Meanwhile in Bangtan Mansion

In the dimly lit room, Taehyung sits by the window, staring out at the city skyline, lost in thought. The faint glow of the moon casts soft shadows across the room, creating a calm yet tense atmosphere. Namjoon stands nearby, arms crossed, his expression serious as he observes Taehyung.

Namjoon breaks the silence, his voice low but firm.

Namjoon: "Why didn’t Aella tell you about her cooperation with Xiumin? It’s not like her to keep something like this from you, Taehyung.”

Taehyung remains quiet for a moment, his gaze still fixed on the view outside. He lets out a deep breath, clearly weighing his words before responding. His voice, when he finally speaks, is steady and resolute.

Taehyung: "It’s her project, Namjoon. She has every right to decide what she wants to do with it."

Namjoon raises an eyebrow, clearly not satisfied with the answer. He steps closer, his tone more questioning now.

Namjoon: "But don’t you think it’s strange? You two are about to get married. You should be in sync with each other, especially on something this big."

Taehyung turns to face Namjoon, his expression firm but calm. There’s no hint of doubt in his eyes.

Taehyung: "I do believe in her, no matter what. Aella is capable of handling things on her own, and she’s earned the right to make decisions without feeling like she has to run everything by me. She doesn’t need my permission, and I’m not going to question her judgment."

Namjoon narrows his eyes slightly, clearly still concerned.

Namjoon: "I’m not saying you should control her decisions, but this is Xiumin we’re talking about. His involvement could have consequences. Aren’t you worried?"

Taehyung shakes his head, his confidence unwavering.

She’s not just anyone, Namjoon. She’s Aella. She knows what she’s doing, and I trust her completely. If she believes Xiumin is the right person for the project, then that’s her call. I’m not going to second-guess her.”

Taehyung: "I trust her, Completely. If she’s chosen to work with Xiumin, then she has her reasons. Aella knows what she’s doing. I’m not going to stand in her way or doubt her. She’s proven time and again that she can handle herself and whatever comes with it."

Namjoon sighs, clearly struggling to accept Taehyung’s calmness in the situation. He rubs his temple, feeling the weight of the uncertainty.

Namjoon: "I just hope she knows what she’s getting into."

Taehyung walks over to the door and puts his hand on the doorknob  before leaving he look towards Namjoon and said

"I’ll stand by her through all of it. We’re partners,  I won’t let anything come between that, not even Xiumin."

Namjoon nods, though his concern doesn’t fully fade. He knows Taehyung’s love for Aella runs deep, but there’s still something unsettling about the situation.

While  Taehyung turns back and gets to his room, his gaze steady and filled with faith, while Namjoon remains conflicted, the weight of their conversation lingering in the air.

End of POV

Authors POV

Aella entered her room, exhausted from the day's events. The soft glow of the setting moon filtered through the curtains, casting a warm amber hue on the room's simple yet elegant decor.

After a whole day's chaos and pressure, a night relaxing bath always helps you to ease your mind and make you relax . Haesung and Baekhyun are in some kind of a business party , Little Princess is doing her leftover assignments so Aella didn't bother to disturb her for now , Tao, and Sofia is out of the town , the whole Byun mansion is silent now .

25 MINS LATER !

Aella  is already done with her  shower , dying her  hair  up . The dryer is in the stand attached to the wall , and the towel which was wrapped around her hairs , resting upon the sink platform . Aella is searching the drawers for body lotion.

" There it is ." She  found it inside the second drawer , she was about to grab it but a noise caught her  attention. She heard the opening sound of the balcony glass door. Her motions ended up   thinking did she hear right or just his mind playing ?

While she  focused her  ears to note every possible sound she could hear , she already turned off the dryer . She  stood there in a position for like some minutes but didn't notice any further noise. Few seconds later she made up her  mind to open up the door  and slowly walked towards it . Clutching the door knob , she twisted it. Counting 1 2 3 in mind she opened the door in a motion , coming out from the bathroom.

There is Nothing.

There is nothing in his bedroom , neither anything moved from its place nor anything new came . Suddenly Tao and Sofia ‘s voices  reached her ears . She huffed and relaxed but it all vanished when she looked at the door , the balcony door.

There is No one !

  When she saw  the lock of the door open , she can clearly remember she locked the door before going to the bathroom , now how it's unlocked. Thinking no further she went towards the room . Towards the watching, not forgetting to take her golden gun with her running  vigorously, she stood in the front of Ara's room  .

Aella quietly entered Ara's room, her golden gun gripped tightly in her hand, her senses heightened as she scanned the dimly lit space. She was ready for anything but found herself freezing when her eyes landed on Ara, peacefully asleep in her bed, completely unaware of the danger lurking around them.

