Y/N

The sun had barely risen, and I was already in my boss's office, my stomach growling in protest. I hadn't had a chance to eat breakfast, and the stress of the case, the pressure from all sides, was making my nerves even more frayed. My boss had called me in for a meeting, but something in his voice made me feel uneasy. It wasn't just business as usual today. I could sense that something was off.

I sat down across from him, trying to remain composed. He didn't waste time, going straight to the point.

"Y/n," he said, his voice smooth but with an undercurrent of something I couldn't quite place, "I need you to lose this case."

My heart skipped a beat. "What?" I couldn't hide the shock in my voice. "What do you mean, lose the case? I'm fighting for Jongsuk's innocence."

"I know," he said, leaning back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the desk. "But I'm asking you to stop. I can't have you digging deeper into this. The consequences are... more serious than you think."

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "You want me to drop the case... on purpose? After everything I've uncovered? After everything Jongsuk and his family have been through?"

My voice trembled with a mix of disbelief and anger, and I didn't try to hide it.

"You don't understand," my boss continued, his tone still calm, almost patronizing. "I can make sure your career stays on track. You'll have more opportunities, better clients. But this case... It's too dangerous. If you keep pushing for the truth, it could ruin everything for you. And, well... we don't want that, do we?"

I felt my blood run cold. He was practically bribing me to sabotage the case, to betray everything I'd been working for. Everything I believed in.

"No," I snapped, rising from my chair. "I won't do that. I won't back down. I'm not some pawn for you to control."

I tried to keep my voice steady, but I could feel my emotions bubbling to the surface. "I'm so close to proving Jongsuk's innocence. I've worked too hard for this. I can't—*I won't*—throw it all away."

He leaned forward, his expression hardening for the first time. "Y/n, you don't know what you're getting into. This isn't just a case anymore. There are people involved who don't want this truth to come out. People with power. You don't want to make an enemy of them."

I could feel the anger rising in me, but I stood my ground. "I don't care who they are. I've come too far to stop now. I'm just one step away from the truth. I won't let it go."

I turned on my heel and left the office, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing me waver. I slammed the door behind me, and as soon as I stepped out into the hallway, I exhaled a shaky breath. My hands were clenched into fists at my sides. I was furious. No—furious didn't even begin to describe what I was feeling. I was livid.

How dare he think he could control me like that? How dare he try to silence me, try to keep me from doing what was right? Everything about this case, everything I had learned, pointed to one thing: Jongsuk was innocent. And if my boss, or anyone else, thought they could stop me now, they had another thing coming.

I needed air. I needed to calm down. I couldn't think clearly when I was this angry.

I stepped outside the building, taking in a sharp breath of the cool morning air. I needed to clear my head. I walked a few steps away from the courthouse, trying to calm the storm inside me. But just as I was starting to find my breath again, a voice called from behind me.

"Y/n."

I froze, my heart sinking when I heard the voice. I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The familiar weight of Joshua's presence made my skin crawl. I could already feel my anger rising again, my patience evaporating in an instant.

I slowly turned to face him, not even bothering to hide the disgust on my face. "What do you want, Joshua?" I snapped. I was so done with him, with his manipulative behavior, his obsession. I couldn't believe he was still trying to control me after everything that had happened.

His face was tense, his eyes narrowing as he approached. "I need you to stop this case, Y/n," he said, his voice eerily calm. "I told you before, you don't want to get involved in this. It's dangerous. You're risking too much."

"No," I bit out, my tone sharp. "I'm not going to stop. I won't drop the case. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this because it's the right thing."

Joshua stepped closer, his eyes burning with a fury I hadn't seen in a long time. "I don't care about your sense of justice, Y/n. You think you're helping Jongsuk? You're not. You're just making things worse for yourself. You don't know who you're dealing with. You have no idea what's at stake here."

I could feel my fists balling at my sides. *What did he want from me?* Why couldn't he just leave me alone? "If you think for one second that you can threaten me into dropping this case, you're wrong. So just leave. Now."

He stopped in front of me, blocking my way. "I'm serious, Y/n. You don't want to keep fighting. You won't win."

I could feel the heat in my chest as I stepped forward, closing the space between us. "You don't get to tell me what I want, Joshua. I'm not afraid of you anymore. I'm not afraid of anyone."

Joshua's face twisted in anger, and for a moment, I thought he might lash out at me again. But he didn't. Instead, he took a deep breath, as if trying to control himself.

"You'll regret this," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "You're making a mistake."

I glared at him, my voice steady despite the surge of adrenaline in my veins. "I've already made up my mind. Stay out of my way, Joshua. I don't want to have to deal with you again."

Without waiting for him to respond, I pushed past him, not caring whether he was angry or not. My mind was made up. I wasn't going to let anyone, not my boss, not Joshua, or anyone else, stop me from uncovering the truth. I had come too far to back down now.

TAEHYUNG

I sat across from Y/n in my office, watching her intently as she went over the details she had uncovered about Suhyeon. But something was off. She wasn't her usual self—her face was pale, and she kept fidgeting with her hands, her eyes not meeting mine. The words were coming out of her mouth, but her tone was distant, as if she wasn't fully there. Something wasn't right.

