A heaviness was felt pounding in her head, and with a weak groan, Runa slowly peeled her eyes open, only for them to close again once the burning sensation spread from the back of her skull to the front.

"Fuck...", she whispers, coughing from the dryness in her throat, and finally after a few more seconds of struggling, she moves her head and opens her eyes, her blurry vision clearing as soon as a few figures come into view.

Taemin stood there in all of his smug glory, a gun to the back of Dong-Wook's head who's a bloody mess and tied to a chair, his head hanging low and despite the pain vibrating in her skull that made her legs tremble, she wiggles and tries to run to him, only to look down and see she was in the same dilemma.

Strapped to a chair like an animal, and looking around, she takes notice of the abandoned warehouse she's in, probably one that was burned down by the looks of it. Smart, considering everyone is looking for the drug lord and no one would suspect him to be in a place like this.

"You awake, honey?", his teasing voice had her on edge, her senses honed in on him like a target, practically feeling his heart beat sync with hers.

The heat of rage spread to her chest and despite being so weak, she had the strength to look that man in the eyes with fearlessness and defiance, even being the one who was trapped. It amused him, his brows raising playfully while he pressed the gun tighter against the consigliere's head to remind her of what situation she was in.

"If you aren't going to answer me, there's no point in holding him hostage anymore. Do you want to see another one bleed out and die before your very eyes? To feel trapped and tortured because you know you can't do anything? Hm?", his twisted grin indicated that he was talking about her dog, and she rolled her eyes with indifference.

"What do I have that you could want?", she whispers, no energy left in her because her body was consumed and weakened by emotion.

Where the fuck was Jimin and Jungkook? She wanted to ask, but maybe she shouldn't. There'd be no point seeing as he'd never give her a straight answer. Instead, she focuses on the man who now awakens, spitting out blood that drips down his face and neck.

"Oh, would you look at that? Impeccable timing", Taemin muses with a chuckle, massaging the end of the gun on Dong-Wook's head to let him know that he wasn't safe whatsoever.

When he looks at her, she gives him a nod and he heavily breathes out, "Whatever he says, don't agree-"

A hard hit to the back of his skull with the gun makes him yell out, and she wiggles in her chair, trying to fester whatever energy she had buried and use it to get at him. But when she hears the clicking of guns from behind, turning to see his men aiming rifles at her, she settles down and hangs her head low.

"Quiet now, before your brains decorate this dreadful floor. I have things to discuss, alright?", he leans down to whisper in the consigliere's ear before laughing and moving to stand in front of her restrained figure.

"Yoongi is the reason you're alive. If it weren't so, you would've been killed along with your brother. But surprisingly enough, I don't want that. I think killing my pathetic excuse of a father was enough to satiate the years of pent-up resentment towards people like you", his expression darkens, "Much like my poor brother, within meeting you only twice, I find myself wildly intrigued by you."

Keeping his eyes on her, he gestures with his hand for his men to bring forth a chair for him to sit, and as he sits in it backward, resting his arms on the back of it, she scoffs incredulously at him.

"And let me guess, you want me to join you?", she asks in disbelief, curious as to why he'd go through all this trouble just to end up wanting something that would never work.

"Originally, I wasn't too fond of the idea, considering the trouble I've caused would lead you to your need for revenge and so on, and I don't partner with potential backstabbers. But Yoongi...", the man clicks his tongue with distaste, seemingly disappointed.

"My dear brother is consumed by you and there's no saving him. So I figured, I'd make you an offer that would settle our dispute and form a lasting alliance between our families since I'm now the head of both the Yakuza and the Min family. He'd be happy, and I feel fondly towards him so that's why I'm showing you this mercy. That's why, you're special and you get a choice."

He points the gun in her direction, meeting her scowl with a smirk of his own because he was looking forward to how this would play out, "You kill Dong-Wook and prove your loyalty to me, or I kill him, leave you to deal with this mess and our war continues. More people will die, I'll destroy your empire starting from the very bottom and I'll enjoy watching as you and your brother lose everything you've worked so hard to maintain all these years. Including those close to you."

