Saved || A Jungkook fanfic

45.

"What a fucking cheap shot."

I touched my cheek, my skin stinging from the impact, the heat of the slap still radiating across my face. My fingers trembled as I struggled to steady my hands, every muscle in my body twitching with the overwhelming urge to return the favor—twice as hard.

A slow breath hissed between my teeth as I lifted my gaze, my vision sharpening on Jennifer, who stood before me, her wicked smirk dripping with satisfaction. She was proud of herself. Smug. Delusional.

"You just ruined my fiancé's career—his entire life—for what? Love?" She scoffed, crossing her arms, her diamond-studded bracelet catching the glow of the overhead lights. "How noble."

My jaw clenched. "He isn't your fiancé. He never was, and he never will be."

Jennifer's lips curled into a sneer. "Is that what you tell yourself?" She took a slow, taunting step forward, pristine red locks falling over one shoulder with the movement. "You think you're different? That you've somehow changed him? You're nothing more than a temporary distraction, and when he gets tired of you, he'll leave. Just like that." She snapped her fingers. "And when he does, he'll come running back—to his mother, to me—begging for forgiveness. You? You'll be nothing but a regrettable stain in his past."

I stared at her, not with rage, but with pity. There was nothing sadder than someone who convinced themselves of a lie just to avoid the truth.

"I don't have to listen to this shit." My voice was quiet but firm, filled with the exhaustion of someone who had fought too many battles in one night. I turned, realizing I was barefoot unsure where or when I even discarded my heels. I grabbed Jungkook's arm, desperate to be the bigger person and just walk away, even as she continued to spew insults at my back.

The moment we stepped out of the banquet hall, the cold night air wrapped around me, replacing the suffocating weight of the evening with something crisp and freeing. I inhaled deeply, willing myself to let it go—only for the moment to shatter instantly.

As soon as the grand double doors swung open, a blinding flurry of camera flashes erupted like a violent storm. Dozens of photographers and reporters were already waiting, their voices colliding in a frenzy of questions.

"Jungkook! Is it true you just renounced your inheritance?"

"Ailene, what do you have to say about ruining Légende Gold's future?"

"Are you leaving the country? What's next for you two?"

I stiffened. They know my name.

When I walked into this venue, I had been nothing more than a nameless stranger on Jungkook's arm—an unfamiliar face whispered about behind delicate champagne glasses. Now, I was being shouted at, my name rolling off their tongues like I had always belonged in their ruthless world.

I'd have to delete everything—every social media account, every trace of my life before this night. I wasn't just Jungkook's date anymore. I was unwillingly a headline.

The weight of the night threatened to crash down all over again, but before the mob could surge forward, security intervened. A wall of suited guards pushed back the flashing cameras, barking orders for the crowd to stand down.

"Step back!" One of the men shoved a particularly aggressive paparazzi away from Jungkook, while another threw an arm in front of me as someone tried to grab at my wrist.

Jungkook tightened his grip on my hand, his jaw clenching as he pulled me closer. I could feel the heat of his frustration rolling off him, but he kept his head high, eyes locked forward. He was used to this. I, however, was still learning how to breathe through it.