With a soft sigh of relief, Aella holstered the gun and gently approached her sister. She knelt beside the bed, brushing a few strands of hair away from Ara's face. Leaning down, she kissed Ara’s forehead tenderly before adjusting the duvet to keep her warm.

Silently, Aella stood and exited the room, pulling the door shut behind her. With a swift motion, she locked it from the outside. Her fingers hovered over the emergency button for a moment before pressing it, knowing it would alert the rest of the mansion. Someone was in Byun mansion, and this time, they wouldn't get away unnoticed.

The piercing sound of the sirens echoed through the Byun mansion, causing Sofia and Tao to exchange a knowing glance. Their expressions tightened with concern. Before either could speak, the rapid sound of footsteps thundered down the stairs. Aella appeared in the living room, her face set in a mix of urgency and focus.

"Guys —someone is inside the mansion!" Aella's voice rang out, sharp and clear. "Leo!"
she shouted, her voice sharp and commanding. "Leo!"

At her call, Leo and his security team rushed into the living room, their faces hardened with determination. The atmosphere was electric as Aella quickly issued orders.

"Stay here and guard Ara’s room. No one gets through. Understood?" Aella commanded, her tone leaving no room for argument. The security team nodded in unison and took positions around the staircase, forming an impenetrable line
immediately positioning his men at key points around the room.

Aella turned to Sofia, Tao, and Leo. "We split up. Check every inch of this mansion. I want the intruder caught—alive or dead.”

With a silent nod, the group sprang into action. Aella darted down the eastern hallway, her gun in hand, eyes scanning every shadow. Her breath came in controlled bursts as she expertly checked every room and corner, her adrenaline fueling her sharp reflexes. Hearing a noise, she flattened herself against a wall, her pulse quickening. She turned quickly, aiming, only to find an empty corridor, curtains swaying from a distant window.

Meanwhile, Sofia moved with fluid grace through the mansion’s west wing. Her movements were calculated, every step silent as she navigated the dimly lit halls. She crouched low behind a pillar, peering around the corner, her sharp eyes catching a flicker of movement. Without hesitation, she flipped forward, landing in a crouch with her blade drawn, ready to strike—only to find the empty shell of a suit of armor on display. A trick of the shadows.

Sofia glided through the kitchen, her usual calm demeanor replaced with steely resolve. She spotted a shadow near the pantry and crouched low, moving with the grace of a predator. With lightning speed, she pulled out her combat knife and flanked the intruder from behind. Before they could react, Sofia slammed them against the marble countertop, twisting their arm back with precision until they were immobilized. Her eyes were cold as she whispered, “Wrong mansion to mess with.”

Tao moved like a shadow through the mansion’s upper floor, his senses attuned to even the slightest movement. As he approached the master bedroom, he heard faint footsteps. He took a deep breath and slid through the door, moving low. Suddenly, the door to the closet creaked open. Tao sprinted toward the intruder, throwing a powerful punch that sent them sprawling backward. Before they could recover, Tao delivered a roundhouse kick that knocked them unconscious.

Leo, ever the strategist, moved to the control room. As he navigated the labyrinth of hallways, he kept his senses sharp, knowing the intruders were well-coordinated. He caught sight of two men near the security monitors, attempting to hack the system. With a growl, Leo charged, grabbing one by the collar and slamming him into the wall. The second one tried to attack, but Leo quickly overpowered him, throwing him down with a swift elbow strike. He secured the system before radioing Aella.

Meanwhile, Aella was in the right wing, moving down a narrow corridor of the terrace . The tension was palpable as they approached the kitchen. A sudden noise—a clatter of metal—broke the silence  stepping forward.

A masked figure sprang out from behind the swinging a blade. Aella ducked just in time, the blade missing her by inches. Without hesitation, she aimed and fired a warning shot near the intruder’s feet, forcing him to stumble back.

Suddenly Leo lunged at him, tackling the intruder to the ground in a blur of speed. The struggle was brief but brutal, and with one swift move, Leo pinned the attacker down

Breathing heavily, Aella stood over the subdued figure, her eyes burning with resolve. “Who sent you?” she demanded, but the intruder remained silent, only glaring up at her.

Before she could press further, her earpiece buzzed. “ princess ” Minho ’s voice came through.

Got a runner!" Aella  barked into his earpiece as she sprinted after the figure

I'm waiting in your i mean in our bedroom

Aella’s room was closest,  without wasting any more time dashed toward the location, her feet barely touching the ground as she raced down the hallway.

Her  muscles coiled like a spring as he burst into the room where the movement had been detected. She  caught a glimpse of a masked figure slipping out of a window.

