🥀 8. 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝: 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 & 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐬

Enjoy🌸

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The night was young when Taehyung dashed into his house as soon as he received the call. He went inside and yelled when found the hall empty, "Mom? Grandma, Where are you?"

Jimin and Yeonjum came out of the kitchen after listening to their brother yell, "Mother is in her room, hyung, Grandma said she fainted due to tiredness, She will be fine, right?"

Taehyung nodded, "Yes, she will be fine. I will make sure of it."
he caressed their hair passed a small smile and went ahead. He knocked on the door and stepped inside.
Moving towards her mother, Taehyung cradled her head in his lap, "What happened to her?"

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Flashback
Soomin and Yi-Jun were sitting in the living room, sipping tea and chatting leisurely. Meanwhile, Jimin, Yeonjun and Minjun were out of the house. The lights of the manor began to flicker and smoke surrounded the hall. Soomin and Yi-jun stood up in confusion, their eyes widening when they saw the Ash Jinn coming out from the smoke. Soon, the smoke disappeared and the lights came back.

"Did you think I, the Ash Jinn, would let you live peacefully after getting betrayed?" Ash Jinn's voice roared in the hall.

The two females flinched hard. They looked at each other as if trying to convey something. Grandma went inside and poured water on The Ash Tinn. The Jinn aware of their tricks, created a protection circle around her.

"Tsk tsk, same old tricks. Try something new. This time I came prepared. I will not let you win," the jinn moved her hands forward, chanting a spell, a ball of smoke developing in between her palms. She pushed the smoke in Soomin's direction.

"This is the deadliest poison I had put inside her. It will work slowly and take her life in a slow yet painful manner. This poison will flow in her veins gradually, twisting her guts and making her wish for only one thing—death. Breaking taehyung completely and then I will get my master free," the Jinn laughed wickedly and disappeared.

"Soomin, are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm okay,"

As the poison took hold of her, Soomin's world twisted into chaos. Her face contorted with pain and fear, and her eyes mirrored the torment within.

The poison's effects were relentless. Her body trembled, and she clutched her stomach, wracked with never-ending pain. Nausea surged, and her breathing grew labored. The world around her blurred as her senses dulled, leaving her in a nightmarish haze. It left her struggling for breath, fighting to hold onto her consciousness, as the world faded into a shadowy abyss.
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"Any cure?"

"Yes, Rosie told that Rubrioli buds and its water touched by Alara can help,"

Taehyung gently kept her mother's head back and stood up, "Give me those buds, I will get them touched by Yuna,"

Grandma nodded and gave him the buds. Taehyung stepped inside his garage.

"Mr.Kim, Where to?" A driver came and went to open the door of the car.
"It's okay. I'll drive. You can go," Taehyung moved towards the driver's seat and sat inside buckling up his seat belt.

He drove through the road after putting the address of Kang's on the GPS. Within thirty minutes, he reached and parked his car outside the house. He walked to the main door and rang the doorbell. A butler opened the door and greeted him.

"Please call Yuna," Taehyung requested. Soon, Yuna came to Taehyung and greeted him.
"Taehyung, you here, at this time?"

Taehyung forwarded the Rubriali buds," Can you touch them?"

Yuna nodded and touched the buds. Taehyung frowned when the buds didn't bloom. He pulled out a bud from the water and enclosed it inside Yuna's fist. Yuna was confused when saw what taehyung was doing. She asked but didn't get any reply. Taehyung took away the bud and took a few steps back.
"Taehyung, taehyung?"

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"What? Yuna is not Alara?" Grandma exclaimed in shock when taehyung nodded.

"Are you sure you put the buds in her palms?" she grabbed his shoulder.

"Yes, I put them but they didn't bloom. Are you sure that Yuna is Alara? Did you see when that at her touch buds bloomed?" taehyung asked.

Yi-jun recalled the wedding day when Yuna stepped inside the house. She only saw bloomed flowers and Yuna standing beside them.

"No, flowers were already bloomed. This means-"

"-That Alara was in our manor," taehyung completed, charcoal-black eyes staring at the wall.

"How we will protect Soomin from Ash jinn's curse-," "What is Ash jinn,?" another voice cut into their conversation.

Taehyung turned around and found jimin standing at the door with a food tray in her hand, face concealed with confusion. Grandma's eyes widened, and she tried to hide the truth but taehyung stopped her.

