A few days later, I find myself stepping into the penthouse conference room, my arms instinctively wrapping around myself. The walls feel closer, the space darker than usual, as if every corner of this room already knows what's about to unfold.

Last time, there'd been a curiosity, a feeling of muted excitement lingering in the air when I walked in. But tonight, that curiosity has curdled into something darker.

There's a thickness to the silence that makes my skin crawl, and I can feel eyes shifting, tracking every movement like a predator's gaze.

Jungkook stands at the head of the table, unmoving, his face a mask of shadows. He's staring straight ahead, his expression as bleak and unreadable as stone.

Captains file in quietly, casting wary glances in every direction before they sink into their seats.

It isn't the usual respect they give him tonight; it's something colder, like the sharp edge of fear.

Then, as Taehyung strides in, his eyes find mine, and he gives me a slight nod. Unlike everyone else's tense posturing, his gesture feels calm.

I nod back, feeling a brief moment of steadiness in his presence before I slip into my seat beside Jungkook.

Across the table, an empty chair gapes back at me, a seat usually filled by Seokjin, but tonight it sits ominously vacant, waiting.

Jungkook clears his throat, and the silence deepens, the room holding its breath as he begins.

His voice is low, every syllable hitting like a cold lash. "We have a serious matter to discuss," he announces, scanning each face before delivering the blow. "There's a traitor among us."

Shock slashes through the room, murmurs rising in a confused, disbelieving crescendo.

My gaze flickers across faces, catching mouths parting in shock, eyes widening in disbelief. But at the far end of the table, Jimin sits unfazed, his fingers hovering over his laptop like he's been waiting for this all along.

One of the captains finally finds his voice, the words tumbling out almost desperately. "How can you be sure?"

Jungkook's face hardens, and his eyes flash dangerously. "We have evidence." He nods at Jimin, who leans forward, his fingers beginning to tap out a rhythm on the keys, quick and deliberate.

"Jimin?" Jungkook prompts.

Jimin's voice is quiet, clinical as he explains, "I've been monitoring our communications. Over the past few weeks, there's been an unauthorized data transfer from within our network."

The door swings open, and every head turns as Seokjin enters the room, oblivious to the dark cloud hanging over the table. "Sorry I'm late," he says casually, dropping into his chair with a polite nod my way. "Traffic was hell."

He looks around, frowning slightly as he registers the atmosphere. His eyes dart to Taehyung, who's watching him with an unreadable expression, something hard and enigmatic flickering in his gaze.

"No one told me what this meeting's about," Seokjin mutters, his confusion clear. "What's going on?"

A muscle twitches in Taehyung's jaw as he speaks, each word deliberate. "A traitor."

Seokjin's face blanches, his gaze flicking from Taehyung to Jungkook, as if trying to comprehend what he's just heard. "Surely not..."

Jungkook cuts him off, ignoring his words as he continues with chilling finality. "The leak has been traced to a specific device. We're about to find out who the traitor is."

All eyes turn to Jimin, who's focused on his laptop, fingers working furiously over the keys. The seconds stretch, each one drawn taut with anticipation, until suddenly a phone chirps.

The sound rings sharp in the silence, and everyone's gaze shifts to Seokjin, who slowly, almost mechanically, reaches for his phone, his face growing pale.

"Interesting timing," Jungkook's voice is icy, each word landing with the weight of suspicion. "Mind sharing what that message says, Seokjin?"

Seokjin's fingers tremble as he clutches the phone, trying to play it off with a weak laugh. "It's nothing... just a personal matter."

Jungkook's gaze darkens, and he nods to Jimin, who taps a final key. A screen lights up the wall behind him, projecting a stream of damning data.

The breath catches in my throat as the details spill out—our shipment schedules, covert plans, even Jungkook's and my personal information. It's all there, splashed across the wall like a confession.

Jungkook's gaze bores into Seokjin. "Care to explain this, Seokjin?"

Seokjin stumbles to his feet, knocking his chair over with a sharp clatter. "This is a mistake!" His voice is high, frantic, and desperate. "I've been loyal to you for years, Jungkook. Someone's setting me up."

Jungkook's mouth twists into a bitter smile. "You've been with us at Taehyung's recommendation."

Seokjin's head jerks to Taehyung, whose face is unreadable, eyes cold and hard. "To my eternal regret," Taehyung's voice is barely above a whisper, but it strikes like a dagger, and Seokjin visibly flinches.

A shadow flickers over Jungkook's face as he corrects, "For the last two years, your loyalty has faltered. That's how long you've been selling us out to Kung Min."

The room explodes into chaos, voices shouting, accusations flying, hands inching towards weapons. But all I can see is Seokjin's face, twisted from fear into something darker—a desperate, angry determination.

He lifts his chin, his voice trembling as he spits out his confession. "You don't understand. Kung Min offered me real power, not just scraps from your table."

Jungkook's face doesn't change, his voice calm, final. "And now you'll have nothing."

He turns to Taehyung, giving him a nod, his expression unyielding. "Taehyung, would you like to do the honors?"

The silence that follows is suffocating, every eye trained on Taehyung as he steps forward, his face unreadable, his movements as smooth and measured as a predator's.

He pulls his weapon with a practiced ease, his eyes locking onto Seokjin.

Seokjin's face twists in horror, and he bolts for the door, but Taehyung moves faster, reaching him in two strides and tackling him to the ground.

The struggle is brief, almost silent, until Taehyung presses the barrel of his gun to Seokjin's temple, his own brother pinned beneath him, helpless.