***UNEDITED***

"Jungkook!" You exclaimed as you reached for your shirt, wrapping your upper body that was barely covered in a laced undergarment, "don't, please."

It was, above all, a feeling of embarrassment that seeped through your skin; it was certainly not a pleasant situation you found yourself in, even more so in front of a person who spoke of a lifelong bond with you, but not only that, you were also afraid, to put it mildly, of what your actions would lead to, what disasters they would cause.

Jungkook took it upon himself to avoid your gaze at all costs; what he had already seen was enough; he feared that another glance would cause him to engrave you in your spot, only to bleach his tarnished reputation and pride; on the other hand, his angry gaze poured out on the bleeding man standing a few paces behind you, one hand in his pocket, while the injured one flung drops of blood onto the ground.

Taehyung frowned and sighed in annoyance as Jungkook tugged at the fabric of his shirt right at the collar, inwardly informing him that mercy wasn't on the menu that day before breaking the silence that followed your pleas, "Bastard!" Was all Jungkook said before delivering a punch to Taehyung's jaw that immediately sent him to the ground.

"No, Jungkook. Please listen to me," you pleaded as he tossed you away, which led you to stumble on your feet; Taehyung was still on the ground when Jungkook marched toward him, keen to distort his face and make his features unrecognizable when you again stopped him with all the strength you mustered, "JUNGKOOK, I WON'T LET YOU HURT HIM YOU HEAR ME."

Taehyung ran the back of his hand over the corner of his lip and wiped away the blood that was collecting there; he smirked at the situation that made him feel like he was part of a noir movie where the main character was having a street fight with some big dogs, but his smile lasted only seconds before he jumped on the argument between you and his rival, the tone you both struck throbbed in his head, he couldn't stand it, nor could he stand the way Jungkook was physically handling you, "I don't owe you anything, Jungkook. Listen, we're partners, and I wouldn't jeopardize our partnership for a fling."

Jungkook intently looked at Taehyung, more doubt in his heart than belief, but he decided to listen at least, gauge what he considered the words of a sly fox; you weren't in a different state; you were as well listening, at that carefully, the only difference was that you were in utter shock the further he got with his rejoinder, "the tabs you're claiming, Jeon, isn't me who should be paying them," he took several steps forward until his gaze stood in a level with Jungkook's, casting side glances at your inquisitive figure and the hand that was curling Jungkook's arm specifically, "I won't lie and say that I wasn't into her in the beginning, I mean she is beautiful and smart, but the moment I figured the nature of your relationship my interest dropped," a subtle grin followed his sigh, "but I'm just a man, Jeon, I get swayed when continuously provoked, you understand what it feels like don't you?"

You weren't aware that tears had already flooded your cheeks as you forgot how to blink for what seemed an eternity, the understanding of the situation was finally sinking deep in your integrity, and slowly, you felt like you'd been pushed down a cliff to be welcomed by high waves and deeps waters, "listen, Jeon, if you want payment for something, you better ask it from the person who will soon hold your name," your feets betrayed you and just like what has happened with your tears, unconsciously, you found yourself kneeling with your palms on the ground while still in a bewildered stupor accompanied by faithful tears, "if she weren't yours I would have taken her right here without caring about shit; no, scrap that, I would have taken her right in my house when she followed me drunk, but I didn't and I won't; I'm not that kind of person, betrayal isn't one of my traits."

Jungkook stood there like a statue for what felt like an eternity but was really just a few minutes in stifling silence and heavy air, condensed with anger and disappointment that infected not only Jungkook but you as well.

"It's hard, but I managed to keep myself under control, but you know what?" Exclaimed Taehyung, "sometimes even bad situations have their positive sides, you always have to see the full part of the cup, and today's cup, this shitty situation I was forced to take part in," he walked toward Jungkook confidently and more unempathetic than he cared to show, "opened your eyes, helped you realize that you better give her more, be there for her emotionally or physically or maybe both, I don't know," he took one last look at your face covered in silent tears and continued with his demands and advice, "but get her off me, I don't want to have problems with you or with my girlfriend."