"Jimin, go and call yeonjun and Minjun. There is something that I want to share," jimin nodded, keeping the tray on the table, she went away.

"Taehyung, what are you going to tell? And why?" Grandma asked in resentment.

"About myself, the curse and the jinn. I want them to know about our father's wrongdoings,"

"But why? We can hide from them."

"And why, Grandma? Aren't they part of our family? There are no secrets in the family, right? Then why do we need to hide? They deserve to know the truth. They have the right to know that their brother, the son of this family, the Kim taehyung, is under the influence of a dark power, a jinn. He is cursed," his emotions heightened, making his voice loud and resonant. A familiar pain in his heart returned, the colour of his iris flickering from black to blue. Taehyung clenched his jaw, and his hands fisting to control the urge to destroy his pain.

"Taehyung, control dear. Your siblings are here," Grandma rubbed her palms on his forearms, comforting him in between. Taehyung took a deep breath and closed his eyes, soon his eyes became black.

"Hyung, what do you want to tell?" yeonjun raised a question observing the condition.

"About my past and my secret. I'm not a normal human,"

"Umm, what?" jimin furrowed her eyebrows.

"Your father, Kim Tae-sung, wanted to become rich. He somehow got to know about the jinn. Tae-sung went to the jinn and asked to make him rich. In return, jinn wanted the firstborn of Tae-sung, that is, taehyung, your eldest brother. Somehow, we all saved him in childhood, but now as taehyung had turned 29, the jinn returned to capture him.," Grandma narrated the past to them.

"Did you get any cure to free hyung from this curse?"

"Yes, we got the cure. That's why, we searched for Alara,"

"Alara? Who?"

"Alara, a girl whose heart is angelic and blessed with kindness,"

"So, is Yuna Alara? You all were making her and hyung married," yeonjun asked.

"No, she is not. When an Alara passes from the magical Bud, it blooms. Alara was present at our house but we didn't know,"

"I saw a flower blooming when that pretty girl was passing from them," little Minjun chirped, jumping on his tiny feet.

"Who?" they all surrounded Minjun.

Minjun ran away and came back with a mobile phone. He climbed on the couch and raised the phone high in the air.

"I have a few conditions which you need to fulfil to get this," he stated wriggling the phone in his small hands.

"Taetae, will you help me to vanish my teachers?"
"Jiminie, you will do my homework for one week,"
"Grandma, please allow me to play games and eat chocolates,"

They all smiled at his innocent condition and agreed to it. Minjun ran to taehyung and handed him the phone. Taehyung searched for the video and played it. His blank expression turned into a horrified one when he saw the Alara. He saw how the flowers bloomed from her touch.

"No, no, no, this girl can't be Alara," He facepalmed as soon as the video ended.

"Hyung, let us see," jimin snatched the phone and played the video.

"Jungkook," she yelled in surprise.

"O my God, jungkook is the Alara, hyung. Did you see it? Wohh, I am so happy. I can't believe it. Someone pinch me. Aaaaa, I wanna scream," everyone kept their hands on their ears when jimin screamed in happiness and ran a marathon around the hall.

"I can't believe that this human is my sibling, "Yeonjun looked at jimin from head to toe.

"Taehyung, did you meet each other before? Have you ever talked with her?" Grandma asked ignoring the hyperventilating jimin.

"Grandma, you are asking about meeting? Jungkook works as CEO Kim's secretary. And they had done more than talk," jimin wriggled her eyebrows and nudged his brother, receiving a head smack in return from the same brother.

"Dont utter nonsense. And grandma, jungkook can't be Alara,"

Grandma's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Why not?"

Taehyung sighed, his mind flashing through memories of Jungkook—moments of their interactions, her laughter, her determination and the depth of her character.

"That girl talks a lot," Taehyung said, shaking his head.

•————-🥀————-•

Jeon Kara was on cloud nine today because today is the day, jungkook is going to be engaged with Sangwoon, a man who comes from an elite family. She skillfully sugarcoats her manipulative intentions with a facade of sweetness. Her devious plan is wrapped in a layer of charm and love for Jungkook.

She conceals her true motives beneath a mask of motherly care, ensuring that Jungkook remains naive of her wicked dream. Kara turned and saw jungkook stepping down from stairs, looking beautiful in the dress. The dress was a gift from Sangwoon.

She moved towards jungkook and cupped her face, "My dearest, you are looking so beautiful,"

Jungkook smiled slightly still sulky about the marriage thing.