"You expect me to kill him? A man I see as my father? For you?", she laughs, glancing over at Dong-Wook who wears a small smile even though she was not the one with the upper hand.

"You're as delusional as your goddamn brother. I will never be your partner, I will never be Yoongi's lover, and I will never betray my own to save myself", she challenges, glancing over at the consigliere who's eyes were glossed over.

Was she terrified to lose him? Yes, scared shitless actually. But not a smidge of fear could be found on her face or in her eyes, and the opposing male hated that, his grin fading once he realized that she would never agree to such a thing. How did he know that for sure? The fact that she was gambling with Dong-Wook's life.

"Is that your true answer? You're not willing to sacrifice one life to save others? Are you so sure about this?", he asks once more, and he's only met with a cold wall that seems impenetrable.

"I'm not killing him."

With that, he stands up in a flash and she panics as soon as he presses the gun against the man's temple, "Wait!", she thoughtlessly shouts, making Taemin turn to her expectedly with his finger on the trigger.

"If you let us go, I'll call a truce. I'll forgive what you've done and we can go our separate ways. I can't be your partner, no matter what you try to hang over my head, I can't do it."

There's a tense moment between them, something akin to consideration flashing in his eyes as he looks at her. But it's crushed within moments, a sick feeling brewing in her gut when he smiles.

"You broke my brother's heart and now I'll break yours. We could've been such a happy family. Dysfunctional? Yes. But happy."

She shakes her head vigorously as he presses the gun harder into his temple, "Don't do this because of Yoongi! I can't force myself to love him! Can't you understand that?! Why won't you get it?", she trembles, looking Dong-Wook in the eyes as hers begin to water, clouding her vision.

"You could've tried, Runa. But you're a heartless bitch. Maybe by the end of this, when you're weak and have nothing left, you'll see my brother is the only man who will be there for you. When it's too late, you'll realize he's the only one who can love a monster like you", Taemin responds with indifference, his trigger finger getting itchy.

"Any last words?", he muses, looking at the man who was to be his next victim, and he then stares back at Runa to watch her word crumble, to witness the pain she'll endure as soon as the bullet pierces his skull.

"Don't do this", she warns, refusing to look at him.

"You've given me no choice, Runa. You hurt my brother, you used him, took him for granted, and I gave you a chance to redeem yourself", he scoffs with a shake of his head, "I should've believed the rumors, but I had to see for myself just how cold and selfish you could be."

"He betrayed me for you. You blew up my fucking car and took my dog from me, and you expect me to redeem myself for what? Not loving him back? Who's truly the selfish one? The person who let go, or the one that's hanging on by a thread and making this more painful than it needs to be?"

His grip on the gun tightens, as does his jaw when it clenches and she knows that hit a nerve, "Speak now while you have the chance, Dong-Wook."

He was getting ready to blow this man's brains out, her insults towards his brother were starting to push him close to the edge and he was losing control.

"Runa...", he weakly voices out, and she shakes her head in denial, refusing to believe this was going to end like this.

"Don't, don't say a word. Don't you dare", she didn't want to hear him say goodbye, she wasn't ready, this wasn't what she had to prepare for.

His smile breaks her heart and she sobs, biting down on her lip to suppress it, "Don't cry, ok? Don't cry."

She sniffles, fear pumping faster in her veins than blood. The room was spinning, her head was aching and her wrists burned from tugging at the rope. It hurt so much, everything did, but nothing compared to what she was about to feel.

"I won't. I won't", she chokes, finding it difficult to not cry when she was looking right at him and the realization was settling in, her heart pounding violently against her chest in a way that had her lungs squeezing.

"Say goodbye now, you fucking bitch", he pulls the trigger with a daunting smile, her body going numb as soon as the bullet fell on the floor and Taemin kicked the chair over.