Without hesitation, Aella  leapt forward, firing a shot at the other intruder's leg. The figure stumbled but managed to roll out of the window and vanish into the night

" What happened Ba--" Before Sofia  could ask , Sofia 's eyebrows twisted seeing Aella's colorless face. " Minho ! came here ,  he en--entered my room."

Aella  said his breathings are not normal , they are vigorous , she is having a very big problem breathing ,s he is sweating badly , eyes are enlarged due to shock.

Sofia quickly went towards Aella ‘s drawer and took the inhaler and handed it to Aella who quickly grabbed and took a  few pups and she regained herself .

Nobody  didn't ask further , but Sofia dragged her  and made her it in the bed while Leo gave  a water glass to Aella

10 Mins passed .

Aella is a little relaxed now , she is sitting in the bed while  Tao  fanned her  with a hand fan to ease her . Leo is talking to Haesung .  And Sofia is just looking  at Aella and fisting her hands in anger this time Minho came and this time nobody is going to  spare him for sure but her chain of thoughts too far nodded and cut the call. " Boss  said to search  the whole house  again .

Everyone will be here in a few minutes …

With small jelly feet, Aella stood up  , and said I need a shower, saying that she headed towards the wardrobe to catch up on some presentable clothes.

While everybody goes out of the room and settles into the living room ..

Meanwhile Aella 's side .

Today Aella has no interest in going to the party and on her behalf  Baekhyun goes there. She simply wanted to take a rest and wanted to read some books.

Aella  is fond of books and  she loves to read life lessons through books. Also  has a small book stand at the side of the room to store her favorite books which helped her through the start of her 18s. A small book stand containing best-seller life lesson books she  simply passed the stand but somehow her  eyes fell upon a book, Pride and Prejudice.

"Wait, this is not my book from where it came?"

Aella  slowly picked up the book from the place. She  knows this book and the author too. "Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen." Aella spelled.

But suddenly noticed some sticky note pieces were attached to some pages. By turning over pages she noticed some lines marked with baby pink highlighter on the pages where the sticky notes are attached. The lines sound like this:

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥, 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮."

" 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐈 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮. “

She  turned one more page but this time more than one line is marked with love marks. A conversation probably.

" 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞; 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞?"
" 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐈 𝐝𝐢𝐝.”

As her  heart raced, a wave of emotions washed over her, causing a whirlwind of thoughts to swirl in her mind. She couldn't help but ponder whether the person she once deemed as her God father but now he became  as terrible as he had believed. At that moment, Aella's intuition unmistakably identified Minho's his devoted and infatuated lover.

Aella  closed the book with an intense wave of emotions within her. She can't  understand what to do, whether she should smile or should be afraid?

A small letter fell on the ground. This time the paper is a vintage one. Aella  picked up the letter,

" Hey,

Princess  are you standing? Then please sit, the letter is big and I don't want to give your pretty legs pressure. Sit but Aella didn't but smirk after reading the next words

You won't sit right , I knew it my stubborn Princess and that's what I love about you princess not to bow to anyone ..

First of all, I should ask for your forgiveness. I scared you right, you think I will hurt Ara isn't  ??

Come on  princess , I'm not that bad. We never involve children's in bloody games isn't and the most important thing
I do know who to  drag in this . You should know this isn't ??

She is your heart and I can't hurt her. I am so sorry for that, it was just my emotions that went out of my control. Trust me though it may look like I can harm Ara  but I can't not even for a hundred million years.

I know you think of me as a psycho but trust me if I tell you my love for you it will be the same as being psychotic level, insane one. I know for me you're depressed and tense, sorry for that but you're just a precious gem and I don't want this harsh world to harm you somehow. The world is too harsh and you're too important to me.

Don't worry, princesses, I will take you with me when the right time comes  for me. Lastly , what do you smell? Lavender. Your favorite one right now .

                                       
That Moron changed your taste in perfume princess , at this point Aella is freaking her sense

Take a deep breath , princess, don't worry. I know my limits. I didn't touch you, just admired your sleeping face . You always look eternal while sleeping  and now   I have to end it here cause if I start to express my love in more depth it can create a new Pride and Prejudice novel.

I  am leaving my words here,Princess

In this world of shadows, nothing is as it seems. What you seek may already be yours. Remember what I told you: trust is a luxury, and secrets are the currency we trade in. There's more at play here than you're aware of. When the time comes, you’ll know what to do.

But before ending I want to say check the backyard  north section room no 1  of your mansion. Don't worry, nothing scary is just a gift to the heart of mine.

I hope you can understand though my acts are violent you're the softest portion of mine.

" 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 "

-- Your lover. “

To be continued..