"The groom is here," someone shouted.

Kara went to the Main entrance to welcome the groom's family. Her eyes gleamed with happiness when she saw several expensive gifts brought by the family.

"Welcome, my soon-to-be son-in-law. We were waiting for you," Kara smirked.

The man, Lee Sangwoon also smirked as if understanding the meaning hidden in the sugar-coated words.

Lee Sangwoon
Jungkook's soon-to-be husband
Greedy, rich and selfish

(PS: Sorry, random handsome bro for making you a villain)

Jungkook looked at the person standing beside her mother. She gave a fake smile when the male smiled.

"Already lost in your soon-to-be husband," Ara, a close friend of jungkook nudged her.
Jungkook looked at her and shook her head.

"He is handsome, right?" Ara asked and jungkook glanced at the male slightly feeling uncomfortable by his gaze.

Kara comes towards jungkook with Sangwoon following her.

"You are looking so stunning, jungkook," Sangwoon complemented jungkook, who just shook her head in acceptance, fingers fidgeting with her dress.

"At least smile, dear," Kara whispered in jungkook's ear. Jungkook gave a forced smile to Sangwoon.

The night proceeded as the function took place. Now it was the time for the ring-exchanging ceremony.

Jungkook sat at one end of the sofa, her body language clearly shows her resistance to the situation. She nervously plays with her fingers, attempting to hide her nervousness. Her mother, Kara surrounds her, pressuring her to proceed with the engagement.

On the opposite side of the sofa, the man intended to be her future husband sat, his expression perhaps reflecting greed and lust covered by gentlemanly behaviour.

"Jungkook and Sangwoon, please exchange the rings," Kara forwarded the rings to them.

Jungkook unwillingly took the ring and slid it onto Sangwoon's fourth finger.

The clapping and congratulations filled the air as the ceremony concluded, with everyone exchanging smiles and well-wishes. Sangwoon took the ring and slid it onto Jungkook's fourth finger. His grip was tight, almost forceful, causing Jungkook to pull her hand away with an effort that betrayed her unease.

Kara enveloped Jungkook in a warm embrace, showering her with kisses and heartfelt blessings.

As the ceremony moved into the dinner phase, the guests mingled and chatted. Sangwoon's phone rang, and he answered with a casual tone. "Hello?"

"Hello, Sangwoon, where are you? Is your work finished?" The voice on the other end was brisk, laden with concern and irritation.

Sangwoon's face softened slightly as he responded, "Well, hello to you, my dear wifey. I'm still caught up in work. But I promise, before sunrise, you'll find me back in our bed."

There was a light chuckle on the other end. "Sometimes I feel like work is your second wife," the woman said, her tone half-joking.

Sangwoon smirked, glancing over at Jungkook with a look of amusement. "I think that's true. This Work does seem like my second wife."

"Okay, then. Come home soon. Your son misses you," the woman replied, her voice softening with a touch of longing.

"And what about you?" Sangwoon asked.

"I also miss you. Fine?" she said.

Sangwoon chuckled, "Alright, alright. I'll be home before you know it."

He turned and found Kara standing there, her arms crossed and a storm brewing in her eyes. The air between them crackled with tension.

"So, you're married and have a kid," Kara said, her voice icy. "Do you think I'm blind or naive? Jeon Kara isn't one to deal with someone without knowing their full story."

Sangwoon remained silent, a sardonic smile playing on his lips.

The greedy man raised an eyebrow. "So what's your plan? Are you going to tell Jungkook about this little family secret?"

Kara's gaze hardened and she spoke,  "No, I won't. Keep your secret under wraps until the wedding. Just keep this a secret."

Without a word, Kara extended her hand. Sangwoon produced a cheque and handed it to her. Kara's eyes sparkled with greed as she took it, opening it to reveal an amount of 80 lakh. Her eyes widened, and a satisfied smirk spread across her face as she looked back at Sangwoon.

But before she could savour her triumph, Sangwoon abruptly snatched the cheque back. "What are you doing?" Kara hissed, a note of panic creeping into her voice.

Sangwoon's expression was cold and unyielding. "I'm a businessman, not a fool. I won't pay a cent until I get what I want. You'll receive this cheque only when Jeon Jungkook becomes Lee Jungkook. Until then, you'll have to wait."

Kara's face darkened with anger, but she could do nothing but nod curtly, knowing she had little choice in the matter.

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Happy reading!