She screamed so loud her voice died out, her throat raw and ears ringing from the menacing laugh that echoed in every corner of her mind. Her heart stilled, her lungs collapsed and she heaved like a dying animal, tugging at the ropes violently to escape and save him. He was gone, the light had left his eyes, and there was nothing she could do.

Taemin found this particularly entertaining, figuring it best to keep her alive even when he had the means to kill her now and save himself the trouble. He wanted her to suffer, he wanted her to be the one who survived and feel guilt for it. Seeing someone break, watching them come undone and being a witness to the emotions that passed through them like a storm, was unlike anything else.

Being the cause of that felt empowering, and as he took his time soaking that in, watching her go ballistic, he knew killing her would be one of the most satisfying things he'd ever feel in his life. He had to take everything from her first, this just being the second step to what he had planned. It was hours, she finally stopped at some point and sat there quietly, almost like she wasn't even in her body anymore. Before he knocks her out, he grabs her chin roughly and looks directly into her eyes.

"I hope that whatever little heart you had left has died", he spits out venomously, standing up and with a wave of his hand, the end of a rifle meets the back of her head in a brutal impact.

💎🗡️💎🗡️💎🗡️

It was agonizing waking up yet again, only this time, the throbbing in her head was piercing as was the squeezing of her heart being met with the sight of his body deliberately placed in front of her, no longer tied as she slowly realized what had happened.

Dong-Wook's bloody face was the first thing her eyes saw as soon as she mustered enough strength to awaken herself to see if maybe this was a nightmare, since those were reoccurring to her lately. But no, as soon as her fingertips brushed against his cheek and went down to his neck to check for a pulse, there was nothing there.

Still, she was voiceless and cried silently, her throat felt tied with knots as did her gut, and she scooted closer to him, holding his face and staring at him even when his eyes were closed and he was gone. Like a movie, memories of him played in her mind and made this all the more difficult to fathom.

"Wake up, wake up you bastard! You can't leave me!", she found her voice and could only yell and punch his chest with anger.

"Wake up! Wake up! Please!", she cried, sitting up and shaking his body to see if maybe there was a possibility he was still in there, but he wasn't.

She was in too much pain to think rationally, to realize that he was dead and he was never coming back. A thousand needles sting her body, paralyzing her into a drowning state of agony and suffering as she continuously yells at him to wake up.

"How could you leave me like this? Why? We needed you...", she sobs, harshly wiping her tears and looking around to see that they were indeed alone as she suspected and there was nothing but the faint lighting coming from the windows that made the place somewhat visible.

"Dong-Wook, this isn't funny anymore. Wake up!", she slaps his face, hoping to garner a reaction, perhaps a glare or anything that would indicate he's alive.

But she knows all too well, taking in a deep breath and trying to calm herself, noticing that his lips were purple and his skin gray, his body stiff and cold and starting to rot. It made her sick, so sick that her mouth turned sour and her head started to get dizzy again.

"No, no, no!", she shouts, and as soon as she registers men busting down the door and flooding in, she hovers over his body protectively and looks in the direction of the commotion.

Two familiar faces make their way towards her along with the group of men, and she sniffles while wiping her face, looking away from them to hold Dong-Wook in her lap and run her fingers through his bloody hair. Her brother had no particular emotion on his face, almost like he couldn't see or feel what was in front of him. Or didn't want to.

"We need to go, Runa."

She didn't budge, and Jungkook had no time to react to the man in her arms. He looked at him and felt sick, for once, he felt something that was so close to regret he didn't know what to do other than to be there for her and distract himself from feeling.

"Runa, we need to go", he whispers in her ear, trying to hold her, and she refuses.

"We have to take him with us. We can't leave him here", she whispers, her voice cracking and when her glossy eyes meet his, he feels his heart twisting, seeing her like this all over again, only this time she was much worse.

