FALLEN PIECES | BTS

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❝You always were good at reading between the lines. So good, in fact, that you missed what the lines actually said.❞ - Arty's journal

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Despite himself, Namjoon felt slightly uncomfortable under the unrelenting gaze of the young woman in front of him. However, he quickly brushed it off as he remembered that she had almost managed to escape from the building. He was both irritated and grateful to Jimin and Jungkook: mostly grateful to Jimin for his timing, and irritated at Jungkook for being too distracted.

By fucking Overwatch.

The two men had immediately grabbed her, not giving her a chance to fight back. They had  put her back in her cell, finding the cloth that had jammed the lock and made sure she wouldn't be able to get out again. Which was fine, except for one tiny problem: she had seen their faces.

And now he was in a rather uncomfortable position, thanks to the surprising callousness of her parents' response to the ransom demand.

'We got a reply from your parents.'

Namjoon was the first to break the silence, deciding to leave the issue of her attempted escape for later. This was the real reason he had wanted to see her.

Artemisia raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to continue. Namjoon noted she wasn't surprised at all; her expression was neutral. She was sitting upright in her chair, arms crossed and looking remarkably polished for someone who hadn't changed clothes in three days.

Oh yes, did he mention that it had taken three days for her parents to get back to him about the ransom?

'It would appear that they don't love you after all, Highness,' he continued, voice honey-smooth. 'They're refusing to pay ransom.' He leant back in his chair, steepling his fingers. 'But you already knew that was going to happen.'

The young woman's expression never changed. She was the picture of complete neutrality, and it was starting to get on Namjoon's nerves.

'And what I want to know, Highness,' the man continued, 'is how you knew.'

'Ah,' she breathed, leaning back in much the same way as the gangster in front of her. 'Now why would I do that?'

'Because I have you tied up and in a cell with no way out.'

'Except I did manage to get out, actually.'

Namjoon felt a sting of annoyance, his pinky tapping against the table top, just once. 'That won't happen again.'

The girl in front of him seemed to pause, tilting her head and regarding him with her deep blue eyes. He couldn't help but notice the way the light fell on her high cheekbones, stubborn chin and straight nose. She had a nobility about her face that, if not conventionally pretty, was undeniably queenly.

'Maybe...I would be willing to tell you what I know if you give me something in return?'

'I don't bargain with prisoners,' came Namjoon's quick reply. He knew what she was trying to do; she was trying to gain some control of the situation, something he couldn't let happen. However, he also knew that he was missing a significant piece of information, one that could be vital to the gang's operations.

Artemisia shrugged. 'You might want to bargain this time. You clearly have no idea what you've gotten yourself into.'

'There are other ways to get information out of you, Highness.'

The young woman grinned at him, but her eyes remained frozen. 'I can be very stubborn when I want to be.'

I don't doubt it.