“Jungkook,” she began softly, her voice tinged with hesitation. “Mr. Kim came here to meet me today. He was talking about marriage… and I told him yes.”

Jungkook froze, his hand still on the doorknob. Slowly, he turned to face her, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief. “Why?” he asked, his voice strained. “That boy… he’s just 28 or something, and I’m—”

“He loves you, Jungkook,” she interrupted firmly, her gaze steady. “Only you. We’ve made our decision. The rest is in your hands.”

Jungkook’s eyes narrowed, the weight of her words sinking in. “Who are you?” he asked, his tone laced with bitterness. He took a step closer, his piercing gaze locked on her.

“Kooki…” she began, using the name she’d affectionately called him since childhood.

But Jungkook cut her off, his voice rising. “Who the hell are you to decide my life?”

The sharpness of his words made her flinch. “I’m your mo—”

“I don’t care!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the room. “No one, no one gets to interfere in my life. Not even you.” His tone was filled with a venom she hadn’t expected. “So stay away.”

His words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. His glare was icy and unwavering, cutting deeper than any knife. Without waiting for a response, Jungkook turned abruptly, his steps heavy as he stormed toward his room. The door slammed shut behind him, the sound reverberating through the tense silence that now filled the house.

She stood there, her heart pounding, her hands trembling. The warmth of his anger lingered, leaving her questioning everything.

*********

“I want to marry him,” Taehyung pouted, crossing his arms like a stubborn child.

“Whom?” Namjoon asked, not bothering to look up from the thick book he was flipping through.

“Jeon Jungkook,” Taehyung declared boldly, his eyes brimming with defiance.

“No,” Namjoon replied curtly, his tone as sharp as the turn of the page.

“Appa!” Taehyung whined, stomping his foot. “Don’t forget, it’s because of him that you even have me in your life!”

Namjoon finally set the book down, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And I’m grateful for that. But that same man abandoned you, Taehyung. For nothing.”

“Nothing?” Taehyung’s voice cracked, and he stepped closer to Namjoon. “That’s a lie. Kim witch lied to him! She said my mother and his mother were the same person. Of course, he freaked out! But that was a complete fabrication!”

“Not entirely.” Namjoon adjusted his glasses, his voice calm but laced with a fatherly authority. “Your mothers were sisters. Step-sisters.

Taehyung scoffed, frustration bubbling over. “Step-sisters? And you’re okay with that woman destroying my happiness?”

“Taehyung, that’s enough,” Namjoon snapped. “Even if that woman lied, Jungkook didn’t stop to question anything. He broke off the engagement without so much as a second thought. And he didn’t stop there—he tried to end his life. Do you think that’s love? Someone who can’t even stand by you during a storm?”

“Appa—”

“Enough, Tae,” Namjoon interrupted, his tone final.

The tension in the room was suffocating. Taehyung’s gaze darted to the people standing silently around him: the cook, the bodyguard, the nurse, and Li, the ever-efficient house manager. They all seemed too afraid to intervene, though their worried expressions betrayed their thoughts.

“If he loves him… maybe they should—” the cook started, only to stop mid-sentence when Namjoon shot him a glare so stern it could have frozen fire.

“In my opinion,” the nurse piped up hesitantly, “our Taetae loves—”

“I don’t need your opinion,” Namjoon cut her off sharply. The nurse quickly covered her mouth, her cheeks turning red.

“Boss,” the bodyguard spoke, his voice steady, though cautious. “You already know this little Dracula here. No matter what happens, he always goes back to Jungkook. Why are you so against them being together?”

“Yes!” Taehyung exclaimed, clinging to the bodyguard’s words like a lifeline. “If Jungkook marries someone else, I’ll still have an illegitimate relationship with him. No one can stop me!”

Namjoon slowly closed his book, the sound loud and deliberate in the now-silent room. He looked directly at Taehyung, his gaze piercing. “Prove it.”

“What?” Taehyung blinked in confusion, his eyes widening. The others, too, exchanged puzzled glances.

“Prove it,” Namjoon repeated firmly. “Prove that Jungkook still loves you.”

“How?” Taehyung asked, his voice smaller now, uncertain.

“You have seven days.” Namjoon leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “If he truly loves you, it won’t matter what happened in the past. Love like that doesn’t just disappear.”

Taehyung swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the challenge. “But he’s forgotten me, Dad…”

“He can’t,” Namjoon replied, his voice softer but still resolute. “Not if he truly loves you.” His gaze drifted to the wedding ring on his finger, and a flicker of something unreadable passed across his face. Without another word, he stood and walked out of the room, leaving everyone in stunned silence.

“How can I do this?” Taehyung muttered to himself, his mind racing. Then, his eyes lit up with determination. “I’ll have to visit Jimin hyung. He’ll know what to do.”

The others exchanged glances, a mix of worry and amusement in their eyes. Whatever happened next, one thing was certain: when it came to Taehyung and Jungkook, the drama was far from over.