Jungkook vigorously grabbed your arm and pulled you up with a jerk. Then, as if nothing had happened, as if you were not naked in front of a man with whom you were engaging in sexual pursuits, he covered you with his vest, which he took off while glaring murderously at Taehyung, and pulled you to his chest; certainly, this was not tender, for gentleness was lost in the process, and anger took its place to cover its absence, but what mattered was that you could still breathe after this feat, nevertheless.

He grinned as he continued the staring contest with Taehyung, straightening up and letting out a sigh, "well, you certainly wouldn't dare; we're partners, after all, friends," he reached to tap Taehyung on the shoulder and continued, "our bond is stronger than having it broken over what was it again? A fling, you said, didn't you?" He chuckled, "I couldn't agree more; good to know I had you pegged right. However, Taehyung, and please, don't take it much to heart; it's just a clarification; I can tolerate many things, like what you did, not even a few months ago, but just for the record, I'm just one step away from turning into someone you wouldn't recognize and better not know." he threw you off with a jerk, closing the distance between him and his rival completely while periodically pressing his index on the man's chest, "the next time you talk about her, about my wife, in such a tone, little Taehyungie, it'll be the last chunk of air you suck in," he finished with a genuine smile.

Jungkook's grip on your wrist didn't hurt as your heart did; the pain it suffered was unbearable; you were out of Taehyung's office, out of the suffocation caused by the heavy air inside, and yet you couldn't control your erratic breathing as you were dragged down the empty corridor by Jungkook; the disappointment was like a brain stroke paralyzing your limbs, leading to a locked-in syndrome, that made you supine to the attacks and degrading words that Jungkook poured out on you, and although you could hear and feel everything, nothing seemed to matter, nothing seemed to bring you back from the tunnel you had entered, the tunnel where Taehyung's accusations echoed loudly, the tunnel where he fatally stabbed you.

Just get her off me...

You found yourself back in touch with your inclinations when Jungkook yanked you to the floor of his office and closed the door behind him; it was a painful fall, but you thought it was better to endure it and prepare for more because Jungkook hadn't even started yet, and you were sure that nothing would do you the favor of calming him down, not after all he had heard and seen.

It surprised you how all of a sudden you mustered the sort of courage that has never been born inside you; maybe it was the heat of the moment, the adrenaline rush, or simply the unbearable injustice and sufferance, you weren't sure, and you had no time to dwell on the matter further when you had a body to struggle with and move up from the floor before the frowning man approached you further, and as you did, the bewilderment you were facing earlier infected him.

Not for so long, though, but enough for your thickening bomb to reach its last seconds and explodes.

"With which, right, huh? You tugged at his collar without fear, abhor blinding your sight and filling your empty gaze with burning resentment and utter disgust, "who the fuck you think you are, Jungkook? And don't you dare come at me with your wedding shit, nor with your distasteful love story, 'cause believe me, you don't even know what love is."

Your knuckles turned white, both from your firm grip on the fabric of his shirt and the strong grasp he had on your wrists that severed the blood flow; you'd usually struggle with the pain caused by his physical exertions, but that day was different; you were supine to his assaults, just like a soldier on war, you decided to deal with the pain later and fight the enemy before. "With which right you're saying, huh? WITH THIS." Jungkook retorted as he pushed you far from his figure and tossed the solitaire ring, not at all caring where it landed or if it had hurt you while flying across the room.

Again, the hissing pain you felt in your cheek resulting from the scratch the diamond left behind didn't faze you; in fact, it switched your rage to a higher voltage, "I'm not marrying, Jungkook, I said it before, and I will repeat it until that thick brain of yours catches on." Without hesitation nor care, you trudged forward and grabbed the man by his necktie, which helped you gain a throaty grin in the process that you ignored albeit the creepiness, "do I really need to name the reasons why I can't even stand the sight of you let alone marry you? Do you really wanna go through our bumpy past, Jungkook?"