She had been talking about Suhyeon, about how she had managed to get a few more leads on him, but my mind kept drifting back to the way her hands trembled ever so slightly as she spoke. I knew she was under immense stress with the case, but this was different.

My gaze lingered on her, studying her in silence. I could tell she wasn't feeling like herself. Her shoulders were slumped, and her hands, which usually moved confidently when she spoke, were clenched into tight fists on her lap.

"Y/n," I finally interrupted her, my voice soft but concerned, "Are you okay? You don't look well."

She blinked and then sighed, offering a small, tired smile. "I'm fine, really. Just a bit... overwhelmed, I guess."

I didn't believe her. Not for a second. But she didn't seem ready to talk about it, and I didn't want to push her too hard. I sat back and tried to focus on the conversation, hoping that her sudden change in behavior was just the weight of the case getting to her. Still, I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

We finished discussing Suhyeon's possible whereabouts and some potential leads that might help us locate him. There was no solid evidence yet, but we were getting closer. I was hopeful that with enough time and effort, we could finally piece everything together.

When the conversation wrapped up, I offered to drop her home.

"I can drive you home, Y/n. You don't look like you're in the best condition to be alone right now," I said, standing up and walking over to her.

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting to the floor, before she nodded slightly. "Okay... thanks, Taehyung."

We left my office, and as we walked down the hallway toward the exit, I kept a close eye on her, noticing how she moved slower than usual, almost as if every step took a little more effort than the last. My concern grew with every minute, but I tried to push it to the back of my mind.

Just as we reached the parking lot and I was about to open the passenger door for her, something happened.

Y/n's foot caught on the uneven pavement, and before I could react, she stumbled, her body swaying dangerously.

"Y/n?" I called out, panic rising in my chest. But it was too late. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed into me, completely unconscious.

I instinctively caught her in my arms, pulling her close to my chest to prevent her from hitting the ground. My heart raced as I held her, feeling her body go limp in my arms.

"Y/n?" I called softly, shaking her lightly, but there was no response. I felt a cold knot tighten in my stomach. Her face was too pale, and her eyes were closed—she wasn't moving.

Panic started to surge through me. What happened? Why is she like this?

I gently tapped her cheek, hoping to rouse her, but still, no response. Her body felt too light in my arms, and that terrified me more than anything. 

With quick, panicked movements, I scooped her up in my arms, holding her securely against my chest. I rushed to the car, fumbling for the keys, my mind whirling with worry. *She can't be like this...* I told myself. *She's been pushing herself too hard.*

I shoved the keys into the ignition, speeding toward the hospital. My hands gripped the wheel tightly, but my focus was entirely on her.

I kept glancing over at her in the passenger seat, trying to make sure she was still breathing, still okay. She was pale, her face blank as she lay there, unconscious.

By the time I arrived at the emergency room, I didn't even wait for someone to come outside. I rushed in, yelling for help, desperate to make sure she was okay.

A nurse quickly took Y/n from me and rushed her to the ER, leaving me standing in the hallway, completely helpless. I paced back and forth, my thoughts running wild, my mind jumping between a thousand different scenarios.

The minutes dragged on like hours. I felt like I was suffocating in that sterile hallway, unable to do anything but wait.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the door to the ER opened, and the doctor stepped out. He took one look at me and immediately reassured me.

"She's going to be fine," the doctor said, and I felt a rush of relief flood through me. "It seems she's been under a lot of stress, hasn't eaten much today, and her body just couldn't take it anymore. She fainted from exhaustion and hunger. We've given her an IV to rehydrate her and some glucose to help her regain her energy. She just needs rest now."

I exhaled a long, relieved breath, feeling my heart slow down as the weight of worry lifted from my chest. But even though the doctor had reassured me, I couldn't shake the image of her in my arms, unconscious and pale. I was still shaken up by how fragile she had looked.

The doctor went on, "We'll keep her for a few hours for observation, but she should be fine by the time she wakes up. Just make sure she gets proper rest and food when she gets home."

I nodded quickly, still absorbing everything he said. "Thank you," I muttered, my voice hoarse.

I went to her room. She was lying in a hospital bed now, connected to an IV drip, her face more relaxed than it had been in the past few days. The monitor beeped steadily, her heart rate strong and steady.

I walked over to her bedside and pulled up a chair, sitting beside her. I reached out and gently took her hand, my thumb rubbing over her knuckles absentmindedly.

She's okay...

She stirred slightly in her sleep, her hand twitching, and I reached out to gently hold it. The contact felt reassuring, like I was holding onto something solid in a world that felt like it was constantly slipping out of my grip.

It wasn't just about the case. I cared about her, more than I cared to admit.

As I sat there, watching over her, I made a silent vow to myself. I wouldn't let anyone hurt her, and I wouldn't let her hurt herself either. I'd be there for her, no matter what.

And as for the case? I wasn't going to let that go, either. I'd do whatever it took to uncover the truth—for Jongsuk, for Y/n, for all of us. But right now, the only thing that mattered was making sure she was okay.

I stayed by her side until she woke up, promising myself that I'd make sure she wouldn't have to carry this weight alone anymore.

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