"We'll take him. Let's go", Jimin announces, seemingly in a daze as he urges the bodyguard to take her while his men move to carry Dong-Wook.

She's too weak to stand, so Jungkook takes her in his arms. Being in such a fragile state, both physically and mentally, she needed someone to rely on right now and that person was him.

"We need to find him now, and if someone doesn't, people are gonna die", Jimin says to his men who nod and scurry off in the vehicles, and the trio enters one of the vans and she pushes Jungkook away when he tries to keep her in his arms.

"Let me go", she mumbles, getting up from his lap to sit between him and Jimin, whose eyes remain on the floor, both with disbelief and guilt.

Jungkook didn't argue with her, seeing how bad the situation is and respecting that she needed space. He stayed close to her regardless, already feeling an overwhelming sense of failure from not protecting her. Fear starts to dawn on all of them. Someone, not just an animal, has died.

This someone has been in the sibling's lives for years. He was like their father, he was the man who brought them together, who kept them alive even through the toughest of times. He was the one they could run to for help, he was the guy who was always ready to fight tooth and nail for them. He sacrificed so much, and they couldn't save him. There was nothing more dreadful than knowing with all the power and money they had, they weren't as invincible as they originally thought.

Runa glanced through the windshield to see they were back at the mansion, confusion brewing inside of her. Why would they come back here? They were just attacked, did they have nowhere else to go?

"Why are we back here if he knows where we live?", she soullessly asks, not able to raise her voice anymore at the moment because all she wanted right now was to be alone with her thoughts.

"The gate has been reinforced, we have stronger security, and we can't leave the estate. He'll suspect us to flee from here and he'll be too busy trying to find where we've relocated to realize that we're still in the same spot."

It made sense when explained, so she didn't argue and can only muster a hum in response to let him know she's fine. Nothing else is said as they file out and he allows her to take a rest and go in her room, which was now cleaned up from the mess she and Yoongi made earlier.

Runa was so lost in her mind that she hadn't noticed Jungkook was by her side, and as soon as he shut her bedroom door before locking it, she looked at him with a dead expression, her eyes drained and her face scarily pale and cold. She looked like she'd been through hell and back at least five times, emotionally and physically. All he wanted to do was comfort her, to hold her in his arms and protect her like he failed to do.

"I'm not ok", she confesses, and with an understanding of what she wants, he nods and steps forward, brushing her hair back from her face to examine her head wound which she paid no attention to.

"I'll clean you up", he whispers, wanting her to be as calm as possible and with a hum, he takes her into the bathroom and cleans her cut, grateful that it didn't need stitches as he applied a bandage and gave her back a gentle rub.

"Do you need something to eat? Drink?", he asked while guiding her to the bed where he got out a fresh pair of clothes for her to change into so she could rest.

"I don't think I can eat right now", her nose scrunched with disgust and she looked down at her lap with a heavy sigh, feeling dread blacken her heart, "I just feel..."

Runa doesn't finish her sentence, but as he puts the matching outfit on top of her bedspread, he gets on his knees and grabs her face in his gloved hands, making her look at him and he presses a kiss on her lips to remind her that he's here.

"I know, Runa. You don't have to say anything, I know", he stroked her cheek with adoration, and when he saw her bottom lip start to tremble, he pulled her small body into his and held her tight as she clung to him for dear life.

"Jungkook", her voice is strained, displaying every bit of brokenness she feels right now and he holds her tighter, caressing her hair and letting her sink into his warm embrace that he hoped would make her feel less alone.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry", he whispers, not wanting her to speak after what's happened.

When she leaned away, looking into his dark eyes, she felt her heart healing a bit from his carefulness and attentive behavior. It doesn't make her smile, she can't smile right now, but he knows by the dilation of her pupils that she returns those feelings and is comforted by them.

"I love you", he says, not expecting her to say it back but her eyes tell him everything he needs to know.

"Could you stay with me?", she asks weakly, her voice hoarse from crying and yelling, and without hesitation, he picks her up and puts her in bed once tugging the sheets down.

