Empire | ATEEZ

030

"No," Hongjoong said flatly, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked me up and down with a mix of annoyance and distaste in his dark eyes.

I clenched my teeth, feeling my jaw go taut as Seonghwa softly pressed his hand against the small of my back, telling myself to keep calm as the others handled the infuriated man in front of us who was radiating authority and power despite how several of the other members towered over him.

"I've told you before and this is the last time I will ever say it again, Seonghwa," he sneered, pointing a finger at the blond by my side, "I will not have my second-in-command going behind my back. You might be an authority in this group, my right-hand man, but you do not have the right to question my decisions."

I watched San through the corner of my eye, the man looking the most tired out of everyone as he ran a hand across his face and blinked a couple of times before going back to staring at the door behind Hongjoong which was, by now, the only thing other than the smaller blue-haired man separating us from Jeongin.

"You know very well where my loyalty lies," Seonghwa said, calm and collected as always, more impressively because of the absolute ridiculousness of the situation.

All eyes went to Hongjoong as he cocked a brow and said, "Do I?"

And with that, Seonghwa's levelheaded mask seemed to crumble as he took a step forward, challenging the slightly younger man, "You dare question-?"

"Dare? Dare?! I'm definitely starting to consider it. Look at you!"

"Hongjoong, calm down," Yunho tried but he shrank back as the leader sent him a glare which, if looks could kill, would have left the advisor dead on the floor. I swallowed thickly, suddenly regretting the others' plan of coming back here to redeem myself.

"I have protected her, more than once, I might add," Hongjoong, "I have housed her, defended her, fed her, and for what? So she could go behind my back? So she could ignore our rules? To repay her for saving your life months ago? We have two fucking rules, and she has done nothing but betray the family!"

"Don't speak of her like that!" Seonghwa boomed. The others visibly pulled back as they watched him take another step toward the door which Hongjoong was still blocking, "She is a part of the family-"

"She is not! I bear the crown, I run Empire, what I say goes- Hey!"

My eyes widened as Seonghwa had outright ignored the leader and, seemingly without thinking twice about it, bent down to pick him up before slinging him across his shoulder as he started down the hallway.

Mingi choked on his breath and Wooyoung wasn't even trying to fight the smile which was slowly but surely spreading across his features, brightening his dark eyes, as he watched Hongjoong kick and punch and yell in protest before disappearing from view around a corner as Seonghwa yelled.

"Someone lock the door and hide the key!"

〄

Yeosang had promised me two hours. Two hours without interruption with the hope that, once I left the sad and dim room, I would something, anything, to present to Hongjoong with the hope that he wouldn't kill us for disobeying him, for humiliating him.

But he would. I realized that he most definitely and absolutely would have my head after what had happened, after every single one of his members had taken my side and stood up against him.

I took a deep breath as I stared across the room at the small figure sitting on the bed. He had his back to me, but I could still make out the dried blood sticking to the mess of brown hair atop his head from where Jongho had hit him during our last clash with Nocturne.