Forbidden Threads Of Fate | TaeKook

38

Taehyung couldn't believe what he just heard.

His ears rang, and for a moment, it felt like the room spun around him.
He looked at Namjoon—desperate for some sign of denial, of this being a mistake—but Namjoon avoided his gaze, his eyes fixed somewhere else.
Anywhere else.

The betrayal cut deep.

“Did anyone even ask Taehyung if he’s okay with this?”
Yoongi’s voice sliced through the room, sharp and cold, making Jaehyun and Hana’s smiles falter.

“This was supposed to be a surprise for him too,” Jaehyun explained, still trying to hold onto the illusion.
“We know he’s happy with this decision. We’ve seen how much he loves Namjoon.”

Jimin opened his mouth to protest, but Yoongi’s hand tightened over his.
A silent warning—let Taehyung speak.

Taehyung stood from his seat slowly.

“Then you’ve seen it all wrong, Appa.”
His voice was steady, but the pain in it was impossible to miss.

Jaehyun turned toward him, brows furrowed.

“I can’t believe you made such a big decision about my life… without even asking me.”
Taehyung scoffed bitterly, eyes locked on Jungkook the entire time.

He hadn’t looked away once.

“Tae… it’s just an engagement. Not marriage. You’ll have time to warm up to the idea, to Namjoon. He’s perfect for you, can’t you see that?”
Hana spoke softly, trying to calm the tension.

Taehyung’s stare slowly shifted to her, and the anger behind those eyes could burn empires.

“What kind of royal drama is this?”
He snapped suddenly, slamming both palms onto the table with a loud crack. Several guests flinched in their seats.

“Taehyung! Behave.” Hana hissed, mortified.

The guests exchanged awkward glances.

“Dinner was lovely, Your Excellency. If you would excuse us now…”
One of the elder guests stood with a bow. Jungkook nodded wordlessly, allowing their quiet exit.

Only family remained.

The silence they left behind was suffocating.

“What was that, Taehyung? That’s not how you speak at a royal table. Is this what we’ve taught you?”
Jaehyun's voice was low, controlled, but clearly furious.

Taehyung couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Exactly, Appa! What is all this?! Namjoon-hyung is like my elder brother—how am I supposed to imagine anything else with him?”
His voice cracked near the end, and the look of hurt on Namjoon’s face was impossible to ignore.

“So… you do think about relations?”
Jungkook's words came like a venom-laced arrow.

Taehyung’s head snapped toward him.
He understood exactly what Jungkook meant.

“Of course, Your Excellency. I care deeply about relations—when they’re built the right way. Not thrown onto me like a crown I never asked for.”
His voice was a direct jab, and Jimin and Yoongi both felt the weight of those words.

Jungkook remained cold-faced, unflinching—but his hands had curled into fists under the table.

“Tae... please think about this. You won’t find a better partner than Namjoon. He respects you. He loves you.”
Hana tried once more, her voice more pleading now.