Not a chance. Are you stupid? Rafayel’s the son of a mafia boss. Of course, they’ll have guards everywhere. And like Jeongin said, we don’t even know the exact location yet.”

Changbin sighed heavily. “Remember, we still have the police on our tails. We can’t afford to make reckless moves.”

A heavy silence settled over the room before Changbin spoke again, his tone laced with guilt. “You know… isn’t it unfair? Minho and Jiwon had perfectly innocent lives before they met us. Now, look at them. They’re criminals too.”

“You’re not wrong,” Hyunjin admitted, looking down, his brows furrowed in thought.

Minho, however, spoke with conviction. “I don’t regret any of it. I love Jisung. And I don’t regret taking Jiwon in and raising him like my own child.”

Everyone turned as Bangchan suddenly cleared his throat. “Hold on. We’re looking at this the wrong way.”

Jisung narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

Bangchan leaned forward, his voice calm but firm. “We still have the police hunting us down. The fact that Jiwon is in Rafayel’s hands might not be such a bad thing.”

The room erupted in a chorus of protests.

“What?!”

“You can’t be serious!”

Bangchan held up a hand, signaling for silence. “Think about it,” he continued. “Rafayel knows Jiwon. He’s obsessed with him, has been since they were teenagers. You remember how yall always warned Jiwon to stay away from him, but Rafayel never physically hurt him. Despite everything, he never did.”

Jisung swallowed hard, recalling those days. Rafayel had always been unsettling, always hovering too close to Jiwon, but he never crossed a certain line. It was twisted, but Bangchan had a point.

Bangchan continued, “We don’t know where Jiwon is, but neither do the police. With Rafayel protecting him, the authorities won’t get their hands on him either. For now, Jiwon is safe.”

“Safe?” Jisung scoffed, shaking his head. “Being held by an obsessed mafia heir doesn’t sound like safety to me.”

“But it’s better than him being captured by the police,” Bangchan countered. “And it gives us time to come up with a solid plan instead of rushing in and getting killed.”

Silence filled the room as the weight of Bangchan’s words settled over them.

Jisung exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. “Fine. But we need to move fast. I’m not letting Rafayel keep Jiwon for long.”

Minho nodded, his expression steely. “Neither am I.”

---

Just then, there was a knock at the door. The room tensed as Seungmin cautiously approached, peering through the peephole before pulling it open. A plain envelope lay on the floor, sealed but unmarked aside from a single name written on the front: Minho.

Minho frowned, picking it up as Jisung stood beside him, both of them exchanging a wary glance.

“Who is it from?” Minho muttered under his breath as he carefully tore open the envelope. His fingers trembled slightly as he unfolded the letter inside. As soon as his eyes landed on the first few words, his breath hitched. “It’s from Jiwon.”

Hyunjin straightened, stepping forward. “Do you want me to read it out loud?”

Minho hesitated but then gave a small nod. Jisung nodded as well, his heart hammering in his chest. Hyunjin took the letter, his voice steady as he began to read:

“Minho, Jisung… I’m alive. Rafayel hasn’t hurt me, and I’m being treated well. But I can’t lie—I feel like a prisoner. I’ve tried to escape multiple times, but I failed. He won’t let me leave, no matter what I do. I don’t have a phone, and I can’t contact you in any way. This letter is the only thing I managed to send out, so I don’t even know if you’ll ever read it.

I miss you both. More than I can put into words. But I also have questions—so many questions. I know the truth now. I know everything.”

Hyunjin’s voice trailed off, and a heavy silence filled the room. The weight of Jiwon’s words sank into them like stones.

Jisung’s hands curled into fists. “He knows…”

Minho exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable. “We need to get him back.

Bangchan nodded. “Then let’s make a plan. A real one this time.”

To be continued...