His grin turned into a peal of laughter as you watched slack-jawed; his behavior turned psychopathic as it went on, or maybe it always was, but you failed to notice it before, or worse, you turned a blind eye for the sake of the friendship that froze like a lifeless body after all it had been through, "where's the confidence from, little Y/N, huh?" He closed his eyes and let out a sigh before suddenly frowning; he moved closer, and before you could register his next movement, you felt an unbearable pain on your scalp that you could not bear, causing you to take his place this time and close your eyes; you felt his hot breath fan your jaw and neck as he pulled you closer to his face, his gaze hungrily taking in every inch of exposed skin as he continued with his argument, "could this be the famous power of love we always hear about, bestie?"

Jungkook fought hard, but in the end he gave in to his carnal desires; seeing you so vulnerable constantly stirred sadistic havoc in the pit of his stomach, and he always refused to give in to any impulse that might ironically turn him weak, as he was sure it would, yet this time he took it upon himself to turn his withheld emotions into a punishment that might leave you wallowing in disgust and self-reproach for the rest of your time; "I've been indulgent, haven't I? But what one can do, I cherish respect that's why," his grip on your neck tightened and though your hand tried its best to pull you out of it, you failed miserably as he continued pushing you until your back met the coldness of the glass wall, "but being the good girl you're, you should have told me you were hungry, tsk,tsk!" You inhaled deeply as soon as he let go of your neck, but unfortunately, you didn't have time to enjoy the normal flow of air because he abruptly turned you around so you could see the magnificent view gracing his office and secured your wrist behind your back while his hand rested on the back of your head entirely pinning you between his grips and whispered in your ear, "It's not a good manner to go around seducing my partner, is it now, wife?"

"Wife?" It was your turn now to laugh soundly despite your distress, and if anything, that tone of yours laced with defiance only served to grow Jungkook's hunger further, "not in a million years, bestie."

Jungkook pressed his body against yours so tightly that you swore with another step the glass would shatter and you'd both be hurled into the street; he nibbled at your neck, and when it became clear you weren't going to escape his grasp anytime soon, you stopped squirming and admitted defeat without allowing a tear to array your weakness: "I respected you, Y/N," the lustful look Jungkook had minutes ago suddenly turned into a frown as he sensed your surrender; he deeply inhaled the scent of your hair as if it was the only sedative that could bring him down from his maniac episode before parting his lips: "I kept your dignity and never allowed myself to lay hands on you against your wish; I disregarded my own craves to maintain reverence," you felt his forehead against the back of your head and heard the sigh he let out, "you shouldn't have done this to me, Y/N; it could have hurt less if he had at least reciprocated your feelings," he snorted, and it had unsettled you further, "you soiled my pride for someone who considers you as....", he sighed again.

Not more than garbage.

Jungkook facepalmed as soon as he released you from his hold, ran his fingers through his hair while looking at the marks his fingers and palm left on your thigh from the skirt that he had rolled up when his demons were taking over him, utter regret drawn over his face mixed with boiling anger that had him unbuttoning his shirt in an attempt to maximize his oxygen intake, "get out of my sight before I do something I'd regret." He ordered, and you complied after a minute of hesitation, in which multiple feelings aligned to cloud your already fogged brain.

"Well, I should give you a full bow of respect for that," Yoongi offered excitedly as he propped forward in his seat, showing an enormous amount of interest and curiosity, "that was such a smart move, I give you that."

Taehyung at, the other hand, seemed less excited and more exhausted; the booze he had promised to stay away from was again between his hand, while a glass was on the counter getting ready to meet his plump lips that it had missed without doubt; "that's why you should just stay away and let me handle it."

"I know, I know," said Yoongi while showing his hands in a dismissive motion, "still, how you managed to bring him to your office at the right time, I just can't wrap my head around it."

Taehyung sighed, not really in the mood to remember or talk about anything from that morning, certainly not with Yoongi, who would never understand how he felt thinking about how low he had sunk and how far he'd go to satisfy the blazing rage inside him; he swallowed a big gulp of liquor to get rid of the unpleasant taste that complacency had left, but it only burned his throat all the way down to his stomach without having any significant positive effect; "why are you so curious about the details, what should matter is the outcome, and I think I brought a pretty positive one to the table, don't you think?"