He takes off his coat, gloves, and boots, doing something he never thought he'd ever do, and that was comforting them in bed like this. Paying no attention to the clothes that fell off the bed or the fact that she didn't bother changing, he pulled her body into his warm, hard chest, wrapping his arms protectively around her.

He wishes he'd never see that look on her face again, that she'd be able to live happily, and that she wouldn't have to lose anyone else. Jungkook was more determined than ever to take this man down, in any way possible. No matter what he'd become doing that, he didn't care.

"I'll kill him. I'll tear him apart with my bare hands, with my teeth if I have to. He's not going to hurt you again, and you're staying by my side. I'm not leaving you alone again, do you understand?", he asks, looking down when she gazes up at him.

"Even if I become a monster, someone you're afraid of, I don't care. I'll kill him for hurting you, for taking what you love and I'll make sure he'll die screaming."

His voice sends a chill down her spine, and she nods in response, "I know you will, Jungkook."

He relieved her, made her breath a bit better, even when she could barely feel her fingertips and what seemed to be her heart still beating in her chest. Each thump felt like a punch, and she wondered if there was something seriously wrong with her.

She knew she'd be fine, even if she wasn't right now, she was calming down. With a singular but feverish kiss to her lips, one that left her buzzing, he held her close to his chest and rested his chin atop her head, rubbing her back to help her fall asleep so she'd wake up with a clearer mind. He couldn't even imagine what she was feeling right now, how hurt she was that Taemin purposefully put his dead body in front of her so that would be the first thing she saw.

It made his fists clench so tight that veins popped out of his arms, the rage he felt for failing her, for leaving her side and thinking that she'd be safe was like a plague, spreading quickly throughout the rest of his body until all he could think about was getting his hands on the Min's.

He wanted to crack open their skulls, pull out their brains, and let dogs chew at them so they could experience what they'd both put her through. And even then, it wouldn't be enough, it wouldn't ever be enough but it'd be something to weigh the scales.

It was satisfying to think about, hurting both of them, thinking about watching her do the most gruesome things known to mankind. It got him excited, but that violence quickly dissipated when he looked down and felt her body shaking in his arms, even when her resting expression was peaceful. His gaze softened, as did the scowl he previously wore, and he watched as she slept, admiring how beautiful she was, even when she looked distraught and weakened.

He knew that she wasn't, that regardless, she would overcome this and stay strong as she's always done. And he loved her for that. His heart started to burn when he heard her soft whimpers, like she was having a nightmare but as soon as he kissed her forehead and started to caress her back, her body melted into his and her breathing slowed down.

Smiling to himself just a little, he starts massaging her scalp with his fingertips because she always loved that, careful not to touch her bandage as he does so. It felt relieving to know that she had calmed down in her sleep, that hopefully, her nightmare was over and she no longer had to be tormented.

"You're so strong, boss", he whispers, directed toward her although she was asleep and couldn't hear him.

"I'll kill every single one of them, just to please you", his eyes flicker down and gaze passionately at her.

He was hers, he was her property and although he'd never liked the thought of that before, it was what he lived for now. Seeing her smile, seeing her face flush, witnessing her strength and intelligence that never failed to knock him off his feet. It felt like a blessing from the Gods, and he couldn't help but get possessive over her, dipping down to rest his forehead against hers and admire how pretty her eyelashes were.

"You're all mine now, I have you all to myself", he presses a very light kiss on her lips to not disturb her sleep, his beady eyes taking her in with mesmerization.

"I'll keep you safe, boss. I won't fail you again", he whispers, watching the rain pour outside, the grey weather casting a dim light in the room that made this moment feel even more cozy, yet daunting.

"I'm right here. I'll never leave you."

He hoped that was true. He didn't want to be a liar or be made a fool of. He's made mistakes, ones he can't and won't make again. Nothing's going to stop him from doing what he needs to do. Not even her.