"Positive?" Shouted Yoongi, "you've got to be kidding me; it was amazing." He stood up and joined Taehyung, who insisted on staying on the kitchen island next to his favorite bourbon bottle so the glass wouldn't miss its contents, "You just killed two birds with one stone, Kim; Jungkook is going to take a lot of time to recover from this traumatic event, and meanwhile, he's going to open the gates of hell for your brother's killer."

Pay close attention to your enemies and even more to your friends.

Old proverbs are worth their weight in gold, a wealth that cannot be compared to a fat balance in a Swiss bank account; more often than not, the threat of disaster comes from the things we pay least attention to; when the danger is known, we tend to take the necessary precautions, and it's rare to be hurt by what we fear the most, on the contrary, it's common to receive mortal wounds from people we thought were our shields.

Taehyung was close to you, very close that you trusted him unconditionally when in fact, he was far away; you always closed your eyes to the actual distance that put you both on a different page; trust is an assassin, and you just got attacked and ended up with a fatal wound.

Taehyung left your office dripping with anger far greater than he could bear; he went into his office with poisonous thoughts, black thoughts that he painted on black canvas just to add more darkness to the final product, ideas that made him want to replace the devil for a split second and use the secretary he knew Jungkook had hired to keep an eye on him for his own benefit; he was sure that the assistant would contact Jungkook directly as soon as you entered his office with tear-stained eyes. The fact that you closed the door behind you lit a lamp in the evil side of his brain, reinforcing to him that his calculation would indeed yield the best result.

Taehyung knew you were there to prove he was your favorite regardless of the competition; he knew you'd go wherever he sent you without hesitation just to make up for your disgusting feats with almost everyone around him; after all, you didn't even spare his friend; he hated you for crossing every boundary and line, and talking to Yoongi about what he had done to you seemed to have the same effect as water on a blazing fire, softening its fury but leaving poisonous smoke behind.

Yoongi wasn't one to endure drama; regret, love, and other weak emotions often gave him a stomachache. Noticing the sudden change in Taehyung's voice and posture, he ended the debriefing and returned to attend to his unfinished business.

You couldn't enjoy the same peaceful moments as Yoongi, for you were keen to make out of your night and Jimin's living hell, mainly to let out the emotions that were eating you alive.

"How could you do something on this scale without consulting me, Jimin? Are you out of your mind?" You ranted as you kept waltzing around the room, widening the size of the discomfiture you brought upon the man.

"I thought we were done with this subject, Y/N," he offered calmly despite the anger the whole situation brought, his thumb and forefinger massaging the bridge of his nose and traveling to the inner corners of his eyes as he tried to keep the conversation civil, "I did what I had to do to keep troubles at bay, Y/N, what's so hard to understand?"

You stood still while locking your gaze on Jimin without uttering a word. However, the silence only lasted seconds before you erupted in hysterical laughter that caught Jimin off-guard, "tell me, Jimin, do you still think that you managed to keep problems away? You got closer to his figure, and with each step you took, Jimin reminded himself to maintain his lips sealed to avoid bigger problems, "what made you think it did? Because the look he shot you earlier surely suggested the contrary, doctor."

Jimin withstood your gaze longer than he'd have liked; you were right, and he knew it so damn well; nothing good came from such a colossal ass lie, but there was no turning back, and for the most important outcome, he had to uphold the truths twisted.

"Right," he started as he stood, only a few inches separating your forms, and that was making it more challenging to maintain a regret-free expression, "he hates my guts now, I'm aware, so what? Do you want me to run to him now and tell him the truth? Is that what you really want me to do, Y/N?"

Truth is a big word; it holds a deep meaning, not infrequently dark and vile; truth is what we seek, and what we have been taught should always be revealed, but we spend our lives masking it for fear of being dug with its sharp blade.

"I could have handled my shit on my own, Jimin," you retorted in a tone very different from Jimin's; you stroked your fingers through your hair in exasperation and continued to yell at the man, who seemed to be about to lose the rest of his patience very soon, "you just ended it all, don't you see? You took away my chance, for fuck's sake."

"Chance of what, huh? Listen, Y/N, with Taehyung, you had zero chance from the start; you were his brother's wife; have you forgotten that?" Jimin's patience wore off, and suddenly he found himself shouting out his thoughts, "You were never meant to be together; society won't allow it, neither will his conscience; when do you plan to open your eyes to reality, huh? WHEN?"

"I DON'T WANT TO, YOU HEAR ME," you retorted as your hand knocked over the lamp that sat on the stand when anger reached the summit, "nothing could come between him and me, not you nor the past, Jimin, you fucking understand?" You turned toward the sofa to grab your belongings before proceeding, "I'm telling him the truth; you better brace yourself."

Jimin watched seemingly calmly with his hands in his pockets as you turned on your heel toward the door. Just before you could reach the doorknob, his words stopped your movement, "Don't go around a bee's nest and cry when you get stung; I'm warning you; whatever's going on in your head, get rid of it; if you don't want his partner to take the whole situation to another level, Y/N."

That was all it took to gather your lost attention and bring your feet back to reality; Jimin stood still as you catapulted forward and grabbed him by the collar, eyes bloodshot as you attacked him both verbally and physically, "what do you mean? What does he have on you that you've suddenly become his dog?"

You didn't need much to understand his explanation and his reasons, and he didn't need much to make you realize that the final decision couldn't be made by him, and even if it were, he wouldn't show you any leniency; you weren't exactly the person he'd have wanted for his friend; his friendship with Taehyung clearly meant more to him than your bond, albeit the empathy.

At the speed of light, you ran toward the door, ignoring your grip on Jimin and his sermon on morality; you revved the engine to life and drove in the busy wave of traffic in Seoul's night setting.

While the sky seemed calm, you drew the dividing lines with the rage that took over you; with furrowed brows, you aggressively gripped the steering wheel, one hand periodically leaving the handle to attack it with powerful blows; you hit the horn several times as you carelessly swerved between traffic, most of your concentration focused on the same goal before you could actually reach it.

You absentmindedly tossed the car keys to the valet while you ran in the staircase leading to the big mansion's entry, and once the door flung open, you shoved the housemaid away and went to the first floor where you supposed Yoongi's office was.

Yoongi wasn't particularly shocked by the sight of you; in fact, it seemed as if he had been waiting for your arrival and had prepared himself well for it; he sat comfortably on the plush seat while you rushed inside like a tornado; legs crossed, Yoongi remained unfazed as you advanced in your march, stopping only when you were satisfied with the grip you had combined on the hems of his vest and shirt, "you son of a bitch, what do you want exactly, huh?"

"Easy, tiger. It's not like this that we're supposed to talk, don't you think?" Yoongi offered with a smirk; he freed himself from your grip and moved toward the window giving you his back, "I know it seems unfair, and I agree, but life has never been fair, Y/N; there's no need to fight over what you've lost, nothing will come back albeit the tears."

In a moment of weakness, you pondered his words and almost convinced yourself that he was indeed describing facts, that you and Taehyung represented the impossible, yet a part of you firmly believed that you should fight for what you considered your own and that dark part urged you to take confident steps toward the window where Yoongi stood with a vase you had taken from the stand, eyes blindfolded with resentment and the promise of a better tomorrow if you took care of the obstacles, your feet stopping only when they were inches away from the person you wanted to eradicate from this world.

A/N

Hey, folks! How are you doing?

People, I'm extremely happy; yesterday, I was informed one of my books (Gladiator) ranked first place in the INFIRES mini-awards, so I wanted to share this news with you and thank you for your support.

Also, I will take the chance to promote my new book, Given, Taken. which will be released soon. I have released a teaser, so if you haven't watched it yet, please give it a shot and share your thoughts.

Votes and comments are highly appreciated ❤️